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Can Wellbutrin Cause Agitation And Restlessness?
Posted on
Mon, 11 Jul 2016
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Mon, 11 Jul 2016
Answered on
Mon, 1 Aug 2016
Last reviewed on
Question : Hello,
I recently gave birth to a baby two months ago. Prior to getting pregnant I was on Wellbutrin, Adderall XR, and Risperdal, (DX with Bipolar Disorder and ADHD) which I stopped taking immediately as soon as I found out I was pregnant. I made it until the 36th week of pregnancy without meds, but felt at that point I had to start taking something because I was really depressed and was worried it affect my ability to care for the baby. My psychiatrist put me on 100 mg of Wellbutrin, which I tolerated pretty well. However, after giving birth, my mental health went down hill fairly rapidly and I am suffering from ppd. On a side note, I am in therapy. My current medications now are Wellbutrin 150 mg, Risperdal 1 mg, Adderall XR 30 mg, and Ativan 0.5 3xs per day ( I usually only take it at night to help me sleep according to her schedule). However, I am still really struggling, and have crying spells that last hours daily or at least cry at one point everyday. I'm also feeling very agitated, jittery, and restless. I have no motivation to do anything, but force myself to get things done. At times, I'm finding myself feeling very withdrawn and just want to be alone, and I NEVER want to have any company. I also have become very restrictive with my food, and overly preoccupied with my weight. Since giving birth two months ago, I'm already 15 lbs less than my PRE PREGNANCY weight. I wanted to loose weight, but now it seems like it is becoming obsessive. What's more is that I used to have an eating disorder when I was 19-20 years old, so I know these symptoms all to well. This is the first time since I was 20, that I'm seeing any of those symptoms again (I'm 31 now). I feel like once the doctor upped my Wellbutrin from 100 mg to 150 mg, all these symptoms started to get worse. I cry a lot just cause I can't stand how I feel, it just doesn't feel normal to me. Could the Wellbutrin me the cause of some of these symptoms and maybe it is not interacting well with the Adderall ? I saw my psych on Saturday, and he feels that the excessive crying is "grief" for my pre baby life when things were easy and didn't have to care for a baby 24/7. It is a huge adjustment, but I do feel something else is going on. Any insight you can provide me with would be greatly appreciated, I just want to be healthy for my baby.
I recently gave birth to a baby two months ago. Prior to getting pregnant I was on Wellbutrin, Adderall XR, and Risperdal, (DX with Bipolar Disorder and ADHD) which I stopped taking immediately as soon as I found out I was pregnant. I made it until the 36th week of pregnancy without meds, but felt at that point I had to start taking something because I was really depressed and was worried it affect my ability to care for the baby. My psychiatrist put me on 100 mg of Wellbutrin, which I tolerated pretty well. However, after giving birth, my mental health went down hill fairly rapidly and I am suffering from ppd. On a side note, I am in therapy. My current medications now are Wellbutrin 150 mg, Risperdal 1 mg, Adderall XR 30 mg, and Ativan 0.5 3xs per day ( I usually only take it at night to help me sleep according to her schedule). However, I am still really struggling, and have crying spells that last hours daily or at least cry at one point everyday. I'm also feeling very agitated, jittery, and restless. I have no motivation to do anything, but force myself to get things done. At times, I'm finding myself feeling very withdrawn and just want to be alone, and I NEVER want to have any company. I also have become very restrictive with my food, and overly preoccupied with my weight. Since giving birth two months ago, I'm already 15 lbs less than my PRE PREGNANCY weight. I wanted to loose weight, but now it seems like it is becoming obsessive. What's more is that I used to have an eating disorder when I was 19-20 years old, so I know these symptoms all to well. This is the first time since I was 20, that I'm seeing any of those symptoms again (I'm 31 now). I feel like once the doctor upped my Wellbutrin from 100 mg to 150 mg, all these symptoms started to get worse. I cry a lot just cause I can't stand how I feel, it just doesn't feel normal to me. Could the Wellbutrin me the cause of some of these symptoms and maybe it is not interacting well with the Adderall ? I saw my psych on Saturday, and he feels that the excessive crying is "grief" for my pre baby life when things were easy and didn't have to care for a baby 24/7. It is a huge adjustment, but I do feel something else is going on. Any insight you can provide me with would be greatly appreciated, I just want to be healthy for my baby.
Brief Answer:
Consultation
Detailed Answer:
Hello, and thanks for your question. I'm sorry you are struggling so much right now. Here are my thoughts.
The good news is that your depression will lift eventually. You are in therapy and back on medication, and with time this will help you feel better. I do have a couple thoughts about how your medications might be adjusted. I think your Wellbutrin should either be increased or cross-titrated to a new antidepressant such as Lexapro. Wellbutrin is sometimes "activating" and can lead to jitteriness, but this may be coincidental. I would discuss either increasing it to address your mood, or switching to a new one and rapidly uptitrating that one to address your mood. An alternative would be to simply increase the Risperdal, which would help with mood, but might also lead to jitteriness. I think you need a change -- whether that is increasing the Wellbutrin, switching to a new antidepressant, increasing the Risperdal, or perhaps coming off the Adderall (which can definitely cause jitteriness) should be a discussion you have with your prescriber.
Please remember to rate and close this answer thread when you are finished and satisfied.
In the future, for continuity of care, I encourage you to contact me directly at my private link below. After you ask a direct question, it would be my pleasure to be your dedicated personal physician on this website. My name is Dr. Sheppe, and I am an XXXXXXX doctor working in New York City at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, ranked #1 for Psychiatry in the United States (tinyurl.com/psyrank). For a personalized comprehensive evaluation, treatment recommendations, and individual therapy, ask me at HealthCareMagic at this private link: tinyurl.com/DrSheppeAnswers
Consultation
Detailed Answer:
Hello, and thanks for your question. I'm sorry you are struggling so much right now. Here are my thoughts.
The good news is that your depression will lift eventually. You are in therapy and back on medication, and with time this will help you feel better. I do have a couple thoughts about how your medications might be adjusted. I think your Wellbutrin should either be increased or cross-titrated to a new antidepressant such as Lexapro. Wellbutrin is sometimes "activating" and can lead to jitteriness, but this may be coincidental. I would discuss either increasing it to address your mood, or switching to a new one and rapidly uptitrating that one to address your mood. An alternative would be to simply increase the Risperdal, which would help with mood, but might also lead to jitteriness. I think you need a change -- whether that is increasing the Wellbutrin, switching to a new antidepressant, increasing the Risperdal, or perhaps coming off the Adderall (which can definitely cause jitteriness) should be a discussion you have with your prescriber.
Please remember to rate and close this answer thread when you are finished and satisfied.
In the future, for continuity of care, I encourage you to contact me directly at my private link below. After you ask a direct question, it would be my pleasure to be your dedicated personal physician on this website. My name is Dr. Sheppe, and I am an XXXXXXX doctor working in New York City at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, ranked #1 for Psychiatry in the United States (tinyurl.com/psyrank). For a personalized comprehensive evaluation, treatment recommendations, and individual therapy, ask me at HealthCareMagic at this private link: tinyurl.com/DrSheppeAnswers
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Thank you for your response. Can the Wellbutrin be causing the agitation and restlessness im also feeling ? Im aftaid to increae the wellbutrin cause since going from 100 to 150 ive felt worse. The risperdal i dont want to increase cause im afraid of weight gain. I was on effexor 75 mg for years and feel i did so much better on it. Will that be a difficult switch ? Im afraid my psych wont change anything cause he is going on vacation the day after my apt, but i really cant stand how uncomfortable im feeling. Could the wellbutrin be affecting the food restrictions and fear of gaining weight ? Or would that be unreleated ?
Brief Answer:
Followup
Detailed Answer:
Wellbutrin can sometimes cause this restlessness, yes. Switching to Effexor sounds like an excellent idea for you. This is not a difficult switch at all. Regarding the food/weight issue, I do not believe Wellbutrin is contributing to that in any way. That is most likely unrelated.
Please remember to rate and close this answer thread when you are finished and satisfied.
In the future, for continuity of care, I encourage you to contact me directly at my private link below. After you ask a direct question, it would be my pleasure to be your dedicated personal physician on this website. My name is Dr. Sheppe, and I am an XXXXXXX doctor working in New York City at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, ranked #1 for Psychiatry in the United States (tinyurl.com/psyrank). For a personalized comprehensive evaluation, treatment recommendations, and individual therapy, ask me at HealthCareMagic at this private link: tinyurl.com/DrSheppeAnswers
Followup
Detailed Answer:
Wellbutrin can sometimes cause this restlessness, yes. Switching to Effexor sounds like an excellent idea for you. This is not a difficult switch at all. Regarding the food/weight issue, I do not believe Wellbutrin is contributing to that in any way. That is most likely unrelated.
Please remember to rate and close this answer thread when you are finished and satisfied.
In the future, for continuity of care, I encourage you to contact me directly at my private link below. After you ask a direct question, it would be my pleasure to be your dedicated personal physician on this website. My name is Dr. Sheppe, and I am an XXXXXXX doctor working in New York City at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, ranked #1 for Psychiatry in the United States (tinyurl.com/psyrank). For a personalized comprehensive evaluation, treatment recommendations, and individual therapy, ask me at HealthCareMagic at this private link: tinyurl.com/DrSheppeAnswers
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Answered by
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