Does Welbutrin= Seizures/Weight Gain

[ivylese]

My doctor discussed possibly putting me on welbutrin. I am SCARED TO DEATH of two side effects I was told welbutrin can cause.

1. seizures

2. weight gain

Can anyone here put my mind at ease?

[wannabaskinnymom]

The pharmacy has to list every possible side effect that a drug may have, even if it's like a 1/2 % chance of happening. Many, many, many people take Wellbutrin and have never had that type of reaction and are very happy. In fact you may see a little loss of weight not gain. Wellbutrin is one of the better antidepressents out there.

[tinaet]

i took it and it made me loose 20 pounds and for the seizures just stay away from caffeine, my doctor said a lot of caffeine while taking wellbutrin could cause seizures. other than that it helped me a lot. It's one of the best for depression in my book.

[SlimMom]

YES, Welbutrin can and does cause seizures. It is well worth considering this fact if you are thinking of taking this medication. It happened twice to me. Both times with no warning.The first time I was traveling in China with a large tour group (no ill effects, my travel partner let me sleep it off and the next day I was fine) (the hotel doctor spoke no English). The second time I was visiting my father in a nursing home in Calif. I was taken by ambulance to hospital kept for three days and given many tests(MRI,CAT,spinal tap). No neurelogical problems were discovered.The DMV would not allow me to drive for a year unless I was taking a drug for epilepsy. I was allergic to all of them and no doctor would say that I was epileptic.

Finally more and more articles began appearing linking Welbutrin to seizures and the DMV in a closed door meeting reinstated my driving license.By then they had had three other seizure cases indicating this drug.

Sorry to go on and on but I want everyone to know what a serious problem this can be. Seizures are a PROVEN side effect of this drug and any good up to date doctor should warn you of this

[D.Bailey]

I have been taking wellbutrin for over 2 years and have had no problems with seizures. I take diet pills with caffeine and I drink caffeine, as well, with no problems. However, if I go above 150mg twice daily I have a hard time sleeping. So then I have to take something to help me sleep.

[d. jelli]

I am on day 4 of wellbutrin. I seem to be having swollen lymph nodes and some ear pain wen I take it. Did you experience this at all? It is making me nervouse about continuing it.

[Hix22]

My fiance and I have been together for well over a year, I think I know her better than allmost anybody else.  While I was away on a job for work.  She told me she was going to the doctor to try and get medication for her anxiety.  I didn't even know she was anxious.  I think she might be taking things a little too far, but I decided to give her a chance.  The docto prescribed her welbutrin, are there any side effects that I need to know about? Are my fears of her faking her anxiety well founded? Please let me know.

[LisaElaine]

Hello....I read your comments about Welbutrin and I am now looking at my bottle contemplating whether or not I should take this medication.  I, too, have anxiety and panic attacks and the fear of meds increase my anxiety. I work in the medical field and my job requires me to be alert at all times.
I just wanted to share this with you.
Thank you.
Lisa

[Mary 53]

I work as a therapist in Mental Health. I work with troubled kids and many of our clients are on medication for various reasons. But, my experience with Welburtrin comes mainly from experiences reported by family members and friends. I have one friend whose Mom cannot take Welburtrin because it does make her much more anxious, but this is the only report I have heard that is negative. The woman has been diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and would probably fare better with a drug similar to Prozac.

I have heard of people using Welbutrin to help control urges to smoke...and, it has also been helpful with people struggling with weight. When I used to work with kids with eating disorders, we had to see relatively high doses (like 80 to 100mg) of Prozac before the kids were able to let go of some of the control they had over the obsessions regarding weight and the fallout they were experiencing due to their incorrect perceptions. But, Welbutrin was not available at that time so I don't know if it is used in this type of treatment anymore or not. I have a friend who was on Welbutrin for five years and had no problems. Occasional use of  Xanax (for flying and such) was permitted. She liked being on the anti-depressant. And, there were no sexual side effects, per report.

I think that many side effects of almost any drug should diminish within four weeks. If side effects do not go away...then consider switching meds. It is about knowing yourself and your body...and, having a good physician.
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To Hix22....just be there for your fiance. People don't make up issues with anxiety, and in fact, it is sometimes difficult to admit there is a problem with this in the first place...afraid of what others will think if they know, etc.

In fact, instead of thinking that she might be taking things a little far (not sure what you meant by that) you might want to consider why you have not heard of this problem before now. Was she afraid of your reaction? Maybe her fears were well founded. I wonder how hard she must have been struggling to keep the signs of this anxiety away from you. Or maybe in retrospect, you can now see the signs.

I am concerned that you mentioned you decided to "give her a chance" regarding her trying medication for this problem.Having said that, if this is something you are having difficulty accepting...well, that's just honest. But, do some research to help you understand triggers for anxiety, the way anxiety can manifest itself, the HUGE HUGE HUGE (okay....) role HORMONES play in anxiety.

Many women sail along quite well until they hit perimenopause and then WHAM....anxiety issues set in. The Progesterone/Estrogen ratio gets all out of balance for many women. If this imbalance is the cause of anxiety, there is treatment using bioidentical hormones, particularly Progesterone (not Progestin) to balance the system and calm the anxiety, but not all Health Care Personel are familiar with this type of treatment. The tide is starting to change, but this area is confusing and not well understood by many who should know about it...thus reseach is KEY. Then again, this is not always the cause....being proactive is the best course.

Some of the kids I work with as very dramatic, but they still have issues with depression and anxiety, so I wondered if your Fiance was acting in a dramatic way and that is why you wondered if she was taking things a little to far...In that case, she might just need to meet with a counselor or Therapist who does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy....she may need to have someone objectively help sort out her life. Counseling has been found to be just as significant in treatment as medication. The two together? Awesome results. I have seen pictures of brain scans proving the viability of these interventions. Interesting.

Well, I wish you and your fiance the best. My advice for a happy relationship? Just remind her now and then and for the rest of your life together that you think she is WODERFUL.  Seriously.

Take care,

Mary

[Alioop37]

My anxiety came out full force about 8 months before my wedding(I was 29).  It had nothing to do with my husband rather the attention (I have very low self esteem and dont really like to be pain attention to - dont like any comments in my direction positive or negative.)  Anyway - she is most likely not lying and I agree you should ask her why she hasnt told you until now.  I DO NOT work for these people so this is not a plug for their product but I used a CD system and it changed my life.  Try www.stresscenter.com  Its is NOT a hoax.  My dad got them for me and heard about them on AM radio.  I learned a lot about myself and have worked on my issues every since.  I used to think when I had panic attacks that I was having a heart attack and dying.  She is likely scared and feels alone.  Try at the very least to make her feel like she is not alone.  Anxiety is mostly FEAR based.  She likely has issues far deeper than you think.  GOOD LUCK!