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Re: Need advice re Ovcon, Synthroid, and Wellbutrin

From: Kimberly (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Sat, 5 Jan 2002 00:57:09 -0600 (CST)

Hi Karin, I don't know if I can answer all your questions but I can try a couple. I also take Wellbutrin, synthroid, birth-control (but not Ovcon) and Glucophage as well. (yes, I too am suprised to be on so many meds!)

One of the problems with starting more than one med around the same time is that you don't know what is causing what, or if it's a combination of both causing the problem. I think if I ever start more than one again I will spread them out to avoid it all.

First off, from my research there seems that there would be no problem between synthroid and wellbutrin. The thing about synthroid is that it is replacing something your body should make naturally - so it doesn't seem to react with other meds too much. I myself have had no apparent problems with the two together.

I started Wellbutrin because I had a smoking re-lapse and was going out of my mind. It did it's job, and quite well I might add. (I was shocked at the diffence it made) They say antidepressants take 6 weeks to work - and I tell ya, it was a long six weeks and I thought I might not be able to continue. I was terribly nauseated, had terrible eye strain and neck pain (all normal symptoms)- it also seems to have made me depressed, when I wasn't much before I started it!). I thought it was crazy to live like that but decided to give it the full 6 weeks just to find out. One day I woke up and felt fantastic and the next day I realized almost every single side effect was gone. I have about 1 hour of nausea at night and that's it. One reason I continued besides the smoking is because of the other good side effects. Those include weight loss and an increase in sex drive - and I also get really depressed a few days before my period so I thought it might help. I'm only just starting my 8th week, so I haven't had enough time to say if the results are phenominal - but I can say that the past week has been a drastic change in both my mood and energy level. I don't think I realized how much even minimal depression bothered me. After this week I feel so happy that I put up with the side-effects.

As for you, I guess you must decide if you're at all depressed first (there's some good online tests to try) and then decide if even if you are do you want to continue taking the wellbutrin. I do know from my dr. that Wellbutrin gives many people A LOT more energy than they have without it. (Insomnia is a very common side effect) Some people that I've read about take it for the increase in energy alone. So I definately would not rule out the Wellbutrin being partially responsible for your increase in energy. But it doestn't seem imparative that you take it, so I think it's a decision you really have to make on your own and also ask yourself how long you can put up with the headaches (which are also a side effect). At all, are the side effects worth the benefits in your particular case. Mine were and I'm happy with my decision to stick with it - but if you don't feel the benefits will be worth it, then there would be little reason to take it.

I wouldn't think the headaches are being caused by the synthroid - on top of that synthroid also takes about 6 weeks to start working. I don't know how long you've been on it, but I would attribute the headaches to the Wellbutrin, or the change in birth control, which also causes headaches - but which also SHOULD (but may not)go away after a month or so. I would also check on the corrolation between estrogen and headaches to find out if that is what actually causes the headaches in women that have headaches with BCP. I'm not an expert on BCP's, but I do know there is at least one new pill available in the US that actually HELPS pcos (Jasmin) and there is one overseas (Diane 35) that is specifically used for PCOS and has been in use for years. So you might want to ask your dr. about one of those.

I would not necessarily assume your lack of energy was just due to thyroid. I don't think you would feel so much more dramatically energetic unless you have been on the synthroid for at least 4 weeks, if not 6. (since I don't know how long you've been on it, I can only speculate) That's what the books say anyway! :)

I also don't see that you are on any insulin sensitizing drug. Even if your PCOS is mild - you should still be treated for it with either medication or serious diet and exercise. (since I don't know if you follow a special PCOS style diet, I will assume you are not since you didn't mention it) If you are not treated now your mild PCOS will eventually turn into serious PCOS and a good chance of Diabetes. BCP's only help with a few of the symptoms, but can actually make the PCOS worse by worsening the insulin resistance. I'm discussing this because there is even a possibility that you were fatigued because of blood sugar problems - and maybe the Wellbutrin is giving you more energy and actually masking your blood sugar/insulin problems (if you were to have them). Also, if you stop taking one medicine now and the headaches go away, it might not be that the medicine you stopped taking was causing the headaches, but that the side effects of the one you continued taking tapered off. Point being - there could be several causes of your fatigue, and several causes for your new-found energy, so I wouldn't rule any of the causes out at this point. We must always keep in mind that sometimes we will NEVER know the answers to things like this when it comes to our bodies. There are just too many variables. I DO know that you won't have any clue at all what is helping or hurting you until you pass the initial side-effect stage of both the Wellbutrin and the Ovcon. If I were in your situation I would hold out a few more weeks with all meds, take some aspirin, do some research and find if you want to continue taking them, if they are worth it to you, and if the side effects are bearable.

Hope I've helped a little - and I hope you feel better soon! :) 

--
Kimberly


At Fri,  4 Jan 2002, anonymous wrote:
>
>Hi.  I could use some advice regarding medication.
>
>My background is that I was diagnosed with a mild form of PCOS about 9
>years ago.  Then, a couple of years ago, my PCP found that my tiredness
>is caused by anemia.  More recently, he attributes my continual tired
>feeling to depression, and prescribed Wellbutrin.
>
>For a last year or so, my cysts have been causing me erratic pain.  After
>some research in this forum and elsewhere, I realized that my gyn wasn't
>providing the dedicated care that I deserve, so I dumped him and
>switched to a reproductive endocrinologist (RE) since last June - what a
>world of difference from the gyn ...  she doesn't shrug off my symptoms!
>Most recently she has me on Ovcon 50 because OrthoCyclen caused
>breakthrough bleeding and didn't alleviate my cysts.  When I mentioned
>that the OrthoCylen also seemed to be making me shed more hair, she did
>another blood test and found that although my TSH level appears normal,
>other values (i.e.  antibodies) indicate that I am slightly hypothyroid,
>and put me on Synthroid.
>
>Over the last few weeks, the addition of Synthroid has helped me feel
>less tired and I don't feel like I am sleepwalking through my days.  BUT,
>the combination of Wellbutrin, Ovcon 50, and Synthroid is giving me more
>headaches, some pretty bad.  I never been on so many prescriptions.
>
>So, I have two questions in which I would appreciate some advice.  First,
>does anyone know of any problems between Wellbutrin and Synthroid? My
>thinking is that my fatigue is caused by an underactive thyroid, not
>depression ...  so I plan on calling my PCP to get off of the Wellbutrin
>and see if I still feel ok and hopefully stops the headaches.  Second,
>is anyone on Ovcon 50? The package insert highlights that it has a
>higher dose of estrogen than other bcps ...  so if this is the
>medication I should be on, I worry about side effects.
>
>Thanks in advance for any advice anyone can give me
>!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>Karin



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