ADHD, Wellbutrin (450mg) + Atomoxetine (40mg) combo
Hi everyone, I’m 18 years old and I have severe ADHD. For years, the only thing that motivated me or got me moving was pure stress and anxiety. As a result of this chronic stress, I eventually ended up battling depression, anxiety, and severe anhedonia. I also suffered from maladaptive daydreaming to the point where I felt completely detached from reality.
Three months ago, I started a combination of Wellbutrin (Bupropion) and Atomoxetine. Here is how my dosage progressed month by month:
- Month 1: 150mg Wellbutrin + 18mg Atomoxetine
- Month 2: 300mg Wellbutrin + 25mg Atomoxetine
- Month 3 (Current): 450mg Wellbutrin + 40mg Atomoxetine
Every monthly dosage increase has triggered significant changes in me. To be honest, I didn't want to scale up Wellbutrin this fast. However, whenever we increase the Atomoxetine dose, I experience a highly uncomfortable, crushing anhedonia/emotional blunting. To counter this, I kept asking my doctor to bump up my Wellbutrin dose.
But here is my current dilemma: 40mg of Atomoxetine is still not enough for me. My executive function is still impaired, and I'm struggling to get things done. I desperately need to increase my Atomoxetine dose to function, but I am terrified of dealing with worse anhedonia. Plus, I am already at the maximum dose of Wellbutrin (450mg).
Has anyone else experienced this while on this combo? How can I overcome this wall of anhedonia without sacrificing my executive function? I would love to hear your experiences and insights.