Life can get very stressful. Those individuals who are more susceptible to anxiety and depression, are sometimes prescribed Wellbutrin. This medication is used to treat those with severe depressive disorders and seasonal affective disorders. How about combining Phentermine and Wellbutrin? Does it mean losing weight without depression?
Phentermine is a medication that is typically used in tandem with diets for people who are looking to treat obesity or need to lose a significant amount of weight for health reasons.
It is an appetite suppressor that works by increasing your heart rate and blood pressure. By doing so, however, Phentemine increases the chances of mood swings, as one of its common side effects.
It would seem to some people that Wellbutrin would be a logical way to offset the stress onset by Phentemine, but there are some very real concerns with using these two medications together.
Let’s take a look at these medications and why serious caution should be taken when considering combining them.
About Wellbutrin
It works by balancing the body’s neurotransmitters, the chemicals released by the brain to communicate neurological information between the brain and organs.
Known by several other brand names such as Aplenzin and Zyban, this medication was first approved for clinical use in the US in 1985, and is still one of the most prescribed antidepressants in the English speaking world.
Wellbutrin comes as an immediate-release, sustained-release, or extended-release capsule that is taken orally.
Side Effects of Wellbutrin
While most antidepressants are generally safe when taken at the exact direction of a physician or a psychiatrist, there is no such thing as risk-free medication.
The most common side effects, on a spectrum of severity, are generally mild and temporary. They can include headaches, nausea, insomnia, constipation, dizziness, sore throat and an increased heartbeat.
For younger people on Wellbutrin, there could be some more serious side effects, making it all the more important that the medication is taken exactly as directed.
A small percentage of users experience additional side effects that include stomach pain, shakiness, ringing in the ears, muscle pain, vision changes, and disturbing thoughts.
Can Phentemine and Wellbutrin be Taken Together?
You may think that since Wellbutrin helps alleviate anxiety and stress, a known side effect of Phentermine, one could be used to offset the other. But please do not jump to such a conclusion too quickly.
One of the other side effects of Phentemine is that it lowers the body’s threshold for seizures. Conversely, Wellbutrin increases the likelihood of seizures. This puts the two medications’ effect at odds with each other, resulting in drug interaction checks to warn against using the two simultaneously.
In fact, any medication that lowers the seizure thresholds in a patient’s body carries a major interaction risk with Wellbutrin.
The most likely to be affected by this interaction are those with any history of brain injuries or tumors, seizures or metabolic issues. Elderly patients may be more susceptible to this as well.
How Phentemine and Wellbutrin can be Taken Together
It bears repeating that extreme caution should be exercised if these medications are used in tandem. It is crucial to follow the doctor’s directions and doses exactly and to immediately report any negative effects so that the doctor could consider altering the doses.
The Wellbutrin tablets must be taken whole. They should not be cut, crushed, broken up, or have the extended-release capsule opened.
Both medications can dehydrate the body, with the resulting conditions ranging from severe dehydration to kidney stones, so it is important to drink lots of water when taking either, or both together.
While eating a low-calorie diet, the first 12 weeks of the combination of Phentermine-Wellbutrin should net at least 3% of your starting weight being lost. If this does not happen, it is worth communicating this to the doctor to figure out if the dosage is the appropriate one.
Taking the medicines in greater doses or more often than instructed could have serious, life-threatening results. It will not make the desired effects come quicker, nor will this make either medicine more effective.
Conversely, if there are side effects that make you uncomfortable, you should never outright stop taking the medications.
The doctor can instruct on how to properly taper off to not shock your body into a sudden lack of a substance that strong which it is used to receiving.
Risky Combination
Any doctor prescribing the combination of Wellbutrin and Phentemine has made a judgment that the benefits to the patient outweigh the risks. Taking either medicine without full consultation with and prescription by the doctor is at best dangerous, and at worst, life-threatening.
The doctor may judge that you are not obese, and therefore might refuse to prescribe Phentemine. There are other supplements available that can be taken in its place, such as PhenQ for example.
PhenQ contains a mood-enhancing chemical which means taking it for appetite suppression and weight loss should not have an impact on your mood. The doctor should still be consulted before taking this supplement.
Remember, the combination of Phentemine and Wellbutrin is unsafe to the point of potentially being lethal, so the two should only be taken with the informed approval of a physician who has professionally deemed you safe for risking their interactive properties.
How long should I wait after stopping Wellbutrin to start phentermine.