r/Wellbutrin_Bupropion

I am at my wits end. Wellbutrin has helped me so much but for the past 2 years, it just hasn't been doing it for me anymore. And I'm finally coming to terms with that. I play with the dosage a lot and have tried basically every manufacturer and found the ones that work for best for me. I think I still want to continue taking this medication, but I'm wondering if I add something to it if it could help because my depression has come back. I can't stop self isolating and I have no productivity at all. Therapy is cool But that's not my solution. Meds have changed my life for the better and i'm willing to try again with another one.

* something very important though, is that I cannot take a medication that makes me hungry or gain weight.Because a lot of my depression comes from my weight. I'm in pretty decent shape right now.\nAnd don't need a medication that makes me eat more.

Tldr: any medications you recommend i ask my psychiatrist about that helped wellbutrin work better for you?

I’ve been on ACT Bupropion for 4 months now and I started to experience tinnitus a couple of months in. The constant and steady buzzing in my ears is driving me crazy and making it very difficult to settle at night and sleep. I also hear it during the day time when the room is quiet. Apparently this is a known side effect once you reach 300mg but a rare one (3-6% of users). Has anyone else experienced this and, if so, what steps did you take to stop it? I already know that reducing my dose isn’t going to work for me so maybe an alternate medication but there is such a wide range of options that it’s hard to figure out which one will help. I’m neurodivergent and use Bupropion for depression but also to support my energy, focus, and motivation because I can’t tolerate controlled stimulants like Vyvanse. Welcome any advice.

My third month on 150mg XL, and I've noticed some nice changes in my life. I can wake up in the morning and get ready much faster and easier than before. I've been able to stay on a calorie deficit consistently for the past 5 weeks (2 weeks was best I could do before, one day would go wrong and I'd stop trying). Impulse control is sooo much better, I've stopped binge eating snacks, I can control myself when presented the opportunity. I'm sleeping better, which I didn't even realize that I was struggling with. I'm more active during the day, much easier to initiate tasks and get things done. And I do feel more energetic, even on days when I feel tired, I can still get up and do things. I still have to tackle the struggle of exercising regularly, but besides that, I honestly feel great. As for side effects, I haven't experienced anything strange that others here have described, no high highs and low lows, no honeymoon phase, it's all been quiet and smooth.

For some context, I'm 25F with AuDHD, and I've been on Escitalopram for a year before starting Wellbutrin. I do miss Elicea, it helped with my mood and emotional state a lot more, but not with motivation and impulse control. With Wellbutrin the effect is inverted. I'm thinking of taking them both. But I can say for sure that I've never felt so stable. My entire life I've been looking for this sense of normalcy and stability, to be able to do things without feeling the weight of the entire universe on my body. It's so worth it, if the substance and dosage is right, it can be life changing.

I started taking 150XR 5 days ago and the first few days were great. I felt a lot more focused, higher mood, lower ruminating thoughts, lower appetite. I was able to get out of bed and take care of chores around the house easily. Now that it’s been 5 days I feel like I’m right back to baseline. Constant ruminating, bedrotting, eating snacks, can’t focus on my studies.
Not sure what to make of this. Did anyone have a similar experience? Did it get better? Or should I expect the next several days to get progressively closer to baseline. When should I see my doctor about increasing the dose?

Hello, I just started on Wellbutrin 100SR. I am very sensitive to meds so I wanted to start at the lowest option. I need an anxiety medication but I have tried multiple SSRIs over the years and I gain weight like crazy and have sexual issues with them and I am SICK of it and it hurts my relationships which only makes me more depressed, so I have fully sworn off of them and when I tell doctors that they refuse to help me with anything else better for anxiety. I’ve tried buspar and gabapentin but the buspar did nothing at all and the gabapentin just made me so tired so I told the dr I’ll just try Wellbutrin maybe it will at least help my depression and put me in a better mood even though I know it won’t work on my anxiety. I just wish they would understand how much of an affect weight gain and my sexual heath means to me and that I want to have my anxiety taken seriously without those side effects happening.. anyway about the Wellbutrin, I’m hearing as of those side effects this one can be positive for that. So is that true? Could it possibly help me lose weight and help my libido? I took this once before short term, years ago and I don’t remember what happened

Hi everyone, I’m hoping to hear from others who might have had a similar experience with Wellbutrin. I am really suffering right now and trying to figure out if this medication is actually working against me.

To give some background: I started on Wellbutrin 300 mg XL back in late December 2025 for anxiety, as I felt completely stuck in a chronic "fight or flight" response due to extreme personal and work-related stress. I previously took Effexor years ago, and tapering off of it was one of the hardest things I've ever lived through. Because of that nightmare, I never, ever want to go through SNRI withdrawal again, so I initially chose Wellbutrin thinking it was a much "safer" antidepressant.

However, looking back, things have steadily gone downhill:

Anxiety, Jitters, and Caffeine Intolerance: I used to comfortably drink two coffees every morning. Starting earlier this year, I started getting terrible panic attacks from caffeine, forcing me to cut it out entirely.

TMJ and Migraines: By April, my anxiety and physical tension spiked, leading to severe jaw clenching (bruxism) and debilitating migraines that have persisted ever since.

Hair Loss: I've dealt with bouts of all-over hair thinning for the past three years due to chronic stress, but it has flared up intensely again.

The Underlying Health Context: For background, I've had ankylosing spondylitis since I was 15 (I'm 33 now) and was diagnosed with lupus SLE in 2020. I take Plaquenil, Cyclobenzaprine, and meloxicam to manage them (biologics failed for me previously).

Between the chronic physical pain, the hair loss, and the intense stress, I am now sliding into depression with deep anhedonia—I can't even bring myself to do the things I used to enjoy.

My rheumatologist recently suggested Cymbalta (an SNRI), but the side effect and withdrawal stories sound utterly terrifying given my past with Effexor.

I’m starting to wonder if Wellbutrin is fueling my migraines, physical jitters, and anxiety rather than helping my mood. But I honestly don't know what else is safe to try.

Has anyone else had a similar experience with Wellbutrin? Did stopping it help resolve things like the jaw clenching, jitters, or hair shedding? If you've navigated chronic pain and anxiety without using an SNRI, what actually worked for you?

** written with help from AI

As the headline says, I am having very important deadlines like writing my dissertation and moving. I was prescribed Wellburtin but I fear if I take it my side effects will outweigh the positive effects. I have anxiety disorder so I fear it will affect how I perform on my studies. Would you start with your first medication during that time or after ?