wellbutrin with phentermine

[chindon]

I want to try to quit smoking again. I have taken wellbutrin before to quit and it worked except I got off of it too early. Can I take wellbutrin and phentermine at the same time? :confused:

[rain]

hi chin :) i am seeing my physician for my meds and yes you can take wellbutrin and phentermine together..thats what i take...talk to you soon

[KimberlyinKS]

Here's a good article that Jenerizer had posted awhile back in the Phen forum:

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/nr/1998/fenphen.html

In a nutshell, phentermine is a MAO inhibitor... which basically means that it shouldn't be taken with other MAOI or SSRI drugs. I'd say print it out and take it to your doctor. :)

[NEcountrygirl]

Hi,
I have been on Wellbutrin SR 150mg for 3 months. For the first 2 months I took 2x per day. When I started Phentermine, one month ago, I lowered my dose, (per my MD) to 1x per day. The combo has worked very well for me. Not only have I been smoke free for 2 1/2 months, but I have also lost 18 pounds. Wellbutrin is not an MAOI or a SSRI drug. It is in a class of drugs known as Monocyclic Aminoketones. It's generic name is Bupropion Hydrochloride.

Talk to your doctor. It's worth the effort.
Good luck on kicking the habit. I sure know i feel SSSOOOO much better sice I have quit.

Lori

[Kcgirl]

I was at the doctor yesterday and we brought up phen with wellbutrin or Zoloft and he said no no very dangerous! But ultimately its up to you what your life is worth. I chose not to risk it and just take zoloft. My mental health is so important right now! The weight will come off with or without pills! Good Luck! KC

[NEcountrygirl]

KCgirl...Really? Hummm... What was his/her reasoning? Did your Doc tell you why Wellbutrin & Phen was a bad combo? Just interested. I have noticed that all the on-line pharmacies say the 2 go okay together, (I really do trust my MD & personal studies when it comes to health). I would just love to know what your MD has to say, since mine says it great. I'd hate to be in line for an Infomercial_law case in a few months...YIKES I can see it.... We will pay any Phen/Wellb person 1 million dollers if you suffered bad dream syndrome as a result of your drug use..LOL

Lori

[nal]

I tried to order phentermine from online pharmace, and was told that since I take Paxil I could not take phentermine. Anybody have any thoughts on this?

[lauren99]

All of you with questions on this topic should follow the link that KimberlyinKS posted above(thanks a bunch!). It provides some really good info.

[him8nc]

My dr prescribed phen and Wellbutrin to me 2 days ago for weight loss. Said it's safe but, as with most of these meds, she wants to see me in 2 weeks to check blood pressure and see how I'm progressing.

[Laurel]

I've been on phen and wellbutrin for quite some time now. My MD prescribed me the wellbutrin in Jan of this year because I was having such bad side effects while taking just phen. I love the wellbutrin and phen combo! Listen to your doctor and if you doubt his/her opinion, try another! =)

[Klecowski]

I am on phen and zoloft. It has only been 4 days now but I think that the zoloft is working better now. But I'm not sure if it is because I have already lost 2lbs in 4 days!
d

[TheGirl]

I've been looking into this very subject myself. I haven't looked about wellbutrin and phentermine.

Some doctors are prescribing "Phen-Pro" for weight loss, which is Phentermine with either Prozac or Zoloft. I have read some articles that say it is not safe, but other articles say it is being used for weight loss. Phentermine increases serotonin, while Prozac and Zoloft inhibit serotonin re-uptake. The combination can cause an overage of serotonin and lead to serotonin syndrome, which can be dangerous. See my other thread on Phen with Zoloft in the my experiences area.

I think wellbutrin is a different type of anti-depressant, not an SSRI, because I know that alot of people take wellbutrin along with zoloft. So, I don't know if wb is ok with phen or not.

[ December 13, 2001: Message edited by: TheGirl ]

[TheGirl]

OK, I've done a little more searching about Wellbutrin vs. Prozac or Zoloft. Prozac and Zoloft both inhibit serotonin re-uptake to treat depression, whereas Wellbutrin does not affect serotonin, but it does act on dopamine and norepinephrine. I guess that is why WB is often prescribed along with Prozac or Zoloft. Therefore, it may be that Wellbutrin is OK to take with Phentermine, but it is always best to talk to your doctor first.

[TheGirl]

Here is a site about Phen-Pro for those who are interested:

http://home.*****com/_ht_a/manchors/phen-pro/index.html

[SavannahK]

My dr. prescribed Well-Phen for me. He said the Wellbutrin helps with compusive eating. It's only been a week, so I'm still trying to get used to the total feeling. Any sucess stories out there on Well-Phen?

[JSaari]

I tried getting Phentermine from an online pharmacy and when I told them that I was taking Wellebutrin, I was turned down. Now what is "that" all about? I asked them to clarify their decision, and they just said that if I stopped taking the Wellbutrin, then I could re-apply for the Phen.

[TheGirl]

I've been on Celexa and Wellbutrin for a few months now and my weight has been slowly creeping up. I had a lot of phentermine 37.5 from last year, and I have started to cut the pills in quarter sections, and I am taking 1/4 before lunch and 1/4 before dinner.

It is helping to curb my appetite just about as much as when I was taking the entire 37.5 pills in the morning last year.

I'm taking very small amounts so I can make sure that I do not have any undesired side effects. I haven't told my doctor that I have added the phentermine, but I have consulted online with two doctors that do the phen-pro mix, and they have said I can add the phentermine in small amounts and just keep a check on my blood pressure.

[girlie]

HI! My Dr. prescribed me Wellbutrin and Phen about 3-4 weeks ago and I've been scared to take it, since I have no history of depression. I needed to ask my Dr. more questions when he gave me the **, but didn't. Would the Wellb. keep you from WANTING to workout or not? Not that I'm doing that great in the "workout" dept. HA! After reading these posts, I am more apt to try them together. What exactly does the Wellb. combined with the phen do? THanks for the info!

[TheGirl]

I had to remove the Wellbutrin from my combo as on the third day I had severe insomnia that night along with leg and arm jerking. This scared me, so now I am only taking Celexa 20mg at night and 1/2 of a 37.5 phen tablet before lunch. So far so good.

[c.b.]

So has anyone lost weight on just Wellbutrin? How did you feel? I have a friend who lost a lot on Wellbutrin alone.

[DiamondGirl]

Hi....I'm taking Zoloff w Wellbutrin and Phen. Zoloff's been 2 years, Phen two weeks and wellbutrin 2 days. I have no side effects except dry mouth. It seems to make me even less hungary than just the Phen and the Zoloff. Anybody have any thoughts on this?

[DiamondGirl]

To SavannaK....

Your doc's right! I just saw mine and she said that wellbutrin helps with compulsive eating whereas the phen decreases your appitite and zoloff or prozac inhibit the serotonin uptake in your system. She just prescribed Wellbutrin in addition to zoloff and phen. She had a good point...what good is phen if your a compulsive eater? It doesn't matter if you are not hungary you eat anyway right? I eat every time i'm stressed wether I'm hungary or not and I've been doing it for so long I have a huge appitite! My diet is good tho because the doc said metabolically I'm perfect! So I'm hoping the welbutrin curbs the compulsive eating; the phen will decrease my appitite and the zoloff will help with the depression. She also offered me Meridia instead of the phen but I thought that I would try the phen first cause it's much cheaper. So far it seems like the phen and zoloff are working much better since I started the wellbutrin a couple of days ago.

[DiamondGirl]

Oh I forgot to tell you I'm depressed because I'm fat and I'm fat because I'm stressed out and don't have time to work out!

[lauri]

I'm a new member and am still waiting for my Phen to be delivered from an online pharmacy. I've been taking Xenical (from an online pharmacy also) for about 2 weeks now and have only lost 2 lbs. I went to see my doctor earlier this week about my weight problem. He prescribed Wellbutrin because he believed I was depressed. I'm depressed because I'm fat! :mad: That was all he was willing to prescribe. I thought I was just going to forget the Wellbutrin and take Phen instead (on my own). I didn't even think about taking the two together until I read this forum. I'm glad I did, but now I'm unsure whether it's safe or not, since there is conflicting advise.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thank you!
:)

[daypassdel]

I was on the fen-phen years ago, and lost 80 lbs.
When it was taken off the market, my doctor was nervous about perscribing two medications together. I stayed on the phen for a year, but she took me off when I went on paxil for PMS.
Gained 30 lbs. in 3 months. Now I am on Wellbutrin Sr and have been for 7 months. Haven't lost weight, but didn't gain. I went in yesterday to see if she would give me the phen as we can't order online in canada, no one will ship to us.
She was hesitant, but checked with the pharmacist
and she was told there were no KNOWN interactions, so she will let me try for a month and see if I have any reactions to it, and if not can continue. I will let you know how it goes. Today is day #1.

[lauri]

I hope everything goes well. Thanks for responding. I look forward to hearing how everything goes!

[Leslie]

Hey guys, I was reading this thread, because I take Prozac (for depression) and Ionamin (for weight loss) together, and I was just wondering what Serentonin Re-uptake means? I thought that Prozac was supposed to increase the levels of serentonin in your brain to help with depression...so I was just wondering what you guys meant that mentioned re-uptake. Hope I don't sound stupid... :)

[Gerald Bostock]

Hi, Leslie,

SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors) do increase the level of serotonin in the brain. The difference is, instead of adding more serotonin to your body, SSRIs keep the serotonin in the synapses longer than normal. The re-uptake is slowed down - inhibited.

From http://www.medinfo.co.uk/drugs/ssris.html :

-----
The brain is made up of millions of interconnected brain cells (neurons). Messages travel along these cells rather like electricity down a wire, but when the message reaches the end of the neuron, it has to jump the gap (synapse) to the next cell or group of cells.

This is achieved by the neuron releasing tiny amounts of a chemical (neurotransmitter) into the gap between the nerve cells.

The receiving neuron has many places on its surface which act rather like locks, for which the appropriate neurotransmitter is the key. These are called receptors. When enough of the neurotransmitter has locked on to these receptors, a nerve impulse is started in the new nerve, and thus the message gets from one nerve to the next.

In order to allow the nerve to recover and receive the next message, and in order to replenish stocks of the neurotransmitter in the original neuron, ready to send the next message, the body has a clever way of removing the neurotransmitter from the receptors, and allowing it to be taken back into the originating nerve (re-uptake).

In depression certain neurotransmitters are relatively lacking. One of those is serotonin, also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT. The SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors) slow down the process of returning the serotonin to the end of the neuron it comes from. This leads to the chemical remaining in the vicinity of the receptors for longer, making it more likely that enough will build up to set off the impulse in the next neuron.

Thus, the SSRIs work by allowing the body to make the best use of the reduced amounts of serotonin that it has at the time. In due course, the levels of natural serotonin will rise again, and the SSRI can be reduced and withdrawn.

-----

There's a great deal of information out there about the latest research into neurotransmitters. Just do a Google search and start reading. :)

HTH,

Gerry

[frankles]

I was on celexa, but when i went on phen dr changed my celexa to wellbutrin, she said celexa is a no go with the phen, but wellbutrin is ok.

[Queen]

Hello All,

I am new to the community. :) I began talking Adipex (Phentermine) two weeks ago and have been taking Wellbutrin since May of Last year. I suffered serious depression due to circumstances with a disabled child. When I married in 97 I was 180 lbs (I am 5' 10" by the way) I got pregnant and gained to 212 lbs. I lost back to pre-pregnancy weight but with the in and out of the hospital stuff with my child (in six months) my weight increased to 237 lbs. :( I was depressed for numerous reasons. I heard about Adipex a month ago and decided I would inquire about it with my physician. After talking to two pharmacist, my primary care physician and my ob/gyn, all told me that the combination was fine. Once I started taking the Wellbutrin I did lose down to 196 lbs. But have gained some since. My current weight is 202. I started taking the Wellbutrin on 7/17 and my weight went from 209 1/2 lbs to 202 lbs. :D This was after nine days. I know this was a long introduction and I am sorry for that but I did want to give my input. I have heard that phentermine makes some people jittery and Wellbutrin is known to cause temporary insomnia. I never had a problem with being jittery, but for the first few days I did have a problem with insomnia. I am fine now and have no problems with either. My intent is to only take the phentermine for a month as it is expensive AND I just wanted a boost. My goal weight is 175 lbs, as I am tall and do not want to be sticks and bones. :p

[Queen]

I am new to the forum and I posted earlier regarding the Phentermine and Wellbutrin issue. Anyone use Phentermine for one month as a boost and quit?

[ August 03, 2002, 10:54 AM: Message edited by: Queen ]

[nmh3]

I'm taking Well. and Phen. at the same time and I really like it. I have had no problems with this at all.

[Jennerizer]

I think just taking phen alone is a risk. This is what one site says about phen....

Phentermine can cause high blood pressure and heart-rhythm abnormalities. The risk increases with continued use. It has been associated with stroke, and when used alone and in combination with fenfluramine, has been shown to produce primary pulmonary hypertension, a very serious disease. The good news is that these reports are rare.

So there is really no way of knowing what effects you'll have when you combine phen with anything. I know they say that you shouldn't even take phen while taking an anti-biotic or a muscle relaxer. The chances of something happening are slim, but the potential is there. Use at your own risk.

Jen

[kristy_in_ms]

Hi... Just went to my Dr. yesterday and I am already taking Adipex 37.5 along with Sarafem. He first gave me the Sarafem (same ingredient as Prozac) for PMDD symptoms (severe PMS) as this is what it is marketed for. At my next checkup I discussed my weight issue and he gave me the Adipex 37.5 and my check up yesterday I mentioned that I had seen online where Wellbutrin was helping women to loose weight and along with the mood swings and fact that I want to stop smoking I was curious if maybe Wellbutrin was better for me. He said it was common to see peopl etaking both Wellbutrin and Phen. He gave me Wellbutrin in addition to the other two meds. This was how he explained it to me. The Sarafem (or Prozac family drugs) help in seritonin levels. The Wellbutrin is completely different. Wellbutrim helps with the dopomine levels in the brain. The same thing that eating lots of sugar does for you (kinda like a sugar buzz). The wellbutrim helps to curb compulsive behavior and stabalize the moods by raising the dopomine levels in the brain. That is why it is used for smoking cestation. Smoking also increases the dopomine. If anyone has ever tried to quit cold turkey after several years you will agree you go through a very emotional witdrawl. I cried the first three days and questioned my sanity everytime I tried to quit. It was because of the dramatic decrease in dopomine. My brain is dependant on the amount of dopomine it has been producing with nicotine and sugars. Once that was no longer there my brain reacts like "oh no, I don't have enough happy hormone, something must be wrong!" This is also a reason that people gain weight when they quit smoking. They replace one compulsive behavior with another, and all the candy and sugars raise the dopomine level back to were the brain thinks is now "normal". Anyway. I am now on the serotonin drug, dopomine drug and adipex to help curb my appetite. Thing is in MS they only write 2 scripts for phen in a 12 mo. period so after mine is out I will have to rely on the Wellbutrim to help me not be a compulsive overeater again. I will let you know how things work out.

[health4life]

bump

[skychick]

Hi,
I just started on Wellbutrin 4 days ago.
I've been taking Phen for a long time.

I've heard it's fine and I think it helps with cravings and depression.

skychick

[mzbehavn78]

i have wellburtin left from when i was on it last year (to prevent ppd, as i have a history of it) I haven't taken it in a while, buyt i have a ton of it. So has anybody had success with this combo? I'd really like to know.

[FattyMcgee]

I have been on 300 mg of Wellbutrin XL everyday for almost 4 years now. It is a miracle drug in my opinion. I have taken it many times with phen over the last 7 or so months and I have lost 41 lbs and I just recently started exercising. I think 41 lbs w/o exercising is is a pretty good amount of weight. Anyway, I think its a good combo and trust me the insomnia passes!! I wish I had more energy!!

Karen