I think Im having a reaction to Wellbutrin that was prescribed to help me quit smoking - its a rash (more) -
I quit taking it yesterday, but since two days prior to that, I-ve had these huge areas of what look like huge bites pop up on various parts of my body. It ranges from 3 -blisters- or -bites- to 15. I-ve had them on my face, on my arms and right now they-re on the back of my right thigh. It-s absolute agony! Shouldn-t this reaction have stopped by now if I stopped the meds yesterday (I mean I didn-t take them yesterday or today). I actually scratched them so badly day before yesterday that I made myself bleed. Benadryl isn-t helping and neither is Lanacane.
HELP! Information on this rash, when it will go away and how to alleviate the itching and pain is desperately needed!
I had what sounds like the same reaction about 5 or 6 years ago, when Wellbutrin first came on the market to help quit smoking, and most doctors didn-t believe the medication could cause this. My ex-doctor said it was all in my head. The first hospital ER said it was an allergic to sulfonamides, then proceeded to proscribe a sulfonamide to combat the symptoms. They also told me it was okay to go back on the medication. At the 1st ER visit to another hospital, during the 2nd reaction, the doctors there finally believed me, said they has seen this and tried to treat it. During the 2nd ER visit to the 2nd hospital, they referred me to a dermatologist. The, WONDERFUL, dermatologist finally told me the hard truth and it was exactly what I needed to deal with the situation.
This is a medicinal reaction. You will continue to have the reaction as long as the medication is still in your body. Wellbutrin (in my case at least) must be taken for 1 to 2 weeks in order for it to be absorbed in to the body and start to take affect, when symptoms may start. It will take 1 to 2 weeks until the medication is out of you body, when the symptoms will go away. All a doctor can do is treat the symptoms.
There are better over the counter treatments to help ease the discomfort now then 5 years ago. Therefore, I suggest you go to an allergy specialist, NOT a regular doctor, ASAP. Specialists usually see this exact thing all the time, unlike a general practitioner.
Hope you get better soon.
PS. Not a doctor, but sounds like it may have given you acute hives (type of rash it gave me). I also had chronic hives last year and Benadryl, steroids, all the -typical- meds don-t do anything and sometimes can make it worse. For the chronic version, in addition to 2 prescriptions, I was also told to take over the counter Zantac 150 (yes, the antacid) which worked the best of the 3 meds. Oatmeal baths and cooling the skin can help with the itching. Again, I-m not a doctor just sharing what helped me and what I learned.
Google hives or urticaria (medical term) to see if that-s your reaction. There are even new products on the market since my last reaction this.
TY for the info. I stopped taking the meds when I posted this. Since then, the itching has stopped - until tonight. I-m not on any meds now so I-m at a loss. I really thought it was the meds (I still do, and am wondering if this is a different situation). TY again.
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Your gunna think I-m crazy, but you can put some ammonia on it, or get a lighter a put the flame on the rash for a quick second. It will make the itching go away.
I would also pick up some hydrocortisone cream and put it on for a few days.
Why are you taking Wellbutrin to quit smoking? It sucks compared to the other alternatives out there.... I work at a pharmacy and some of my customers who have tried every stop smoking drug and all the patches and everything quit using a drug called Chantix. Its superior to any quit smoking drug ever made. My mom quit after like 30-40 years of smoking, give it a try.