second time on wellbutrin

Can Wellbutrin XL have a different affect the second time you take it? I was on it for about a year 3 years ago. I loved it! The only side effects were dry mouth and weight loss(not a negative). About 5 months ago my doctor put me on citalopram which made me feel like a zombie and I started gaining weight so we decided to switch to the wellbutrin. I have been on the wellbutrin for about 7 weeks now and off the citalopram for a little over 1 week. Im having a completely different experience than I did before. No dry mouth or weight loss instead headaches, ringing in my ears, clenched jaw, continued weight gain and irritability. Is this a different reaction to the wellbutrin or due to the combination of the two drugs? The headaches are more recent so I figured they may be withdrawal from the citalopram. I will be really disappointed if the wellbutrin doesn't work this time!

[Mimzy22]

I've taken Wellbutrin several times before and never had any noticable or bothersome side effects. I really would prefer to not take anything, but after a 10 month medication holiday, I went into a bad depression with some anxiety. At baseline, I'm a worrier and tend to get anxious even when I'm not depressed.

My doctor put me back on the Wellbutrin about a month ago. On the third day, on 150mg, I had a mini panic attack in bed trying to fall asleep. That was new. It didn't freak me out so bad to where I wanted to stop, so I continued and a couple weeks later started 300mg per day.

I find that that heaviness, weary, weight on my shoulders feeling is better and that I'm sleeping through the night now. I've also had more energy. Before starting again, I'd be so tired and drained after work that I'd have to lay in bed and nap, but now I don't feel the need to do that.  In that respect, I'm feeling better.

As far as side effects with this round, I've had no ringing in my ears or anything, but I do notice a marked loss of appetite, which I don't remember from my previous times taking it. My stomach will be growling and I feel hunger, but my appetite is just not there.

My level of anxiety has definitely increased. I'm jittery, shaking my leg all the time, can't be still, and am much more irritable and prone to overreacting.  I'm okay at home...I do have more nervous energy, but at work, it turns into real anxiety. After over a week on the 300mg, I think I had a panic attack at work yesterday.  I felt like I was going to absolutely lose it, run out of the building and had to escape the environment. I had such bad chest pain that I felt I couldn't breathe. It passed, but I was zoned out the rest of the day. So, I called my doctor and she called in some Xanax. I didn't get to take it until after work, but what a relief it was.

I saw my doctor today and she didn't want to take me off the Wellbutrin because it is helping, it's just exacerbating the problems I'm experiencing with my job and the anxiety that gives me. I've taken Prozac many years ago, which was absolutely wonderful. I wasn't in a relationship at the time, so I didn't notice any side effects. I tried it again a few years ago and I couldn't deal with the sexual side effects, which is when we tried the Wellbutrin, which fixed that and worked well on my depression.

My sister has a panic disorder and takes Lexapro. I quized her about side effects and she's not having problems. Even though I'm very reluctant to take another SSRI, I'm willing to try to see if it helps this anxiety. As good as Xanax feels to take, I can't live and function in the state it puts me in. Hopefully, in combination, the Lexapro and Wellbutrin will play well together. I'll find out soon enough...my first does of Lexapro is tomorrow.