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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by DebbieLynn on July 24, 2001, at 20:41:34
I started Wellbutrin Sr 100mg a week ago. I also take Effexor Xr, 225mg, and have been on it for about 6 months. I started the Wellbutrin to try to augement sexual side effects (lack of orgasm) from the Effexor. Initially, when I started the Wellbutrin, I had the energy, with intense anxiety, agitation, but that lasted about 3 days. Today I am jittery, I am not restless. It is not noticable to someone else. It feels like my internal body is shaking. The best way to describe it is, when your washing machine is spinning clothes, sometimes the floor shakes, thats what it feels like. Hopefully someone can relate to this! I was sitting on my couch and looking around to see if anything else was shaking, like my plants, because sometimes they do when the washer in its spin cycle. ANYWAY....
My question is...after being on it for a week, is it normal to develop new side effects like this, and should it go away?, or should I call my doctor before taking another dose? I take it once a day...in the morning. There is also a little dizziness, but nothing major.
I took an ativan to try to stop it...I hope it is okay to take it with Wellbutrin...its a benzo, so I assume its fine.
OPINIONS PLEASE!!!!
I'm spinnin'...(lol)
Debbie
Posted by SalArmy4me on July 24, 2001, at 20:48:00
In reply to Wellbutrin and the jitters--Anyone have this???, posted by DebbieLynn on July 24, 2001, at 20:41:34
If your anxiety gets too bad, a little of olanzapine at bedtime should help you a lot.
Posted by terra miller on July 25, 2001, at 0:38:30
In reply to Wellbutrin and the jitters--Anyone have this???, posted by DebbieLynn on July 24, 2001, at 20:41:34
hi,
it's ok to take ativan with wellbutrin. and it does help the 'shakes' go away and smooth out.
i've kind of learned to ignore them. for me it's just always there. (that probably wasn't very encouraging; sorry.) it might feel like just under your skin things are buzzing.
i've noticed making my coffee half strength in the morning seems to help. it also helps to drink enough water during the day. actually, drinking enough water seems to be, for me, what causes that buzzing to be worse.
i've taken ativan lots with the wellbutrin. but usually if i get to where i need to take one it's probably because i actually need to take some quiet time alone myself and recollect my thoughts, and drink a quart of water.
anyway, it's a mild sideeffect that i can live with. i remember someone else said they like 'feeling' that their medication is working, and i think i feel that same way.
also increasing slowly is good too. on the insert it says you can increase after day 4 which made me laugh out loud- i recently reread the insert. across the board there seems to be strong agreement that it's best to increase wellbutrin dosages slowly so that the agitation/jitteriness isn't too bad.
take care- terra
Posted by DebbieLynn on July 25, 2001, at 6:56:40
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin and the jitters--Anyone have this??? » DebbieLynn, posted by terra miller on July 25, 2001, at 0:38:30
> hi,
>
> it's ok to take ativan with wellbutrin. and it does help the 'shakes' go away and smooth out.
>
> i've kind of learned to ignore them. for me it's just always there. (that probably wasn't very encouraging; sorry.) it might feel like just under your skin things are buzzing.
>
> i've noticed making my coffee half strength in the morning seems to help. it also helps to drink enough water during the day. actually, drinking enough water seems to be, for me, what causes that buzzing to be worse.
>
> i've taken ativan lots with the wellbutrin. but usually if i get to where i need to take one it's probably because i actually need to take some quiet time alone myself and recollect my thoughts, and drink a quart of water.
>
> anyway, it's a mild sideeffect that i can live with. i remember someone else said they like 'feeling' that their medication is working, and i think i feel that same way.
>
> also increasing slowly is good too. on the insert it says you can increase after day 4 which made me laugh out loud- i recently reread the insert. across the board there seems to be strong agreement that it's best to increase wellbutrin dosages slowly so that the agitation/jitteriness isn't too bad.
>
>
> take care- terra
Thanks for the info. I am sitting here this morning asking myself, "Should I take this wellbutrin, will the jitters get worse?" I am just a little worried about continuing it. I took Celexa 20mg with my Effexor and developed serotonin syndrome. From what I have read and what my doctor has told me, and of course what I have read on this board, Wellbutrin blocks only a small amount of serotonin from reuptake. I mainly want the norepinephrine and dopamine, NOT SEROTONIN...I get enough of that from the Effexor and 225mg.I guess I will take it and see...I am medicine sensitive...hopefully I can tolerate it because I am starting to see a small difference, (toward the good)
Thanks again!
PS What dose are you on. I dont think my doctor wants to increase my dose. I guess maybe if I tolerate this well. We'll see!
Take care--Debbie
Posted by terra miller on July 25, 2001, at 12:07:10
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin and the jitters--Anyone have this???, posted by DebbieLynn on July 25, 2001, at 6:56:40
hi again,
> Thanks for the info. I am sitting here this morning asking myself, "Should I take this wellbutrin, will the jitters get worse?"
just don't take it with your morning coffee. :-) actually, i've gotten to where i can even take it with my morning coffee, but i can't drink fullstrength coffee anymore either.
i always think it's best to give a new med a good try unless the sideeffects are too disturbing to tough out. that's up to you.>I am just a little worried about continuing it. I took Celexa 20mg with my Effexor and developed serotonin syndrome. From what I have read and what my doctor has told me, and of course what I have read on this board, Wellbutrin blocks only a small amount of serotonin from reuptake. I mainly want the norepinephrine and dopamine, NOT SEROTONIN...I get enough of that from the Effexor and 225mg.
i am totally not a doc :-) but i know for me that the wellbutrin doesn't seem to do as much on the serotonin as the other two you mentioned. i also am med sensitive and cannot tolerate meds that focus too much on serotonin. i think that's why i've done so well on wellbutrin (and did so poorly on SSRI's).
> PS What dose are you on. I dont think my doctor wants to increase my dose. I guess maybe if I tolerate this well. We'll see!
i continue to notice for me that "less is more." i've read other people say that, too... that is, they are doing just fine on lower doses than the "documented" 300mg/day that is "recommended." we're all different.
after lots of adjusting, starting out on S.R. version, i ended up on the immediate release version. they come in 75mg (smaller than the 100 or 150's) and i take them 3-4 times a day. turns out i couldn't tolerate taking more than 75mg at a time whether it was S.R. or I.R. it didn't matter. i needed to spread the doses out over the day because S.R. versions of meds don't last long enough for me and i get really bad peaks and valleys during the day (total drag.) i don't know how long i've been doing this. 4-5 months? i don't even have a clue. :-) but i DO know that i don't feel drugged or sedated or not mentally sharp like all the other meds i have tried all made me feel. that says a bunch to me. i do feel a little "too wired" you know (like when you just talk too much socially and wonder why you just said something really embarrassing!), but i choose to deal with that and have just discovered chamomile tea actually knocks me out at bedtime (what do you know?!) :-) i just feel so much better and feeling my skin buzzing is minimal to me compared with what i am now able to function and do. :-) -terra
Posted by Else on July 25, 2001, at 18:04:44
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin and the jitters--Anyone have this???, posted by DebbieLynn on July 25, 2001, at 6:56:40
You know, even though Effexor and Wellbutrin act on different neurotransmitter systems, it doesn't mean that they don't affect each other's mechanisms of action. I remember reading somewhere that Wellbutrin could increase blood levels of SSRIs or the opposite . I AM REALLY NOT SURE ABOUT THIS. Don't take my word for it. But I used to take Effexor, and then Effexor (300mg) + Wellbutrin (300mg) and felt TERRIBLE. I was shaking non-stop and I developped some kind of twitching in my neck (and I NEVER slept). On Wellbutrin alone I don't get any side effects after the first week or so. The first week is tough though. But the jitters go away eventually for some people (for me anyway), and benzos do help.
> > hi,
> >
> > it's ok to take ativan with wellbutrin. and it does help the 'shakes' go away and smooth out.
> >
> > i've kind of learned to ignore them. for me it's just always there. (that probably wasn't very encouraging; sorry.) it might feel like just under your skin things are buzzing.
> >
> > i've noticed making my coffee half strength in the morning seems to help. it also helps to drink enough water during the day. actually, drinking enough water seems to be, for me, what causes that buzzing to be worse.
> >
> > i've taken ativan lots with the wellbutrin. but usually if i get to where i need to take one it's probably because i actually need to take some quiet time alone myself and recollect my thoughts, and drink a quart of water.
> >
> > anyway, it's a mild sideeffect that i can live with. i remember someone else said they like 'feeling' that their medication is working, and i think i feel that same way.
> >
> > also increasing slowly is good too. on the insert it says you can increase after day 4 which made me laugh out loud- i recently reread the insert. across the board there seems to be strong agreement that it's best to increase wellbutrin dosages slowly so that the agitation/jitteriness isn't too bad.
> >
> >
> > take care- terra
>
>
> Thanks for the info. I am sitting here this morning asking myself, "Should I take this wellbutrin, will the jitters get worse?" I am just a little worried about continuing it. I took Celexa 20mg with my Effexor and developed serotonin syndrome. From what I have read and what my doctor has told me, and of course what I have read on this board, Wellbutrin blocks only a small amount of serotonin from reuptake. I mainly want the norepinephrine and dopamine, NOT SEROTONIN...I get enough of that from the Effexor and 225mg.
>
> I guess I will take it and see...I am medicine sensitive...hopefully I can tolerate it because I am starting to see a small difference, (toward the good)
>
> Thanks again!
>
> PS What dose are you on. I dont think my doctor wants to increase my dose. I guess maybe if I tolerate this well. We'll see!
>
> Take care--Debbie
Posted by paxvox on July 26, 2001, at 12:07:28
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin and the jitters--Anyone have this???, posted by DebbieLynn on July 25, 2001, at 6:56:40
Yes, jitters, nervousness etc... are common to Wellbutrin. Much of it subsides with time. However, I just increased from 150 SR x 2 to 200 SR x 2, and I have increased sides. The chest pain and tachycardia are the most troublesome, hope they stop in a few days, or I will tell PDOC I'm going back to 150.
Paxvox
Posted by Lorraine on July 27, 2001, at 11:39:38
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin and the jitters--Anyone have this???, posted by DebbieLynn on July 25, 2001, at 6:56:40
Wellbutrin made me feel like I was going to climb out of my skin. Too bad, because it is a good med. I had to discontinue it.
Posted by Neal on July 28, 2001, at 19:17:09
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin and the jitters--Anyone have this???, posted by DebbieLynn on July 25, 2001, at 6:56:40
Jitters is a common side effect when starting Wellbutrin. For me, it manifested itself as irratability. After a month it subsided slowly away.
This is the end of the thread.
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