Can bupropion cause apathy?

The reason may have more to do with a few myths about bupropion than the actual evidence. Why does this matter? Bupropion lacks many of the side effects that can hinder adherence to SSRIs: sexual side effects, weight gain, apathy, sedation, and withdrawal problems.

Does Wellbutrin help apathy?

The antidepressant Bupropion is a dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. There is evidence from case-series, that Bupropion reduces apathy in patients with organic brain disorders.

Does Wellbutrin cause emotional blunting?

A 2017 internet-based survey found that only 33% of people experienced emotional blunting while on Wellbutrin, compared with 75% who reported emotional blunting while taking Cymbalta, a common SSRI.

Can antidepressants make you apathetic?

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), commonly used to treat depression, are associated with loss of motivation, anergy, and lack of curiosity often referred collectively as apathy.

Does Wellbutrin make you less empathetic?

Bupropion is a dopaminergic and noradrenergic reuptake inhibitor and is not reported to cause emotional blunting.

Bupropion and its contraindications | When it shouldn't be used

Can Wellbutrin affect your thinking?

Dangers of Bupropion

Taking this drug may cause you to have changes in behavior such as hostility, agitation, depressed moods, or suicidal thoughts. The potential risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior is higher in children, adolescents, and young adults who consume bupropion.

Can Wellbutrin make you sadder?

Bupropion may cause some people to be agitated, irritable, or display other abnormal behaviors. It may also cause some people to have suicidal thoughts and tendencies, or to become more depressed.

How do you fix antidepressant induced apathy?

Treatment strategies may include a dose reduction of the offending selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, augmentation with a second drug, and/or discontinuation of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and subsequent treatment with a nonselective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant.

Is it normal to feel emotionless on antidepressants?

As it is with any medication, antidepressants can have side effects, including the possibility of what is termed “emotional blunting.” According to studies, nearly half of people taking antidepressants at some point experience emotional blunting from antidepressants.

Can antidepressants make you feel nothing?

The majority of people taking the most commonly prescribed antidepressants—selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)—improve substantially. But sometimes, SSRIs go beyond improving mood and make a person feel too little emotion.

Can Wellbutrin cause anhedonia?

The bupropion group also displayed a slight increase in SHAPS score, and therefore, anhedonia, compared to placebo over time. The slight increase in anhedonia may be associated with acute adverse effects of bupropion on reward processing and may have clinical implications when starting treatment with bupropion.

What does emotional blunting feel like?

People experiencing this side effect often describe themselves as feeling “flat” or “detached,” or having “dull” emotions. Other terms for emotional blunting include emotional indifference, diminished emotional responsiveness, and reduced emotional sensitivity.

Does Wellbutrin deplete serotonin?

Though the efficacy of bupropion is comparable to that of other antidepressants, including the SSRIs and TCAs,^1–6 bupropion does not affect serotonin or postsynaptic receptors and therefore is an antidepressant with unique pharmacologic properties.

Does Wellbutrin affect motivation?

With the increase of dopamine that Wellbutrin provides, some patients may experience a boost of energy and motivation while taking Wellbutrin.

Does Wellbutrin help you pay attention?

Wellbutrin is a norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI). It helps improve concentration and focus by keeping the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and dopamine available to the brain's neurons for a longer time.

How is apathy treated?

Push yourself to get out and spend time with friends, even if you don't feel like going. Do things you used to love, like going to concerts or watching movies with loved ones. Take a music or art therapy class, which have been shown to help with apathy. Try to exercise every day.

Which antidepressants cause the most emotional blunting?

Nearly half of patients on all types of monoaminergic antidepressants report emotional blunting,⁶ and it is associated with serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) therapy as follows: among 161 patients, 46% reported a narrowed range of affect, 21% reported an inability to cry, and 19% reported apathy.

Will emotional blunting go away?

Depending on the cause, emotional blunting can last anywhere from a few minutes, up to months or even years. There are various reasons a person might experience emotional blunting, and what's causing it will determine how it's treated.

How long does it take to adjust to Wellbutrin?

Sleep, energy, or appetite may show some improvement within the first 1-2 weeks. Improvement in these physical symptoms can be an important early signal that the medication is working. Depressed mood and lack of interest in activities may need up to 6-8 weeks to fully improve.

What causes extreme apathy?

Sometimes, apathetic feelings are a result of things we can recognize and change—for example, we're feeling bored at work or we're no longer attracted to someone we once felt attracted to. But sometimes apathy is a symptom of a larger issue we're facing, like trauma, grief, or an underlying mental health condition.

Can apathy be permanent?

As a response, apathy is a way to forget about these negative feelings. This type of common apathy is usually felt only in the short term, but sometimes it becomes a long-term or even lifelong state, often leading to deeper social and psychological issues.

How do you move beyond apathy?

What is the downside of Wellbutrin?

Adverse reactions commonly encountered in subjects treated with WELLBUTRIN are agitation, dry mouth, insomnia, headache/migraine, nausea/vomiting, constipation, tremor, dizziness, excessive sweating, blurred vision, tachycardia, confusion, rash, hostility, cardiac arrhythmia, and auditory disturbance.

When should I stop taking Wellbutrin?

Bupropion should never be stopped cold turkey unless your doctor instructs you to do so. Gradually taking less and less Wellbutrin gives the body time to respond to smaller amounts of the medication. Tapering over a longer period of time will also reduce the potential for serious withdrawal symptoms.

How does Wellbutrin change your mood?

People with depression may have low levels of norepinephrine and dopamine. By blocking your brain from reabsorbing norepinephrine and dopamine, aminoketone medications such as Wellbutrin (bupropion) can increase norepinephrine and dopamine levels and treat the symptoms of depression.