I had a discussion about these with my doc yesterday, and the decision has not been made to begin taking it - it would be used as an aid to quitting smoking, if that’s the choice I make. She thinks I’d be a good candidate - I’ve tried to quit a number of times and I know how tough it is, but at the same time I don’t want to keep on smoking.
But I don’t know anyone who’s actually used it (whether as an anti-depressant or as an aid to quitting smoking) and what people’s experiences have been. Anyone want to share?
I was thinking of taking it a couple of months ago. (I’ve put off quitting for the time being.) I did a search and found a few threads that talk about it. I’m also interested in hearing anything new people have to say.
One friend told me it did nothing for her. Another friend said it made him speedy. Drugs have different effects on different people. It’s worth a try, isn’t it?
I started taking Wellbutrin for depression this week. So far, I haven’t noticed anything unusual happening, either positive or negative. I can tell you it’s a lot better than the experience I had with Zoloft two weeks ago!
When I took Wellbutrin a few years ago for depression, I was a smoker at the time. I didn’t know it was supposed to have anti-smoking properties until much later. I was a devout smoker even when I quit taking it. But, then again, I wasn’t trying not to smoke either. I didn’t experience any ill side effects, and I’m especially sensitive to that sort of thing.
I take Welbutrin as an appetite supressant. I don’t notice any side effects, and it does a good job at curtailing snack runs. I never smoked, so I can’t answer anything about tobacco cessation.
I spent a year on Celexa for mild depression, and I really hate it. I call that my year of blissful sedation. Celexa did nothing more than take away my edge, and I didn’t give a shit about anything. I lost my motivation, and gained a lot of weight.
My wife hates the Welbutrin, because with that edge back, I don’t let her walk all over me like she did previously.
I’ve taken Wellbutrin SR 150mg twice a day for about five years, as an anti-depressant. I smoked while taking it, and I quit smoking while taking it: draw your own conclusions. When I first began taking it, I had some flashes of blue light, but only a few times and for only one or two days. I also had a strange halucination, but I was insane at the time so I don’t know if Wellbutrin played a part.
Got a prescription for the Welbutrin from my doctor to help stop smoking. You start taking it, and pick a date after about three weeks that you want to stop smoking. It does curve your appetite and it will help you stop smoking. I didn’t like taking it. I tried it a few years back, and stopped taking it then after a few days. This time I took it for a month because I made myself. I just didn’t like the way it made me feel. I like to be in control of myself and I have a low tolerance for any type of drug. A small dose of anything has a high effect on me.
While the doctor was writing out the prescription, he told me that if I really wanted to quit I didn’t need anything, it is a matter of making up your mind.
So that’s what I did. I set my date, I picked up some patches, which did help take the edge off of my symptoms, it didn’t make me not want to smoke. I haven’t smoked a cigarette in five months now, after a 30 year (give or take a few years I quit) habit. You can do it, but you have to have your mind made up that you want to.
I used it to try and quit smoking and I had to quit taking it as I did NOT want to eat at all, while taking it. When I cut the dose back, I was able to eat, but I just sat around like a bump on a log and didn’t do anything, so I quit taking it entirely. I didn’t even quit smoking while taking it. I managed to quit later on, but started up again as I was having panic attacks and didn’t have any health insurance to pay for something to knock those out.
I used it for six weeks, to quit smoking. It worked for me, with no noticeable side effects.
I did succeed in quitting this time, after several previous attempts had failed. The only difference with this quit and the other tries was use of Welbutrin.
As others have noted, Welbutrin won’t do it for you. You have to really want to quit smoking. If you do have your mind made up to quit, Welbutrin and other aides can help. I used the Nicorette gum along with Wellbutrin for about the first two weeks.
Note: I talked with several people who expreienced sleep loss/bad dreams while taking two 150 mg. pills per day. Cutting back to one pill taken in the morning seems to allow some people to retain the benefit of Welbutrin without the sleep loss.
I took Zyban to cease smoking. The first time I used it, I quit, but then started up after about a month - I was surrounded by smokers. The second time, it worked like a charm. I have not smoked since February 7, 2000.
I had some funky dreams and a bit of appetite and sleep loss, but not enough for me to stop taking them. In fact, I only realized it in hindsight.
I tried Wellbutrin a couple years ago as an anti-depressant but felt it gave me headaches, which turned out to be unrelated. Last year I was taking Remeron for depression and smoked about 5 a day. I gained 20 lbs. so my doc asked me to try Wellbutrin again. I did about 4 mos. ago and have lost 15 and I smoke 1-3 a day, which I could probably do without anyway. The craving just isn’t there.
I did have sleep trouble with the 150 mg. SR twice a day and the doc said take both in the morning and the sleep trouble went away. Also, I felt really icky the first week or so taking it; I was nauseated all the time and didn’t feel like eating anything. I also felt sort of wacked out for a week or two. I still kind of feel nauseated at times but it helps me keep the weight off.
So I would definitely try it if your insurance pays for it, the SR is quite expensive. There is a generic now I think but it is not the SR (extended release) which is I understand just a way for the company to keep a patent on the drug, and if you start out with the non-time release you’re probably fine with the generic; it’s when you switch from SR to generic you might have bad effects, I hear.
Tuckerfan, I can relate to starting back up with the panic attacks; however, I have seen some information that indicates cigs can actually cause or make worse your panic attacks. You think smoking is relaxing you but that’s just the relief of having filled the craving. Meditation, yoga, exercise and cognitive behavioral therapy have served me well. Not to give you any medical advice, just information for you to take or leave.
Started almost two years ago for depression after Zoloft did nothing. I took 300 mg/day, but had really disturbing nightmares (as in I would wake up and start crying), really really high energy and major weight loss (150 to 135 in about a week). I cut back to 250 and the side effects all went away and it worked perfectly. It makes me feel significantly more motivated and happier.
I’m not insured, so it would cost me about $114 for each fill of the prescription - that’s one reason I want opinions before the decision is made to start it up. Doc did talk about not drinking if I take it - she’s not opposed to one drink, but any more than that she said was a no go, because seizures can be a side effect and alcohol can increase that possibility.
She also said she’s had people on it for up to a year who were taking it as an aid to quitting smoking, at their decision because they felt it was helping them and were worried about backsliding into smoking.
I still don’t know - the biggest worry for me is that I’d use it and fail, and then I don’t know if I’d felt like I’d tried all the possibilities that were out there, ya know?
Wellbutrin didn’t do a thing for me. Zip for depression, zilch for smoking. Other anti-depressants felt phony; this one didn’t feel like I was taking anything at all.
Then again, it worked great for my wife when she quit smoking. She eventually started back up again, but it was long after she stopped taking the Zyban.
AlaItalia, I had trouble sleeping, too. I had forgotten that. My Dr. gave me a prescription for Trazadone, 150mg, which I take at bedtime. It gave me a very dry mouth at first, but it does let me sleep.
I was on Wellbutrin as an antidepressant, and found it made me too jittery; my depression was intertwined with anxiety and Wellbutrin exacerbated the latter.
Well, first, people have different reactions to different meds.
Second, I started taking Celexa for depression after trying some other meds. My Doc then gave me Wellbutrin to help me quit smoking. The combination of the drugs made a big difference. My depression went away, I thought I was doing well with just the Celexa but the Wellbutrin kicked me up a notch. My cravings for smokes also died. I ended up smoking again but due to some other reasons. I am quitting tomarrow and I won’t be very friendly for a day or so but the Wellbutrin did help a lot last time so I imagine it will this time.
Wasn’t the nicotine that was causing it, as I’d stopped smoking for a month, with no cravings after the first couple of days when the panic attacks kicked in.
My experiment with Wellbutrin is over. After three sleepless nights filled with bizarre dreams and four days of growing increasingly jittery, and that’s on the smallest dose, the doctor and I have decided it’s time to try something else. Maybe the 3rd time will be the charm.