Wellbutrin

[heavyfuel]

Has anybody ever been on Wellbutrin? I've been on it for a few months now and it seems to be working but I'm seeing some red flags.

My doc prescribed it to combat the roller coaster that I live on. Before I got on the stuff, whenever I'd have an epic time doing anything, at the end of it I'd come crashing down into borderline depression, feeling trapped and isolated, couldn't stand being alone, just felt generally dark and the more epic day I'd have, the harder the crash into darker darkness.

So I've been on this since October. Seems to be working nicely to keep me from crashing as I don't feel needy and isolated at the end of a good day.

Problem is, I'm not feeling or chasing those good times anymore and I'm wondering if the meds might be a factor. I've had 9 days on the hill this season without feeling any ways about it and that's just not like me. My workouts are plateau'd right to hell and I'm not giving a fuck nearly as much as I should. Summer is almost here and I'm not necessarily excited about much. Business is tanking like never before, and I can't bring myself to care because I keep feeling like everything is ok and generally feel good about life.

Through all of this there's one life changing extremely positive thing underway (that I'm keeping to myself for now) that may just happen here and that I am excited and hyped up about. So I know I'm not depressed.

I'm wondering if these meds are mellowing out my crashes and at the same time making me not wanna seek adventure to begin with? Cuz I feel good and all and those close to me notice some changes but with my attitude towards things especially sports, I'm seeing red flags big time and it's complacency and I'm not sure it's ok.

Anybody care to share an opinion on this and/or describe their experiences with wellbutrin?

[ExtraSlow]

Well, being less serious about certain activities isn't by itself a red flag. You can get obsessive about things when you are depressed because sometimes it feels like you MUST control things when everything else is out of control.

Can't speak to Wellbutrin specifically. But best of luck buddy.

[A790]

From my wife:


Hmm. Wellbutrin XL made me a zombie. No up's, no downs, certainly felt utterly complacent about life.

Maybe if I was a stronger person who knew themself when I was on it, I could have pushed through. But it was too much for me then (17-19 ish, I think)

[AndyL]

Probably going to get a variety of answers as wellbutrin is used in a variety of combinations.

For me it's used as a stimulant, because the effexor knocks me down to that IDGAF state. Generally works quite well to get me off my ass.

[heavyfuel]

Well, being less serious about certain activities isn't by itself a red flag. You can get obsessive about things when you are depressed because sometimes it feels like you MUST control things when everything else is out of control.

Can't speak to Wellbutrin specifically. But best of luck buddy.

That's pretty bang on, if I can't do A I'm gonna dominate B, that's how I been living... only now I'm not dominating B like I used to, not feeling any ways about it and still not sure if I'm ever gonna figure out A, ya know, but that insight makes perfect sense given that I don't feel nearly as depressed as I did when I was on the uninhibited roller coaster.

I got some 5 HTP, my sister in law is a pharmacist and told me to not mix the 2 so maybe I'll ease off the WB for a week and try the 5 HTP, see if the give a fuck fires back up a bit.

[Kloubek]

Absolutely it can limit your highs. I have been on antidepressants my entire adult life and I simply don't experience any highs whatsoever. I get excited about virtually nothing.

I have tried several different drugs but they all affect me the same way - they keep me from getting the lows, but they effectively sap any joy I should be getting out of life as well. I went from rating my moods from a 0 to maybe a 7 off the drugs to being a consistent 5.5 every single day.

Honestly, it sucks. Kinda a rock and hard place situation where I can't possibly let my mind do what it wants without the drugs, but I can't live my life properly with them either.

If you find a solution, please let me know! Good luck to you.

[ExtraSlow]

I think Wellbutrin stays in your system for quite a while, so ask your sister in law ( or a doctor) if 5 days makes sense.

Being able to control something in your life is a great feeling, but if your need to control that one thing ends up controlling you, then it's not a great coping mechanism.

I've dipped my toe into these waters, and it sure hasn't made me an expert on anything, just a guy with opinions and empathy.

[heavyfuel]

Absolutely it can limit your highs. I have been on antidepressants my entire adult life and I simply don't experience any highs whatsoever. I get excited about virtually nothing.

I have tried several different drugs but they all affect me the same way - they keep me from getting the lows, but they effectively sap any joy I should be getting out of life as well.

Honestly, it sucks. Kinda a rock and hard place situation where I can't possibly let my mind do what it wants without the drugs, but I can't live my life properly with them either.

If you find a solution, please let me know! Good luck to you.

Shit eh, damn it sounds like that's the road I'm on and halfway there, good to know that most antidepressants have that effect as I haven't been on many for extended periods of time.

[Kloubek]

Shit eh, damn it sounds like that's the road I'm on and halfway there, good to know that most antidepressants have that effect as I haven't been on many for extended periods of time.

Well, we are talking about mind altering drugs here. How they affect one person may not be how they affect another. I know many people who live perfectly full lives while taking the meds and it works wonders for them.

It does sound, however, like you may be afflicted in the same way I am, and that would be most unfortunate.

My recommendation is two fold. And if you listen to my advice, it is up to you which you want to try.

The first would be to drop taking meds altogether and try alternatives. This includes a whole slew of things:
-Vitamins
-Daily exercise
-Talking to a shrink and loved ones
-A good diet
-Possibly educating yourself on positive thinking
-Taking Tumeric and St. Johns wort suppliments
-Lots of other things you can find on Google.

The good thing about all this is that it is generally stuff you want to do anyway, most of it doesn't cost much, and you aren't tied to drugs going forward. The bad thing is that if you truly have an imbalance the results are a crap shoot. If you arent suicidal and are willing to put the time into it, this is probably your best bet because the simple idea of being on drugs the rest of your life is kinda shit.

Alternatively, you could try different drugs. Wellbutrin is often given as a first drug because it is cheap and mild. But there are many others, and many work in other ways. Don't figure just because I haven't found one that gives me the life I want that the same would happen to you. It is entirely possible, but you don't know until you try.

The one thing I would NOT do is continue on this path. If you do, I would expect you will eventually lose all your highs/enthusiasm and that just isn't how you want to live. Keep in mind that once you reach this level of "neutrality" full time, it limits your desire to really go for the proper fix because it is easier to just sail through your daily routine.
So if you stick with the meds, talk to your doctor and get onto something else.

[heavyfuel]

Well, we are talking about mind altering drugs here. How they affect one person may not be how they affect another. I know many people who live perfectly full lives while taking the meds and it works wonders for them.

It does sound, however, like you may be afflicted in the same way I am, and that would be most unfortunate.

My recommendation is two fold. And if you listen to my advice, it is up to you which you want to try.


The one thing I would NOT do is continue on this path. If you do, I would expect you will eventually lose all your highs/enthusiasm and that just isn't how you want to live.

-Vitamins -CHECK
-Daily exercise - CHECK
-Talking to a shrink and loved ones CHECK (loved ones, mostly female lol)
-A good diet CHECK
-Possibly educating yourself on positive thinking CHECK- Getting force fed that shit by my mom and GF lol
-Taking Tumeric and St. Johns wort suppliments CHECK- just started Sulfazyme, so far so good
-Lots of other things you can find on Google. CHECK- right here on Beyond lol

Yeah, I'm not suicidal or hearing voices (other than the ones telling me to lift lol) and I definitely don't want to continue down this path.

Gonna get off this WB tomorrow and check with my sister in law when is safe to start on the 5 HTP.

[Kloubek]

Sounds like youve done your homework. Be careful about quitting cold turkey though. Antidepressant withdrawl can be brutally nasty. Better to ween yourself off over the course of a couple weeks minimum.

[heavyfuel]

Sounds like youve done your homework. Be careful about quitting cold turkey though. Antidepressant withdrawl can be brutally nasty. Better to ween yourself off over the course of a couple weeks minimum.

Yeah, quite possible. I'll skip tomorrow see how it goes and if I'm feeling like I'm too many french fries short of a happy meal, then I'll get back on it on Friday, skip a day, then skip 2, and so on if need be.

[A790]

Wife was able to transition off antidepressants by using CBD oil. Took about 6 months but she has now been off AD for about a year.

[bourge73]

I myself ( obviously everyone is different when it comes to meds ) didn’t do well on Wellbrutron
If I were you I would see a phycologist and speak to him as there are several drugs
That do different things.

[jdmXSI]

has anyone tried micro-dosing either lsd or psilocybin? I have read a few article/ experiences and it seemed quite effective for a lot of people.

https://www.reddit.com/r/microdosing/comments/6t8tdg/microdosing_mushrooms_for_depression/

[ExtraSlow]

has anyone tried micro-dosing either lsd or psilocybin? I have read a few article/ experiences and it seemed quite effective for a lot of people.

https://www.reddit.com/r/microdosing/comments/6t8tdg/microdosing_mushrooms_for_depression/

Haven't tried, but find the subject fascinating. Denver just decriminalized psilocybin possession too, so maybe that will become more open in other places.

[heavyfuel]

Wife was able to transition off antidepressants by using CBD oil. Took about 6 months but she has now been off AD for about a year.


Yes, CBD! I ran out a few weeks ago I gotta pick some up today. That stuff works surprisingly well pre-workout too of all things, 1 drop.

My sister in law said to wait 4 days before transitioning to 5 HTP.

[Tik-Tok]

Not sure what your pill form comes in, but coming off Cipralex was pretty nasty. Last time I tried doing it quick by 1/2'ing the dose for two weeks, then cold turkey after that. I was feeling the bad side effects for 2 months after.

I'm about to go off it again, but I'm going to take it much, MUCH slower. Like 3/4 dose for a few weeks, then 1/2, then quarter. Then quarter every other day.

I never want to feel like I did going off it the first time, again.

[legendboy]

Any SSRI or other anti depressant, benzo's, z drugs usually need a slow taper, maybe 6 months, maybe 1 year.
I take all of the above and I feel ok, better than i did before starting years ago. I have a shrink who perscribes for me. IMO family GP's are not qualified to take people off medications properly. It can be a scary and dangerous experience trying cold turkey if you have been on for any length of time.

[heavyfuel]

I went off the Wellbutrin cold turkey on Thursday and on the 5 HTP by Saturday. Zero fucks given, so far so good. I’m not gonna compromise my animal instinct even if it means getting back on the roller coaster. Wellbutrin is NOT going to help me do better at life or running my business. So fuck that.

I won’t get complacent and accept that it’s ok to be mediocre at everything. If I suck at life and business then so be it but like fuck if I’m gonna suck when I feel it matters, aka when I’m doing something I want to do not what society says I have to do.

[CompletelyNumb]

You should microdose.

[ExtraSlow]

You should microdose.
So he should hang out on an street corner asking if anyone has some shrooms? Or what?

[JfuckinC]

So he should hang out on an street corner asking if anyone has some shrooms? Or what?

lol or ask your friends, everyone knows someone ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[ExtraSlow]

lol or ask your friends, everyone knows someone ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Srs? I don't think I do. But I have really boring friends. Unless my beyond friends are the source.

[JfuckinC]

Srs? I don't think I do. But I have really boring friends. Unless my beyond friends are the source.

Man you’d be surprised the random boring people that like mushrooms, or at least know some that can get them. Alberta should legalize them ASAP.

[ExtraSlow]

Man you’d be surprised the random boring people that like mushrooms, or at least know some that can get them. Alberta should legalize them ASAP.

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I can't picture asking a bunch of people if they know where to score illegal drugs. Although I do agree they should probably be legalized like cannibis.

[heavyfuel]

Yup. Getting back to normal. I was starting to be patient with these fuckin idiots calling me asking if I haul stuff for free and whatever other stupid questions they might have, I was being more or less politically correct with that and really, that yields absolutely nothing LOL all the while in the gym? Well just getting there took more effort than ever, and then I found myself not fighting for those last 2-3 reps, I was working out but I wasn't grinding, ya know. So mere days off this Wellbutrin, told no less than 1/2 dozen people to fuck off if I didn't like the way the conversation was going, straight up hung up the phone simply because I can tell by their tone of voice within 4 seconds that I'm wasting my time, generally not giving a fuck. Now the gym grind means something again and I'm actually feeling a little tingle about all that summer has to offer as opposed to being a medicated zombie being polite with fuckin retards that have absolutely nothing to bring to my table while feeling no interest in anything. No more WB. 5 HTP and CBD seems to be doing the trick and I'm heading back to normal. YOLO so fuck being a complacent little bitch, at any expense.

I recommend everybody to get the fuck off their meds and just live the life you wanna live.