meds

[bigdoug75]

just left dr changed from paxil 10mg to wellbutrin 300mg is it better than paxil

[nursegirl6572]

Like Lydia said, the only way you'll know if one med is "better" than another for YOU is to give it a fair shake, which means at least (at LEAST) a month, that's as long as it can take before you can really assess its effectiveness.  The switch your doc made for you is quite common, a lot of times, rather than trying another med in the same class of meds (ie another SSRI, like Zoloft/Prozac/Lexapro), they decide to try a med in a different class, as in your case.  Doctors usually take into consideration your symptoms, medical history, any other concurrent conditions or meds you may be taking to decide what the next step will be.

Wellbutrin is actually an atypical antidepressant, simply meaning that it is not like the SSRI AD's, SNRI AD's or Tricyclic AD's...it's kind of in a class of its own and works a bit differently than the other AD's.  To put that in more Pharmacological terminology...here's a snippet about Wellbutrin:

"Pharmacodynamics
Bupropion is a relatively weak inhibitor of the neuronal uptake of norepinephrine and dopamine, and does not inhibit monoamine oxidase or the re-uptake of serotonin. While the mechanism of action of bupropion, as with other antidepressants, is unknown, it is presumed that this action is mediated by noradrenergic and/or dopaminergic mechanisms." (from drugs.com)

The most important thing you need to keep in mind is that this is the next step in addressing your anxiety....so give it a chance, and while it is certainly helpful to hear other people's input and experiences with a med...like Lydia said...let yourself have your OWN experience and try not to get caught up in the stories (good or bad).

[RubyWitch]

None of us can give you a firm answer to your question. We are not medical professionals on this side of the forum. All we can give you is our own highly personal experiences with each of these meds, and know that we ALL react to medications differently.

Paxil is an SSRI antidepressant. The PDR (Physcians Desk Reference) labels it's uses as:
Major depressive disorder
OCD
panic disorder
post traumatic stress disorder
GAD
social anxiety disorder


Wellbutrin is simply listed as an anitdepressant.
It's uses are listed as:
Depression
Smoking cessation (But for that they call it "Zyban," even though it's exactly the same drug)

Theres some very basic information on both drugs. Hopefully other folks will write in with their experiences of these meds. I've never taken Paxil, and I tried to quit smoking using "Zyban" but I'm still puffin' away. Why did your doctor change you over? You can take peoples experiences and advice into consideration, but the only real way you'll know if one med is better for YOU than the other is to try it. You can always go back or try something else.
Peace
Greenlydia