Is Wellbutrin recommended for adults with attention deficit disorder in addition to bipolar?

Answer 1

OK. You should go back to the beginning of this ADD forum and read all the questions relating to wellbutrin. They sum up a lot of basics in many easy to read packages. ALL of these topics clearly state that you should NEVER combine Wellbutrin, which affects dopamine and can be over stimulating, or any serotonin re-uptake inhibitor with a Bipolar disorder (unless your doctor KNOWS you have Bipolar and CAREFULLY monitors every single mg you put in your hole) because of the various life threatening affects: suicide, homicide, violent acts of uncontrolled MANIA, and you can guess the rest.

The thing is... It could turn your already screwed-up brain chemistry into a bunch of unbalanced equations (crude analogy) -- AND we all know what happens to unstable equations/solutions in the lab! THEY EXPLODE (more or less)!!! Although I am going a little extreme here, BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY.

Please go to a doctor and engage him/her in a detailed description of your TRUE/Noticeable symptoms (be sure to bring the printed information you found on the internet regarding what you think is wrong with you) BEFORE trying to self diagnose or *God forbid!!* SELF MEDICATE!!! you could be putting your friends/family/school/neighborhood at risk as well as yourself.

Lithium, Abilify, etc. treat Bipolarbecause they are MOOD STABILIZERS. Notice the key word: "STABILIZE"

I have heard of mood stabilizers being supplemented with ADHD medication Strattera, only because it happened to me. I am assuming that my Dr. figured Adrenaline really wouldn't mess with mood swings. he was right. it didn't do anything at all! haha. go figure. turns out I don't really have Bipolar after all -- that's probably why he subtracted the strattera and added two SSRI's to the mind cocktail: Abilify, Lexapro, AND Trazadone (which is actually an antidepressant disguised as a sleeping pill). I guess he thought the ADD was the mania part and the depression was the other end of the Bipolar spiral. he never said anything to me- I'm just assuming. But if that's the case, why didn't he prescribe another ADHD med? MAYBE he thought I was schizo and THAT'S why he prescribed the abilify (seriously). He was a pill pusher from the go-go. Asked me ten question's then handed me a prescription a mile long (most doctors aren't like this). didn't do a thing but take my extremely fun and vivid dreams away. They weren't hurting anyone.

ANYWAY - turns out I am ADHD with MILD depression resulting from the ADHD. I am two and a half weeks into Wellbutrin XL (1st week 150mg, the rest 300mg)

CONS -- I have side effects of insomnia, and I had a couple sudden extreme cases of irritability that lasted for about 45 minutes-- but I am usually irritable around 1/4 of a day anyway, just not that severe. That's probably not going to last (body getting adjusted), but you never know. I don't know if the insomnia is here to stay- I need four more weeks to tell. No change in sex drive yet (usually Wellbutrin either makes you hornier or there is little to no affect).

PROS -- ENERGY!!! I am not in the bed for 12 hours or more (sleeping ;} of course). I feel like dancing! Not so much the social part-need to work on the withdrawn issue-but the activity, definately. I already unloaded my mom's packed van up a flight of stairs into her new APT. AND I actually did a chore!!! I dried the clothes!! all in one night. I am actually acting on my responsibilty and obligation guilts instead of just feeling them tear me into little fatigued peices of frustrated disorganization. concentration HAS IMPROVED. I never thought I would say that about a non-stimulant. As it turns out- I feel pretty stimulated. I think it was the dopamine all along. I tried the SNRI. I tried the SRI. I even tried Strattera! and now!!! it was the DNRI all along (not official names but you know what the letters stand for). Go figure. stimulants still work for me by the way- but if Wellbutrin really works out in the long run (2-3 months is all I'm able to give for trial and error. If it doesn't work by then I'm back on the speed or I'm on the street.) I won't have to be a tweaker anymore!!! (JOKE!!) I can never overdose on that crap either. not that I've tried, I forgot I had taken a dose so i went ahead and took another one and it made me fall asleep. Happened again, this time just four hours after I got up! took too much and I crawled back in the bed again for a five hour nap.

Feel free to share your oppinions on this delicate matter and PLEASE -- I am 19 years old, I am scatter-brained, and I collect weird bits of info from (sometimes) misinformed individuals -- CORRECT ME if I am wrong!!!

Answer 2

I wouldn't suggest taking Wellbutrin at all. It made my depression worse.