Wellbutrin and ringing in my ears

During the three weeks I was using 150 mg. Wellbutrin, ringing in the ears gradually increased, mild headaches on top of my head, occasional light spasms around my mouth, constipation, and bladder problems. My sleep was unaffected, and my depression did not lift. My dose was increased to 300 mg, and by the fourth day, I was having serious facial spasms, intense headaches, louder and constant ringing in the ears, almost 'round-the-clock wakefulness, anxiety, difficulty thinking and completing sentences, pounding heart, amplification of sounds, jitters and quaking. I felt like a car, perpetually idling so roughly that all my parts were about to rattle right off the chassis. On the fifth day I took nothing. I've had some chills, a little nausea, headache, neck-ache (Isn't that weird?!) and some ringing, but at a lower volume that's hardly noticeable. This is the fourth day with no Wellbutrin, and I haven't had facial spasms at all in the past couple of days, have less nausea, and the very funky smell produced in my urine from the second week I was on the meds has calmed down. If I'm still in a depression it's been overshadowed by the most awful side effects I could have imagined. It felt like the spector of death was overtaking my body by day four of that 300 mg. dose. I had been on a hefty dose of Zoloft daily for almost ten years and never experienced anything unpleasant other than weight gain, my reason for trying to switch meds because I couldn't quit putting on weight no matter what. I am going to try SAM-e, and suggest that anyone looking for a natural alternative, with the prospect of few and insignificant side effects, do an online search. Whether I find success with the SAM-e, or if it falls short of what I need, I'll post here to let you know what happens. A month ago I thought the depression was the end of the world; I think the cure was worse than the disease.

I am taking Wellbutrin and it has helped my depression and desire for drugs every day. I have bad ringing in my ears all the time but I can deal with that compared to the good it has done.. The problem is I'm a engineer which requires a lot of concentration that I have lost since I've been on Wellbutrin. I also have memory loss. I can't remember peoples names 2 minutes after they told me. I am a support engineer so I have to tallk to many people every day as well as typing cause and solution. I find myself having to read everything I type over again because I leave out words and sometimes what I type makes no sense at all. Wellbutrin has helped me so much but I think I will have to stop or lose my job. What a choice. Before I started taking Wellbutrin I never felt like I was in tune with the world. Smoking pot worked for me but we all know what the long term effect of that is. Codine also made me feel like I fit in. So Wellbutrin has fixed all those needs and feelings but I just hate the loss of memory, concentration, and ringing in my ears.

I am on Wellbutrin SR 150. They started me at 1 pill once a day. After three days to 1 pill 2x a day. Last night was a "clutching my rosary" moment. I fell asleep and woke up a couple of hours later to go to the bathroom. I had INTENSE ringing in my ears - like a freight train. I was very dizzy. By the time I got down stairs and went to the bathroom I was so dizzy and disoriented I knew I couldn't stand up much longer. I ended up crawling around on the floor praying with my head down on the floor. I had HOT, I mean like FIRE sensations shooting up from my abdomen to my head. These subsided more and more over the night as long as I kept my feet elevated and lay flat on my back.

Has anyone had ANYTHING like this? This is just AWFUL. It hasn't been a week yet, but I'd rather be seasonally sluggish than EVER go through this again! I am waiting for my doctor to call me back today. I did NOT take a pill this morning!

i've been experiencing ringing in my ears since taking Wellbutrin.
it's scary. also my mouth is very very dry making it hard to even swallow sometimes.
kinsey

I have been taking Wellbutrin SR for about 6 weeks. I started out taking 1 per day then increased to twice a day 8 hrs apart as prescribed. I love this stuff. I am no longer depressed and a bonus is I am starting to shed some weight. I was going through menopause (I am 53) and did not have a period for about 6 months. I also had a decrease in sex drive ( actually none at all) and now my sex drive has returned along with my period. I had been having horrible hot flashes and those have stopped also. My energy level is fantastic. I feel 30 again except 3 nights ago I noticed a ringing in my ears. It only seemed noticeable upon laying down to sleep. Then the 2nd night it was louder. Last night it was almost unbearable and this morning the ringing is still noticeable even after getting up and busying myself. Anyone have this problem? I read side effects this morning on the online PDR and ringing, roaring and hissing is one of the possible side effects listed, but says nothing about what to do about it or if it is a sign of something more ominous. I would appreciate anyone that has experienced hearing changes while on Wellbutrin to let me know about it and how it was resolved. I would hate to have to stop taking this medications it has made such a wonderful difference for me.

I've been taking Wellbutrin sr for 3 days, I'm mostly forgetful, irritable, my mind is racing panicky, tremor, nausea ringing in my ears, speedy energy but then when you crash ur sooooooooo tired. jittery.

Wow! I'm so glad that I'm not thinking these things up in my head. I have been on Wellbutrin for about 2 1/2 months now and I have noticed hair loss but I thought it was just because of stress. However, reading this makes me very nervous about taking my 300 mg. a day. I also feel that I forget things a lot too; where I put my keys, my bag etc. I have also had ringing in my ears and sensitivity with both my eyes and ears. Has anyone else had all of these side effects? And if so, what did you and your doctor do?

I have been taking 100mg of XL for about 6 months, I have been feeling terrible, headaches, jittery, can't sleep, irritable,fatigued all the time. I thought it was neurological, had MRI of brain, spine, etc... I also have ringing in my ears, and don't feel like doing anything. I am usually very social and upbeat, but now just the opposite. I hate this anxious shaky feeling all the time. I am going to stop taking it, skip a dose every other day for a week or two. Does anyone have any advice on how to stop taking wellbutrin?? If so please let me know. I want to get off of it ASAP!!!

Two months ago, I was taking 150 mg's of wellbutrin xl, 2 and 3 times a day for ADD. I have severe ringing in my ears which I still have, eventhough I stopped taking it over a month ago. My dr. says it may never stop! It is driving me crazy! I wish I would have never taken it. ( It did nothing for my ADD)

Hello-
I am new to these postings. I am very please to finally come across some informative information regarding Wellbutrin products and their side affects. I feel very compelled to share my experiences with you, as I am also a true believer that this medicine despite the side affects can still make me feel amazing!!
First, I am very sensitive to medications, even certain vitamins. I started out with Wellbutrin (Reg/75 mg twice a day), loved it, felt alert not depressed, worked very fast but also wore off very fast, I could not stay awake in between dosages. So, they tried me on Wellbutrin SR (150 mg once a day), a few times over the course of four years, I never felt so alive, confident, energized in my life!!! Not to mention the weight loss and no more grogginess from SSRI's. But, after time yes, those nasty bed ridden headaches came, and living on Tylenol/Advil Migraine just wasn't the answer. Loved it though! With all the positives it gave me. (weight loss, being alert, anxiety gone, depression gone). But, it always came to those headaches and the hot flashes, and sometimes flu like symptoms!!! I would always convince myself that it was going to be different and these won't occur this time around, but it always did. Now, facing the withdrawel affects from the SR medication was horrifying!!! (no more confidence, headaches, overwhelming feelings of anxiety, more so than ever before, ringing in my ears for days, nightmares).
My recent trail has been with Wellbutrin XL (150 mg daily). My doctor and pharmacist said I would love it! Everyone who's tried it has really enjoyed this new version. So, afraid to death of trying it do to those headaches and the thought of going through withdrawel again scared me so badly!!
My pharmacist said start out with 150 mg every other day to see if your system can tolerate it, so I did and thought WOW it's really working (keep in mind with Reg and SR versions I could feel a positive affect immediately) then take it daily, but by the eighth day, my head started to hurt so I ran for the Advil.
Something I found very interesting and scary was I exhausted, very slowed down, by evening couldn't eat enough food, ringing or more like pulling down sensation on my ear lobes, by the fourth day I seemed like I gained about 7-8 lbs. still more tired than before, and by the eighth day I had problems talking correctly and had no ambition of getting off the couch, all I do is sleep, sleep, sleep, or stare at my children and husband like I was all fogged up in "no man's land", and by the tenth day all of any heavy feeling in my head went to my left side of my head, face, lips, arm, leg, I have a continuous numbness on my left side of my body so I decided enough is enough!! It has been five days since I went cold turkey (which I know is not the smartest move) but this numbness scares me, I almost feel as if I went to the dentist to have a few fillings put in and they gave me way to much of their stuff! I actually feel a little better each day, all aside from the withdrawel flu-like symtoms I'm having. I have to lay down a few times a day to rest my head, only the left side has occasional shooting pain through it and the numbness is still on my left side of my body down to my toes. I pray this feeling will go away soon! Yet, I know the emotional withdrawel portion of taking XL verison is still ahead of me, I just cannot bare the thought of all those extreme side affects.
I would gladly deal with Wellbutrin (Reg) and feel alert, and sleepy in between dosages rather than this. Hell, I would gladly go back on Wellbutrin SR and really feel alive even with the headaches than to ever take a chance with Wellbutrin XL EVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (heck, I would go back to Prozac and deal with the spaciness, and weight gain, sexual side affects!)
*******PLEASE, PLEASE, IF THERE IS ANYONE ELSE OUT THERE THAT HAS HAD THESE PROBLEMS PLEASE EMAIL ASAP*******
Thank for your time & sharing your experiences. I would love to hear from anyone who has had experience on these products, I still believe in them, but for whatever reason my brain/body cannot tolerate them............
Sincerely,
Tallie

I have been taking Wellbutrin 300 XL for a little over a year. My doctor had prescribed it for my persistent anxiety. In general, I felt overwhelmed by the extent of the daily duties I had imposed on myself (which was always more than I could possibly acheive). For the first few months I felt great. I was much more relaxed and focused and the only side effect I experienced was a slight ringing in the ears. But after my third or fourth month on this medication the ringing in my ears grew progressively worse and I started noticing other side effects. I began having recurrent headaches (which, at 33 years of age, I had never before experienced) as well as fatigue, achiness, dizziness, and insomnia. In the past month I have begun to experience tremors and twitching. I tend to feel as though I am jerking my head or hands when I initiate movement and my eyes twitch almost incessantly (which is extremely distracting). The ringing in my ears seems to grow louder each day and my worsening insomnia only intensifies my fatigue and achiness. I have also noticed those old feelings of being anxious and overwhelmed creeping back in. Wellbutrin seems ideal in the short run but over time its benefits begin to wear off while side effects continue to manifest and become more pronounced. My advice to anyone considering taking this drug would be to start on the lowest dose possible and maintain an awareness of the side effects as they appear.

I experienced ringing in my ears at 300mG. The ringing continued when I reduced my dose to 150mG but mostly went away when I decreased to 100mG

I have been on WB 150 2x a day am and pm. for 6 years. I have severe hearing loss and ringing in my ears. I never made the connection until today. I was wondering if going off will improve my hearing. Has anyone else experienced this? How should I wean myself off this ? I also have thinning hair. The WB does make me sleepy and I have hypothyroidsm and my memory is awful. Ithought this was age but Im only 53 and such hearing loss is uncommon. MRI is fine