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Wellbutrin XL - Antidepressant for meth users?
tweaked
nomore |
Welbutrin XL - antidepressant for meth users?
Hey Everyone,
Haven't been on the board in a long time.
Hope everyone is doing well.
My doctor just prescribed me Wellbutrin XL-150mg
for my depression. I know many of you are
currently on this medication. Any long term
users-- PLEASE provide your honest feedback on its effectiveness?
I know everyone's body chemistry is different but
i heard a lot of great things about it.
I've also read somewhere that is like an "amphetamine" which can also help you focus & get organized. Not
sure if this is accurate (??)
Also how does Wellbutrin rank as one
of the "heavy duty" antidepressants? (ie. as
opposed to Zoloft or Paxil, etc) Is 150 mg
a good dosage to start at? (1st time taking
antidepressants-- also taking Klonopin on
occasion for anxiety)
Please advise. Your input is soooo valuable
to me right now. Thanks everyone!!
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soso
confused |
Re: Welbutrin XL - antidepressant for meth users?
I do not know anything about Wellbutrin, but I have heard it is a good antidepressant for ex meth users. Did your doctor prescribe it for that reason? How do you feel when you use it, do you feel wired at all?
I suggested this antidepressant to my husband because I had heard of it for ex users and he said he didn't want anything that was like an amphetamine yet he started using meth again! Go figure. I would like to hear how it works for you and I wish you good luck. |
| Penel0pe |
Re: Welbutrin XL - antidepressant for meth users?
I take it and I think it has helped me a lot.
I love this website:
Ask a Patient
You can type in the name of a medication, and see how the people who TAKE the medication feel about it, instead of reading the information that the manufacturer or marketing companies want you to read.
Click on the link, type in Wellbutin XL, and then click to see how others rated this medication.
I personally found it to be very helpful; I didn't start any medication until after I had been clean for a year because I wanted to see how well I would be on my own. After a year had passed, I decided I needed to ask about an antidepressant, and Wellbutrin was suggested because of the fact that I am a recovering meth addict.
I DID feel wired for about a week or two, but that passed in short order. I did NOT feel like I was on meth in any way whatsoever - just more energetic, but not psycho! It is considered to be an "Activating" medication, and for a short time, I had a little insomnia, a bit of a headache, and within a couple of weeks that was all over - I just felt better. Not cured, but better.
Other people find that Wellbutrin makes them anxious and don't like it. Check out "Ask a patient" and see what other people have to say!
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tweaked
nomore |
Re: Welbutrin XL - antidepressant for meth users?
Penelope-Thank you soo much for your advice
and that helpful link!! I appreciate it.
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| Loraura | Re: Welbutrin XL - antidepressant for meth users?
Wellbutrin is not an amphetamine.
It blocks the re-uptake of dopamine, the same brain chemical that is destroyed while high on meth.
Your body needs time to replenish this chemical, so Wellbutrin helps you get "more bang for your buck" out of the existing dopamine that you do have.
It is not easy to compare to other anti-depressants, because most other anti-depressants work by blocking the re-uptake of serotonin, or both serotonin and norepinephrine. Basically -- not the same type of medication. It works on a different brain chemical.
If your symptoms are due to low dopamine activity and levels, the Wellbutrin may help.
If your symptoms are caused by an imbalance of one of the other neurotransmitters, it likely won't help as much.
Here's an article I wrote about how dopamine works in the brain, how meth forces it to be destroyed, and how Wellbutrin may help:
www.kci.org/meth_info/lor...nd_You.htm
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tweaked
nomore |
Re: Welbutrin XL - antidepressant for meth users?
Thanks Loraura!!
As always, your input is always
very informative. Just one quick
question:
How does one know if one's depression
is due low dopamine and/or low serotonin?
I am a former meth user like everyone else
so more than likely it's a dopamine issue.
From what i know both type of deficiencies cause
a type of depression.
Are the depressive symptoms different for serotonin
and dopamine deficiencies? If so, could
u provide any info? Does cocaine destroy
the same chemical, dopamine or does
it wreak havoc on a different neurotransmitter (ie
norepinephrine, serotonin?)
THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR HELP!!
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| Loraura | Re: Welbutrin XL - antidepressant for meth users?
It is difficult to determine which neurochemical is out of balance. Doctors often try several different medications, and several different dose levels before finding what works best.
Here is the difference between cocaine and meth, as far as the brain goes, in a nut shell:
Meth:
Causes dopamine release, blocks the reuptake process, takes 12+ hours to break down. During the 12 hours, excess dopamine is destroyed as a way to limit the overstimulation to the brain.
Cocaine:
Causes dopamine release, does NOT block the reuptake process, takes only a few minutes to break down thus leaving the body much less time to destroy the excess dopamine. |
tweaked
nomore |
Re: Welbutrin XL - antidepressant for meth users?
sosoconfused:
So sorry I missed your post..I'm been on the
WBXL for about 3 days. Yes, the doctor
prescribed it for post-meth use. i'm definitely
feeling very wired...and nauseous at times.
But i know it will subside soon once it
fully kicks in. Also my sexual appetite
is through the roof!!
It's been about a year now
since i've been off meth and I did everything
I could on my own to battle my depression/anxiety
(ie. natural herbal alternatives) but it didn't
seem to work long term. I've always been
ANTI-Rx medication, but I'm definitely willing to
give this drug time to work--maybe 3-4 months and see
what happens. Hey, what do I got to lose?
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