# wellbutrin: When does it kick in?



## mangoneinsanefromibs (Jan 26, 2004)

When I went to the doctors 2 weeks ago, I asked for a prescription to Zyban so I could quit smoking. The doctor gave it to me, but lowsey Lowes prescription plan didn't cover it, so I ended up with just wellbutrin (not a big deal, I believe its identical...otherwise I doubt the doctor would of accepted it as a substitute). Anyway I'm doing exactly what the doctor told me. I'm taking approxmatly one 150mg tablet twice a day, and I set a quit date for 2 weeks after I started taking it. Well guess what? Today is that quit day! And I still want to smoke! To be honest I haven't felt much different at all from well butrin. only the very first day I took it, did I feel any calmer or relaxed. So whats the deal here? Is the dose to weak for me or what?


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## mangoneinsanefromibs (Jan 26, 2004)

jesus christ does anyone post in this forum anymore? I put this up 2 days ago!


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## KLG (Jul 8, 2002)

Hello,I never come here, but for some reason tonight I did.I was on Wellbutrin because my doctor wanted me to quit smoking about a year ago. She thought that my fatigue was because I was a smoker. She was wrong...but anyway, it kicked in for me fully at two weeks. Have you noticed that you don't seem to get anything from your cigarettes? I noticed (I smoked menthol) that mine tasted stale and didn't really do anything for me. I was actually smoking more because I never felt satisfied after I had one. If you happen to go off the Wellbutrin and have a cigarette, you will get a "buzz" from it like the first time you had one. I think it blocks that out, so that cigarettes aren't doing anything to you and when you quit, you feel the same as when you were smoking those last two weeks. I was on the same dosage as you. I wasn't successful, because at the time I didn't want to quit. Watch your caffeine intake on it too. I typically used to take in a lot of caffeine, and I ended up having a panic attack on it in conjunction with the coffee I was drinking.Good luck to you


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## mangoneinsanefromibs (Jan 26, 2004)

well I'll say this much, I have lost a lot of interest in it over the weekend. I am at a point that I really want a quit, think i'm about there. yeah I have noticed the staleness in the ciggerettes latley, maybe it is working. As for my mind, for an anti-anxiety medicine, I'm still a stressed-out wreck!


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## sadone (Dec 17, 2003)

mangone, i had to go through a number of dosage increases before wellbutrin did anything for me.


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## mangoneinsanefromibs (Jan 26, 2004)

I just read well butrin may cause anxiety....isn't that kind of counterproductive? Its like all the IBS treatments that say "may cause bloating, cramping, and diarhea"


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## mangoneinsanefromibs (Jan 26, 2004)

well doesn't seem to help much with anxiety, but I've been smoke free for 2 days now!


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## Rowe2 (Sep 26, 2002)

Great news! Hang in there, it will pay off. I've been on Wellbutrin before though, and it increased my anxiety. Sorry, I know you didn't need to hear that, but if you can manage to stay on it until you get the nicotine out of your blood, you can switch to another antidepressant if you need to. I'm on Effexor, and it works great. No weight gain on it either!


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## mangoneinsanefromibs (Jan 26, 2004)

Well I will admit, I don't really want to smoke anymore. Its done pretty good at that, but I've been very restless latley, and I really have to fight to get to sleep. Been taking otc sleep medicine. Works well, but I nearly have to take it everyday! And sometimes it still takes me an hour or 2 to fall asleep! Right now I'm running on a 2 hour nap I took yeasturday during the evening. I feel exhausted...but not all that sleepy! I worked all last night, was allright, but I really need to get to sleep! I was unable to sleep more than 3 hours monday morning as wellbtw I work 3rd shift incase you couldn't tell. BUt anyway I'm afraid of the other anti-anxiety meds cuz of the whole weight gain, and lack of sexual desire thing. I've dropped like 60 pounds within the last 3 years, I'm in the best shape of my life! don't want Paxil or something to take that away. Also don't want to loose my sexual desire.


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## KLG (Jul 8, 2002)

I'm sorry to hear about your sleep problems. I went through the same thing. I am not sure what time you are taking it, but perhaps try to take it earlier. I was taking it at 9 pm, and found it helped to take it either much earlier (so long as it is about 8 hours between your last dosage) or later...like at bedtime. Then I'd be asleep by the time it started working. I still had some occasional problems.


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## finefingers (Oct 1, 2003)

Wellbutrin worked for me the first time I took it for depression. But when I went back on it for depression it kept me up all night. I now take Celexa which is a gentler antidepressant. Not nearly as many side affects than with others


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## KLG (Jul 8, 2002)

mangoneinsanefromibs ,How is it going? Are you still taking it?


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