You may have what people call wellbutrin insomnia when you experience insomnia as a result of taking the anti-depressant Wellbutrin (bupropion).
The drug itself is intended for people suffering depression. Taking Wellbutrin, either in immediate release (IR), sustained release (SR) or extended release (ER) forms ensures that the patient’s neurotransmitters (brain’s chemical messengers) are active and are able to relay messages to other nerves. The brain thus becomes highly active affecting cognition, apathy, tiredness and other executive functions. The increased activity of the brain resulting from taking the drug makes it highly effective against depression but it results in insomnia and reduced sleep efficiency, especially when ingested at bedtime.
Since depression is already one cause of insomnia, taking the Wellbutrin drug increases a patient’s chances of experiencing insomnia. You thus need to make a decision whether to continue taking Wellbutrin for their depression (which some say is a pretty effective treatment) and simply manage the insomnia that may occur as a side effect. Visiting your doctor is advisable if you want a lesser dosage if the insomnia becomes unbearable.
Wellbutrin can keep you awake
Wellbutrin insomnia may be considered as transient insomnia because you experience insomnia only while under the influence of the medication. Once the depression is cured and you no longer need to take the drug, then the insomnia goes away. However, it may be difficult to differentiate if you’re experiencing the insomnia primarily because of the depression or if it’s a result of the medication. The only thing to do is to treat it and manage it.
Managing wellbutrin insomnia is practically the same as treating regular insomnia. Insomnia is easily set off because there are a number of factors that have the capacity to change your sleeping habits and patterns. It not only pertains to difficulty in getting to sleep but also affects your ability to sleep continuously through the night and to wake up feeling refreshed and well-rested. Though it is initially triggered by the drug wellbutrin, it may be aggravated even more by other simple yet extenuating factors.
In order not to be aggravated by the induced wellbutrin insomnia, you need to be aware of the othercauses of insomnia. You need to avoid added stress because it will only set your mind thinking and with the added effect of the Wellbutrin, you really won’t be able to sleep at all. Try to avoid drinking caffeinated drinks before going to bed. An overload of caffeine raises your activity level too. Always make sure that your sleeping environment is comfortable and relaxing so that everytime that you enter your bedroom, you will immediately feel at ease and you can feel your mind slowing down and getting ready to sleep. It helps that you keep the noise level down and the lights dimmed and remove all other distractions like TV’s, computers and videos from the room so you won’t be tempted to engage in these kinds of activities before going to bed.
The best thing that you can do for yourself is to adhere to a regular sleeping pattern and schedule. You need to sleep at the same time every night and wake up the same time the next morning. This will condition your body clock to remember the kind of sleeping schedule that’s conducive for treating insomnia. Try to create a nightly ritual, like having a warm bath before going to bed, reading a book until you get sleepy, listening to soft music to calm your senses and then only lie down on the bed when you’re really feeling sleepy. That way, your body will recognize your lying down as a signal for sleeping.
You must exercise extreme caution when you consider imbibing alcohol or other sleeping aids in order to get you to fall asleep especially when you’re already taking Wellbutrin. Mixing different substances together is extremely dangerous and may result in fatality. If it’s at all possible, maybe you can schedule your medication during the day so you will have less problems sleeping at night. Daytime is when you should be active anyway so that function of the wellbutrin may be put to good use.
Always remember that insomnia, whether transient, chronic or induced by wellbutrin, is easily manageable if you take the time to find out more about it. Feel free to ask your doctor to double check your dosage if you feel that your insomnia is getting out of hand. You may need to be tested further if only to differentiate the cause of your insomnia before doctors can suggest the proper treatment. If altering your dosage doesn’t work and you feel that a change in medication is in order, don’t hesitate to request for a change from your doctor. Your health and well-being is at stake and you always have to be on the lookout for better alternatives.
For more insomnia facts, insomnia information and treatment check the following pagesInsomnia and Hypnotherapy,Insomnia and Hypnotherapy,Home Remedies for Insomnia,Natural Remedies for Insomnia,Alcohol Insomnia,Insomnia Symptoms and Diagnosisandbest sleeping pills.
