Is Wellbutrin Good For Anxiety?

In this blog we will read “Is Wellbutrin Good For Anxiety?”

Anxiety, a term vaguely used and rarely understood.

I am having an anxiety attack, or I am feeling like I am experiencing anxiety.

We all must have heard people say things like that. Forget about people, but we ourselves must have said these lines just before our high school results were about to come or just before doing an adventurous activity.

But we never thought about the real meaning. So let’s talk about anxiety.

Is the gossip correct?

Anxiety has a new enemy Wellbutrin or is it just a rumour?

Table of Contents

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is our body’s natural response to any stress or fear, causing a group of symptoms like feeling nervous, tachycardia (increased heart rate), increased sweating, hyperventilation (breathing rapidly), and feeling weak or tired.

But these symptoms just last until the situation is back to normal. Anxiety may even act as a source of motivation for some.

But if this feeling is continuous and hampers the everyday life of an individual then it is an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety disorder is defined as any of a group of mental conditions characterized by excessive fear of or apprehension about real or perceived threats, leading to altered behavior and being strong enough to interfere with one’s daily life.

What is Wellbutrin?

Wellbutrin is the brand name of the drug Bupropion. It is an atypical antidepressant used for treating depression.

Other than Major depressive disorder, it is also used for

Cessation of Smoking
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Sexual Dysfunction
Obesity

It is a type of norepinephrine/dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI), which means it prevents the reabsorption of Norepinephrine and Dopamine.

These two chemicals affect a wide range of emotions, such as happiness, motivation, and pleasure.

So by inhibiting the reabsorption of these chemicals, their quantity increases in the brain, thus causing an elevated mood.

Is Wellbutrin good for anxiety?

Wellbutrin is a drug given for different conditions, but not one of them says that Wellbutrin is used for the treatment of anxiety.

People suffering from depression and anxiety have shown a rise in their moods after taking Wellbutrin but it’s mainly because of Wellbutrin’s effect on depression and not anxiety.

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How long does it take to work on Anxiety?

It is a fast acting drug that unlike SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Regulator Inhibitors) starts acting the first day and starts showing results.

As it starts working, a person can experience the following changes:

Less fatigue
Increased enjoyment of things you used to like
Lift in low mood
More energy during the day

But with the effects, the unwanted side effects also follow from day one of taking Wellbutrin.

Unwanted Wonders of Wellbutrin

As I have told you, Wellbutrin is not a drug of choice for anxiety; instead, it is an antidepressant. So the medicine might not resolve the issue of anxiety but can create more problems for you. The most common side effects of Wellbutrin that are found in people who start on this medication are:

Headache Weight loss Dry mouth
Trouble sleeping (insomnia) Nausea
Dizziness
Constipation Fast heartbeat Sore throat

Though doctors tell the patient beforehand about the symptoms and may also prescribe medicines to counter those side effects, they need to be taken SOS (only when needed).

It’s not necessary that Wellbutrin will have side effects on every person, and not all the mentioned side effects will appear in one person. But the problem arises when these symptoms are continuous and severe, often accompanied by more severe symptoms.

These severe but rare symptoms can be:

Skin rash sweating
Ringing in the ears Shakiness Stomach pain seizure
Hypertension Liver diseases Muscle pain
Thought disturbances
Angle closure glaucoma

If the side effects are continuous and severe, then you must consult your doctor immediately and cease the use of medicine until the side effects subside.

It is also necessary to tell the doctor about the other medications you are consuming on a daily basis, as the interaction between Wellbutrin and other medicines may show some side effects, and to prevent that, it is necessary to tell the doctor about it.

What’s the right medication?

There are various medicines available in the market that can be prescribed for treating anxiety disorders.

This includes SSRIs like Zoloft and Benzodiazepines like Lorazepam, Alprazolam, etc.

But no medication should be taken without a doctor’s prescription, as their effect and dosage vary from person to person and can turn harmful if taken without knowledge.

Try to end it without medication

Meditation

I was not a fan of meditation myself. Whenever I tried to meditate, I used to feel like my head was spinning, and just sitting relaxed with my eyes closed seemed like an impossible task.

But there came a point in my life when I used to feel low in mood, always overthinking, and crying for no reason. That’s when I searched for all the possible ways available out there to come out of that zone.

Again, to start with it was difficult. That head spinning feeling was always there. But being adamant worked for me, and I actually started feeling better about my life and especially myself.

Now, it’s an everyday morning ritual that cannot be skipped at any cost. Try it; it will take time, but it will be worth it.

After some time, you will be like, anxiety! What’s that?

Yoga and Exercise

If you are angry, exercise. If you are over thinking, exercise. If you are feeling low about your body, exercise. The whole and sole way to many situations is exercise.

Your mind gets distracted from the situations and starts focusing on your body.

Thus relaxing your mind and shaping your body together.

Be it yoga, gym, or just normal no-gym workouts, it’s your choice. But choose it for your mind and body. It does wonders.

Me Time

Indulge in skincare, or walk in lush green nature’s lap, or paint that canvas, or write poetry, or a whole book, cook a scrumptious meal, or spend time exploring something new.

In today’s world, we rush to invest for ourselves but forget to invest in ourselves.

We might buy clothes, accessories, makeup, and gadgets worth thousands, but we forget to invest our time and ourselves in small things like discovering a new talent that was hidden somewhere within or polishing our already known talents.

It’s important to have time for yourself to keep the anxiety at bay.

Talk with someone

This helps a lot. I really mean it when I say that you are blessed if you have someone with whom you can talk your heart out.

In my college, I met a senior, though I got to know her after two years of my med school but it was worth it. Till today, she is the first person I tell about everything that happens with me or around me.

If something is bothering me or I am confused or angry or feeling anxious. She is on my speed dial. Sometimes she provides me with advice and sometimes she just listens. And it makes my heart and mind calm and empty of those unwanted thoughts.

Find someone around you with whom you can share everything, who will talk to you and listen to you without any judgments, and then just pour your heart out and make that anxiety a matter of the past.