My Dr has prescribed Effexor 75MG for depression. I am a…

If you want to quit smoking too, you should try wellbutrin. This can treat depression, ADHD, and nicotine dependence. I usually start patients on wellbutrin SR 100mg 1 tab in the morning...and tell them to increase it to twice/day in about 3-7 days if they're tolerating it okay. In patients who have been really sensitive to many medications in the past, I prescribe regular wellbutrin 75mg and tell them to start with 1/2 a tab and then go up from there.

If you have any history of bulemia or seizures you shouldn't try wellbutrin.

The average dose is 300mg...and the max is 450mg.

There are 3 versions (plus a 4th new one that I don't prescribe and see advantage to).

Regular, or immediate release, which has to be taken twice a day. SR which still has to be taken twice a day, but is supposed to have smoother blood levels of the medicine throughout the day. And XL which is a once/day version. With the Xl, there are only 2 doses available, 150mg adn 300mg. So it's easier, and has the smoothest blood levels over a day, but you can't fine tune the dose like with the regular version.

Wellbutrin is available as generic...the generic name is bupropion.

To play it safe, I would start with a 75mg tablet. Get a decent pill cutter (fairly cheap at a pharmacy...or sometimes the pharmacist will cut them in 1/2 for you). Start with 1/2 tab twice/day. Take the 1st 1/2 in the morning...the 2nd half is variable. You could take it at dinner or bedtime if it's easy to remember that way...but if it seems to give you any insomnia, take the 2nd dose right after lunch or no later than 2-3pm.

If you don't have any side effects, but don't feel any better on this starting dose, you can increase the dose to 1 full tab twice/day after 1-2 weeks. That is a total of 150mg/day. I would give this dose 1 month...and if needed increase it then.

Btw, for the starting dose I told you, 60 tabs (1 month supply) should be about $17. (that's Costco's price...you don't have to be a member to use their pharmacy...but other pharmacy prices should be similar)

Generic SR is available. It's $40 costco price for 60 tabs of wellbutrin SR. you can't split these in half. so if you want to try this, you start with 1 tab in the morning, then increase to 1 tab twice/day after 3-7 days (you could play it even slower and increase it after 1-4 weeks).