Paxil to Wellbutrin

[sherry4444]

I so need your professional opinion.  With the help of my Psychiatrist, I weaned off of Paxil this past summer.  I was only taking 10 mgs.  I was initially put on this medication for Chronic Fatigue Syndrom (syndrome) 16 years ago.  It allowed me to function daily, but during that time frame I gained about 60 pounds.  I had tried to get off of Paxil before, but was never successful because the side effects kept me from working full time.  I still experienced all of the terrible withdrawal side effects during the three months of weaning and even after stopping Paxil.  Zap pains, irritable bowel syndrome and general flu like symptoms.    

After three months and a complete blood panel to make sure there was nothing else happening physically, I agreed to go on Wellbutrin, just so I could get feeling better.  I started on 150 mgs for one week.  I started feeling anxious, but the other symptoms were disappearing.  The second week, I started taking another 150.  It is now two full weeks on this dosage of Wellbutrin and the anxiety is always with me.  Insominia has kicked in and I am feeling nervous and ragged all of the time.  I will say the weight is starting to come down, which is the first time in years and the most positive effect.

Could you please tell me how long the anxiety and insominia will continue.  I know all of these drugs take at least thirty days.  I am just so afraid these symptoms are not going to go away.

Please give me an answer I can count on.  I am desperate for a good medical answer.  To help get through it, I started taking Xanax 1mg at night for sleeping.  Some days I take a half for the anxiety.  I do not want to start another habit with these drugs.  I am just so disappointed that I cannot make it without anything.  Depression runs rampant in my family.  All of my siblings are on an anti-depressant and my Dad suffered from it many years ago.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

You have to work closely with your psychiatrist to answer these questions because there is the problem of dose.  Are you anxious because not taking enough,or are you anxious because you are taking too much, and wellbutrin sometimes acts like a stimulant, and if it is too much for you,itwill effect your sleep.

[jonip]

Hi Sherry,

I was on 150 mg of paxil but it made me feel really dense and disconnected which is not good for ones employment.  I switched to 150mg wellbutron and within a month my anxiety had grown to such a level that I couldn't deal with it anymore.  My Dr. left me on wellbutron but added 150mg of effexor and 25mg of seroquil for sleeping.  It's been 3 yrs now and this is a great combination for me, there is very little anxiety, I feel alert in my job although not as alert as I was before taking any meds and for the first time in my life I'm sleeping normally.

There is no way I could tolerate the wellbutron on its own it gave me the worst anxiety I've ever had.

Hope this helps and I hope you can find something that works for you.

[ImJustMe78]

Hi, I am currently taking Wellbutrin 150 mg, but taken alone I cannot do it.  I suffer from Panic Disorder and just the Wellbutrin alone made it worse.  I started Lexapro 10 mg along with the Wellbutrin and anxiety seemed to have dissapeared.  Everyone is different though, what might work for one may not work for another.  

I tried the Paxil 10 mg before and I wanted to rip someones head off and worse, like really hurt people.  Had to stop that after 2 weeks.  Just talk to your psych, wellbutrin alone will not treat anxiety anway by itself.  It only works on 2 transmitters and one of them isn't the one for anxiety.  The xannax should be helping a bit,  but ask your psych about trying lexapro too.  Hope you feel better soon.

-Heather  

[ImJustMe78]

Oh and I forgot, like the doctor on here mentioned, the Wellburtrin can act as a stimulant and keep you up and wired sometimes.  I know if I take it passed 2pm in the afternoon I am going to have a hard time sleeping and I even take Klonopin and Seroquel at nightime.  Try to take your Wellbutrin early in the day, try to take it before Noon if you can remember, that's what I have to do in order to get to sleep right.

-Heather