From Effexor XR to Wellbutrin SR

[bo]

I hope someone can answer this for me.  For acute depression and maliase and fatigue my doc put me on Effexor XR  built up to the 187.5mg per day over 8 months time.  The good:  I felt really good!.  The bad: gain 40 pounds (and some loss of libido).  
     I have been reading here on the net that wellbutrin does not have these side effects and told my doctor.  Well he started me on 150 mg of WellbutrinSR twice a day for a total of 300 mg a day, and completely took me off the Effexor.  This evening makes a total of 2 days since the switch, and I am experiencing wierd effects such as dizziness, lightheadedness, and a bit nausious.  It is worse today than yesterday, I hope it does'nt get any worse than this.  You may think that If I can type this letter it can't be THAT bad, and you would be right, I mean I can still cope but not much more than that.  
   I would appreciate it if someone could tell me how long this is going to last and if my doc and me are correct that my weightgain and lack of libido may subside with the wellbutrin.  Thanks   (by the way, please dont hammer me for my spelling!! *s*)

[HFHS-M.D-HG]

Dear Bo,

Wellbutrin SR (Bupropion)  is an antidepressant that was shown not to have any sexual side effects. About 25% of the patients who were taking this medication showed some weight loss . It is preferred to gradually taper Effexor  over a few weeks in order to prevent any withdrawal symptoms. Abrupt discontinuation of Effexor can lead to withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, insomnia, lightheadedness etc. These symptoms  may last for a period of few days to a week. I would recommend that you contact your psychiatrist if symptoms worsen.

Sincerely
HFHS -M.D.

[Pat]

I was on effexor for about a year, and it worked very well.  The only problem was the sexual side effect (I'm male).  So I tried wellbutrin--the doc sort of weaned me off effexor and gradually increased wellbutrin.  I could not handle wellbutrin--you may do fine.  The doc then went to Serzone, again, a gradual increase in dosage.  I think with regard to your question, that there was a definite withdrawl from the effexor (actually I hated to quit, but I wanted to have sex too).  Dizziness, "shocks" in my head when I moved my eyes from side to side, very poor appetite, etc.
I was concerned at how long this was continuing.  Well, it gradually decreased over one month.  I'm surprised they switched you immediately to a full dose and didn't wean you off the effexor.  Some MDs don't really know a lot about this stuff.  Anyway, the "withdrawl" effects finally went away.  The serzone works OK, a little spacey at times, but no more depression/anxiety.  Effexor was the best...if only...
I think if you wait it out some more, unless the symptoms get worse (maybe it's the wellbutrin)--I was never quite sure if it was actually withdrawl from effexor, or introduction of wellbutrin.  All I know is the wellbutrin was making the side effects worse each day.

[bo]

You hit it on the head..... Is what I am feeling a withdrawal from effexor or going to a full dose of wellbutrin???????  One of the great unsolved mysteries of the universe I guess.  
Well this is an update on me, and what I am feeling now.  This is my 5th day since the switch:  I still feel the effects I did before, I call them "head shocks"  but they are not as strong as a couple of days ago.  I can drive now, I wouldnt have tried it a couple of days ago, I plan on working tomorrow, I am an over the road sales person.  Sex last night was AWSOME!!  wife and I seemed to match up a lot better,  she is not one of those women that take forever to orgasm, she can do this within 4 or 5 minutes of stimulation and can continue for another 10 or 15 minutes till she has simply had enough and is more or less exausted, I was able to orgasm with in that allotted time where I wasnt able to just last week...  so, thus we are a much better match for each other, (sorry to ramble)  I know that it will take a while for the wellbutrin to kick in so I dont expect positive results from it yet, like the weight loss, I understand that.  But, as of now, I still have head shocks, about every 10-15 seconds but I think I can deal with them until they diminish.  I will write back.

[bo]

Thanks for you promt answer to my question, I guess I will have to wait it out,  this morning is day 6 , I still have "head shocks" (for lack of a better name to call them).  I have thought about going to see my doc this morning but I figure: "what can he do???",  probably nothing except put me back on effexor.  If these symptoms of withdrawl are about to quit, why would I want to go though months of "easing" off.  I figure the worst has to be behing me by now.  One thing I am going to do is to lay off the caffiene (sp?)  seems when I drink my favorite 440z regular Coke that my headshocks get worse.  so caffiene free for me today.   OH, the weighloss issue.  I realize that the wellbutrin couldnt have possible have taken effect yet, but I look on the scales and I have gained about 2 or 3 pounds in the last few days.. of couse I dont blame the wellbutrin at all.  My wife did a lot of cooking over the weekend.

[Pat]

I sort of blamed the wellbutrin for the "shocks", because my Dr. first tried my usual Effexor plus a dose of wellbutrin; to try an address the sex thing.  It is when I started adding wellbutrin when I got those symptoms.  I took it though for about a month (you know how they take so long, and how you hope it will get better?)until I finally just called the doctor and asked for a switch.  However, it took about a month before the shocks, etc. disappeared.  That's why it's hard for me to tell if it was the wellbutrin, or just easing off of the effexor.  Now I only take Serzone, which is a lot like wellbutrin, I guess (at least it is in the sex department-I too have become successful again, after a whole year!). I'd say that if the symptoms subside, then it was probably the withdrawl from effexor.  If they don't go away, or get worse, then it's probably the wellbutrin.  I'm curious of your results.

[Ex-Effexor XR Recipient]

Tried Effexor XR for nearly two months, titrating up to 225.  Was "almost" OK up to about half that dose.  Then felt "toxic" on it. Went hypo-manic and couldn't sleep for many days on end (three and four days at a time and only able to sleep a coupld hours before the next round of insomnia) .  I should add that every SSRI tried has had same effect for me - am very sensitive to any meds.  Only experience with Wellbutrin was at a time when female hormones were also tried leading to severe depression.  My solution - I knocked off everything!!!  I'd rather cognitively deal with my troubles than battle the med side effects which are less predictable and more numerous than what I was receiving them for!  There is definite withdrawal-like symptoms when discontinuing SSRI's (docs don't like to call it withdrawal though because you're not addicted) -- mine included electric-like shocks anywhere (not just head), crawling sensations all over skin, stinging all over, odd visual disturbances, continued insomnia, awful mood swings with crying jags, suppressed rage (I'd hate to see someone who couldn't suppress it!), anorexia, GI upsets, dizziness and vertigo, and a slew of other ones in varying degrees.  At lower dose, the side effects weren't too bad except sexual inability began and persisted at any dose from beginning until off med couple/several weeks.  My advice -- the need for the med has to outweigh these adverse and side effects.  My need is there . . . I am pursuing a different tact, however.

[bo]

Hello again,  called my doc yesterday and left him a message that the withdrawal I was having was very debilitating but he didnt call back,  big surprise huh.. LOL.  well it has been a week now.  I slept pretty good last night, better than before.  I still have some "head-shocks" but they are probably 25% less severe then they were on day 3 or 4.  One thing that my wife and I have noticed is that my sense of humor has returned.  I crack my same old jokes and I laugh almost hystyrically, and laugh at about anything that is remotely funny, wierd huh.  

Listen, my doc put me on the Effexor for relief of fatigue and maliase.  Probably some symptoms of depression I was having with a bad job and lots of unpaid bills over the past year or so.  I have made a job switch which is MUCH better. And my wife has gone back to work after 14 years of raising kids.  She took a job as a middle school music teacher.  So what I am saying is that we dont have money problems anymore to say the least.  In fact we are able to soc away a thousand or so every month for retirement.   So what I am saying is that I didnt have REAL bad problems like I see others have here in this forum.  I have learned a lot by reading this and I have REAL empathy for those who have problems.  I wish I could help in some way.

I think I will be ok when the effects of the Effexor wear off it may take a couple more weeks, but it will wear off eventually.  Thankyou all for your comments and support.  I will still read these forums and give my experiences if I can.... thankyou.

[probably my last post.]

thankyou all very much for this forum and your posts.  If I hadnt have seen and read these, I would have gone out of my mind wondering what was happening to me.  But instead with an understanding as to what was happening to me, I had the piece of mind that it was a temporary condition, withdrawling from effexor)  and it would end sometime in the next week or so.  I still have some dizziness but I am fully able to work, drive, meet with customers and all.

This has been about 1 1/2 weeks and I havent recieved the results that I switch for yet.  as I said earlier I gained 40 pounds while on effexor and was hoping that wellbutrin would help me with the weight problem..... so far havent lost a ounce.  Can somebody tell me if it takes a while for this to happen?   or have any other comments on weightloss with wellbutrin as to how long you were on it before you noticed the weight loss?   Thanks.  bo.

[drusilla]

I took Zyban to quit smoking, which is the same exact med as Wellbutrin just marketed under a different name.  The only side effect I noticed was that I no longer craved nicoteen and my stomach hurt all the time.  I did lose weight but I think that it was mostly because my stomach hurt so much that I couldn't really eat.  I was able to quit smoking though.  Good luck in your pursuit of weight loss and other happiness in general.

[Bo another "last" post]

well thankyou for your comments,   has now been 2 weeks since switching from EFFEXOR to WELLBUTRIN.   And I dont have any headshocks anymore,  although I seem to be a little more irritable than I was on effexor,  maybe the wellbutrin hasnt kicked in all the way yet.   Have to say,  I have continued to gain weight.  about 5 pounds in the past 2 weeks. What is the deal with that?????????.  Wondering if I should ask for a bit more of a dose of wellbutrin,,,, now I am taking 150mg of SR twice a day.....  what do you all think?????????/

[Peter]

It seems to me the "head shocks", usually aggrevated by moving the eyes or the head, are due to congestion in the ear canal, a temporary withdrawal side effect that is probably amenable to decongestants like pseudafed. Without a decongestant, the annoying symptom can last two to three weeks.

[Dano]

Yeah, glad to know there are others out there like me trying to come off Effexor (the devil's drug)and having problems.  It's good to know I'm not alone.  This is day 3 of withdrawal for me, and the electric shock sensation and causeless violent rage I'm feeling are about enough to put me under.  My doctor weened me off the Effexor over the course of 2 weeks while introducing Wellbutrin and Adderall (adderrall) (for attention deficit, which by the way I don't believe I have).  I will admit that the depressive episode I experienced approximately a year and a half ago(my first) was a rather intense one, and I believe the Effexor helped, and ultimately, kept me from doing myself harm.  However, it isn't until you try to come off venlaxafine that you realize how intensively this drug alters your brain chemistry, and more importantly, how you are really "not yourself" while under the auspices of this particular drug.  My point?  Get off anti-depressants and stay off.  Learn to live with your dark side and move on.  Believe in Mother Nature and not man-made drugs to hold your hand.  I truly believe now that the human brain should not be played with in this fashion.  Thanks, and godspeed to all of you.

[TINA]

thankyou dano. you are 100% absolutly right. i've been off effexor and celexa for over 8 months now and still have withdrawal symptoms. i just want to feel like myself again. i'll live w/my depression and enjoy every minute of it if i never again have to experiance anti-depressant withdrawal. it my take a while but eventually all of these nasty little anti-depressant withdrawal war storys will become very public, and by then even more people will be on them. it's very scary and truly sad. and the doctors don't help, they are in complete deniel.for every person that decides to go on these things, i pray for them. if only they knew what they were getting themselves into.

[Kathy]

I just recently was taken off Wellbutrin and am now on my 4th day of Effexor XR at 37-1/2 mg. which I'm supposed to take for a week.  Then, I am to take 75 mg. for a week and then go to 150 mg.  I started the Wellbutrin about 3 weeks ago.  I felt nauseated almost all the time and did lose some weight, but mostly because I felt so lousy.  I also experienced the electrical "shocks" feeling all over my body.  I didn't know it was from the Wellbutrin, I thought I had done something to my neck and upper back.  Now that I've stopped the Wellbutrin, that shock feeling has stopped.  I had to stop the Wellbutrin because I broke out in the worst case of hives I've ever had.  The first evening I thought I would go crazy I itched so badly.  The sad part was that that was also the first morning I didn't feel sick to my stomach.  Before taking the Wellbutrin, I had been on Celexa, but had gained weight.  I had also gained weight on Zoloft before that.  I have gained about 35 pounds in the past few months.  Really depressing!!  Have other people gained weight from Effexor XR?  Starting Monday I am going to exercise and/or walk everyday so that hopefully I can lose some weight!  Thanks for any information... Kathy

[Kathy]

I just recently was taken off Wellbutrin and am now on my 4th day of Effexor XR at 37-1/2 mg. which I'm supposed to take for a week.  Then, I am to take 75 mg. for a week and then go to 150 mg.  I started the Wellbutrin about 3 weeks ago.  I felt nauseated almost all the time and did lose some weight, but mostly because I felt so lousy.  I also experienced the electrical "shocks" feeling all over my body.  I didn't know it was from the Wellbutrin, I thought I had done something to my neck and upper back.  Now that I've stopped the Wellbutrin, that shock feeling has stopped.  I had to stop the Wellbutrin because I broke out in the worst case of hives I've ever had.  The first evening I thought I would go crazy I itched so badly.  The sad part was that that was also the first morning I didn't feel sick to my stomach.  Before taking the Wellbutrin, I had been on Celexa, but had gained weight.  I had also gained weight on Zoloft before that.  I have gained about 35 pounds in the past few months.  Really depressing!!  Have other people gained weight from Effexor XR?  Starting Monday I am going to exercise and/or walk everyday so that hopefully I can lose some weight!  Thanks for any information... Kathy

[Mark]

I am curious to know if anyone has experienced withdrawal from Wellbutrin. I've been on it for 2 months now, 150mg twice a day. These withdrawal stories re: Effexor and some of the other drugs really have me concerned, especially the fellow Dana that said "live with your depression because the withdrawals are a living hell" (I paraphrased). This all concerns me.

[Rick Drown]

What is the difference between Wellbutrin and Wellbutrin SR?  I realize that the SR is a sustained release, but I would like more information.

The reason for this is that I am looking into buying drugs in Mexico, where they can be a lot cheaper, and still be the exact same med.  They have Wellbutrin, but I don't know if it is the SR yet or not, and want to know if the difference would make a difference with my spouse.

Thanks for any answers

***@****

[Paul Myers]

I have been on a combination of effexor xr and wellbutrin for about three months. I am 57 yrs old and have suffered with major depression/anxiety since 14 yrs of age. I am grateful for the newer antidepressants and benos . My hope is that the goverment and other bodies will be able to continue the search for more effective treatments...regarding the sexual issue at 57 i have sown my "wild oats", been married and have a 19 year old daughter thats the "apple of my eye".I sympathize with younger folks on these medictions and the decrease in libido that they create  but one adjusts and as the saying goes "patience is the mother of all virtues."  GO WELL

[melanie]

I am SO glad I found this page.  I was on Wellbutrin years ago (I'm not sure if it was the Wellbutrin SR or not) and started suffering from dry eyes.  Otherwise, I felt wonderful every day!!! It became so bad that I had to switch to Effexor.  It was great for a year or so.  I then tapered off and then had a relapse and had to start Effexor again in small doses.  Last August I suffered a severe relapse and have been now, for over a year, on 2 tablets, 75 mg. 3 times a day.  I have had the "head shocks" (I've described this sensation as either an out of body experience or for a second or two I feel as if I'm going to pass out) for quite some time now along with STILL having to take Ambien every night to GET to sleep!  I also experience body shocks occasionally.  The WORST PART is that now I have NO sex drive at all!! I can't even force myself to have an orgasm if I wanted to.  My poor husband is suffering from this as I am and now after doing quite a bit of research, had I know about these side effects, I would have never gone on Effexor at all.  I'm going to see a new Dr. very soon to get off this stuff and get my life back.  Thanks so much for all your candidness.  There is hope out there!  There has to be a happy medium out there and I intend to find it.  One thing for sure, I'm thankful for the medications we have now otherwise, I know I wouldn't be here.  Depression robbs you of your life.

[concerned]

I feel like after the withdrawl day 8 now my brain does not know what it wants to do confusion frustration constant brain shocks and cant remember dates i feel like i am loosing my mind is that normal very frustrated and i do not want to go on any antidepressant again when do these symptoms or chemicals leave the body for good and will i go back to being myself again.

[barbi]

Thanks for this interesting forum.  I have just stopped taking Effexor now in my third day.  I have been experiencing all of the same symptoms as others who have written here.  Head shock is a very accurate way to describe the weird feeling I get about every 5-10 seconds while awake.  Just a word of caution:  Don't try to donate blood while coming off of Effexor.  I was unaware of the reason for the weird sensations and I donated blood yesterday.  I passed out and then had to fight the urge to throw up!  I am so glad to know that there is a reason for for this experience.  I am still determined to get off of the Effexor. I have also experienced weight gain while on it and loss of libido.  I am planning to go back on Prozac which I have had excellent results with in the past (but after about 1 year the result seem to diminish).  I actually lost considerable weight on Prozac and the effects on anxiety and depression for me were more than adequate.  I understand the comments by a few urging the getting off of meds altogether, but in my case and I'm sure others, I cease to be a productive human being without them.  Hang in there and don't give up!

[Clint]

10/22/00
Looking at the dates of these few postings, it's doubtful that I will get a response.  I am reading about someone named "Bo" and his situation is a carbon copy of my own.  Rather than list everything that I'm going through, let me just say that last week I switched from EffexorXR to Wellbutrin SR.  Same dosage as Bo, although right now I'm only taking WellbutrinSR 150mg a day.  I'm assuming that my Dr. will eventually increase it, but I'm wondering if I want him to do this or not.  My side affects from this drug have drained me completely. I've never felt so bad in my life, with all the "head shocks", headaches, not to mention that "high" feeling like I've just smoked a bag of weed.  It's truly on my last nerve and I'm wondering if Bo, or anyone out there can tell me if this is going to get better, or if I should just look for another alternative now instead of wasting all this time.  Any help you can give me will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Clint in Baltimore
***@****

[Diane]

i would like to know more about this medican wellbutrin sr 150 mg

[diana]

Went cold turkey on Wellbutrin and Zoloft combo 6 days ago after decreased effectiveness of these for fighting depression. Interesting results:

no depression, in fact, mood excellent. but the 'head shocks' and nausea is getting worse. am persisting, hoping they'll eventually subside.

DS