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Suggest Alternative Antidepressants To Wellbutrin For Depression
Question: I am female , 68 years old and have been on amphedomine (generic for Adderall) 20mg for ADHD once per day for around 10 years . I also take bupropion 300mg XL generic for Wellbutrin once per day.plus Citalopram 20 mg.once per day. I have side affect in that I perspire profusely when I take Wellbutrin/Bupropion. It is uncomfortable and embarrassing in that perspiration runs down my face, gets in my eyes, My hair gets wet, my face looks flushed, I am dripping wet, It helps my depression but this side affect is too uncomfortable and embarrassing. When I stop taking Bupropion, the sweating stops but the depression get worse. My Dr is not sure what to give me instead of Bupropion. Is there something in the same class as Wellbutrin/Bupropion that could help with depression without the sweating side effect. What would you suggest?
Brief Answer:
Bupropion and Adderall both cause excitation and are resulting in sweating
Detailed Answer:
Hello thanks for asking from HCM for your health related queries
I can understand your concern. Adderall is an amphetamine drug and is a stimulant medicine. You are on that drug since last 10 years. Amphetamines works by increasing dopamine (a neurotransmitter in brain) concentration in brain and cause intense activation.
Wellbutrin is Bupropion and the drug acts by reducing uptake of Dopamine and Noradrenaline in brain. This means that it also causes excitation to some extent. It also inhibits metabolism of Amphetamines. So taking these drugs together may cause intense excitation and activation which may cause increased sweating or some times restlessness.
Citalopram is a SSRI drug and the drug acts by increasing the concentration of Serotonin in brain. The drug is a good antidepressant drug. Wellbutrin acts as augmentation drug to increase effectiveness in depression of Citalopram.
So one option is to stop the drug Bupropion and to replace it with some other drug that doesn't react with Amphetamines. Drugs like Mirtazapine can be used. The drug doesnt have any effects on Dopamine and in terms of efficacy it is more potent that Bupropion in controlling depressive symptoms. You can ask your psychiatrist to add that drug to your prescription. The drug also belongs to atypical antidepressants class as Bupropion. Taking Mirtazapine with Citalopram and Adderall would not cause increased sweating.
Other option is to take divided doses of Bupropion XL. You can ask your doctor to prescribe 150 extended release tablets and you can take these drugs twice daily and this should reduce the sweating to some extent because it would prevent intense excitation. Consult your doctor for the options I have mentioned. I hope this helps you. Still have some uncleared things in my answer or more doubts you can ask again in follow up question.
Thanks, Take care
Bupropion and Adderall both cause excitation and are resulting in sweating
Detailed Answer:
Hello thanks for asking from HCM for your health related queries
I can understand your concern. Adderall is an amphetamine drug and is a stimulant medicine. You are on that drug since last 10 years. Amphetamines works by increasing dopamine (a neurotransmitter in brain) concentration in brain and cause intense activation.
Wellbutrin is Bupropion and the drug acts by reducing uptake of Dopamine and Noradrenaline in brain. This means that it also causes excitation to some extent. It also inhibits metabolism of Amphetamines. So taking these drugs together may cause intense excitation and activation which may cause increased sweating or some times restlessness.
Citalopram is a SSRI drug and the drug acts by increasing the concentration of Serotonin in brain. The drug is a good antidepressant drug. Wellbutrin acts as augmentation drug to increase effectiveness in depression of Citalopram.
So one option is to stop the drug Bupropion and to replace it with some other drug that doesn't react with Amphetamines. Drugs like Mirtazapine can be used. The drug doesnt have any effects on Dopamine and in terms of efficacy it is more potent that Bupropion in controlling depressive symptoms. You can ask your psychiatrist to add that drug to your prescription. The drug also belongs to atypical antidepressants class as Bupropion. Taking Mirtazapine with Citalopram and Adderall would not cause increased sweating.
Other option is to take divided doses of Bupropion XL. You can ask your doctor to prescribe 150 extended release tablets and you can take these drugs twice daily and this should reduce the sweating to some extent because it would prevent intense excitation. Consult your doctor for the options I have mentioned. I hope this helps you. Still have some uncleared things in my answer or more doubts you can ask again in follow up question.
Thanks, Take care
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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