u/omeero90

I’m thinking of quitting Rexulti. I have treatment-resistant major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety, and I’m currently on Wellbutrin SR 300 mg + Rexulti 1 mg. I know 1 mg is a low dose, but the side effects have still been pretty significant for me.

Wellbuitin did pick me up from my depression but the affects is not enough to function fully, Rexulti helped me function through my depression maybe 50% better, but I feel completely flat. Even the small joys I had during severe depression are gone. I’ve gained weight, affected my lebido, feeling restless, and feel like it has affected my face/skin and made me feel uglier. The weight gain itself is worsening my self-esteem and depression.

I’m also having cognitive issues — trouble thinking, finding words, speaking and sometimes comprehending things. I genuinely feel stupider on it. I’m also autistic, and it seems to have affected my ability to mask too, so communicating and being around people has become much harder.

I also cry extremely easily now. Any time my emotions spike, positive or negative, I can start crying.

The weird thing is that at the same time, Rexulti has made me crave company. I want to be around people much more while also struggling more to interact with them.

I see my psychiatrist tomorrow and I’m going to discuss whether to stop Rexulti and increase Wellbutrin, switch Rexulti to Brintellix/Trintellix while keeping Wellbutrin, or possibly adjust the Wellbutrin to 400.

Has anyone with treatment-resistant depression been in a similar situation? What did you end up doing, and how did it go for you?

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for personal experiences and thoughts about this combination.

Im F(36) was on SSRIs/SNRIs and CBT for around 10 years, and they didn’t help at all in fact it made the depressive episodes worse, gained a tremendous amount of weight on, and it caused hypothyroidism among other things.

I stopped antidepressants for about 5 years, then started Wellbutrin/bupropion about a year ago after a severe depressive episode that lasted 8 months.

I’m now on 300 mg SR, EMDR therapy, and it has helped with depression and CPTSD immensely.

And also, i take a small quarter dose of Seroquel/quetiapine for sleep

However, I still struggle with emotional flatness, anhedonia, freeze/shutdown mode, tiredness, and executive dysfunction. I can manage necessities, but I still feel stuck and not fully functional, especially with socializing, trying new things, going to the gym, and maintaining my health… etc.

I also was diagnosed with autism as an adult, which may be part of the freeze/executive dysfunction issue.

My psychiatrist prescribed Rexulti/brexpiprazole as an add-on to Wellbutrin, but I’m apprehensive. I’m scared it could undo the progress I’ve made or cause side effects like akathisia, emotional blunting, fatigue, or weight gain.

Has anyone added Rexulti to Wellbutrin for residual depression, anhedonia, freeze/shutdown, or executive dysfunction? Did it help or make things worse? What dose did you start on, and how long did it take to notice effects?