Welbutrin for moderate SADD?

[ScoutTN]

My doc suggested this and I am considering it. Anyone here taken Wellbutrin for this purpose? I would just take it Nov-early March. 

[ktgrok]

No but if mine kicks in hard this year I'm going to ask for it. 

[Jentrovert]

Last year I was taking Wellbutrin for other reasons and noticed a big difference during the winter. I had previously used a lightbox, which helped a bit, but it was significantly better with Wellbutrin. I am continuing on it through this winter for SADD, even though I feel I could drop it otherwise.

[TrixieB]

For those of you using Wellbutrin seasonally - have you experienced significant discontinuation symptoms? 

[TrixieB]

Just now, TrixieB said:

For those of you using Wellbutrin seasonally or other short-term use - have you experienced significant discontinuation symptoms? 

 

[Carol in Cal.]

Just...be careful.  It’s got a good and a bad side.  It helps a lot of people, but it can also cause strong suicidal ideation.

[ScoutTN]

28 minutes ago, TrixieB said:

For those of you using Wellbutrin seasonally - have you experienced significant discontinuation symptoms? 

I'd like to know this too!

[OH_Homeschooler]

 

I started taking it in Jan or Feb during a really rough time. Since it was deep into winter I can attest that it gave me a good kick in the butt when I started taking it, at a time when I really needed it. I was concerned that it would increase my anxiety but it really just gave me a really strong sense of focus. Like I was cleaning my house one day (something I never want to do) and when I was cleaning I really had to get into the cracks and corners that I usually ignored. 

It definitely made my sleep quality poorer at first. I would have more trouble falling asleep or I would jolt awake. That got better as time went on. For me it was strange that even though my sleep wasn't great, I felt fine. Usually I get headaches and just feel crappy if I don't get enough sleep.

 

9 minutes ago, Carol in Cal. said:

Just...be careful.  It’s got a good and a bad side.  It helps a lot of people, but it can also cause strong suicidal ideation.

This was something that took me by surprise. Wellbutrin is not my first antidepressant so I was used to seeing the suicide warnings. The very night I started Wellbutrin, I could not stop crying. I felt hopeless. Not actively suicidal but also not afraid to die. By the next morning I felt better. I didn't associate these feelings with the medicine because like I said, I was going through a really hard time. I just thought I was having one of my bad nights again. But then I had the exact same feelings when my dose increased. That's when I finally made the association. Again, I was fine the next day. But both of those nights were pretty scary. I think it would have been better if I knew it was the drug first. 

 

22 minutes ago, TrixieB said:

For those of you using Wellbutrin seasonally - have you experienced significant discontinuation symptoms? 

I have taken it continuously for a couple of years, but I think I can help with this. I'm usually very careful to take my medicine every day, but one week I forgot Wellbutrin. By around the 5th day I was starting to feel off. By the 7th I was really anxious and depressed and irritated. That was when I decided to double check my daily pill dispenser and I saw that I'd forgotten to add Wellbutrin for the entire week. So I could definitely feel it when I went from 300 mg to nothing, but it took a pretty long time. For comparison, when I was on Paxil I could tell by the afternoon if I forgot to take it that morning. 

I am now in the process of getting off of it (I don't think I need it anymore and I feel like I have some side effects that are getting worse, and I am still on another antidepressant). I stepped down from 300 to 150 mg daily, and I have not experienced any issues. It's been a few weeks since I made that change. So I think if you follow the correct steps, discontinuation symptoms will not be a problem.