I have been taking paxil for the last couple of years and my doctor wants to switch me to Wellbutrin-advice?

I have gained over 40 pounds taking paxil and over the course of the last few months have weaned down to 20 mg a day after teaking 40mg a day for the last two years. I am experience episodes of depression and am sad over the weight issue so my doctor wants to put me on Wellbutrin to try it out. Honestly, I want to become drug free in the future. not sure what i shoud do? Anyone have a similiar experience or advice to share?I have been taking paxil for the last couple of years and my doctor wants to switch me to Wellbutrin-advice?
wellbutrin is a different kind of drug that may or may not work....


i tred it and found it made me really hyper and short tempered and was not right...in all honesty. if you find your future is going to be drug free. then shoot for that. work to come off the meds. they are not solving your problems. just posponing them.





on a positive note. when i stopped paxil i lost 10lbs in 2 weeks. and the other 15lbs with in 4 months. your metabolism does slowly wake up. but only after.I have been taking paxil for the last couple of years and my doctor wants to switch me to Wellbutrin-advice?
Yeah, Paxil is bad news for weight gain and alot of people experience bad withdrawal when trying to get off it. Take it Very Slowly ( I mean it, this is important). I am sure you would love to be drug free but if you have the chemical imbalance that causes depression you may need meds for life. If you were a diabetic you would take your meds, wouldn't you. It's really not all that different. Give the Wellbutrin a try, many people like it. It even seems to cause weight loss in alot of cases. Anxiety can be a problem when you first start on it but is supposed to go away as you get used to the medication. Good luck and hang in there!
I was on both meds several years ago. I had much less side effects with Wellbutrin, and was thrilled to get off Paxil. However, there are documented problems with just stopping Paxil cold turkey, so I'd suggest weaning off it. Paxil in and of itself has terrible ';sexual'; side effects that Wellbutrin doesn't. They work totally differently in the body for depression, and Wellbutrin has much less side effects. If he wants to switch you, I'd say 'go for it'.
I do know that Wellbutrin claims to have no sexual side effects; if that helps?
I had a good run with Wellbutrin - did not gain weight and it did help with the depression. Tapering off it was HELL. Mood swings, hair loss, suicidal thoughts. Once I was completely off, I went to see a naturopathic psychopharmacologist who recommended some holistic treatments that have been wonderfully successful in halting the depression. I hear that coming off Paxil isn't any easier. Good luck.
I can only say, be careful to pay attention to changes in your mood once you are on Wellbutrin. I only say this because I had been on Lexapro for many years and then switched to Wellbutrin and had a very negative experience. I became very suicidal. It is rare, but it can happen. If I had known that when I was on Wellbutrin, I could have done something about it sooner and gotten help.