# Wellbutrin, Exercise, Energy Drinks



## TooRational (Aug 4, 2011)

Hello everyone. I want to share my story since it's so odd and counterintuitive. I hope it helps others, and maybe researchers will read this and start figuring it out.

I got sudden onset social anxiety disorder when I was 29 years old. Had all the classic symptoms: can't eat in public/around important people, heart racing in social situations, can't talk or keep eye contact with the checkers at stores, hard to talk to strangers in a formal setting (e.g. asking nurse questions and then getting detailed response), have trouble with eye contact with boss, couldn't (physiologically) take any criticism at all (body would go haywire), brain zaps, brain fog - all of it.

I went to urgent care, wasn't functioning. I got Celexa. It was a miracle drug. I felt changes within 1 week, by 2 weeks I felt fine at work. By 6 months, the SAD was gone entirely. After 1 year, however, I gained 18 pounds (Normally, I could eat at Olive Garden 4x per week on business trips - and I did - and not gain a pound). I am in great cardio shape, was an ex college athlete, and didn't work out too much during that time period. Diet didn't change. All in all, I might have gained 5 of that on my own (i.e. it wasn't the Celexa). I stopped Celexa because I thought it all went away.

I was okay for a while, but then relapsed. Not all of the symptoms came back. I don't have the brain zaps, I don't have a racing heart talking to people, I can eat most of the time. I still have some symptoms. I didn't go to any therapy (I'm a pretty optimistic person and whenever I hear negative self-talk, I always verbally talk myself up in efforts to re-wire myself). 

Now, I'm taking Wellbutrin b/c I don't want to gain weight. Surprisingly, Wellbutrin has solved the problem to a tune of about 80%. It was a little rough getting started, I felt drugged for about 3 weeks. But, Wellbutrin is definitely working for me, particularly at around 8 or 9 hours after I take it. I am taking Wellbutrin SR 150 (12 hour release). 

Tonight I am experimenting. Since I feel like I lack a little concentration from around 7:30 am. - 2 p.m., I am taking Wellbutrin at night tonight to see how I am tomorrow. Hopefully I will sleep since this is a stimulant. I guess we'll see.

But, here is the weird thing I've noticed lately. I have had to entirely quit drinking coffee. One cup of coffee and my SA is 10,000 times worse. However. The Rockstar Recover Energy Drink in the White Can: Sugarfree. I have been drinking one the last few days at around 1:30 or 2 when I start feeling better anyways. I feel amazing after I drink them. I have energy. I am more focused. The brain fog is significantly lowered. AND, I just walked into a store today right after drinking the Rockstar, and I didn't feel one ounce of my SA in interacting with the staff, or the person at the check out counter.

How is this happening? I don't know, but someone needs to study it. At least for me, stimulant + stimulant = no SAD.

I suspect that some of this has to do with the fact that this particular Rockstar Energy drink has a number of calming herbs and minerals in it; namely, Milk Thistle Extract, Taurine, Inositol, among a few others. These are supplements that are on the market, all marketed as anti-anxiety medications. When you combine them with whatever kind of caffeine is in this energy drink, and whatever delivery patterns energy drinks follow.....it has tremendous effects.

For me, the anxiety doesn't really feel like nervousness. It feels more like fogginess, and a kind of paralysis of sorts. The energy drink does away with that for me.

This probably will not work for everyone. But, I wanted to throw that out there. If you don't try one of the drinks, research the herbs/minerals they are putting in these beverages. They may be worth a try. There is also a new supplement out called Magnesium L-Treonate that has the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and is supposed to work very well on the fog.


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## CopadoMexicano (Aug 21, 2004)

I remember taking Wellbutrin Sr about six years ago along with energy drinks I didnt notice any difference except constipation.


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## Revenwyn (Apr 11, 2011)

When I took Wellbutrin, I was a 15 year old girl. I started weight lifting and could feel no burn. I could do cardio for hours and then go on and lift weights for hours. Within a month I was bench pressing 250 pounds. When my voice started deepening too, they took me off of it.

Now at 31 I can still bench 250 pounds...


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## fineline (Oct 21, 2011)

wellbutrin makes my mouth taste terrible. also, increases my anxiety a step up.

not worth it for me for the mild stimulation and appetite suppression it brings.


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