wellbutrin warning

[[...]]

I know that some of you take wellbutrin so thought I would pass along this warning from the FDA. I'm on an FDA email list that sends out the latest warnings about medications and have found it to be very helpful and informative. The link to the site is at the bottom.

 

Varenicline (marketed as Chantix) and Bupropion (marketed as Zyban, Wellbutrin, and generics)

Audience: Neuropsychiatric healthcare professionals, patients

 

FDA notified healthcare professionals and patients that it has required the manufacturers of the smoking cessation aids varenicline (Chantix) and bupropion (Zyban and generics) to add new Boxed Warnings and develop patient Medication Guides highlighting the risk of serious neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients using these products.These symptoms include changes in behavior, hostility, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal thoughts and behavior, and attempted suicide.The added warnings are based on the continued review of postmarketing adverse event reports for varenicline and bupropion received by the FDA.  These reports included those with a temporal relationship between the use of varenicline or bupropion and suicidal events and the occurrence of suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior in patients with no history of psychiatric disease.

 

Healthcare professionals should advise patients to stop taking varenicline or bupropion and contact a healthcare provider immediately if they experience agitation, depressed mood, and any changes in behavior that are not typical of nicotine withdrawal, or if they experience suicidal thoughts or behavior.

 

Read the complete MedWatch 2009 Safety summary, including links to the FDA Public Health Advisory, Information for Healthcare Professionals and previous MedWatch alerts, at:

 

www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm170090.htm

[[el...]]

Thanks Lynne,

 

I was on this. I actually thought it was one of the safer ones. I was on a low dose though. It was very agitating, but it didn't cause any depression for me, I don't think. I was depressed from the klon, so who knows.       

[[Bl...]]

Gosh!  This just makes me sick to read this garbage.  I was on Wellbutrin for many years.  This was the predominant a/d I was given.  I HATE that I keep finding out I was having all the adverse reactions to this **** and it just kept getting misdiagnosed as more and more psych problems. 

 

I have proven by means of getting better that the drugs were the problem. No one is doubting that.

 

Thank your very much for posting, but I'm sorry I read this before I have to go to bed!    :tickedoff:   I should not be so surprised. 

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Wellbutrin was a very interesting anti-depressant that I took for almost one year in my early days in college. While walking to class, I would just think of something random and laugh or smile. It does work on dopamine which may explain the unjustified laughter versus something like Prozac, an SSRI. I had no trouble quitting Wellbutrin and it definitely took away my compulsion to smoke cigarettes. I decided that I wasn't depressed anymore and stopped therapy. Sorry if my experience didn't give much insight. I should add that the brain constantly changes based on natural experiences and drugs induced experiences and addictions -- perhaps if I took Wellbutrin now, I might be prone to some negative side-effects (i.e. addiction). Who knows?

[[ch...]]

I was diagnosed with major depression in 1990.  I actually had several episodes of depression before I was formally diagnosed (each one became longer and brought more severe symptoms).  I initially took Prozac (6 months) and did well for 2-3 years with no medication.  When the depression returned, Prozac was prescribed again and I became quite sick (nausea, GI symptoms).  Other SSRI's have made me very sick as well. 

 

Wellbutrin has been the only antidepressant that has made a significant impact in my depression with the main side effect being a worsening of my existing insomnia.  I've had no withdrawal issues when I've discontinued the medication for periods of time.  I do know that Wellbutrin is not well tolerated by some people (the "alerting" nature of the medication in particular).  I think that every person is different in terms of reactions, side-effects, etc.

 

[[ca...]]

Wow, so the FDA is advising docs to stop prescribing Wellbutrin... am I reading this right?

 

As a long-time Adderall vet from years back, I tried Wellbutrin a few times (to see if it helps with concentration, as it's also an ADD drug supposedly). The effects are slightly similar but I found them to not increase concentration. (I don't think I really have ADD btw so maybe that's it). It did give me some of the negative side effects of Adderall, such a jitters, agitation, bad come down, etc, without the benefit of increased concentration.  As previously said it moderately engages dopamine receptors so I suppose that is the reason for the amphetamine-like side effects.

 

Anyway, what I do know about Wellbutrin is that it should not be taken by anyone with benzodiazepine withdrawal symdrome, because it can cause, you guessed it, seizures. Thus I stopped taking it (this was at the beginning of my taper).

 

Proceed with caution, all.

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The FDA is only issuing a warning to docs to watch out for specific side effects (suicidal thoughts or behavior) in patients taking bupropion (Wellbutrin). They aren't advising docs to stop prescribing it. It works fine for some people but for others has serious side effects, hence the warning.

 

Lynne

[[la...]]

Just putting in my experience with Wellbutrin.

 

In the past I was tried on Wellbutrin for depression, with the perk of it helping me to quit smoking.  Two weeks from the day I started swallowing it, I seriously for the only time in my life, contemplated suicide.  At one point in the afternoon, I realized this was NOT normal for me.  I'm the homicidal type of person. I seriously don't want to do anything to me that would hurt.  Suicide seems painful if you miss.  Anyway.... once I realized this was the medicine speaking, I called my doctors office and told them.  That day was my last Wellbutrin.

 

 

[[ch...]]

Wow, so the FDA is advising docs to stop prescribing Wellbutrin... am I reading this right?

 

As a long-time Adderall vet from years back, I tried Wellbutrin a few times (to see if it helps with concentration, as it's also an ADD drug supposedly). The effects are slightly similar but I found them to not increase concentration. (I don't think I really have ADD btw so maybe that's it). It did give me some of the negative side effects of Adderall, such a jitters, agitation, bad come down, etc, without the benefit of increased concentration.  As previously said it moderately engages dopamine receptors so I suppose that is the reason for the amphetamine-like side effects.

 

Anyway, what I do know about Wellbutrin is that it should not be taken by anyone with benzodiazepine withdrawal symdrome, because it can cause, you guessed it, seizures. Thus I stopped taking it (this was at the beginning of my taper).

 

Proceed with caution, all.

 

In terms of seizures ... my understanding is that the control group used in the original studies had a lower threshold for seizures because many had eating disorders.  In other words, the seizure risk that is reported may not be as significant as once thought.  

 

I'm someone who has a long history of depression (long before any benzo or z-drug use).  I've been unable to take SSRI's and it's worked well for me (with the exception of insomnia!).

 

I recently decreased my dosage from 150 mg to 100 mg to see if I remained stable in terms of depression.  The smallest effective dose is what I want so I can hopefully lessen the impact the medication has on my sleep.  It's been two weeks and I'm happy to say I'm feeling well.

 

I agree that proceeding with caution with any medication is the wisest choice of all.

 

~cr~