Wellbutrin's in a different family of drug than Zoloft so that lessens the likelihood that he'd have the same type of reaction. It works ok for me, though more for depression- it does help my adhd symptoms to an extent but I take adderall when I really need to focus.
I don't have any idea whether it's good for hyperactivity though.
Seeing the doc next week and considering taking my son off of the Dexedrine and adding Wellbutrin. He already takes Trileptal and Seroquel for the Bi-polar, but has been on Stimulants for about six years now, and his hyperactivity / impulsivity does not seem to be getting addressed with the Stimulant. The doc had suggested Wellbutrin for the ADHD, but we had a terrible experience with Zoloft - so I am cautious about anti-depressants. Any ideas or opinions?I forgot to mention that the incidents of side effects in general are very low for Wellbutrin, or at least that what my doc told me.
Another benefit is that the pills are very tiny, for those with trouble swallowing pills- or those of us who take multiple meds and toss them down by the handful.
My son has been on Wellbutrin for 6 years for ADHD - impulsive type - which is the type the data seems to indicate Wellbutrin has been most successful with to date. It's been good, really good, with only a few side effects. The first couple of weeks he had trouble falling asleep - but that kind of goes with the territory for most ADHD kids, I'm told. His appetite was less. Otherwise, it has been great for a 6-12 year old. We've added Strattera recently because his focus seems poor and he's blurting things in class. I think things are better - not sure yet tho'.I take Wellbutrin and can definitely give testimony on how well it works for impulses!!! Impulsivity is a MAJOR issue for me - only eclipsed by inattention. Wellbutrin totally quashed my impulses (which are mostly food and shopping related). I have been trying to stay on a diet on and off for a few years and have had a tough time fighting impulses to eat junk because it is easy or sounds good. Now that is no longer an issue. I still have some impulsive moments, but I am able to stop and think a moment before just acting on them.
My doc also told me that side effects are minimal and I didn't have any issues with them. All psychiatric drugs make you feel a bit odd while you first adjust to them, but I did not have any that interfered with my ability to function or work.
My doc originally suggested Wellbutrin because of its action on dopamine. He thought (thinks) that I have a dopamine deficiency because I sleep excessively (and have all of my life), tend to have a low energy level and issues with sexual functionality. Anyway, Wellbutrin DID take care of all of those issues and for the first time ever I feel somewhat "normal".
I also take Prozac and Focalin - Wellbutrin is NOT enough to control my focus so the Focalin takes care of that. I also have panic disorder/borderline OCD - hence the Prozac....
Good luck!