Posted by Tony P on September 6, 2001, at 3:46:09
In reply to Re: WELLBUTRIN---how long til it kickedin- » shelliR, posted by allisonm on September 5, 2001, at 21:21:30
Wow - how greatly we can differ in our responses! I was a zombie for three days on 150 mg. Wellbutrin SR, then on day 4, pow! It was an overnight change, Jekyll to Hyde < g >. I've taken several different A/D's and never experienced such a sudden change. Mind you I was also doing a fast taper off Serzone and overlapped the last three days with the Wellbutrin startup
The overlap was a bad idea, I think now, it probably made the experience more extreme rather than less uncomfortable as I had supposed. I also have some old liver damage and had liver pains on day 3 or 4.
That 4th day I had so much energy I couldn't focus it, I was shaking and anxious (even with some mild sedatives to help me), I had a LOT of anger that was hard to manage, I felt altogether like I was going to fly apart! But I didn't drop out, partly because I read some other peoples' experiences here which reassured me, and also because somehow even though I was very uncomfortable it felt really GOOD.
After hanging in there for a few more days (13 today and counting) I'm at 300 a day and feeling pretty OK, though still a bit hyper and aggressive and having trouble keeping on task at work. I am both intrigued and encouraged by your experience, alison, as I was already starting to worry about whether the energy would all poop out in the next couple of weeks. What I hear you saying is, the best is yet to come!
Thanks,
Tony P
> Shelli,
>
> It took longer for me to feel good effects. After 2 weeks -- whether it was just starting or raising the dose -- I was usually battling the last of the irritability and the hand tremor. It took me longer to feel the burst of energy -- three or more weeks. From what I have felt and read, it isn't till after the energy burst wears off that it really starts to kick in. So if you lose your energy, don't worry. You're not experiencing poop out. It wasn't till about 6-8 weeks that I really started feeling a difference.
>
> I took up to 400mg WB. I first started it as an augment to Remeron, then eventually flopped the doses at the suggestion of my pdoc so that the Remeron was augmenting the WB. I'm at 300mg of WB now and want to continue taking it whether the Serzone works or not. Serzone appears to be helping, but there have been side effects that could be due to too much Serzone or too little. We have upped the night dose from 150mg to 200 and kept the am dose at 150 to see what happens.
>
> Good luck with the WB. It's the best drug I've had so far. I hope it helps you too.
>
> Allisonm
poster:Tony P
thread:77859
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010902/msgs/77949.html