Allison Crews Soul Sister Rebel Mom
Girls like me have raised presidents. We've raised messiahs and musicians, writers and settlers. Girls like me won't compromise, and we won't fail.
--Alli Crews, August 26, 1982 - June 11, 2005
A month after the death of Allison Crews, finally this answer from the coroner: She suffered a seizure caused by Wellbutrin.
* * * * *
Wellbutrin (bupropion, Zyban) is an antidepressant. How it works is unknown even to its makers.
Red flag.
It is the third leading cause of drug-related seizures and was withdrawn in 1986 because of an unacceptable incidence of seizures. It was released back onto the market by the FDA in 1986 for unknown reasons.
You can get Wellbutrin at free clinics and from many doctors--very few questions asked--but Wellbutrin is a hard-core drug with a long list of warnings and counter-indications.
DO NOT USE WELLBUTRIN IF YOU HAVE EVER HAD A SEIZURE OR AN EATING DISORDER. People who are bulimic are at a very serious risk of seizure. Alcohol increases the risk of seizure, but quitting drinking suddenly can also increase the risk!
Wellbutrin is prescribed for quitting smoking as well as for depression and ADD, but if you use it with a nicotine patch (or even if you use it alone), your blood pressure can skyrocket.
Wellbutrin and many other antidepressants are no longer approved for kids under 18. But if you're not that much older than 18, you'd also be wise to think twice. Hell, I took it at age 28 and had a serious allergic reaction: Trouble breathing, throat closing, super-fast heartbeat, and the one and only psychotic episode of my life.
Folks take Wellbutrin to feel better--to relieve symptoms of sadness, feelings of worthlessness and guilt, loss of interest in daily activities, tiredness, insomnia, thoughts of death, and smoking too much. However! Side-effects can include:
Sadness
Feelings of worthlessness and guilt
Loss of interest in daily activities
Tiredness
Insomnia
Thoughts of death
Suicide ideation
Anxiety (which can make you smoke more)
Dry mouth
Skin rash
Sweating
Ringing in the ears
Shakiness
Stomach pain
Agitation
Sore throat
Frequent urination
Tremors
Hostility
Irritability
Impulsivity
Mania
Allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of your throat; swelling of your lips, tongue, or face; hives)
Dizziness
Drowsiness
Trouble sleeping
Muscle pain
Nausea
Fast or irregular heartbeat
Violent behavior
And seizures
At some point you'd rather be smoking depressed without an attention span.
If you've got some heavy shit going on in your life--as many depressed people do--Wellbutrin can intensify everything, especially when you first start taking it, if you take it sporadically, or if you double dose.
* * * * *
So, this is an answer. It doesn't make things any better. But at least it's an answer.
night falls like people into love/ we generate our own light to compensate for the lack of light from above/ every time we fight a cold wind blows our way/ but we learn like the trees/ how to bend/ how to sway and say/ i, i think i understand what all this fighting is for/ and i just want you to understand that i'm not angry anymore
--ani difranco
posted by Contact at 7:19 PM
10 Comments:
there are plenty of other drugs for people who are feeling depressed, anxious, etc.
and as a 17-year smoker (and one year non-practicing smoker), quitting smoking is totally possible without wellbutrin.
Thanks for the update, Ariel.
People who have previously had even one seizure should not take (or be very careful about taking, and then only if dr. & pharmacist are aware of seizure history) any SSRI. This includes Zoloft, Paxil, Prozac, or any other drug in that class.
I was placed on several psyche drugs two years ago after an attempted suicide. I was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from a rape but was miss diagnosed as Bipolar. I was taking Effexor, Lithium, Depakote, Lamictal, and Risperdal. My whole body felt numb and I had to give my parents custody of my daughter as I couldn't care for her. I complained of being terrified and feeling hands on my body (now I know that it is a body memory and not psychosis). Thus my meds were upped. About the third day my body went numb and I couldn't move or see. It felt like when your leg goes to sleep except over my entire body. Apparently , my brain was being poisoned. I could have died.
Fuck.
Thanks for the update Ariel.
That makes me so sad.
--kimber
Wellbutrin has been the ONLY anti-depressant that has worked for me. Without it, I eventually wind up choosing a date to kill myself.
Wellbutrin just gave me a seizure and I highly say NO to this fucked up BS drug.
Not only that, but I now have chest pains, accelerated heartbeat and a constant fear of dropping dead at any given moment.
Keep smoking.
Screw wellbutrin.
There are plenty of alternative antidepressents out there.
i found this while writing up a piece for my blog about the dangers of anti-depressants. so so so dangerous.
thank you for writing this.
My name is Todd Thomas and i would like to show you my personal experience with Wellbutrin.
I am 29 years old. Have been on Wellbutrin for 2 weeks now. The positives do not outweigh the negatives in any way.I strongly recommend trying natural dopamine supplements that are out there including Gaba.Look into it.All that I was getting with anti-depressants was frustration which led to helplessness which led to hopelessnes and suicidal feelings.Its really sad to know that drugs whether legal or not,can become a dependency factor,and when they fail to live up to the standards,and after all the $$$ has been handed over,we all end up right back where we started.I am always interested in talking to people about this subject..
I have experienced some of these side effects -
Insomnia,extreme energy surges and stomach aches.I also had appetite decrease.
I hope this information will be useful to others,
Todd Thomas
I was on a different SSRI, and I took myself off it despite my suicidal depression because the massive side effects just weren't worth it for me. Instead, I relocated myself into an environment where I could be monitored.
I was extremely moved and saddened by the preface to your book which is what brought me to this site. I'm even doubly moved and saddened learning that anti-depressants were the cause for Allison's death.
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