r/Wellbutrin_Bupropion

Hey!

Quick overview- I have ADHD, OCD, PTSD, GAD & Depression. I started Wellbutrin ~3 months ago (150mg XL) for depression, and my dr is suggesting to add Lexapro for anxiety. I wanted to see if anyone has experienced Wellbutrin in the same way as me, and then added Lexapro and if it helped or not! Thank you!

Wellbutrin has helped me so so much in the depression realm since starting it, however I have had a couple issues heightened.

1. I have been EXTREMELY exhausted since being on it. I was always tired before starting it bc of other health problems, but welly b definitely makes me non stop pooped. I take it at night, fall asleep within minutes of trying (new to me lol), and can sleep for 12 hours but still wake up exhausted. I don’t feel *as* depressed, but I still lack motivation to do anything with is a lil depressing lol

2. I’ve always had anxiety, but it is THROUGH THE ROOF now. I’m not sure if it’s making my ptsd worse, but a lot of my death anxiety has skyrocketed. I’m definitely more anxious in general, but some things are especially ramped up.

All of that to ask-

-Did you start on Wellbutrin?
-Did you experience any of these symptoms?
-Did adding Lexapro help?
-Any weird side effects from Lexapro?
-Also anybody LESS tired after starting Lexapro?

Thank you so much for anyone’s time. I am extremely anxious about medications. It took a lot for me to even try Wellbutrin, so the thought of adding something else is also freaking me out but I’m willing to try anything atp 🫶

I’ve been on bupropion 300mg for a good year now and didn’t really see how well it went until I had to stop taking it in may because I ran out and doctors failed to send out my prescription fax to the pharmacy twice, and a month later I have to start at a smaller dose again. I feel absolutely atrocious and lethargic as if I’ve never even been on it and it’s crazy to think I was always like this before any medication. Bupropion gave me enough energy to get out of bed and be as normal as I could be.

I’m so glad to start back on it tomorrow though. It made me feel like an actual person and made me feel emotions more “correctly” even though I was a little irritable lol.

A few months ago I was prescribed adderall for ADHD and was really surprised at how well it helped my mood/lowered depression. I had energy, felt genuinely happy, and felt motivated/excited to wake up in the morning. The only negative side effect I had was extreme joint pain which unfortunately was so bad I stopped taking it and the joint pain subsided. I had really bad pain in my fingers to the point where I could hardly bend them/considered seeing a rheumatologist. Since stopping the adderall, I’ve noticed my mood and motivation are really low again.

Since I really felt the adderall work well mentally, my psychiatrist recommended Wellbutrin.

Has anyone experienced joint pain from a stimulant but was fine when trying Wellbutrin? Any other weird side effects to consider with Wellbutrin?

If not Wellbutrin, is there another anti-depressant/ADHD med that worked well for depression and ADHD without the joint pain?

Hey guys I’ve been on 300mg xl for almost 2 months and for 2 weeks I’ve been on 7mg nicotine patch step 3, and today is my first day off and I feel crazy and angry. I can’t stop thinking and my scalp feels funny, what can I take to calm my self besides nicotine?

Hey everyone, I (38 f) started taking this medicine about two weeks ago and I figured I would post my experience cause I know it can be reassuring to other people. I am on Prozac 40 mg for OCD and anxiety. That medication worked wonders for me in terms of no longer overthinking and ruminating, anxiety was gone. Only I ran into the issue that I became really forgetful, absent minded and very easily distracted.
I believe part of that came from the fact that I was no longer replaying things in my mind, overthinking and observing every single thing due to my OCD.

I was prescribed Wellbutrin to help me with those issues. These are my experiences so far:

- I have a lot of energy! I have become very focused. I feel like I’m even happier now. I am no longer being easily distracted. I’m still slightly forgetful at times, but I remember quite fast. Before I would be thinking for a while about what I was going to do or get.

- Big loss of appetite. I don’t really have an interest in a lot of foods. I love beef and I have not wanted any. For some reason when I do want to eat, I just want something sweet. I lost about 7 pounds already. My stomach will rumble, but I’ll just put it off because of other things I need to do. I also get full faster.

-I’m able to sit and watch TV. Before I had to constantly get up and move and now I can actually watch something.

-I sometimes feel a little bit of a light headache on the right side of my head. It’s nothing too bad but comes and goes for a while at some point in the day.

-I am extremely thirsty. I almost feel like I never have enough water. It does help to put have an electrolyte pack once a day.

-I wasn’t aware of the effect caffeine can have and the only bad moment I had was because I drank a large amount on the third day.

- My period has been kind of wonky. It started when I started the medication so I’m pretty sure it’s that.

- My libido has improved.

- Temperature wise I actually get hot now. I know some people would hate that, but as somebody who is almost always cold, it’s really been a blessing. I can actually wear shorts and restaurants and have a cold drink without needing a sweater. I wore shorts at a restaurant the other day for the first time in two years.

I can’t really think of much else. So far it’s been a great experience. If you have any questions ask away :) I’m sure I left things out.

So far, it has been a great experience and I’m so glad I’m on it.

I heavily suspect I have ADHD (no official diagnosis though) and have been using Wellbutrin XL for almost a month now (prescribed).
I've been using 150 mg. with Fonksera 20mg. up until very recently. Fonksera caused an allergic reaction so my psychiatrist doubled the dosage to 300 mg. and told me to drop Fonksera. I've been now using 300 mg pills for about 4 days.
I wish to know about how this medication has affected other people who are using it primarily for ADHD, what I can expect from it and the general consensus around this drug.
Any advice is appreciated.

Hi, I've been wondering if those on Wellbutrin, Don't feel the overwhelming urge to be around people? And are content with being yourself, Doing either nothing or something? Before I got on Wellbutrin I still wanted to be myself but it was more because I saw myself as a burden, Now, I struggle to understand why someone would want to go out on a somewhat regular basis? plus, think how come they don't just wanna stay home and sit in their feelings per say? ,I'm also on the spectrum, that might play a factor, Not sure

I suffer from Depression, Obsessive Traits (possibly OCD), lack of motivation, I can't get out of bed recently without having massive anxiety. This is destroying everything in my life at an unprecedented rate, my relationship, business, mood, I'm at one of my lowest if not lowest point.

I have currently just started taking Sertraline 100mg for about a week.

I was already on Sertraline for about 3 months back at the beginning of 2026 and I was doing better but suffering from the classic SSRI side effects, I tapered it off, added Trazodone and went Hypomanic according to my Doctor, so we dropped it completely and he prescribed me Trazodone 300mg and Olanzapine 5mg, useless to say that this combination completely turned me off, I was sleeping all day. Then they changed my Psychiatrist and the new one diagnosed a mixed state and decided to prescribe me Aripiprazole, took it for 16 days and I'm out of that hell. Worst experience of my Life. Now I'm on Quetiapine 100mg at night to help with sleep and 100mg of Sertraline, but I'm looking forward to add Wellbutrin to it. Has anyone been on this combination? “Welloft”? How did it work for you? I'm scared to take Wellbutrin alone for my Obsessive mind and my Anxiety.

So yeah, how did it go, how long were you on Sertraline before adding Bupropion? Did it help with the ADHD - like symptoms, Depression, was anxiety manageable? Just hearing anything positive would help.

My Doctor didn't even know this combination was possible until I suggested it which completely killed my trust in him... but we'll see. Currently I can't add Wellbutrin yet, the first week on Sertraline has been tough enough already.

I am on day 5 of Wellbutrin 150mg for depression. I was experiencing low mood, flat mood, avoidance, binge eating as a coping strategy, low sex drive, always wanting to be alone and do nothing, I just didn’t give a shit about anything.

At the same time as I am getting on this medication and seeking therapy support, I am now going through a really hard breakup. I am having a hard time differentiating which symptoms are related to my medication and which are related to me being very sad about this breakup (an 8 year relationship that ended mainly because my depression made me a bad partner).

So far on day 5, everyday I have been experiencing extreme nausea, anxiety (haven’t dealt with anxiety at all in probably 6 years), lots of sadness and crying spells that are hard to stop, headaches almost everyday and very low appetite all of a sudden. It feels like I have shifted from one extreme (low mood, not caring at all) to the other (extremely emotional and anxious). The first day I had some energy, but not much since then.

Is this anyone else’s experience on the first week? Or is this unusual? And when would you say symptoms improve?
Thank you in advance!

First time posting on here. I've been on bupripion now for two weeks. I really didn't have any symptoms the first week and a half, but the last half of last week I've had trouble sleeping, tired, maybe more anxious this weekend, but also the nausea. Has anyone had a delayed onset of the side effects, especially with the nausea? And if so, how long after they started did they last? Just trying to get some feedback, I know this isn't the doctor's office. Y'all have a great day.

I noticed multiple posts on Reddit regarding the quality and efficiency of the different manufacturers of generic Wellbutrin (Bupropion).

Although it seems to usually occur in the US, I was curious if anyone has experienced anything similar in Canada or if there’s any evidence backed info online?

For reference, I specifically requested brand name of bupropion, so I’m currently on Wellbutrin 150mg XL, although it’s still too soon to judge as I haven’t even reached the second week.

I read that Wellbutrin is the gold standard because of the extended release coating on the tablets, etc.

Usually I opt for generics of meds, because I assume it’s pretty much the same as the brand name except cheaper, different manufacturer, fillers etc.

I can afford the brand name but I would honestly prefer to resort to generic because it’s like half the price and my insurance doesn’t cover any of it regardless.

In Canada, we have some of the same manufacturers as in the US such as Teva, Odan, Mylan, etc

I’ve been on bupropion XL 150 mg for about 7 weeks, and it’s been life changing. My depression is gone, I have energy again, I’m working out, and I actually enjoy getting things done.

The only problem is sleep. I go to bed around 10 PM and wake up at 2 AM almost every night, wide awake for 2+ hours before I can fall back asleep. I go back to work soon and have to be up at 5 AM, so this isn’t sustainable.
I don’t want to stop bupropion because the benefits far outweigh the sleep issues. Has anyone had success adding another medication, like trazodone, to help them stay asleep? I’d appreciate hearing your experiences.

I have been trying to find medication to manage my ADHD for the past 2 years. I tried all the stimulants, long acting, short acting, you name it. They worked well for my ADHD but gave me anxiety and irritability, most noteably as they wore off. I also tried Strattera but that was less effective for the ADHD and probably gave me more anxiety. I told my psych that I'm giving up, and I'm just going to deal with the difficulty with focus and attention, as that seems easier to manage than anxiety. He suggested I try Wellbutrin as a last attempt. I am quite pessimistic, given my history with all the other drugs. Just wondering if anyone has had similar reactions to the other ADHD drugs and had a different experience with Wellbutrin.... looking for a bit of hope / encouragement to give it a go really

Hello,

I suffer from depression, anxiety and possibly adhd (in progress of diagnosis). I have 0 motivation, weeks where I feel like life is pointless, I can sleep for 14 hours a day (unless I drink like 5 coffees) etc. I can super concentrate for like 10-15 minutes and then I am tired for hours. I easily loose the focus. It came to the point that after work (mental work) I am so tired I am uncapable of watching a movie or reading a book as I cannot keep the focus. It was never so bad when it comes to the attention span / focusing.

I did take 2 SSRI's and 1 SNRI in the past. 1 SSRI I took for a year and it kinda helped me, but gave me so many side effects (that last up to this day and it was years ago) that I resigned from it.

Next was SNRI - so many side effects and didn't help at all. Next was another SSRI and I couldnt survive the first month, never had such awful side effect, I almost landed in hospital.

At that point I lost hope, I thought nothing will help me.

Then after some break I hit a very low point and went back to another doctor. Described the above. Got Wellburtin, was scared but really hopeful.

It is day 5, and I still sleep 14 hours a day and am sleepy all the time etc. I have no negative effects. But also no positive effects. Starting to think it might do nothing for me. Is it normal and might start working later? I always had at least negative effects at start, now zero.

Don't get me wrong - I promised myself to give it a full try so I will try for at least 2 months, but my hope is slowly dying. I do not want to live that way... I want my life - mainly my mental health - to be better so badly.

I started XL 150mg wellbutrin about a month ago and i feel worse. For reference I am 20, about to move out for the first time alone, and in the weeds of college and work. A little less than a year ago i was disagnosed bipolar 2/major depressive. I was originally on lamictal for about 4 months while also going to therapy and it really helped my mood but i could only take 50mg bc beyond that i was unbelievably anxious. I stopped taking it and changed to wellbutrin bc the brain fog from lamictal was very frustrating and not something i wanted to continue experiencing. A month into wellbutrin and I am extremely depressed, probably one of the lowest lows i’ve ever had and at the same time very emotionless. I have so many responsibilities at the moment and I can’t function/feel like i have no self control. I can’t get out of bed and do simple tasks without hours of hyping myself up or days of avoidance. I have had thoughts of hurting myself in the past but they were always very minimal and easy to dismiss but on this medication they are almost overwhelming. It’s not something i would do in my current state but the thoughts are just so constant and compulsive. I also can’t sleep and have started sleeping at odd hours to fit some rest in. My life is truly all over the place and I don’t feel like the medication is helping but IK this medication needs months to really go into effect so I am going to wait it out. But hey no more brain fog right.
Reading this reddit i see people experiencing things kinda similar. How do you manage in this period or was this a sign the medication wasn’t for you?

TLDR:
I’ve been on Wellbutrin for 6 months, and while it helped at first, I now have brain fog, emotional flattening, and cognitive slowing despite trying multiple doses and formulations. Tried to stop, felt exhausted, sad, unable to function. I feel stuck between staying on it with side effects or coming off and losing function—if you’ve stopped it, what approach did you use and how long did it take before you felt OK or normal again?

———

I’ve been on Wellbutrin for six months. I immediately felt an up leveling for the first few weeks. Albeit with some insomnia. I was very hopeful.

Before long I experienced many side effects, including poor sleep, brain blunting, head pressure, and fogginess.

I’ve tried 150 XL, 300XL, 100SR, and 75IR bid and other amounts. Still experiencing emotional flattening and cognitive impairment. Poor memory, difficulty with cognitive processing and an overall fogginess. I wish I could find the formulation that worked or the sweet spot.

I tried to come off once going cold turkey for a week and I was exhausted and unable to think and quite sad. I tried titrating up just a little and suffered a terrible week of barely getting by cognitively. This is incompatible with my work. So now I’m at 125 mg IR through cutting pills.

I’m wanting to feel better… more clear, feel myself, and think like I know I’m capable. Don’t know what to do. Feel damned if I do and damned if I don’t. Can’t afford to go dysfunctional.

If you quit, what approach did you use? How long before you felt OK or normal or good any insight thoughts or suggestions?

i started taking the 150mg SR pills 3 days ago. it was prescribed to treat anxiety and the reason my doctor selected this particular medication to treat my anxiety is bc i expressed concerns about weight gain on ssri’s. (i worked hard to lose a lot of weight in the last couple of months). before taking it, i did look it up and saw that a side effect is anxiety but i figured i would trust my doctor and give a try.

the first two days were normal. on day 3, i did start to feel like i was getting a little paranoid and hearing things that weren’t there (like while i was taking a shower, i thought i heard loud noises outside the bathroom like someone had entered my apartment).

later that night, i slept horribly, constantly waking up. eventually i woke up around 3am and for some reason started having the worst anxiety i’ve ever experienced in my life. my entire body was shaking and my teeth were chattering. my mind was racing. my heart was pounding. i had this sense of impending doom and felt claustrophobic in my apartment and would’ve run outside if my body wasn’t shaking so bad. the anxiety started to get worse when i thought about how i live alone and if something happens to me, no one would be able to help me.

eventually my cat came onto the bed with me and started cuddling me and slowly the anxiety started to go away lol.

i’ve read other ppl talk about how the anxiety is particularly bad weeks 1 and 2 but then goes away. but honestly i’m not sure that i can take 1-2 weeks of the anxiety i experienced. is this level of anxiety normal? should i stop taking it? i think in retrospect the weight gain isnt that bad compared to the horrible anxiety i experienced so maybe i’ll try an ssri. idk.

Hi all,

Today I fucked up. I've been on 10mg lexapro for over a year and have loved it, but recently (2-3 weeks ago) added Wellbutrin for sexual side effects. It has been good, but I was not aware that caffeine and Wellbutrin combined could be problematic. Usually I don't drink much coffee, so it's been ok, but today I had an iced coffee with 166mg of caffeine and a Pepsi zero with 40mg caffeine within about a 30 minute window. Without any meds I am bad with caffeine. With lexapro caffeine was fine. I've felt sick all day because of it. Just felt like very bad jitters, wanting to jump out of my skin, very restless.

But for the last couple hours I have been having nausea and have been feeling like I'm going to puke. This is concerning because I am not someone who throws up - I cannot remember a time I have thrown up from sickness. I also have been finding myself angry at family for no specific reasons? And then I’m also very warm from the inside, like when i have a fever. I also have been having bad eye twitches - my eye or eyes will completely squeeze shut.

My question is if this is simply the effects of the caffeine or if the caffeine triggered serotonin syndrome. I'm not sure if I am anxious and thinking it's serotonin syndrome when it's just caffeine or if it is actually something serious. It feels like it is calming down, l am feeling better, but should I still get checked?

I know most of you are not doctors, so I’m not here to ask for medical advice, just experiences with Wellbutrin and caffeine, or lexapro and serotonin syndrome. I'm just not sure if it is actually a concern, considering my lexapro dose is pretty low, so knowing people's experiences may help inform my decision. I cannot contact my physician right now, I will be doing that tomorrow no matter what. I just would like to know if it’s worth going to ER?

Hi everyone,
I’m a 35M, and been taking Lustral (sertraline) 100 mg for almost 3 years. It definitely helped my depression, especially the lack of motivation to get out of bed in the mornings, which used to be the hardest part of my day.
The downside was the sexual side effects (reduced penile sensation and difficulty reaching orgasm) and emotional blunting. I often felt like a ghost, disconnected from my emotions, and almost never cried.

My psychiatrist recently suggested switching to Wellbutrin (bupropion).
Since I don’t struggle with panic attacks and my main issues are low drive, emptiness, and the SSRI side effects, he thinks it’s a better fit.
I’m currently tapering off Lustral and taking 50 mg sertraline + 150 mg Wellbutrin. To be honest, the transition has been rough. I’ve been feeling more depressed, empty, and I’ve cried a few times. I’m trying to remind myself that this could just be the adjustment period.
Has anyone here switched from an SSRI to Wellbutrin? Did you go through something similar? I’d really appreciate hearing some experiences or reassurance that it gets better and that Wellbutrin eventually takes over..

Thank you

I have ADHD/OCD/Depression and used to take Concerta only for my ADHD symptoms and it helped me a lot.

Lately I got very depressed so I started taking Wellbutrin after talking to my Psychiatrist. Now I‘m on my 12th day I guess and I see no changes, I‘m still quite depressed and lonely.

What can I do?