Switching from stimulants to non-stimulants

[ThisTooShallPass08]

I've been dealing with debilitating anxiety and ADHD, so I made an appointment with a psychiatrist (previously I was just speaking with my PCP for medication management), and she advised me to stop taking Adderrall and start on Wellbutrin. Today is my first day, and I feel like the steering wheel has been disconnected from my brain. It's a lot! I took my anxiety meds (Prozac) and the Wellbutrin, but I don't like how I feel right now. Has anyone else switched from a stimulant med to Wellbutrin, and does the feeling go away if you had detox symptoms? Thanks in advance. 🙏

[Mamamichl]

it takes a while for the Wellbutrin to fully take effect, so I am guessing it’s detox from your other med. usually docs want to give 6 weeks to determine whether or not it works and to get most side effects gone. I usually try for a couple weeks and if it’s not getting any better, I definitely setup another appt to discuss with doc and may even go off after a couple more weeks.

[Tigger4me]

I take Adderall for my ADHD and I also take Wellbutrin for anxiety cause I found that the Wellbutrin did not really help enough compared to the stimulant meds. But as Mamamichl said, unlike the Adderall which is in and out of your system quickly, the Wellbutrinh has a long build up period before it reaches max efficacy.

[STEM_Dad]

Yes, but not directly.

At 45, I was diagnosed with both ADHD (Inattentive presentation) and anxiety.

A few months in an SSRI brought my elevated anxiety levels down to my normal, persistent, mild anxiety.

My first ADHD medication, which I started on after being on the SSRI for a month, was Adderall XR. It didn't increase my anxiety, but it didn't work well enough, and when it was increased it did cause me to have tachycardia.

Then, I switched to atomoxetine (generic Strattera), which worked much better for me. It treated my ADHD symptoms very well, but didn't help my anxiety. I was on atomoxetine for 3 years.

Last year, I asked my doctor to let my try bupropion (generic Wellbutrin). It treats my ADHD as well as atomoxetine did, but it also treats my anxiety. For the first time since I was 12 years old, I'm not living with persistent anxiety (which was usually mild, sometimes moderate, and has been severe at certain times in my life).

• The only times I'd been anxiety-free were just the super happy times in my life. I didn't know that it could stay away.

• I still feel anxiety for short periods of time, like when I'm stressed about bills or something. So, I can still experience anxiety...but it's no longer my constant companion.

While I experienced the full effects of atomoxetine within 5 days, it was a month before I experienced the full difference between it and bupropion (Wellbutrin). Both are norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor medications, but Wellbutrin is also a dopamine reuptake inhibitor.