Wellbutrin For Drug And Alcohol Addiction

I spent most of my 20's addicted to cocaine and alcohol. I have struggled with pretty severe anxiety and depression since I was a teen due to some traumatic life experiences. I took these substances to self-medicate. My doctor suggested some sort of medication to help. I researched and I was initially attracted to Wellbutrin because of the lack of sexual side effects and weight gain issues that are normally associated with ssri's. I began taking Wellbutrin 2.5 months ago and I can honestly say it has changed my life. I started on 150mg of bupropion xl. The first day I took it I felt a bit tense and a little jittery. The second day I felt euphoria. I remember thinking "Wow is this what people normal feel like?". This went away on the third day. In the next couple weeks I didn't notice much other than a strange fuzziness in my eyes. It's hard to explain but it almost felt cloudy or like a very slight vibration. This went away after a few weeks. Over the first month I calorie counted to lose 15 lbs. Normally dieting would cause me some sort of emotional stress and I would give up and binge or drink too much. During this time I did not notice any help with my anxiety but clearly my mood was elevated enough that I was able to stick to something that would normally cause me emotional distress. Month two I switch to 300mg.

This is where I really started to notice a difference. I normally have anxiety tics that cause me to twitch or make certain sounds. I would say they were reduced by about 50%. Also, my cravings for any other substances was greatly reduced. I hadn't touched cocaine in a couple months by that point. Even my regular triggers can not sway me. I stayed adamant against using even under heavy peer pressure on many occasions. By 2.5 months I have lost over 25lbs through calorie counting. I am going weeks at a time without a drink and still have no cravings for other drugs. Even marijuana which I have consumed regularly for over 15 years. I know Wellbutrin is marketed as a smoking cessation but I truly think this medication has potential for addiction problems far beyond smoking. I had no intention when I started this drug that I was going to quit any of those things but it has been a very pleasant side effect. My doctor informed me that medications tend to deal with depression first at lower doses and anxiety relief often comes at higher doses so I may up my dose in March after my winter vacation in order to deal with the lingering anxiety. The only lasting side effect for me has been constipation. I am trying various thingsto relieve this but so far I will just take a senna tablet every few days if I am desperate. Hoping to find a gentler solution in the future. This drug has provedto be valuable far beyond my initial intentions. If anyone struggles with some of the issues I have had I certainly think it's worth talking to your doctor about.

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I'm glad that you've had a generally good experience with Wellbutrin. Everyone is different though. I know some people who claim that it gave them horrible panic attacks. It is not an SSRI it's a NDRI (norepinephrine dopamine reuptake inhibitor) so for some people this will definitely CAUSE anxiety and panic.

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