Can Wellbutrin Help You Lose Weight?

Summary

1. Wellbutrin is a medication that may be given to people who want to lose weight because that is one of its side effects (off-label uses).

2. Unlike some other antidepressants, Wellbutrin doesn’t make you gain weight. However, not everyone who takes Wellbutrin will lose weight.

3. Wellbutrin can’t be bought without a prescription in the U.S., but a doctor can write you a prescription for it to help you lose weight.

4. Wellbutrin can cause some side effects, but most of them can be prevented by doing what your doctor tells you to do.

5. Before taking Wellbutrin to lose weight, you might want to look at other choices. People who tend to eat too much when they’re worried tend to lose more weight with this drug.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has only cleared bupropion for depression, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and quitting smoking. However, the drug is used for other purposes as well.

One of the unapproved uses of Wellbutrin is to help people lose weight. Most other drugs make people gain weight, but bupropion often makes people lose weight.

This piece will explain what Wellbutrin is, how it works, what side effects it can cause, and how it can help you lose weight.

What does Wellbutrin do?

Bupropion hydrochloride is what Wellbutrin is a brand name for. Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR, and Wellbutrin XL are the three different forms of this tablet antidepressant.

The drug can be used to treat some conditions, but it can also be used for other things that the FDA hasn’t cleared.

If you live in the United States, you can’t buy the drug without a prescription from a doctor.

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What Is Wellbutrin Used For?

According to the FDA, bupropion can be used for three different things. However, it can also be used to help with many other things. Wellbutrin can be prescribed for uses that are not on the package by a qualified healthcare provider.

The following are the on-label (allowed) and off-label (not allowed) uses.

Uses on the label:

Depression in adults
SAD stands for seasonal depressive disorder.
Giving up smoking

Of course, listed on the label:

Stress and worry
Problems with sex
Depression that is linked to bipolar illness or being overweight
Loss of weight
Feeling tired
Disorders of social anxiety
PTSD stands for post-traumatic stress disorder.
ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disease.
Pain caused by nerves

How Does Wellbutrin Help You Lose Weight?

However, the FDA has not cleared bupropion for weight loss. However, it is one of the active ingredients in Contrave, a weight-loss drug that has been approved by the FDA.

A study from 2016 showed strong proof that bupropion can help people lose weight in the long run. Due to its effect on noradrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin, bupropion may help you lose weight by:

Giving you more power
Taking away your hunger
Making you feel better
Taking away your stress

How quickly will Wellbutrin help me lose weight?

Clinical studies have shown that taking Wellbutrin can help. People who took 400 mg of Wellbutrin per day lost twice as much body weight as people who took a dummy.

It’s important to remember, though, that Wellbutrin is a drug used to treat depression, not a magic weight-loss pill. People who are trying to lose weight might not be able to make it work.

Weight loss with Wellbutrin varies depending on a number of things, but people who take the drug should start to see effects after about eight weeks.

Quickly with wellbutrin

How much weight can I lose while taking Wellbutrin?

How much weight you can lose while taking Wellbutrin depends on a number of things. When taking Wellbutrin, people may lose more weight if they:

Have a bigger BMI, which means they need to lose more weight.
Plan what you’re going to eat.
Make their food less caloric, which means they either eat fewer calories than they did before or do more physical exercise to burn more calories than they eat.
Regularly work out.
Take Contrave, which is made up of bupropion and naltrexone.
I want to lose weight.

How much Wellbutrin should I take?

You should always talk to your doctor about how much medicine to take, but 300 to 400 mg of Wellbutrin every day can help you lose weight.

It’s never easy to stop wanting food and lose weight, no matter what method you use. Talking to your doctor about your weight loss goals and limits will help them come up with changes and medicines that will work for you.

Should I lose weight while taking Wellbutrin?

Most antidepressants will make your weight go up and down, but bupropion treatment might not help everyone who takes it for weight loss.

There is also a small chance that Wellbutrin could make you gain weight. Because of this, you should talk to your doctor about your goals before you start treatment.

People who tend to eat too much when they are worried usually lose more weight on Wellbutrin than people who don’t tend to eat too much when they are stressed.

Your doctor can give you a lot of different medicines to help you lose weight. Before taking Wellbutrin, make sure you’ve thought about other choices.

How can I use Wellbutrin to help me lose weight faster?

There are many things you can do in addition to your Wellbutrin weight loss plan if you want to lose more weight.

If you want to lose weight faster or have effects that last longer, you should:

Maintain a healthy weight.
Talk to a professional, like a chef or dietitian.
Stick to a meal plan that has a calorie shortage that you can stick to.
Cut back on “empty calories” like those in sugary drinks.
Limit how much alcohol you drink and drink more water to stay refreshed.
Cut back on processed foods, especially meats that have been treated.
Watch how much sugar you eat.
Regularly work out.
Get more and better sleep to help your body’s hunger cues work normally.
Getting more fiber will help you feel fuller for longer.
Don’t weigh yourself too often because it can make you give up. Instead, look for other signs that you’re losing weight over time, like clothes that fit better or are looser.
Keep up the work you’re doing.

What Does Wellbutrin Do to Your Body?

There are side effects to all medicines, and Wellbutrin is no different. There are two types of Wellbutrin side effects: those that happen often and those that don’t happen very often.

Effects That Happen Often

Having trouble sleeping
Heartbeat too fast
Head hurts
Mouth feeling dry
Feeling sick

Not-So-Common Side Effects

Getting restless
Stress and worry
Gas and bloating
Feeling sick
Seizures and fatigue
Thoughts of suicide
False beliefs and fear
A lot of blood pressure
Strong allergic reactions
Episodes of mania
Trouble seeing
Antidepressants can cause dangerous side effects, so it’s important to always do what your doctor tells you.

If you follow these steps, you can avoid the worst Wellbutrin side effects:

Follow the directions on your medicine.
You should let your doctor know about all the other prescription and over-the-counter medicines you’re taking.
Talk to your doctor about your worries and questions.
Don’t use other drugs, drink booze, or do dangerous things.
Have a healthy, well-balanced meal.
Talk to your doctor if you think you might be having bad side effects or if you think you need to change the amount of Wellbutrin you are taking. Tell your doctor or nurse if you’re depressed or thinking about committing suicide.
Keep an eye on your blood pressure and make sure it stays in a healthy range.

What else can I do to slim down?

The Harvard School of Public Health says that about 71% of people ages 20 and up are overweight or fat. Too much weight costs more than $260 billion a year in direct medical costs. You can start losing weight or at least get on the right track right now by doing a lot of different things besides taking Wellbutrin. Here are some suggestions and tips to help you lose weight:

Breakfast should always be eaten.
Every day, eat at regular times.
Pay attention to what you eat—writing it down in a journal can help!
Make exercise a part of your daily life.
Drink water to stay refreshed.
Fiber-rich foods, whole foods (not processed), and foods that have been slightly prepared should all be eaten.
The most important thing is to get enough good sleep.
Talk to your doctor about other drugs that can help you lose weight.
Cut down on your plate.
Do not keep unhealthy food in your house.
Instead of getting food, make healthy meals at home.
Cut down on sugar and booze.
Make plans for your meals ahead of time.
If you want to learn more about food, talk to a professional, like a chef or nutritionist.

When should I go to the doctor to lose weight?

You should talk to a doctor before starting a new diet or a tough workout plan. This is very important if you already have a health problem, like diabetes or high blood pressure.

Talk to your primary care doctor before starting a new plan to make sure it is safe. A plan to lose weight that works for a family member or friend might not work for you.

You should see your doctor right away if any of the following are true:

You have gained weight for no clear reason.
No matter what meals or workouts you try, you don’t seem to be able to lose weight.
Your weight makes you more likely to get sick, so you need to lose weight.
You are overweight and showing signs of depression.
Your weight is affecting your health.
Before surgery, you need to lose weight.
You think you might have a health problem that makes it hard for you to lose weight.

How can I find out more about Wellbutrin for weight loss?

If you’re stressed, do you eat too much? From your phone, computer, or tablet, you can talk to a board-certified doctor or nurse practitioner about Wellbutrin and other weight-loss choices. They can tell you more about how the drug can help you hit your weight loss goals and live a better life.