Dr. wants to increase my 300mg Wellbutrin xl to 450mg. Safe?

Posted by kah869 @kah869, Jan 17 6:16am

My Dr. wants me to go to 450mg to boost my lack of motivation and still some depression issues. I’ve been on 300mg for a year or longer and never had any side effects at all. With that said I’m am really struggling to get myself to take the extra 150mg pill, for the last 7 days I get my 300mg and 150mg ready and stare at them eventually taking my 300 and putting the 150 away telling myself I’ll start tomorrow. I’m extremely nervous about the seizure possibility. I have no other risk factors, never had a seizure, don’t take another meds that would increase my chances, no alcohol or drug use, no eating disorders but I still just can’t get myself to do it. I guess my question is how safe is 450mg? Am I just overthinking this?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Depression & Anxiety Support Group.

tresemae | @tresemae | Jun 7 6:00pm

Can you tell me what to expect when taking this medication I'm on 150 mg just started. I'm new to it.

Lisa Lucier, Moderator | @lisalucier | Jun 8 2:57pm

In reply to @tresemae "@saskatchewanlady I was just recently prescribed this medication. How long does it take for the med..." + (show)

@tresemae - the pharmacist told me to give it at least 3 months, maybe 5, for bupropion (Wellbutrin), when I picked up this medication. I was not excited to hear that, but that was about right. I was emotionally all over the place for those first months, but then it all righted itself and became a very useful medication for me that I've now taken for far over a decade.

kah869 | @kah869 | Jun 8 4:40pm

In reply to @lisalucier "@kah869 - I've personally taken both 300 mg and 450 mg of buproprion (Wellbutrin). Neither dose..." + (show)

@lisalucier I did increase my dose and it was the best decision ever. On 150mg I didn’t feel any different or anything at all. 300 mg was a slight improvement from the 150, so I wasn’t expecting much going to 450 other than maybe a seizure. However it was a world of difference. Not right away, initially I didn’t feel any change but about 2 weeks into it I was working out of town and normally in that situation I’d go from the office straight back to my hotel and just order food in and not leave till I went back to the office in the morning. This day I out of nowhere decided I wanted to go out to dinner and I did by myself. Then while sitting and eating I found myself looking out the window at the traffic and everything going on and just enjoyed it. It’s been that way sense. I just actually enjoy life again, I can’t explain it fully but it’s like seeing everything completely new again

jenatsky | @jenatsky | Jun 14 2:14pm

What reason would you have to not trust your psychiatrist who prescribes your meds? You admit that you’ve been suffering still, which is a good reason for the dose increase too. And if the dose wasn’t safe the pharmacist would flag it.