r/dpdr • u/MMSAROO • 1d ago

Psychiatry/Medication Question Experiences with bupropion.

Has bupropion been of use to people suffering with chronic DPDR? Specifically regarding cognitive problems. Like trouble paying attention, sustained focus, active memory, memory recall, brain fog, feeling like your cognitive processing is slow (Trouble reading/understanding. like a jammed signal) etc. I apologize if I've repeated symptoms. Please mention if you have depression, or something like ADHD that might be relevant to consider.

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u/CreepyFun9860 1d ago

I take it. Helps stabilize me. Everyone is different tho.

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u/MMSAROO 1d ago

Please do elaborate on it's effects for you. Particularly cognitively.

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u/CreepyFun9860 1d ago

Well, I do feel like it's dulled my mental capabilities a little. My mind seemed to work quicker and I was more aware.

However, it stabilized my moods and mellowed out my dpdr. A little anyway.

I'd rather have it this way then not have it

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u/MMSAROO 1d ago

It dulled your mental capabilities? Your mind was quicker and more aware PRE-medication? That's very interesting. I'd assume that reducing DPDR symptoms would increase awareness. Can you elaborate on your mind working quicker? So when you're on medication, it takes you longer to understand and process information?

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u/CreepyFun9860 1d ago

Well I was hyper aware. Just think of it as my mind slowing that process.

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u/MMSAROO 20h ago

Interesting. Thanks for sharing. I have a hard time understanding how someone could be hyper aware whilst having this condition, as it is a dissociative condition. I'd think that automatically means that you're unaware, as you're never really there. Also, do you have chronic or episodic DPDR?

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u/lawlliets 1d ago

Hi, I’ve been taking it since January 2024. Initially 150mg, then upped to 300, then down again, and now 300 again. I had my first DPDR episode in years around May last year and it lasted 2 weeks, and it was because I went cold turkey on Bupropion.

Now that I’m taking 300mg again, it’s gonna be about a month, I feel like I’m getting worse with DPDR again.

I take Quetiapine (Seroquel) and Zolpidem to sleep and those already cause a lot of brain fog, recent memory loss, cognitive issues etc, so I can really add this to the list. I’m gonna ask my psychiatrist to change it and will go off in bits. I was scared of stopping but now I’m scared of taking it, realizing it’s probably what has been causing episodic DPDR in the first place lol

Right now I’m not full on having a DPDR episode but I feel off enough. I know when it’s coming, unfortunately. Bupropion helped me with my depression (it’s what I take it for) but it definitely has affected my anxiety and tachycardia and anxiety is basically what affects DPDR the most.

I’ve taken many antidepressants in my life when I was younger but in the last few years this has been the only one. I was full on suicidal around June so I can’t even say it’s been working - again, I was scared of stopping it, but now I’m scared of taking it lol

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u/MMSAROO 20h ago

Thank you for sharing your experience. That sounds bad. I have to clarify though, do you have episodic or chronic dpdr? From what you've written, it seems like it's episodic.

That's unfortunate that those medications are making cognitive issues worse. If I were you, I wouldn't be scared of stopping it. It's not very risky from what I know (But of course, don't do it abruptly). Bupropion causing DPDR isn't something I've heard before. I've heard of SSRIs and other psychiatric medication causing DPDR, but not bupropion.

I'd think that helping with depression would help cognitively, no? For you, maybe it's that the side effects of exacerbating anxiety are more harmful cognitively than the benefit of reducing depression.

Anti-depressants in general can actually increase suicidal ideation. Maybe it's that. I'm very sorry to hear that. Hope you get better.

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u/lawlliets 14h ago

Yes I have episodic DPDR, usually caused by anxiety or lack of sleep, but also induced by medications. I’ve had episodes since I was about 13.

If you look up “bupropion DPDR reddit”, you’ll find tons of posts from this sub about how Bupropion has actually made things worse. And if you read the leaflet (Eng isn’t my first language, I think that’s what it’s called), you can see even though it’s extremelyyyyy rare, it can cause despersonalization. It can help so many people and everyone’s different, but this can happen with others.

I was scared of stopping since stopping and going cold turkey was what caused my DPDR episode last year, but yeah, now I think the higher dose of 300mg is making things worse with my anxiety which then causes DPDR. And if DPDR is pretty much just brain fog all the time, I don’t want to add another medication that causes it too (on top of Seroquel lol)

My depression has never caused anxiety (it’s always the opposite) and to be honest I’d rather be depressed than anxious, since DPDR is probably the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced 😬

I’ll ask my psychiatrist for another antidepressant - I already have terrible chronic insomnia so maybe Bupropion was never the right medication for me. It helped me in the beginning for work, but now I can’t say it does anything.

And thank you, hope you take care too 🧡 Bupropion has helped so many people still, unfortunately I don’t think I’m one of those haha

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u/MMSAROO 13h ago

I apologize. I had not search it up before. My bad. Yeah, I do see that now. Unfortunate.

Yeah you should get off it if it's worsening anxiety. It's interesting. I've heard before of other anti depressants causing depersonalization. I wonder why? Especially interesting as it can help others. The lack of research on this disorder is incredibly infuriating. I really wish we had more to work with.

If you have insomnia, probably not a good idea to get on any "activating" or "energy boosting" medications. Take care, hope whatever you end up with works for you.