Posted by silvercoin on July 18, 2006, at 17:00:37
In reply to Effexor Vs Wellbutrin, HELP!!!, posted by Susana M on July 17, 2006, at 21:35:54
> After +1 year on Effexor which was my "magic Pill" today I told my Dr.to switch me to Wellbutin XL 150 mgs. once a week for 7 days and then start with two pills a day (300mgs).
> My dx: ADHD/extreme peri- menstrual mood swings/anxiety & irritabillity for the inability to organize my life ( work/house/wife/kids,etc)Seems no big deal to some , but I can assure you my marriage was in jeopardy and my husband is the best thing I've ever known,12 years married and still both in love.After all this time I noticed that no matter how I exercized and dieted to the max. I couldn't get back to normal again ( gained 15-20 lbs. on my petite body) I did not mind the other side effects like decreased libido,blurry vision, excesive sweating at night, and having "black outs" if I drank on a party,or just consumed by myself I whole bottle of wine like it was water ( did I become an alcoholic with this drug?? remembering nothing the next day??
> All these side effects did not bother me that much ,I was happy, able to cope with life, more relaxed,more organized, etc but I really want my body back ( needless to say that my husband wants that back as well as my libido back! )
> Please let me know your personal experiences with Effexor or Wellbutrin. I don't believe I suffer from extreme depresed moods, however before I took any meds my life was in chaos b/c for "stupid reasons I would have huge fights/feel overwhelmed with married life and that led me to feel super sad after you realize how much you are hurting those that you love.
> Hope Wellbutrin will help me out..Please tell me about your experiences ( I don't take any other meds ) Thanks for reading...Susana M
Generally, Wellbutrin causes less weight gain than Effexor, but everyone is different. In my own case, I always found Effexor to be a relatively powerful appetite suppressant and can not really say the same thing about Wellbutrin.Effexor increases serotonin transmission, which tends to be calming and anxiolytic, while Wellbutrin works on a completely different mechanism by increasing dopamine transmission and can almost be viewed as a weak or quasi-stimulant. It can be too activating for some people and can increase anxiety; although, this is certainly not true for everyone. My guess is that you would probably find Wellbutrin to cause less weight gain than Effexor but to not be as calming. Cymbalta is much more similar to Effexor, and you may find that it causes less weight gain, but I have never tried it myself. I think it might be worth considering, but my impression is that alcohol is something to be avoided while taking Cymbalta due to liver toxicity issues. In the end, Wellbutrin may be worth a try, but keep in mind that it is a rather different drug than Effexor.
Todd
poster:silvercoin
thread:667884
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060717/msgs/668060.html