Wellbutrin or Valium?

Mountaindewed · Apr 19, 2020 at 03:04 PM

Does any of these actually help with anxiety? I’ve heard Wellbutrin can increase anxiety. But I also am looking for a good mood stabilizer as well. I can not be on anything that causes weight gain. I am already gaining massively from who knows what.

DechanDawa · 06:30 PM

I was on Wellbutrin for a very short time. I went off because it increased my anxiety and caused blurred vision. Disappointing.

Valium is perfect for me. It lessons anxiety and helps me sleep. I tried to get my health care provider to prescribe me some diazepam last week and they WILL NOT PRESCRIBE BENZOS.

For short term relief of anxiety valium (diazepam) suits me but I can't get it prescribed.

I am sorry but I don't have any information on anything else. I take the herbs valerian and passionflower for anxiety now.

downandlonely · Apr 19, 2020 at 04:50 PM

I think Wellbutrin works for depression better than anxiety. A lot of doctors are hesitant to prescribe benzos. Someone did tell me that lavender supplements (pills made of lavender that you can buy online) help with anxiety. I haven't tried it myself though. Valerian and chamomile are supposed to be good too.

DechanDawa · Apr 19, 2020 at 04:59 PM

I think doctors should be more hesitant to prescribe SSRIs for everything under the sun. I hate SSRIs. I never had any problems with benzos. My dentist occasionally prescribes them for my bruxism. It is stupid for doctors to not prescribe them if they help a patient, with no side effects, for short term. They are muscle relaxers which is why they work well for bruxism...which is teeth grinding which usually includes jaw clenching...mostly while asleep.

DechanDawa · Apr 19, 2020 at 05:02 PM

I am taking a combination pill that include valerian and lemon balm...purchased on Amazon. I don't find it is much different than just plain valerian...which works well but can lead to day time grogginess, which is a side effect I dislike. So I can't take valerian every night as it seems to build up...and being unregulated there is not a good way to find a correct dosage.

splitimage · Apr 19, 2020 at 06:24 PM

Wellbutrin is stimulating. My pdoc wouldn't prescribe it to me, because it causes anxiety in too many patients. I took clonazepam for many years without problems, but am now weaning myself off them, since they were starting to cause memory problems.

I think pdocs overprescribe antipsychotics, but low dose seroquel can be really good for anxiety.

splitimage

bpcyclist · Apr 19, 2020 at 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DechanDawa

I think doctors should be more hesitant to prescribe SSRIs for everything under the sun. I hate SSRIs. I never had any problems with benzos. My dentist occasionally prescribes them for my bruxism. It is stupid for doctors to not prescribe them if they help a patient, with no side effects, for short term. They are muscle relaxers which is why they work well for bruxism...which is teeth grinding which usually includes jaw clenching...mostly while asleep.

Just to be clear, Wellbutrin is not an SSRI.

bpcyclist · Apr 19, 2020 at 10:28 PM

Wellbitrin would not be a good choice for someone with anxiety in my opinion.

DechanDawa · Apr 19, 2020 at 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bpcyclist

Just to be clear, Wellbutrin is not an SSRI.

\

Oh yes, I know...that's why my doctor prescribed it. Actually I think she gave it to me for depression. I have anxiety and depression. But it increased the anxiety. I was disappointed as I had high hope for it helping me.

Travelinglady · Apr 20, 2020 at 01:00 AM

Can you ask about a different anti-depressant or adding Valium or some such to your med list?

Guiness187055 · Apr 20, 2020 at 01:28 AM

Wellbutrin gave me anxiety in the beginning but once I pushed through it with the help of some benzo's it has worked wonders on my anxiety. I hardly ever take a benzo anymore.

sarahsweets · Apr 20, 2020 at 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DechanDawa

I think doctors should be more hesitant to prescribe SSRIs for everything under the sun. I hate SSRIs. I never had any problems with benzos. My dentist occasionally prescribes them for my bruxism. It is stupid for doctors to not prescribe them if they help a patient, with no side effects, for short term. They are muscle relaxers which is why they work well for bruxism...which is teeth grinding which usually includes jaw clenching...mostly while asleep.

Wellbutrin is an NDRI not an SSRI. I do agree that it seems like everyone under the sun will prescribe an SSRI for things, even things that they are not approved for. Some doctors who are not psychiatrists will just blanket prescribe them because they are afraid of benzos or do not want the responsibility of monitoring people on controlled substances. I feel conflicted about benzos. I have a small script for valium that I hardly ever take. But when I do take it its a lifesaver. I am on the fence when it comes to long term use. I think people can responsibly take them for years but physical dependence is nearly inevitable. I worry about people needing higher and higher doses due to tolerance. But for every person who has had trouble with benzos (addiction, dependence) there are nearly just as many people who do well on them. I do however think its prudent to consider prescribing both and antidepressant and possibly a benzo if the person has more going on than anxiety. Because benzos are used for acute distress, an antidepressant helps to level things out on a daily basis- at least for some people.

I do not think either drug is more or less dangerous than the other. if you read the side effect profile for antidepressants it can scare the hell out of you. But the same can be said of benzos.

Travelinglady · Apr 20, 2020 at 02:09 PM

I take Wellbutrin and Xanax ( as needed)--and have been for years. I have been able to control lots of my anxiety through cognitive therapy (done on my own.)

I've never notices Wellbutrin increases my anxiety, but different people have different side effects--or none.

Mountaindewed · 04:09 PM

He put me on low dose Wellbutrin for depression. He thinks me staying in bed all day and being in a deep depression because of the virus outweighs everything else I’m currently feeling. He was going to put me on lexapro but listened when I suggested the Wellbutrin. He mentioned the anxiety part and asked me to tell him or my therapist if my anxiety got worse. He also wants me to keep a log of my weight since it can make you lose a lot of weight.

I am also on Xanax twice a day as needed and visteral.

Mountaindewed · Apr 23, 2020 at 11:31 AM

Day 3 of Wellbutrin. Manageable anxiety. Still in bed. Can’t eat ****.

convalescence · Apr 26, 2020 at 10:56 PM

Wellbutrin worked well for my low mood, but did horrible things to my anxiety. I also didn’t sleep nor eat. I felt amazing besides the anxiety but they also suspected that I was bipolar, so that may have something to do with the feeling amazing with no stabilizing agent.

Mountaindewed · Apr 28, 2020 at 03:20 PM

Both my depression and anxiety actually seem better? Idk I take a **** ton of benzos and visteral everyday. I can’t eat much either and I think I’ve lost some weight. That’s the only side effect I’ve noticed.

Desoxyn · Apr 29, 2020 at 02:05 PM

Wellbutrin is bupropion (An NDRI like Ritalin/methylphenidate). It's a light stimulant of cathinone class. "Bath salts" are cathinones.

It can work good for depression and works on nicotine receptors to help nicotine addiction. It doesn't work for anxiety at all and is more likely to cause anxiety.

Valium (Diazepam) has a half life of 30-56 hours. So it lasts 3-5 times longer than Xanax (Alprazolam). So if you take 10mg of Valium every day for a month, 2 weeks worth is in your system, slowly decreasing.. that's why it's good for slowly tapering.

I might use diazepam to taper off of 0.5mg of alprazolam every evening. It's not good to take benzos every day - Only as PRN for severe panic attacks. If your panic attack is over in an hour every few days, that's ok.. more than an hour or two every few days is bad or every day..

People can function with anxiety by using coping techniques like mediation, sedating herbs, exercise, godd relationships and supports, career change and other stress diminishing factors, spirituality, etc..

Mountaindewed · May 10, 2020 at 06:55 PM

3 weeks on Wellbutrin and my depression is a lot better, but I don’t have PMS anymore. So Idk. I got out of bed during the day though and am sleeping better at night.. I don’t have the massive anxiety everyone and my doctor was talking about. I haven’t lost any weight but my appetite is down. It seems to be working decently.

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Mountaindewed Legendary Wise Elder Member Since Jun 2016 Location: Where the sidewalk ends Posts: 36,133 (SuperPoster!) 7 8,749 hugs given	Apr 19, 2020 at 03:04 PM #1 Does any of these actually help with anxiety? I’ve heard Wellbutrin can increase anxiety. But I also am looking for a good mood stabilizer as well. I can not be on anything that causes weight gain. I am already gaining massively from who knows what. __________________ Ridin' with Biden
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downandlonely Legendary Member Since Mar 2018 Location: United States Posts: 10,760 (SuperPoster!) 6 10.6k hugs given	Apr 19, 2020 at 04:50 PM #3 I think Wellbutrin works for depression better than anxiety. A lot of doctors are hesitant to prescribe benzos. Someone did tell me that lavender supplements (pills made of lavender that you can buy online) help with anxiety. I haven't tried it myself though. Valerian and chamomile are supposed to be good too.
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bpcyclist Legendary Member Since Sep 2019 Location: Portland Posts: 12,681 (SuperPoster!) 4 40.2k hugs given	Apr 19, 2020 at 10:28 PM #8 Wellbitrin would not be a good choice for someone with anxiety in my opinion. __________________ When I was a kid, my parents moved a lot, but I always found them--Rodney Dangerfield
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Travelinglady Legendary Wise Elder Member Since Sep 2010 Location: North Carolina Posts: 47,993 (SuperPoster!) 13 22.9k hugs given	Apr 20, 2020 at 01:00 AM #10 Can you ask about a different anti-depressant or adding Valium or some such to your med list?
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Guiness187055 Elder Member Since Mar 2017 Location: Florida Posts: 5,057 7 970 hugs given	Apr 20, 2020 at 01:28 AM #11 Wellbutrin gave me anxiety in the beginning but once I pushed through it with the help of some benzo's it has worked wonders on my anxiety. I hardly ever take a benzo anymore. __________________ Guiness187055 Moderator Community support team
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Travelinglady Legendary Wise Elder Member Since Sep 2010 Location: North Carolina Posts: 47,993 (SuperPoster!) 13 22.9k hugs given	Apr 20, 2020 at 02:09 PM #13 I take Wellbutrin and Xanax ( as needed)--and have been for years. I have been able to control lots of my anxiety through cognitive therapy (done on my own.) I've never notices Wellbutrin increases my anxiety, but different people have different side effects--or none.
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Mountaindewed Legendary Wise Elder Member Since Jun 2016 Location: Where the sidewalk ends Posts: 36,133 (SuperPoster!) 7 8,749 hugs given	Apr 23, 2020 at 11:31 AM #15 Day 3 of Wellbutrin. Manageable anxiety. Still in bed. Can’t eat ****. __________________ Ridin' with Biden
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convalescence Member Member Since Dec 2014 Location: USA Posts: 473 9 106 hugs given	Apr 26, 2020 at 10:56 PM #16 Wellbutrin worked well for my low mood, but did horrible things to my anxiety. I also didn’t sleep nor eat. I felt amazing besides the anxiety but they also suspected that I was bipolar, so that may have something to do with the feeling amazing with no stabilizing agent.
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Mountaindewed Legendary Wise Elder Member Since Jun 2016 Location: Where the sidewalk ends Posts: 36,133 (SuperPoster!) 7 8,749 hugs given	Apr 28, 2020 at 03:20 PM #17 Both my depression and anxiety actually seem better? Idk I take a **** ton of benzos and visteral everyday. I can’t eat much either and I think I’ve lost some weight. That’s the only side effect I’ve noticed. __________________ Ridin' with Biden
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