I forgot to mention this concern in my last post. I have been on the internet a lot lately (my parents and husband have banned me but I sneak on it here and there). I have read over and over that wellbutrin is a stimulant and will increase anxiety really bad. Now I am really nervous about that. But yet some people say it took away their anxiety. I cannot have that happen, an increase in anxiety attacks that is. Yes, I am depressed but also extremely anxious. I need this med to help me be able to go to stores again, events, just out of the house. I need my life back. I need the restlessness, fidgety feeling to end! I keep thinking…Dr. Hain knows my symptoms…so he must think I will be alright.
Wellbutrin is … well, I don’t know. Keep in mind that a lot of Web sites and forums have content from people who have no idea in the world what they’re talking about. And just because we read something, even on multiple sites, it isn’t necessarily true. It COULD well be factual. But that’s not the point. For your own sake, don’t allow yourself to be influenced by (that is, “don’t think about”) all the endless posts, sites, messages, etc. I can safely say, you can drive yourself crazy. It’s all too easy to get lost in a sea of other people’s opinions, worrying and fidgeting and constantly thinking and re-thinking everything you’ve read, letting it swirl around and drive you up the wall.
To try to answer your concern from an objective standpoint … I think it’s safe to say that, like any drug, Wellbutrin can have either a positive or negative impact on one’s condition overall, including anxiety and such. With antidepressants it’s a mixed bag. (Keep in mind also that “antidepressant” is NOT the same as “stimulant,” but many people on the Web use the two interchangeably – and wrongly.) Like many AD’s, Wellbutrin increases noradrenaline, but less common is the fact it also hits dopamine. Excess dopamine can lead to restlessness, anxiety, etc., but not enough of it can = depression and other problems.
I think, at the end of the day, you can (and should) trust that Dr. Hain (especially compared to the average Internet forum-poster, etc) knows what he’s doing and wouldn’t have given you this if he didn’t have specific reasons to think it would help you. It’s natural to be worried about what might happen, but don’t go into it with a mindset of “it’ll be terrible and I’ll get even worse.” The MAV, anxiety and depression you speak of are probably all intertwined, at least to some extent. Some of the anxiety/depression is probably tied to the MAV; some of it’s probably due to events in your life (like your husband’s illness); some of it may be due solely to a chemical imbalance. Hain probably figures you could use a helping hand keeping the anxiety/depression in check.
I could say more, but this is already more than enough, and I think you can tell where I’m going with it.
I agree with George. Anyone can put anything on the internet - so how are you supposed to judge or filter out what is reasonable or not? Easy answer is, you don’t have to. Dr Hain has done that for you. This man is the guru, the High Priest of MAV and he reckons you should give Wellbutrin a go. I say trust him. If he thought it would make you worse he wouldn’t prescribe it so he obviously thinks it will actually help you.