Wellbutrin for fatigue??

[stg088]

I'm on week 5 of Pegasys/Ribavirin.  Working every day.  Most days tired.  Some days extremely tired.  About 1 day a week I feel almost normal.  
Yesterday I had an appointment with the NP, and it just happened that yesterday was one of the worst days I've experienced in terms of severe fatigue, muscles feeling like jello, dizzy, etc.  The NP wrote me a prescription for Wellbutrin, saying it would help with fatigue.  I was already on Lexapro for depression long before I started treatment, and I upped my Lexapro dose at week 2.  The Lexapro is working nicely at this point, and I am not depressed.  I'm definitely very familiar with lack of energy and fatigue that comes from depression, but has anyone used Wellbutrin as an "energy booster" when they aren't depressed?  I'm thinking that the NP just felt compelled to try to offer something when she saw me feeling so bad yesterday....
Oh. Labs.
Hgb 13.1  WBC 2.4  Liver panel normal, basic metabolic panel normal
Viral load >20 million at start of treatment, down to 100 at 4 weeks.  (I think this is a 4-log drop?  Quite good, but UND would be a whole lot better)

[stg088]

Thanks for your comments, everybody.  
Miked, I've never heard of Provigil.  Thanks for the tip.

stg088

[miked]

I used Wellbutrin for a couple of months while tx'ing.  It caused me to drop even more weight than the INF would have, made me jittery and caused lack of sleep.

On my 2nd tx (Vertex Prove 3) my doc prescribed Provigil which is used to give energy to people suffering from Narcolepsy.  It worked pretty well for several months in that I had plenty of energy and focus.  After a few months though I also felt jittery with it.

You should ask your doc about Provigil.

miked

[rockin516]

they put me on celexa i dont think i was depressed but you do get alittle down with tx when you cant do stuff with your family cause you dont feel good or have the energy but good luck to you....rockin516

[newleaf09]

The fatigue is from your hgb dropping.  I honestly think you feel the worst as it is making the initial drop.  Later on you'll look back and think wow! can't believe it was up at 13 then!   I know if feels just miserable as it's dropping.  You may eventually use Procrit to bring up HGB (and feel better) but they won't prescribe it until you get down around 10/

I think it's odd to prescribe 2 AD's to be taken at the same time.  I kind of remember something on the Wellbutrin label that says it should not be mixed with anything else (not referring to the treatment meds here).  I tried Wellbutrin as an AD but could not take it as it made me completely unable to sleep (only got about 2 hrs. per night).  Took it for about 12 days before I was told to quit it and it never got better as to insomnia.  SLEEP is extremely important while you are on chemo.   I took welbutrin years before as Zyban and had the same effect.

[AKHepper]

The medical community seems to think all hep c fatigue is depression related.

[chuckles333]

Don't know the answer but wouldn't that be nice for smokers. Welbutrin (aka Zyban) to give you energy AND help you quit. ;o)

[Marte313]

I have no experience with it myself, but I read the "Wellbutrin and Hepsera" under related discussions about one who had used it. Let me know if it work, would love to get rid of the post tx-fatigue too ;)

[nygirl7]

First off I haven't ever heard of Wellbutrin used for fatigue but maybe that's just me.  Your hemo is still very strong - you are lucky there, so keep an eye on it and make sure it does stay up there because that is about the biggest problem for lethargy and dizziness....it puts it in a whole other realm.  

20 mil to 100 at week 4 is amazing - certainly it means you are responding terrifically to the drugs (just the fact you feel like garbage usually is a great sign there!) and you will be UND soon.  

Remember that this will all end one day...being really really tired now is something everyone on tx can relate to - but being SVR is not.  That is the goal you want to keep in mind when it gets hard to keep going.

Good luck.