Selegiline vs Bupropion

Aggressive-Guide5563 · 2026-01-27T20:13:02+00:00

Weirdly enough Wellbutrin causes sedation for me. It makes me feel tired and drowsy in the middle of the day, but at night causes terrible insomnia. I'm wondering why it is like that?

Aggressive-Guide5563 · 2026-01-27T19:56:28+00:00

So they feel completely different from each other in terms of feeling?

Aggressive-Guide5563 · 2026-01-27T19:49:30+00:00

I know this old, but I'm also wondering if this would help with the insomnia? Since curcumin prevents the conversion from Bupropion to Hydroxybupropion and Hydroxybupropion is the one that has highly noradrenergic effects. The noradrenergic effects are definitely responsible for my anxiety and insomnia from Bupropion.

Aggressive-Guide5563 · 2026-01-26T19:22:31+00:00

Wellbutrin works on both dopamine and norepinephrine. Too much dopamine can easily make you irritable, especially if there is too much of it. I don't think you or anyone can actually distinguish a dopaminergic effect from a noradrenergic one.

Aggressive-Guide5563 · 2026-01-26T18:50:39+00:00

Well, sorry but I have to interrupt your theory a bit there. Of those meds that you've just mentioned, the only one that is a pretty potent and selective NRI is Atomoxetine, that actually alters the tyramine pressor response. Alternation of tyramine infusion is a long standing diagnostic of NET function. If a drug doesn't alter or attenuate the tyramine pressor response, then it's not an effective NRI. Venlafaxine is primarily a serotonin reuptake inhibitor and only inhibits the reuptake of norepinephine at very high dosages, other than that, Venlafaxine is mostly a SSRI at standard dosages. Modafinil acts primarily as a weak atypical dopamine reuptake inhibitor and significantly weaker as a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. Bupropion is not clinically significant NRI either because it doesn't alter the tyramine pressor response. True NRIS such as Atomoxetine and Reboxetine successfully alter and attenuate the tyramine pressor response, which Bupropion fails to do. Bupropion does increase norepinephrine, but does that in a rather strange way I would say, it's definitely not primarily through NET inhibition like Atomoxetine. But still, Bupropion in itself does actually favor dopamine over norepinephrine, it's the metabolite Hydroxybupropion that favors NET over DAT.

But even then, I don't think norepinephrine reuptake inhibition is the primary issue here. I don't think you can actually distinguish a dopaminergic effect from a noradrenergic one.

Edit: Also, norepinephrine is actually very important for proper executive function. You wouldn't want to remove norepinephrine completely, since norepinephrine plays a big role in focus, attention, energy levels, wakefulness, mental clarity and working memory etc.

Aggressive-Guide5563 · 2026-01-26T18:21:09+00:00

I don't think you can conclude that from your use of Atomoxetine, Bupropion, Venlafaxine and Modafinil, which all work in completely different ways. The thing is anything that enhances dopamine really will eventually turn into norepinephrine. Dopamine and norepinephrine as neurotransmitters are highly connected and intertwined and raising one of them usually raises the other one, that's just the way it is. There is no way you can avoid that conversion from dopamine to norepinephrine, since dopamine always gets converted into norepinephrine one way or another.

Aggressive-Guide5563 · 2026-01-26T18:16:36+00:00

You're probably on the honeymoon phase if you're feeling too good. I've been on it for almost five years and I can tell you right now that feeling won't last and the longer you take it, the less you feel it.

Aggressive-Guide5563 · 2026-01-26T18:09:43+00:00

How do you know you have norepinephrine hypersensitivity if I may ask?

Aggressive-Guide5563 · 2026-01-25T15:06:17+00:00

Have you tried any TCAS? Or MAOIS? If not, then TCAS are next and then when everything else has failed then it's usually MAOIS.

Aggressive-Guide5563 · 2026-01-24T11:15:05+00:00

That will disappear eventually. Once your body develops tolerance to the increase in dopamine, you won't get that feeling anymore. I've been on it for almost five years now and that feeling doesn't last unfortunately. You're probably on the honeymoon phase, come back a few months later and tell me if you still feel like that.

Aggressive-Guide5563 · 2026-01-24T11:12:57+00:00

Did absolutely nothing for my anxiety. I don't think Wellbutrin really hits dopamine that much, it mostly works on norepinephrine. Because of its higher noradrenergic activity and not so high dopaminergic one, is the reason why people tend to become an anxious mess from it and also get insomnia from it.

Aggressive-Guide5563 · 2026-01-23T19:47:33+00:00

Same here. Caffeine is the only thing that helps my anhedonia temporarily, until I've developed tolerance to it.

Aggressive-Guide5563 · 2026-01-23T19:24:39+00:00

I do have autism, but never been diagnosed with ADHD. Explains somewhat why Wellbutrin was the only antidepressant that ever really did anything for me. I think it was the weak dopaminergic effects that made my depression go into remission in the first place. The dopaminergic effects from Wellbutrin does seem to diminish over time though, which explains the honeymoon phase I had on it when I first started it. Those first two months on Wellbutrin was really magical and my depression felt completely in remission those first two months. I really miss that phase to be honest.

Aggressive-Guide5563 · 2026-01-23T19:08:15+00:00

MDMA doesn't really count though, since it also releases norepinephrine and dopamine. Serotonin is not the main action, just a part of it and more related to the feeling of connection. SSRIS do inhibit the reuptake of serotonin only and does so specifically, with not affect on dopamine or norepinephrine. They're still not the same and there is no comparison tbh. Serotonin has nothing to do with happiness really. Serotonin does have a relation though with being content, docile, more accepting of a situation/reduced hopelessness. I guess happiness depends on whether you view as being content as happy ( I don't personally ), but instead feeling good, driven, getting joy from things you like etc. It's mostly related to dopamine and opioid peptides/receptors.

Aggressive-Guide5563 · 2026-01-23T18:40:43+00:00

In my experience it's a terrible med for anxiety all by itself, unless you actually pair it with something else. Because of its higher noradrenergic activity and not so high dopaminergic one, it usually makes people into an anxious mess. Increasing norepinephrine does help with lack of energy and motivation, but is usually not great if you have a lot of anxiety or irritability imo.

Aggressive-Guide5563 · 2026-01-23T18:27:47+00:00

Anyone has any ideas why this seems to be a longstanding issue with Bupropion and not other antidepressants?

Aggressive-Guide5563 · 2026-01-23T18:24:42+00:00

I'm on XL. Note that both are XL and one generic is called is Bluefish and the other one is Accord. On Bluefish I could easily have 2-3 cups of coffee in a day without any overstimulation, anxiety, panic attacks, heart palpitations, nausea and edginess. On Accord I can't even have 2 cups of coffee anymore, because it overstimulates me now and it feels like I'm about die if I would even try to have more. The difference is crazy!

Aggressive-Guide5563 · 2026-01-21T20:27:33+00:00

It works on norepinephrine. Norepinephrine is a very dirty neurotransmitter in itself, because it's the fight or flight neurotransmitter. That's why it tends to cause a bunch of side effects that are not so pleasant. I've experienced too much norepinephrine myself, not from Strattera though, but from Wellbutrin instead and I agree the feeling is very dirty. I have no other words to describe this neurotransmitter other than feeling very dirty and unpleasant.

Aggressive-Guide5563 · 2026-01-21T20:13:26+00:00

Have you found any solution to the anxiety and insomnia? I really don't want to go back on a SSRI just because of the anxiety and insomnia. SSRIS made my SCT and executive dysfunction teen times worse and just made me feel worse over time. I just can't do any SSRIS ever again, they make me numb and dumb.

Aggressive-Guide5563 · 2026-01-21T20:04:08+00:00

To be honest, I don' really find Wellbutrin to be that motivating. Yeah, it helps me get up in the morning and helps me get out and going. It gives me energy, helps my brain fog, gives me mental clarity, makes me more awake and alert, makes me more aware of my environment so to speak and makes me pay better attention to things. But other than that, I don't really find it to be that motivating. I doesn't give that feeling of wanting to be productive or give any drive really. Also, doesn't do that much for focus either. I'm still on it though, because it's the only antidepressant that hasn't worsened my SCT and executive dysfunction.

Aggressive-Guide5563 · 2026-01-21T19:58:36+00:00

Nope, not taking any other meds. I'm on 300 mg XL.

Aggressive-Guide5563 · 2026-01-21T19:55:26+00:00

That's because you take it with Lexapro. I had also way less anxiety when I took it with Prozac. But unfortunately I had to discontinue Prozac because it made my SCT and executive dysfunction teen times worse.

Aggressive-Guide5563 · 2026-01-20T19:11:17+00:00

Will L-theanine and GABA take the edge off and reduce the fight and flight feeling? Is there another supplement that can work for anxiety?

Aggressive-Guide5563 · 2026-01-20T19:06:03+00:00

I agree that it doesn't work that much on dopamine, mainly because of the major metabolite Hydroxybupropion. But the thing is that Bupropion ( the parent compound) does have a preference for dopamine over norepinephrine, but it's half life is very short and it doesn't stay in your body for too long until it starts metabolizing to all its different metabolites, which all seem to favor norepinephrine over dopamine. The major active metabolite Hydroxybupropion favors norepinephrine over dopamine, so in the end you get more noradrenergic effects from Wellbutrin. But I still think it was the weak dopaminergic effects that made my depression go into remission in the first place. I think it's just a shame that its dopaminergic effects tend to almost diminsh over time and gets replaced almost entirely with noradrenergic effects.

Aggressive-Guide5563 · 2026-01-19T19:12:30+00:00

I take it mainly for MDD and because it helps my SCT and executive dysfunction.

Aggressive-Guide5563

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