Day 1 on wellbutrin (well, the generic brand of it)...and I didn't sleep a wink last night.

Hmmm... that's not going to work in the long term! Maybe take it a little earlier in the day? I take two a day & my doc had me start with one at first. I started with the AM dose for the first week; then added another at bedtime. By then I think my body was acclimatized.

He has me taking one in the morning and one in the evening. The doc said it might "interrupt" my sleep for the first few nights so hopefully it will get better...

Your idea sounds good though so if I don't sleep tonight that's what I'll do. Thanks.

I take my second dose a few hours before bed and that helps. When I first started doing the second dose, I took it before dinner. That really helped me work into a later dose.

...how long do I have to take it before I know if it works or not. Every day since I've started I've been on the verge of tears...

Oh no! They say 2 wks for it to make its way totally into your system, because it's not the wellbutrin that makes you feel better, but some byproduct of a byproduct. Meaning your body has to break it down twice before it can activate. In my case, I usually feel better after about a week; though just knowing I'm going back on does wonders right away.

For me, it started working right away, but not completely. The first week or two, most of the effects were related to energy level and appetite - more energy, less appetite. Those two things helped to improve my mood, but I can also see how the extra energy in the begining could actually make you feel more on edge and more moody and anxious (especially if you're having trouble sleeping). It was 2-4 weeks before I felt more in control of my emotions. I know that when you take it to quit smoking, they advise you to take it for a month or so before picking a quit date, so I'd imagine that's when it's fully in effect.

I won't take my second dose after 3pm. I need my sleep.

Also, I found that I had an immediate improvement in my focus and drive. I never felt like crying when I first started. So I'm not sure if that's common or not.

I will say that it was almost impossible to eat for the first few weeks. I had no appetite, which was disconcerting. I had to set an alarm to eat. Sounds like a dream, but not really. Even the idea of eating left me feeling blah.

Yeah I really haven't felt any of those effects. I've only felt slightly dizzy, jittery, and more depressed than I was before. I also feel grumpy all the time. :\

Well, I'd say give it a few weeks, if you can, and see what happens. Obviously, if you're starting to think dangerous thoughts, you should call your doctor. Otherwise, try to ride out the side effects. When I started Paxil years ago, I had a rough first month, but once my body got accustomed to it, it worked well. I didn't have as big an adjustment time to Welbutrin, but it seems like most side effects of anti-depressants fade over time.

Also, both times I started Wellbutrin, they had me start out for the first week or two with one pill per day. I saw up thread that your doctor has you taking two from the get go. You might call him/her and let them know that you're having a lot of side effects and ask if you can drop down to one a day for awhile.

Today and yesterday I've felt a bit better... And by that I mean not on the verge of tears. I still don't feel what I should, but at least this is a step in the right direction.

aliquot, you said you're taking a generic wellbutrin? I had a bad experience with Tiva company's version. I had been taking the name brand, then the pharmacy switched me to that brand. I thought I was going crazy. Check out the People's Pharmacy website to read stories from people who experienced this. If you're not feeling better in a few days, I would contact my doctor to try to get another prescription. Still, it could just be taking a while to kick in. I hope you do feel better soon!

Thanks Laurie. I've been feeling better, but not HAPPY. I don't know if I'm really supposed to feel happy though, but I don't really feel different than I did before either way. Doc said I could switch to 2 150mg in the morning instead of 1 in the morning and 1 at night so I may try that.

I had a very similar experience when I started on it (generic XL version). I was taking 150mg in the morning, and while I did feel much more sane and stable, I just didn't feel happy. I could remember feeling happy and I knew where I wanted to get to, but I just wasn't there. I think I was two months in when I switched to 300mg, also one pill in the morning.

That made all the difference! After a couple more weeks it was like I could breathe again - I felt light and free and happy. It was amazing.

I've been on that dose 7-8 months and I'm still doing pretty good. I still have some bad days, and occasionally a rocky week - like this week I'm rather irritable, but everyone goes through that.

I wish I could say the wellbutrin was helping me take off some of the weight. I put on about 15lbs when the dr put me on celexa. They switched me because my weight was just going up and up. That was in about a month. I've been on the welbutrin for about 5 months now. It really helps me stay focused and I don't have that hopeless feeling. The medication really helped me think straight to make some big changes in my life. I don't think "it" makes you happy, but the focus and clear thinking make the happiness possiable. I've been on several different ones until they could find one that didn't give me awful side effects. I'm just happy I don't drive to work wanting to cry anymore... of course I did quit that job and have a much better one now. It's like an abusive relationship... you don't realize how bad things are until you are away from it and can evaluate.

I hit the gym about 4 to 5 days a week... workout for about 90 hard minutes. Going to have to do some serious calorie counting and hope that gets it under control.