Why Does Wellburtrin Help With Pots? Need To Inform Doctor I Am Not On It For Depression...

[Ash]

Hello, I am hoping somebody will be able to answer this question for me, so that I may better be able to inform my doctor..so my cardiologist has me on wellbutrin to help give me some energy, and so far it is the only drug I noticed a marked difference with. Well he wanted me to go to my OBGYN to have my hormone levels tested, as it is the only blood test I haven't had done and I have had 2 miscarriages. My normal OBGYN was booked out for a month so I went to his associate, it was the first time I have met this OBGYN. Well aside from arguing with me about doing a hormone panel, just kept saying that it is too early to test for infertility ( haven't been trying for a year) and since I have had miscarriages it does mean I can get pregnant, soi kept explaining to him that I don't want the test for infertility but see if my hormones are imbalanced and may be causing some of my symptoms (he doesn't think so, but also didn't ask what my symptoms really are)....okay I will get to my question, when asking what medication I am taking I told him wellbutrin to help with energy, he kinda looked at me and semi rolled his eyes and stated "well I don't think that's the case" I then told him I am not depressed and that it was prescribd to help give an energy boost ....but I am hoping that maybe someone can explain to me why it is used and how it works so next time I have a doctor challenge the reason I am taking it I can politely inform them of why it is used a how it works. I have tried searching on google but haven't really found an answer. Thanks in advance for any replies.

[bebe127]

Ash,

Sorry you are having to deal with doctors that just aren't informed on many levels. I don't know anyhting about Wellbutrin, but one of my dr.s put me on Celexa (which I couldn't tolerate), but specifically stated that is was not for depression and these types of medications are now being used to treat many other things besides depression.

I found the following on the Dinet.org site under the "what helps" section:

Wellbutrin (Bupropion) is a central nervous system stimulant. It is a dopamine agonist and also a weak blocker of the neuronal uptake of serotonin and norepinephrine. Wellbutrin is not habit forming and works immediately. Wellbutrin can sometimes be used to combat the fatigue that plagues POTS patients. (via Dinet.org).

Sorry I couldn't be of more help, but I'm sure that there are many on here that can give better information as well as many that might have experienced exactly what you're going through. I think it is such a shame that we need to spend precious time informing doctors when it really should be the other way around. Such is life with POTS

Hope you get some answers soon.

[badhbt]

It is so frustrating to come across Doctors like that. Shame on them for not hearing you out. He obviously does not know what POTS is.

[Chaos]

I'm not sure anyone can tell you exactly why it works with POTS. My POTS neuro told me one of the reasons he doesn't like to use it in his patients is because it has so MANY different effects in the nervous system and in the body that it's hard to know exactly what it's doing. He tried weaning me off it for that reason, but we both realized that for me personally, this is a drug that is a huge help for my POTS symptoms.

The fact that it's a dopamine agonist is what I think is helping me as well as the fact that it is a fairly strong TNF alpha inhibitor. If, as Bebe noted, it's a weak blocker of NE reuptake then maybe that's why I can tolerate it without too many side effects where I haven't been able to tolerate any SSRI/SNRI meds.

[Relax86]

I say let the Doc enjoy his life of ignorance...the chances of opening that persons eyes are slim and it makes us feel crappy to have to defend our dysautonomia. Some Docs want to grow...this doc sounds like he/she just wants to be right. Also, does Wellbutrin put weight on people? I have interest in trialling something new for my current symptoms but I don't have the option of weight gain.

[Ash]

Thank you guys for the information, I meet with the doctor again next Friday to go over other results and may bring it up casually

Relax- from what I have read wellbutrin has been looked at for being used as a weight loss drug, not sure if it is only for people that have an over eating addiction to food type weight gain or just in general, but it is also used in smoking cessation so not sure how it helps exactly in breaking "addictions" there seems to be a lot of info on this forum on wellbutrin and some people respond well to it and some not so much, but that is fairly normal across the board with all medications. I have not gained weight on it, it does seem to make me not hungry or have as big as an appetite but I also had that before getting on it, it would just come and go. I have also lost about five pounds since going on it again a month ago. i did trial run for a month, loved it but got off it as we are TTC, but got back on it as it was approved by my normal OBGYN and cardiologist, to use it until we get a positive PG test and then we will go from there. But so far it is the only medication I take daily, and the one that helps my symptoms the most, it does help with increased energy and maybe with brain fog slightly for me....

[julieph85]

I'm pretty sure it does help a lot with fatigue. The reason is because it is a potent TNF alpha inhibitor. It has been proven in studies (sorry don't have which ones, but i have read them in journals) that high TNF alpha levels are what causes the fatigue in many autoimmune disorders. Therefore- that would lead you to believe that its anti tnf effects are what fights the fatigue.... just a thought.

[ramakentesh]

A very interesting thought Julie. I know a few now trialling TNF alpha inhibitors for other problems and it will be interesting to see if they also improve POTS.

Some stimulants seem to work well in some POTS patients - people assume because of vasoconstrictive effects but it seem some central dopamine enhancers seem to be well tolerated which is interesting.