Weight Loss Start Working What Your Relationship WithWhen Does Wellbutrin for

Weight loss Talk to your doctor about the best weight loss medicine for you.

Before prescribing weight loss medications, healthcare providers take into account certain factors. The potential benefits, side effects, and medical history are all considered.

Weight loss drugs are prescribed by healthcare providers to people who have a BMI of 30 or more, which is considered obese. Weight loss drugs may be prescribed if your BMI ranges between 27 and 29.

This is if you are experiencing health issues related to obesity, such as high blood pressure or people with type 2 diabetes (NIH,2016).

Before prescribing medications, your healthcare provider may determine that you can best treat your obesity or overweight with simple lifestyle modifications, such as a healthy diet plan and regular physical activity.

Wellbutrin weight loss: is it true?

The first things we tend to research when starting an antidepressant, or any new drug in general, are the side effects. Additionally, when you first Google search side effects about antidepressant medications, you may see weight gain as a potential one.

This may cause anxiety and concerns about taking them—especially if you’re trying to lose weight or already have obesity, overweight, high blood pressure, or type 2 diabetes. One study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine found that sertraline.

showed a weight gain, with participants putting on almost eleven pounds after two years. The same study also reported that “bupropion is the only antidepressant associated with long-term weight loss.”

But, in contrast to the common side effects of other antidepressant medications, studies on Wellbutrin suggest it’s the least likely to cause weight gain and can lead to weight loss.

In addition, when taken over some time, Wellbutrin is shown to steadily decrease weight in those with overweight and obesity.

Even more, bupropion, the active ingredient in Wellbutrin, is used for weight management to treat overweight and obesity at Found. Wellbutrin weight loss can be significant for those with obesity or overweight.

How does Wellbutrin cause weight loss?

Dopamine and norepinephrine affect appetite and feeling full (satiety). The ability to control the urge to eat can be more difficult for people with overweight or obesity.

But Wellbutrin leads to increased dopamine levels and may help those with obesity experience fewer cravings.

It also helps reduce body mass by improving energy levels. This can lead to feeling more energetic and being able to do light to moderate physical activity. (Hint hint: getting more robust and better at your freestyle swim stroke.)

A meta-analysis and review published in 2016 in Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology found that in six double-blinded, placebo-controlled trials—meaning neither.

the participant nor researcher knew if the drug or a placebo was given—each trial reported significant weight loss during bupropion treatment. The review included two long-term (52-week) follow-up studies.

Wellbutrin SR and XL: What’s the difference?

With all the names bupropion goes by, like Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL, and Zyban®, it’s easy to get confused about how they vary and why.

Wellbutrin and Zyban are brand names. However, Wellbutrin SR and XL are a bit different. They contain bupropion—the main active ingredient—but depending on which one you take, your body will absorb into your body at different rates.

Wellbutrin XL is an extended-release tablet that releases more slowly than the Wellbutrin SR (sustained-release), which is released faster.

Found-affiliated clinicians don’t prescribe Wellbutrin XL and SR but do prescribe bupropion to members who qualify and for whom bupropion is part of an effective treatment plan.

Your Found health care provider will discuss options and decide which medication is best for you.

Generic versions of Wellbutrin XL and SR—bupropion XL and SR— are also available for weight loss.

How long does it take Wellbutrin to work for weight loss?

While every person’s response to medicines is different, according to the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI), “sleep, energy, or appetite may show some improvement within the first 1-2 weeks. Improvement in physical symptoms can be an important early signal that the medication is working.

” But NAMI also notes it may take 6 to 8 weeks to see a complete improvement (for depression and anxiety). This is a general timeframe, and how long it takes Wellbutrin to work for you varies based on the individual.

Along those same lines, how long you’ll need to take bupropion is something you’ll discuss with your Found-affiliated provider. However, health care providers often prescribe it for an extended period for sustainable weight care and to continue treating overweight and obesity.

Additionally, no known problems exist with taking bupropion long-term—as long as you take it exactly as directed. Wellbutrin for weight loss seems to be tolerated well in patients taking the drug.

However, you may be wondering why Wellbutrin does cause weight loss and if it will work in your body, specifically.

Does Wellbutrin cause weight loss?

In clinical trials conducted before the launch of Wellbutrin (bupropion with sustained release) for the treatment of depression in pre-marketing studies, 28% of patients who received the drug at doses of 300mg or 400mg per day experienced a mild weight loss greater than 5 pounds.

It was more significant than the weight loss seen in patients who were given a placebo. The medication was then studied on obese and overweight adult women.

and it showed that bupropion is more effective than placebo at weight loss after eight weeks. Bupropion’s ability to maintain weight loss over time is most impressive.

A study from 2012 found that obese or overweight adults who took sustained-release bupropion at doses of 300 mg or 400mg lost weight when combined with lifestyle interventions.

A clinical trial conducted by Group Health researchers and published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine found that when antidepressants of different types were compared to determine their effect on long-term weight changes, bupropion was the only one associated with long-term weight loss.

Other antidepressants had a modest impact, while other antidepressants caused weight gain. Bupropion is the first choice for antidepressants in overweight and obese depressed patients, as there are no known differences in antidepressant efficacy.

Wellbutrin weight loss: How does it work?

Wellbutrin’s weight loss mechanism is not fully understood. Bupropion is a dual neurotransmitter that inhibits the reuptake of norepinephrine and dopamine.

It has no clinically meaningful effect on serotonin. Stimulating dopamine and norepinephrine suppresses the hypothalamus – the brain’s part regulating appetite.

The two are linked since medications decrease obesity. Bupropion can also affect the dopamine mesolimbic circuit in the brain, which is responsible for the reward system. Wellbutrin is also helpful in weight loss for those who tend to stress-eat.

Combining extended-release bupropion with naltrexone – a well-known opioid antagonist – can also positively impact chronic weight loss.

Naltrexone alone has no impact on weight loss. Still, its antagonistic effect on opioid receptors, in combination with the role that opiates play

in rewarding high-fat and sugary meals, should reduce the subjective pleasure associated with liking certain foods. This combination comes in a single tablet under the brand name Contrave.

Wellbutrin is approved for weight loss in specific individuals.

Wellbutrin SR or Wellbutrin XL are not FDA-approved for weight loss. However, they can be used as a weight-loss medication off-label.

This may be a good choice for patients that also need antidepressant therapy. The 400 mg/day dose was associated with more significant percentages of weight loss compared to the 300 mg/day dosage.

Contrave tablets with extended release of bupropion are available. Contrave was FDA-approved in 2014 for the chronic weight management of obese or overweight adults with at least one weight-related comorbid condition.

Contrave comes in a titrated dosage for adults over 18 years old, with a maximum dose of two tablets (16mg naltrexone/180mg bupropion) taken twice daily. Clinical studies showed an average weight reduction of nine pounds after 56 weeks.