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Posted: 1/22/2006 9:01:03 AM EDT
Have you heard of Well-butrin causing the person taking it to do dumb/stupid/dangerous things??
A friend has been on it for three or four days, to help quit smoking and he was stressing thru a bad break-up with a woman. This morning he decided to see what she's been up to and who she's been talking to. So, he broke a window and went into her house at 6am, to check her caller ID. He knew she wasn't home. He got busted for B&E, fourth degree felony. Could his judgement have been affected by the pills? |
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my mother and brother both take it, they are like zombies without the lust for the taste of human flesh.
I think this guy is full of shit |
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My mom is on that Wellbutrin XL i think it's called. I'd say she has gotten more nutty since she started taking it.
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Not likely. I took it for a while before I was switched to Cymbalta. I didn't do anything crazy, or have urges to do anything crazy. If he is genuinely depressed it might help (could be a different neurotransmitter that needs to be targetted), if nothing is wrong chemically in the old knoggin' he'll experience nothing. Worst side effect I had was mild constipation for the first two weeks or so of use. |
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I have known him all my life. He dumb, but has never done anything illegal or this stupid. I mean a spotless record......
I guess he's just lucky that she wasn't un-expectedly home.....I can just imagine what the charges would have been. |
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I am taking it to TRY to stop smoking. Feel no effects at all and it is NOT helping.
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Taking it for that short period of time wouldn't make him do that.
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I figured it wasn't the pills. I think he was just hurt and didn't think he would be noticed at 6am on Sunday. I don't know how they caught him. Maybe she had an alarm??
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Did he stop smoking yet? I used to prescibe it to my soldiers that wanted to quit smoking. Another name for it is Zyban. It usually takes about two weeks for it to build up in your system enough to get to a theraputic level.( Just as a side note, I am not a doctor, and I have not been in the medical field for a few years. ) I would usually have my patients stop smoking about two weeks after beginning the regimine. Some times they would stop earlier but use the patch to hold them over until the medication started becoming effective. This is not recomended for everyone, so don't tell him to do this, I don't know his medical history.
If he stopped smoking immediately when he started taking the medication he could be experiencing nicotine withdrawl, and that could explain some of his irrational behavior. That doesn't justify it, and will not excuse him in a court of law as far as I know(I'm not a lawyer either). Wellbutrin doesn't really relieve the urge to smoke for about two weeks. That means the drug isn't at a significant level in his system at four days. Some people react differently to drugs than others, so it may be possible that the drug had something to do with it. In my position knowing what little I know, I can't say it didn't have ANYTHING to do with it. It would be pretty rare if it did. Is this out of character for your friend? Maybe this is a lesson to choose your friends more wisely. What he did was criminal. It's hard to defend that kind of behavior. Sorry if this event is causing you personal anguish. It sucks to see someone close to you go down the tubes. I hope you are dealing OK. |
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I sold Wellbutrin when I was a pharmaceutical rep for a few years. It is an excellent drug with very low/favorable side effect profile. I haven't heard of anything like that ever happening. It isn't mentioned in any of the literature nor is there any anecdotal evidence of it.
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said the guy was dumb. If you are going to be stupid, you had better be tough. Especially where women and the affairs of the heart are concerned. |
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I took it to help me stop smoking, but quickly found out I'm allergic to it. I doubt it makes people do stupid things, though. I think you're buddy's just trying to find a scapegoat so as not to take responsibilty for his actions.
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I was on it for a short time.
It made me smoke more, and made me more angry and more prone to have arguements. So, yea, I guess it could. I was taking it for depression.. |
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Nope. He wanted his Mom to bring him some smokes to the city jail, but you can't smoke there.
Yeah, its' out of character. I think he got way too wrapped up in this chick. We all warned him at the start that she was basically a whore. He didn't want to hear it. It mainly just pisses me off. Because he DID it, and because of what a felony conviction could do to him permanently...he's only 28. I am dealing with it fine, his mother is not..... |
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I know three people that took it to stop smoking. Nothing like that happened
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A friend on the NM Public Defender's office advised for him to have a lawyer at his appearance before the judge tommorow. It's next to impossible to get a lawyer in very-small-town NM on Sunday....
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Wellbutrin is an antidepressant. It has less sexual side effects than most and has a mild stimulant effect. The average user will lose about 5 pounds when you start taking it. You should not drive or handle firearms while taking it.
Dry mounth and insomnia are the most common side effects. It does have some CNS side effects including: Frequent were agitation, depression, and irritability. |
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I've seen a few people who have told me they got pretty messed up on Wellbutrin, some very quickly. Overall, it's rare but yes his judgment could have been affected. That didn't make him B&E though and it is unlikely to be the culprit in this. I'm not a big fan of Wellbutrin but it seems to work well for some people. He should speak with the prescribing physician.
www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/rxdrugprofiles/drugs/wel1488.shtml Special warnings about Wellbutrin In clinical studies, antidepressants increased the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior in children and adolescents with depression and other psychiatric disorders. Anyone considering the use of Wellbutrin or any other antidepressant in a child or adolescent must balance this risk with the clinical need. Wellbutrin has not been studied in children or adolescents and is not approved for treating anyone less than 18 years old. Additionally, the progression of major depression is associated with a worsening of symptoms and/or the emergence of suicidal thinking or behavior in both adults and children, whether or not they are taking antidepressants. Individuals being treated with Wellbutrin and their caregivers should watch for any change in symptoms or any new symptoms that appear suddenly--especially agitation, anxiety, hostility, panic, restlessness, extreme hyperactivity, and suicidal thinking or behavior--and report them to the doctor immediately. Be especially observant at the beginning of treatment or whenever there is a change in dose. Be sure to let the doctor know if you have heart trouble, liver problems, or kidney disease before you start taking Wellbutrin. Use Wellbutrin with extreme caution if you have cirrhosis of the liver. Stop taking Wellbutrin and call your doctor immediately if you have difficulty breathing or swallowing; notice swelling in your face, lips, tongue, or throat; develop swollen arms and legs; or break out with itchy eruptions. These are warning signs of a potential severe allergic reaction. Wellbutrin may affect your coordination or judgment and impair your ability to drive or operate dangerous machinery. Avoid activities that require full alertness until you know how the drug affects you. Like all antidepressants, Wellbutrin could trigger a manic episode in people with bipolar disorder. Although Wellbutrin occasionally causes weight gain, a more common effect is weight loss: Some 28 percent of people who take Wellbutrin lose 5 pounds or more. If depression has already caused you to lose weight, and if further weight loss would be detrimental to your health, Wellbutrin may not be the best antidepressant for you. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Possible food and drug interactions when taking Wellbutrin Do not drink alcohol while you are taking Wellbutrin; an interaction between alcohol and Wellbutrin could increase the possibility of a seizure. Wellbutrin should not be combined with drugs that lower the seizure threshold, including: Antidepressants classified as MAO inhibitors, such as Nardil and Parnate Other antidepressants such as Elavil, Norpramin, Pamelor, Paxil, Prozac, Tofranil, and Zoloft Antipsychotic drugs such as Haldol, Risperdal, Mellaril, and chlorpromazine Cocaine Diabetes medications such as Glucotrol and Prandin Insulin Opiates such as heroin and morphine Sedatives, including benzodiazepines such as Xanax and Valium Steroid medications such as prednisone Stimulants, including over-the-counter diet drugs Theophylline (Theo-24, Uniphyl) If Wellbutrin is taken with certain other drugs, the effects of either could be increased, decreased, or altered. It is especially important to check with your doctor before combining Wellbutrin with the following: Beta blockers (used for high blood pressure and heart conditions) such as Inderal, Lopressor, and Tenormin Carbamazepine (Tegretol) Cimetidine (Tagamet) Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) Heart-stabilizing drugs such as Rythmol and Tambocor Levodopa (Larodopa) Nicotine patches such as Habitrol, NicoDerm CQ, and Nicotrol patch Orphenadrine (Norgesic) Phenobarbital Phenytoin (Dilantin) |
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Eh? I wasn't told any of this when I started taking it. |
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If you regularly take Rx meds you should get yourself a copy of the PDR or any of the comon Rx drug books which will tell you about the side effects, drug interactions, ect. Dont just blindly swallow a pill becuase a doctor told you it will cure what ails you. Do your own research and discuss that with your doctor when deciding on a treatment plan. |
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Took it for the same reason. It gave me wierd dreams, constant thirst and horrible desire to sodimize a Red Cockaded Woodpecker. Perhaps I should not have started taking it at the beginning of my last field problem at Ft Bragg. |
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#1 Your friend is messed up and that is all there is to it. Sorry
This drug is an anti-depressant that functions by shutting down some receptors and stimulating the release of endorphin into the body. ( the same thing nicotine does ) 99.9 of the people out there that TRY to do something will fail. You either do it or you don’t. Nuff said. I am an X smoker that TRY'ed to quit many times. I tried it all I can assure you even this. I went from a pack a day to about 2 cartons a week toward the last 2-3 years. It isn't easy. Ask around and do a little research its as hard as getting a junkie to stop using heroine When I became serious I set down my pack of Camels and quit just like that. Sure I went through one hell of a chemical withdrawal but unless your weak minded all you have to do is not lite another one. Get over it and move on. It will be hell but remember you didn’t need it to survive when you were younger and you wont die form the withdrawals. Its been 2 years and I still have the same half a pack of Camels in my trunk to remind me what I was doing to myself. My health and family is more important. It works like this more or less. Nicotine stimulates the release of endorphin into te body making you happy. This drug does the same just not at a peak release like a smoke will. More of a mellow transition at a stable dose. Smoking is an all at once delivery system unlike when you take the pill. Your body needs to remember how to release the endorphin again on its own as you have been doing it for it for quite some time so its stopped on its own. It must learn again. This is the withdrawals and chemical dependancy I stated above. It will take a long time ( for me about 6-8 months to get back to what I would call normal as far as the endorphin go ) But like I said before only the weak minded fail at this. You are either done or not don’t waste your own time or anyone else's telling them about how you TRY'ed to quit. That’s like TRYING to get a job just like millions on welfare do every year This is the link to the side effects www.wellbutrin-xl.com/prescribed/side_effects.html Im afraid Breaking and Entering and stalking isnt covered |
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that reminds me, I have one of those red cockaded woodpecker signs that you see on all the trees hanging in my room |
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I took it several years ago to quit smoking. It made me jittery. It did help with the smoking. I wouldn't recommend drinking while you are taking it. I had a few drinks when we went out to dinner with some friends. I don't remember too much but my wife tells me that I slapped my friend’s wife on the ass and held on. Ask her for some sexual favor. The worst part is she is our children’s pediatrician.
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As ususal in these medical threads there is some questionable information going out here with a range of info from people recommending it for people without understanding the risk and/or side effects to those misunderstanding the way in which it works, side effect profile, etc.
In any event, psych meds are not something to play aorund with. I have beat this shit to death more times than I can count around here and won't go over it all again. Just want people to understand medications are potentially harmful and not to be trifled with. See it in my own profession plenty FWIW. Always some who play with this stuff as if they just got into their big brother's erector set. Have seen plenty of pts give others their medications, frequently without having ANY understanding what they are treating or what the medication is for. "Here, I have some pills..." as if their individual Rx is the answer to everything. They should be prosecuted. mcgrobbs, if this is truly out of character for your friend then it is possible the medication played some part. |
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Well, his mother just went to go see him, if they will let her. He got his two phone calls for they day, but they had said they would give him notes from outside.
To me, this is a prime example of getting wrapped in a girl and doing something incredibly stupid. I don't think he will lose his job over it. But, we'll see |
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Whatever you do, dont show it to me, I can not be held accountable for my actions when in the presance of a red cockheaded woodpecker. I have a letter from VA explaining it all. |
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Noted. |
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I'm taking it to help with the quitting smoking. I've taken it for 3 months, and while I have cut back SUBSTANTIALY, I haven't been able to stop. So, I'm tapering myself off the wellbutrin in the same way I was ramped up on it. I figure if it isn't what's gonna push me all the way into quitterville, there is no reason to continue with it.
I didn't notice any odd effects, other than a diminished urge to beat stupid people to death with their own limbs when it was time for a smoke... You buddy has issues that are far beyond wellbutrin.... YMMV..... And listen to the good DrJarhead. Any meds are not a good thing. Even the ones that you have to take to fix a serious problem can cause problems all on their own. The fewer chemicals you pour down your throat the better. |
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Their is an adage in medicine that goes, "Never let them leave without something." The idea being that if they leave without a prescription or sample of some kind that they won't think they got adequate care. No matter that maybe nothing is wrong in the first place or that a med isn't the answer. However, you have to keep pts coming back, it is a business afterall. I do not mean that in a malignant fashion but if you don't give them what they want they will just go to someone else. At least half the pts I saw everyday were on some sort of psych med, at the least for depression/anxiety. Plenty of kids also, not to mention the entire ADD/ODD thing.
It also contributes to the idea that there is a pill for every problem for which my own profession as well as the phamrmaceuticals are largely to blame. Of course, a pill is actually rarely the solution. I don't blame the docs and pharms as much as I do the .gov and corporate medicine which the .gov has pushed us into. More like Burger King anymore. Come in and place your order, have it your way. What a bunch of |
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Your paharmacist should have briefed you or whoever picked it up on the side effects. My son took it for a while and it was very definitely a DON"T TAKE WITH ALCOHOL on his bottles. |
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Took it to quite smoking a few years back. One of my coworkers put it best I think "your givashitter is broken". Did quite smoking and also quite biting my fingernails which I'd been doing for 20 years...LL
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It might. Zoloft began noticeably affecting me within two days. There are currently no ways to determine whether an antidepressant will work properly in any given person, other than trial-and-error. The effects can be very unpredictable. Prozac triggers violent behavior in about one person in sixty, IIRC. An in-law of mine had to be strapped down in the hospital because he became so violent on it. Getting the prosecutors or a jury to buy into the theory that the medication might have triggered the friend's behavior is another issue. |
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Yea, it's possible... Unlikely, but possible. I took it to quit smoking and it made me batty as hell. I was really freakin' paranoid (like, looking out the blinds kinda shit,) and really wired. I quit taking the stuff after a week. I didn't even want to drive a car because I felt pretty "out there." But, I never wanted to cause trouble, I wanted to avoid people and conflict. I think he just lost his cool and did something really stupid. |
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Makes me so glad any kid with a credit card can buy it online. I get some truely amazing answers when i ask teens what prescription drugs they are taking. Between their lawfully prescribed drugs, the drugs they streal from their parent, buy online, or swap with their friends those clever little bastards come up with some great cocktails. Tonight i arrested one who washed 100mg Zyban, 1 Clariten-D and 6 Dayquil down with 6 redbulls & vodkas. No particular reason other than he wanted to see what it would do. His heart rate was 139BPM, BP 160/110, and he nearly ran over someone in a parking lot which is what drew my attention. Rx drugs are bad M'kay. Poly-drug use is really bad. |
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Absolutely. Any patient I put on psych meds have to be compliant and also follow up with me. Or they dont get any. Second, most psych meds including busperion take TWO weeks to take effect in most people. Since the took it for 4 days, that dude is a criminal pure and simple. Insecure dirtbag is what he is and is using the meds as an excuse. |
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I would like to know where all you folks are getting your information. Because most of the info in this thread thus far is BS.
I work with psych meds all the time. I have alot of experience with them since college when my major was neuropsychology and we work with these meds and experimented on mice and rats with them. I prescribe them now on a limited basis now. Because again I will not give them to unreliable people. I get to know them then will suggest options. People who dont keep appointments or have behavioral problems are referred away. The side-effects are VERY RARE. Even then there are degrees. Most people are sociopaths to begin with and use the meds as an excuse to do what they want. Wel-butrin's number one SE is seizures. GI problems, some tremors. But behavioral problems are very rare. |
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+1. The siezure risk decreased immensly when Wellbutrin XR (Extended release) debuted and went down again with Wellbutrin SR (Sustained release). Without going into pharmacokinetics and testing results, Wellbutin is a pretty safe drug (especially compared to other drugs and drug combinations that are being prescribed). With regard to GI problems, I can't think of a drug that does list some sort of GI problem in the PI (product insert). Whether it is upset stomach, gas or diarrhea, all meds cause something. Think about it, you are putting a chemical into your body. The original formulation of Wellbutrin (buproprion) was used as the "viagra" of its day. A few of the docs that I used to call on told stories of med school and residency in the early 70's. They would load up on buproprion and hit the singles bars. Made for great nights with the ladies if you catch my drift. I do not recommend this with any drug. There is a siezure risk with Wellbutrin, especially with the generic forms. Generics are the old formulation and have a much higher siezure risk. |
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I'm not sure whether you felt that my post was one of the "most" or not, but I got my "1/60" stat for Prozac out of the PDR when I was trying to decide which antidepressants to avoid. Its effects on my in-law were from the family members who were dealing with his care; he went back to his normal self after being taken off the stuff, and did fine when switched to another medication. I don't know what Wellbutrin's known effects and side-effects are. I do know that antidepressants' effects are unpredictable, both from my own experiences and from what others have related to me. I would not be surprised if someone were to behave irrationally, and in a manner which was unusual for that person, even when just starting on one. Meant as a general comment, not specific to any one poster: Comparing some drug abusing sociopath with the "a friend" of the original poster, who was on Wellbutrin to stop smoking -- I don't see it mentioned whether the guy took it under supervision on a prescription or not -- is misleading at best. Maybe you folks should start asking whether the guy was a manwhore who was drunkenly rollerskating through traffic, too. |
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I answered the phone the other day and it was a telemarketer from the "Pharmacy Prescription Fullfillment Center" calling my son about renewing his prescription for Lexapro (another anti-depressant I believe). Interesting call, "Not here, can I take a message?" set the hook, please call back wioth credit card info so they can send it. "Oh I sure will. What address are you at after all it's controlled and he's 16 and doesn't take it. I'm sure the Feds will be more than happy to find out you support easing the prescription meds supply problems." He hung up Still not sure if they were really trying to sell drugs or were phishing for the credit card information. Neiher of which made me very happy. |
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You should probably leave that to the professionals. Its like fixing a car, even though you can read specs on a part, only a mechanic with true experience will know how it will perform in a particular car. Like fixing high priced sports cars, medicine is also an art and is not all black and white. There are some truths and constants but there are as many variables. Should you be knowledgable about the meds you take? Absolutely. But the PDR will only provide info that is not applicable in all circumstances or not applicable at all. |
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A close friend of mine has been taking it for a couple years now as an antidepressant. The only side effect so far has been greater agitation when driving.
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Got a silly question for you, my Policia Amigo - I have been taking Wellbutrin on a daily basis for... years, now, with nary a side effect, and it appears to empower me to be more focused and productive. Say I got caught speeding or something. Could a suspicious cop have me pee-tested and then claim DWI or DUI or something because the meds say "don't drive" on the bottle or something, or is this just brainless rampant ARFCOM-paranoia/tinfoil-hattery? ETA: Not that I think anything like that is remotely possible; I'm one of those Square Citizen types that has no prior lawbreaking history, am polite, well-spoken, and respectful. |
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