This is not supported by the data you provide. You have highlighted users whose effects were temporary, but make not mention for the others whether their effects were lasting or whether this information was not known. You cannot just deduce that people not reporting temporary effects have ongoing effects.
I think that’s way too much spin. Most of these “positive” answers reflect very mild benefits (if any) that often last only briefly. You’ll probably have similar results with any “treatment” that people “believe” in, just by the virtue of placebo effect.
I see no reason why. The data is in line with what I found and shows very, very few users with definitive lasting positive effects that make a difference.
The user said it “might” (i.e. “I am not entirely sure”) have helped him “a bit”. Is it a positive statement? Yes - technically. Is it meaningful? As I said, that’s as weak as it gets as a “positive”.
Looking at a couple more of your “positive” entries:
@iwontgiveup: Was also on T3 (confounding variable) and reported improvements after just a few days, when Wellbutrin is normally expected to take weeks to work.
@numbduck: Started Wellbutrin just a few months after having PFS (confounding variable)
@visionquest99: You note him as a positive, when he says the following: “I was prescribed wellbutrin but discontinued very early on due to insomnia. i do not believe this helped me though i did feel less anxious for those few days.”
@propecia-victim-FL While overall positive, he also reported issues with sleep.
@jairus: Reports prior use of Wellbutrin with only temporary effects. That is not noted. Also, your files has him in there twice.
@sean423: Just a few months into PFS and also water fasting at the time of Wellbutrin treatment (confounding variables)
@wdderbell2: Reports that the effects tapered off. This is not noted in your file.
@hrfinasteride: Started treatment shortly after crash, also took gabapentin and took part in therapy. (confounding variables)
@bibfortuna: Started treatment within a few months of PFS (confounding variable).
These are quite a few question marks. Overall, I don’t think the dataset warrants any new conclusions. It shows barely any patients with significant and lasting positive effects, while most report no or only very mild and very temporary effects that can be barely distinguished from Placebo effect. Many who report positive effects were early in PFS (when many people report improvement with or without treatment) or also took other things. That’s pretty much the same conclusion most of us come to with regard to any other treatment approaches as well.
I guess if you really want to take a positive away from this analysis, it’s that the chance to suffer from lasting negative effects is low as well and that there are a few seemingly definitive positive experiences and a few potential positive experiences. On average, trying Wellbutrin will likely not result in any meaningful (duration, degree) positive or negative effects.
Either way, it is helpful to approach conclusions based on data. I’d encourage anyone who took Wellbutrin/Bupropion/etc. to report/update their experience (regardless of whether they were negative or positive) to the benefit of everyone’s decision making. The more data we have, the better.
For me, personally, I decided that the probability of lasting and meaningful positive effects from Wellbutrin is too low. Others may be less risk adverse or more desperate.