Can you take Wellbutrin and Prozac together?
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This article will answer the question, “ can you take Wellbutrin and Prozac together”, Introduction to Wellbutrin and Prozac, the fact of both, functions and side effects, uses of both the drugs, precautions to be taken before medication,
Wellbutrin and Prozac can be taken together because:
- It treats depression and other psychiatric illness.
- Increase the release of serotonin and more dopamine in the blood
- Elevate mood and regulate it
Wellbutrin
Wellbutrin is the other name for bupropion, which is a drug that is used for the treatment of depression. The drug is classed under Aminoketone. It is also used for the treatment of methamphetamine dependence.
Prozac
It is an antidepressant with the generic name of fluoxetine. It is selective serotonin reuptake which helps in the treatment of Major Depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and for panic disorders.
Prozac was first used in the US in 1988 and it is now the most widely used anti-depressant.
Facts about Wellbutrin
- It is an anti-depressant and used for smoking cessation.
- It doesn’t result in weight gain as well as sexual dysfunctioning.
- Seasonal Affective Depression is also treated through Wellbutrin.
Facts about Prozac
- It is an SSRI that is widely used as an Anti-Depressant.
- The drug is mostly used for the treatment of Depression, Bulimia and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
- It shouldn’t be used with Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors and other drugs.
- Quitting of Prozac should always be gradual.
Functions of Wellbutrin
- Since it is an SSRI, it boosts or increases the level of Serotonin in our body.
- It is a Norepinephrine and Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitor thus, increases the level of norepinephrine as well as dopamine in our brain.
- Wellbutrin is an antagonist Nicotinic Receptor thus it blocks the nicotine receptor and helps in the cessation of smoking.
Functions of Prozac
- It functions by blocking the absorption of Serotonin present the brain.
- By regulating the level of Serotonin it helps or aids in transmitting message thus, produce a stable and better mood.
- Prozac also functions along with Olanzapine for treatment of Bi-Polar and Depression.
Uses of Wellbutrin
It is used for the treatment of various mental disorders such as weight loss, Bi-Polar and ADHD, however, found to be most effective in the treatment of Depression and Smoking Cessation.
Depression:
It is as effective as other anti-depressants for the treatment of depression with a low chance of weight gain, sleepiness and loss of sexual functioning. Those patients who don’t respond well to SSRIs, Wellbutrin is used as a supplement for the treatment.
Smoking Cessation
Wellbutrin significantly reduces or lower the craving for nicotine in smokers. Although the full course of treatment rakes 7-12 weeks, however by the 10th day of medication, individual stop smoking. It is also widely known to be the most effective in terms of cost and safety for smoking cessation.
It elevates our mood and feeling
This is done via restoration of a chemical imbalance in the body.
Uses of Prozac
Prozac is often used for the treatment of panic attacks, Obsessive Compulsive Disorders, Eating Disorder and severe kind of Pre-MensurL Syndrome
It is approved to be the treatment for acute as well as maintenance for Major Depression, Anxiety, Panic and Bulimia Nervosa.
Depression
It is used for the treatment of depression especially in adult however can be used for children and adolescent as well. Prozac is effective as well as tolerate well by users. Those who don’t respond well with other anti-depressant has actually worked with Prozac.
Panic Disorder
Prozac reduces the incidence of panic attack especially for those with underlying panic disorders. It was reported that only 7% of people with Panic Disorder mentioned about increased anxiety symptom for the first few days of medication while most of them recovered well with it.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
OCD Patient use Prozac for the year to treat depending on their need and situation. 20-60mg of Prozac is found to be effective in the treatment of OCD for children as well as adolescent.
Side Effect of Wellbutrin
Some of the side effects associated with the use of Wellbutrin can be immediate while others are long-term and severe. The severity and duration of these symptoms depend individually. Some of the side effects are:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dry mouth
- Headache
- Constipation
- Joint aches
- Blurred Vision
- Restless and weakness
- Seizure
- High blood pressure
- Ringing sensation in the ears
- Anxiety and Agitation
- Dizziness
- Palpitation and Fainting
- Change in Blood Glucose level
- Jaundice
- Fluctuation in urination
Side Effects of Prozac
Prozac has several adverse side effects which are both short term and long terms. Some of the possible side effects associated with Prozac are:
- Blackbox Warning
- A decrease in libido
- Low sexual functioning
- Abnormal dreams and nightmare
- Sweating
- Skin irritation and rashes
- Flu syndromes
- Insomnia and Hypersomnia
- Inflammation in the mucous membrane
- Difficulty indigestion
- Widening of blood vessels
- Dry mouth
- Nausea
- Increase the risk of maladaptation syndrome
- Problems with breathing and feeding
- Excessive hunger
- Increased thirst
- Irregular heartbeat
- Increased in tiredness
Precautions Before taking Wellbutrin
Before starting the medication, it is important to note that for certain people with an underlying medical condition, it is not effective rather it results in an adverse effect.
Some of the medical condition ones should take caution of includes:
- Kidney problem
- Bi-Polar Disorder
- Diabetes
- High Blood Pressure
Regular alcohol drinker may not take it without consulting a medical professional.
Those people taking MAOIs for treatment of depression shouldn’ take it since the side effect of consuming both includes high boy temperature, dizziness, blurred vision, headaches, stomach discomfort and risk of convulsion.
People who are taking Ritonavir for HIV treatment shouldn’t take Weelbrutin since it reduces the effect of it. They should rather consult the doctor before starting with the medication.
Wellbutrin harms pregnant women and developing fetus thus, it shouldn’t be used in such a case.
The use of this drug for children under 28 years hasn’t been approved yet thus, shouldn’t be used.
Precautions Before taking Prozac
Before taking Prozac, one should take certain precaution to get rid of the harmful consequences.
Some of the precautions include:
- To check if the person has an allergic reaction
- Any previous medical history of seizures.
- Regular user of Sedatives
- Alcohol or Marijuana user
- Older age is more sensitive to the side effect of it.
- Pregnant women or Breastfeeding
.
Dosage of Wellbrytan
Wellbutrin is taken via mouth/ orally with a range from 75mg tablet, 100mg tablet or 150mg tablet. The most popular one is 150mg.
A single dose should always be 250mg or less and the daily dose shouldn’t exceed 450mg.
It is always advisable to take in the morning and the 150mg tablet should be wallowed together than chewing it, doing so will raise the risk of overdose and seizure.
Dosage of Prozac
The dosage depends on age and treatment purpose.
The normal dose for depression of depression in an adult starts from 20mg a day to be taken orally, especially in the morning. If there is no observable improvement in the symptoms, the dose can be increased to 60mg. However, the maximum dose daily is 80mg.
To observe the effect of Prozac, the duration of medication should be at least 4 weeks or more.
Wellbutrin and Prozac
When these drugs are taken together, it alleviates the depressive symptoms by increasing the level of dopamine.
However, there is a risk of seizures, which rarely occurs when either of the drugs is taken.
Adding onto that, there is incomplete remission of the symptoms and there are sexual side effects.
FAQs: can you take Wellbutrin and Prozac together?
What antidepressant works well with Prozac?
Some of the antidepressants that work well with Prozac are Effexor, Cymbalta, Zoloft, Celexa and fluoxetine.
Can Wellbutrin be combined with other Anti-Depressants?
Although there is research done yet, the combination of the two is well tolerated and it boosts our anti-depressant response as well as reduce or lower the SSRI and SNRI related side effects.
What medication shouldn’t be taken with Prozac?
Some of the medication that can’t be taken with Prozac are buspirone, fentanyl, tryptophan and some other pain and migraine-related medicines.
Is Prozac or Wellbutrin better for weight loss?
After assessing the result of medications of [rozac and Wellbutrin on weightless, it was found that Wellbutrin results in weight loss more than Prozac.
How quickly does Prozac work for anxiety?
Prozac takes a few weeks for full effect thus, if there isn’t any noticeable change within a week of medication, it is normal and one can continue with the medication.
What is the most successful antidepressant?
Some of the successful antidepressants include agomelatine, escitalopram, fluoxetine and citalopram.
Why is Prozac bad?
Prozac is known only for its serious side effects and the most serious side effect of the medication is compulsive thoughts of violence and suicide.
What does Prozac feel like when it starts working?
If Prozac starts working in the body, one feels calm and relaxed, less anxious, improved in sleep and increase in appetite.
Which is better for depression Prozac or Wellbutrin?
Wellbutrin regulates or works on the level of norepinephrine and dopamine while Prozac acts on serotonin. Both the medication can be used for the treatment of depression despite their varied working mechanism.
Will I lose weight on Wellbutrin?
Wellbutrin has an opposite effect where weight is lost when we are on the drug while quitting the drug result in weight gain.
Is 30mg of Prozac a lot?
No. An ideal range of Prozac is 20-60mg daily thus, 30mg of Prozac is not a lot.
What is the anti-depressant with least side effects?
SSRIs are the group of medication which have least bothersome side effect and are less likely to result in a problem when on high dose in comparison to other antidepressants.
What antidepressant gives you the most energy?
It is Fluoxetine/ Prozac that gives people te most energy than other anti-depression. Thus, for those with low energy and fatigue, Prozac works the best in elevating their energy.
Which antidepressant works the fastest?
Ketamine is found to be the fastest antidepressant with rapid effects. It has depression symptoms reduction within 2 hours of medication.
Is Prozac a happy pill?
Yes, Prozac along with other drugs like Valium and Miltown are successful products with their widespread use for the treatment of various disorders.
Conclusion
This article answered the question, “ can you take Wellbutrin and Prozac together”, along with Introduction to Wellbutrin and Prozac, the fact of both, functions and side effects, uses of both the drugs, precautions to be taken before medication and some FAQs about the topic.
Some sites for more information
https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-13509/wellbutrin-oral/details
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/264418#precautions
https://www.medicinenet.com/bupropion/article.htm
https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-6997/prozac-oral/details
Bibliography
Newman, T. (2017, 10 23). What is bupropion, or Wellbutrin? medicalnewstoday. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/264418
Ogbru, O. (2019). Wellbutrin (bupropion). MedicineNet. https://www.medicinenet.com/bupropion/article.htm
WebMD. (2020). Wellbutrin 75mg tablet. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-13509/wellbutrin-oral/details
Zisook, S. (2006). Use of bupropion in combination with serotonin reuptake inhibitors. PubMed.gov, 16.
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