# Heart skipping beats with Wellbutrin



## insaticiable

So, I just started taking 100 mg of Wellbutrin SR yesterday, and while it has definitely had a positive impact on my depression, I've noticed another alarming effect it has on me: My heart started racing really wildly last night and skipped a couple beats! I took it again today, and it is doing the same thing. I'm really concerned now b/c I'm afraid I'll have a heart attack with this thing. Like, it's actually bothering me really bad. I'm definitely going to have to contact my psychiatrist AGAIN this week to inform him of this side effect.

Anyone else experience this on Wellbutrin?


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## ValleyGirl

heart palpitations are extrememly common with bad anxiety. It may not be the medication that is causing the palpitations but the anxiety you are feeling that is causing them. I went through a period after the birth of my 2nd baby where I had frequent palpitations for months. When I have them I will get this sudden feeling like all the air is sucked out of my lungs and I automatically gasp. Always my heart will beat again really hard and then start beating normally. I had an echocardiogram about 6 months ago and they looked at every part of my heart, my neck veins and my aorta and said that my heart is perfect structurally. Generally, a structurally perfect heart will not cause problems. I am sure that your heart is the same too.


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## insaticiable

The paramedics just left my house.

I was trying to ride it out, telling myself it would pass. Well it got really fucking bad and I started gasping and everything was going white in front of me. I immediately dialed 911 b/c I did not want to die. So they came and checked me out and said that my blood pressure was a little high. Wow. Honestly...that was really scary.

Also....the chest pains started with no anxiety. I'm sitting there and my heart starts racing out of no where and skipping beats. It did this last night too. It's not that much of a coincidence b/c I just started Wellbutrin yesterday. I'll be okay.

I'm just gonna go lie down now.


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## resinoptes

Almost exactly the same thing happened to me when i took Wellbutrin.
I didn't call 911, just ran from my house in terror









Wellbutrin is scary.

Actually, in the aftermath of that experience i stopped trying to use pharms to treat my DP altogether.

They were making me worse, in an insidious way...


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## insaticiable

resinoptes said:


> Almost exactly the same thing happened to me when i took Wellbutrin.
> I didn't call 911, just ran from my house in terror
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Wellbutrin is scary.
> 
> Actually, in the aftermath of that experience i stopped trying to use pharms to treat my DP altogether.
> 
> They were making me worse, in an insidious way...


It's funny b/c I took Wellbutrin SR 150 mg for a year and a half with NO problems. No heart palpitations, heart skipping beats...

Somehow...this 100 mg SR version just isn't working out too well for me physically. It's such a shame too, because it really took away my suicidal depression this time around.









Also...I need to be on medication for other mental disorders I suffer from. I'm really not expecting to be ''cured'' from pharmaceuticals.


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## Visual

insaticiable said:


> So, I just started taking 100 mg of Wellbutrin SR yesterday, and while it has definitely had a positive impact on my depression, I've noticed another alarming effect it has on me: My heart started racing really wildly last night and skipped a couple beats! I took it again today, and it is doing the same thing. I'm really concerned now b/c I'm afraid I'll have a heart attack with this thing. Like, it's actually bothering me really bad. I'm definitely going to have to contact my psychiatrist AGAIN this week to inform him of this side effect.
> 
> Anyone else experience this on Wellbutrin?


Sorry to hear about this frightening experience.

Wellbutrin raises norepinephrine. This can cause your experience, though you were not in danger. I use 75mg which has been very helpful. But higher doses cause problems (but not heart racing). Many people have initially strong reactions to Wellbutrin.

If you choose to work with this med again, take ¼ pill only (it is safe to break Wellbutrin SR into smaller sizes). And only in the morning. See how it goes. But skip it today.

Since you used it in the past without this reaction, it would be helpful to try to find out why.

What other medications are your taking right now?

Are you taking thyroid medication?

Wish you success


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## insaticiable

Visual Dude said:


> Sorry to hear about this frightening experience.
> 
> Wellbutrin raises norepinephrine. This can cause your experience, though you were not in danger. I use 75mg which has been very helpful. But higher doses cause problems (but not heart racing). Many people have initially strong reactions to Wellbutrin.
> 
> If you choose to work with this med again, take ¼ pill only (it is safe to break Wellbutrin SR into smaller sizes). And only in the morning. See how it goes. But skip it today.
> 
> Since you used it in the past without this reaction, it would be helpful to try to find out why.
> 
> What other medications are your taking right now?
> 
> Are you taking thyroid medication?
> 
> Wish you success


Hey there VisualDude,

Yes, I skipped my dose today, and while I feel like shit, my heart is no longer doing summersaults! So, I definitely think the heart problems were associated with the 100 mg Wellbutrin SR.

Yes, it is strange how I took 150 mg Wellbutrin SR in the past, which is a higher dose than the one I was prescribed now, with virtually no problems, but am having problems with this specific dose.

I didn't call my doc today, but am planning to do so tomorrow. Also, I'm noticing that I feel VERY spacey and just out of it. Hope this will pass shortly.

I am taking Lamictal 50 mg (we had to re-start this one as well). And yep, thyroid medication as well. 50 mcg Levothyroxine. That is going pretty well.

Thanks for the concern!


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## staples

I had the same issue when I tried Wellbutrin XL 150mg. I'm very sensitive to medication side effects and this was one of the worst medications I've taken (at least at the 150mg range). We then dropped it down to 75mg on SR which seemed to be a little bit better but it gave me a lot of irritability and of course, anxiety was still there. Maybe matched with an SSRI this could give a positive outcome on DP/DR, at least for me.


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## insaticiable

staples said:


> I had the same issue when I tried Wellbutrin XL 150mg. I'm very sensitive to medication side effects and this was one of the worst medications I've taken (at least at the 150mg range). We then dropped it down to 75mg on SR which seemed to be a little bit better but it gave me a lot of irritability and of course, anxiety was still there. Maybe matched with an SSRI this could give a positive outcome on DP/DR, at least for me.


Yeah, I've heard of people matching this drug with an SSRI b/c Wellbutrin seems to be a more stimulating antidepressant and can induce further anxiety in those who already suffer from anxiety, and adding an SSRI would probably counterbalance that effect. When I was on 150 mg Wellbutrin SR, I didn't notice any bad anxiety or anything, but when I asked my psychiatrist at the time if we could increase it, she said it might be a bad idea for me, considering I suffer from OCD (an anxiety disorder).

I've never been on the XL version before.


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## insaticiable

Update:

So, I saw my psychiatrist yesterday and told him about the heart problems I was experiencing on the 100 mg of Wellbutrin SR and he wrote a script for Propanolol (sp?) which is a beta-blocker and he said it would counter-act the over-stimulation caused by Wellbutrin. I'm going to pick it up tonight and start it tomorrow morning. He said to take the Propanolol & Wellbutrin at the same time. We'll see how it goes....


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## Visual

insaticiable said:


> Update:
> 
> So, I saw my psychiatrist yesterday and told him about the heart problems I was experiencing on the 100 mg of Wellbutrin SR and he wrote a script for Propanolol (sp?) which is a beta-blocker and he said it would counter-act the over-stimulation caused by Wellbutrin. I'm going to pick it up tonight and start it tomorrow morning. He said to take the Propanolol & Wellbutrin at the same time. We'll see how it goes....


Interesting, had been talking about trying this - See http://www.dpselfhelp.com/forum/index.php?/topic/24923-propranolol/page__p__214530__hl__propranolol__fromsearch__1#entry214530


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## insaticiable

Visual Dude said:


> Interesting, had been talking about trying this - See http://www.dpselfhelp.com/forum/index.php?/topic/24923-propranolol/page__p__214530__hl__propranolol__fromsearch__1#entry214530


Thanks for the link VisualDude...I just checked out the whole thread lol...informative stuff.


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