Wellbutrin rage episodes (How common are they?)

In this article, we will answer the following question: How common are Wellbutrin rage episodes? We will find out whether Wellbutrin causes rage episodes, what precautions you should take while taking this drug and what are the side effects of Wellbutrin. 

Can Wellbutrin cause rage episodes?

Wellbutrin can cause rage/anger episodes. Some people have reported symptoms such as behavioural changes, hostility, agitation, depression, and suicidal thoughts while taking Wellbutrin to quit smoking.

These symptoms have also occurred in people with no history of mental illness and have worsened in people who have already had a mental illness. 

Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had depression, bipolar disorder (a mood that changes from depressed to abnormally excited), schizophrenia (a mental illness that causes altered or unusual thinking, loss of interest in life, and strong or inappropriate emotions. ) or other mental illness. 

If you experience any of the following symptoms, stop taking Wellbutrin and call your doctor immediately: 

• suicidal thoughts or actions; 
• new or worsening depression, 
• anxiety, or panic attacks; 
• agitation; 
• restlessness; 
• angry or violent behaviour; 
• act dangerously; 
• mania (frantic, abnormally excited, or irritated mood); 
• abnormal thoughts or feelings; 
• hallucinations (seeing things or hearing voices that don’t exist); 
• feel that people are against you; 
• feeling confused or any other sudden or unusual changes in behaviour. 

Make sure your family or caregiver is aware of symptoms that can be serious so they can call the doctor if you are unable to seek treatment on your own. Your doctor will monitor you closely until your symptoms improve.

What is Wellbutrin?

Wellbutrin is used to treat depression, Temporary Affective Disorder (SAD, “Seasonal Affective Disorder”); bouts of depression that occur at the same time each year (usually in the fall and winter, but can rarely occur in the spring or summer months). 

Wellbutrin is also used to help people quit smoking. Wellbutrin belongs to a class of medications called next-generation or atypical antidepressants. Wellbutrin is used not only in major depressive disorders but also to treat episodes of depression in patients with bipolar disorder and to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Wellbutrin is a selective inhibitor of neuronal reuptake of catecholamines (dopamine-norepinephrine) with a minimal effect on the reuptake of indoleamine, it does not inhibit the action of any MAO (monoamine oxidase).

Precautions 

Tell your doctor if you take MAO (monoamine oxidase) inhibitors such as isocarboxazid, linezolid, phenelzine, selegiline, and tranylcypromine, or if you have stopped taking an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days.

You should not take more than one product containing bupropion at a time as you may experience side effects.

You should take precautions and tell your doctor if you are taking the following substances: 

• amantadine; 
• beta-blockers, 
• cimetidine clopidogrel, 
• cyclophosphamide, 
• efavirenz, 
• insulin, or oral diabetes medications; 
• medicines for irregular heart rhythm like flecainide and propafenone,
•  medicines for mental illnesses like haloperidol, risperidone and thioridazine; 
• seizure medications such as carbamazepine, phenobarbital, and phenytoin;
• levodopa; lopinavir and ritonavir; nelfinavir; 
• nicotine patch; 
• oral steroids, methylprednisolone and prednisone; 
• Orphenadrine;
• other antidepressants such as citalopram, desipramine, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, imipramine, paroxetine, and sertraline; 
• Ritonavir;
• sedatives; 
• tamoxifen sleeping pills; 
• theophylline; thiotepa and ticlopidine. 

Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you closely for side effects.

You should tell your doctor if you have or have ever had seizures, anorexia nervosa (an eating disorder), or bulimia (an eating disorder). Also, tell your doctor if you drink large amounts of alcohol but expect to stop taking it suddenly or take sedatives but expect to stop taking it suddenly. Your doctor may tell you not to take Wellbutrin.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking bupropion, call your doctor.

Wellbutrin can cause an increase in blood pressure. Your doctor may check your blood pressure before starting treatment and regularly while taking this medicine, especially if you are also using nicotine replacement therapy.

Wellbutrin can cause angle-closure glaucoma (a condition where the fluid is suddenly blocked and cannot flow out of the eye causing a rapid and serious increase in eye pressure that can lead to loss of sight).

You should inform your doctor before you start taking this medicine. If you have nausea, eye pain, vision changes, such as seeing coloured rings around the lights, and swelling or redness in or around the eye, call your doctor or get emergency medical treatment right away.

Wellbutrin side effects

Taking Wellbutrin may develop certain side effects.

Most common side effects: drowsiness, anxiety, excitement, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, uncontrollable trembling of any part of the body, loss of appetite, weight loss, constipation, excessive sweating, ringing in the ears, changes in the sense of taste, frequent urination, sore throat.

Less common serious side effects (notify your doctor immediately): Seizures, confusion, hallucinations (seeing things or hearing voices that are not there), irrational fears, muscle or joint pain, fast or pounding heartbeat, fever, rash, or blisters, hives, inflammation of the face, throat, tongue, eyes, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs, difficulty breathing or swallowing, chest pain.

Signs Wellbutrin is working

First of all, it is necessary to mention that not all people react the same to Wellbutrin because each body is different and has different levels of adaptation. That is why there are also different types of antidepressants, which should only be diagnosed by a professional so that he prescribes the one that best suits your needs. 

Despite this, sometimes you have to try different types to know which is the one that causes the desired effect and the least possible discomfort at first. Some of the side effects that antidepressants can cause you the first days of consumption are the following:

• Decreased sexual appetite (sexual anorexia)
• Constipation
• Dizziness and on rare occasions may be accompanied by vomiting
• Drowsiness
• Oral dryness
• Headache (mild)
• A certain degree of anxiety and restlessness

It is necessary to mention that all these symptoms can be normal to a certain extent since if they are presented exaggeratedly and remain for a long time, it is necessary to consult with the doctor since, probably, as I mentioned before, it should be tried with another type of antidepressant.

In cases of depression, treatments should last for periods of more than 6 months, and you should be aware that the effect of the drug appears gradually, usually after 2 weeks, but may not be evident until after several weeks have elapsed.

If you notice that the symptoms do not improve with the dose that your doctor has indicated, let them know, but do not change the dose on your own, as you may overdose. 

It is also important that you do not stop Wellbutrin or other antidepressant drugs suddenly. You could trigger a rebound effect, appearing intense symptomatology of depression. Consult with your doctor how you should suspend the drug. 

You will know that Wellbutrin is working when your symptoms will become less severe or will happen less often. You will slowly start feeling like yourself again. But you have to be patient, as it may take several weeks before starting to see the effects of Wellbutrin.

Conclusions

In this article, we answered the following question: How common are Wellbutrin rage episodes? We found out whether Wellbutrin causes rage episodes, what precautions you should take while taking this drug and what are the side effects of Wellbutrin. 

Wellbutrin can cause rage/anger episodes. Some people have reported symptoms such as behavioural changes, hostility, agitation, depression, and suicidal thoughts while taking Wellbutrin to quit smoking.

These symptoms have also occurred in people with no history of mental illness and have worsened in people who have already had a mental illness. 

Make sure your family or caregiver is aware of symptoms that can be serious so they can call the doctor if you are unable to seek treatment on your own. Your doctor will monitor you closely until your symptoms improve.

If you have any questions or comments on the questions, please let us know!

FAQ about Wellbutrin rage episodes

Further reading

The Anti-Depressant Book: A Practical Guide for Teens and Young Adults to Overcome Depression and Stay Healthy, by Jacob Towery MD 

Lost Connections: Why You’re Depressed and How to Find Hope, by Johann Hari  

The Pill That Steals Lives – One Woman’s Terrifying Journey to Discover the Truth About Antidepressants, by Katinka Blackford Newman 

The Antidepressant Solution: A Step-by-Step Guide to Safely Overcoming Antidepressant Withdrawal, Dependence, and “Addiction”, by M.D. Joseph Glenmullen M.D. 

References

psychologytoday.com – Number One Reason SSRIs Take Four to Six Weeks to Work

Sciencedaily.com – Why do antidepressants take so long to work?

Nami.org -Bupropion (Wellbutrin)

Drugs.com – Bupropion: 7 things you should know