Bobby: Wellbutrin cold turkey

[Bobby]

I need help, i have been taking wellbutrin xl 300mg for years and decided to stop cold turkey. It wasnt until after 3 weeks that i started feeling major w/d symptoms. I started taking them again and after 3 days still feeling w/d is this normal?

[woof]

Welcome Bobby,

 

You have come to the right place.  One of the Moderators will be by soon, but in the meantime please read the link below.  I believe you have become sensitized to the Wellbutrin and need to take a much lower dose than you are currently taking.   

 

Again please read the following link, as soon as possible.

 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms 

 

All the best Woof

[scallywag]

Hi Bobby -- Welcome to Surviving Antidepressants (SA)!
 
I've moved your post to the Introductions Forum so that more people will see your question.  This is YOUR introduction topic -- the place for you to ask questions, record symptoms, share your progress, and connect with other members of the SA community.
 
The short answer to your question about whether your symptoms are normal after 3 days of restarting Wellbutrin is YES.
 
The long answer: It usually takes 4-5 days for a drug like Wellbutrin to reach a consistent level in your body and then a few days after that for your central nervous system (CNS) to stop the signals that we feel as symptoms. Unfortunately once withdrawal symptoms have started, some people experience symptoms for weeks and months. Sometimes it can take more than a year for the CNS to settle down, even after reinstating the drug.

woof has given you a link to an informative discussion topic on reinstating. You may find it helpful to read

Tips for tapering off Wellbutrin XR, SR, XL (bupropion)

A few questions for you:

• When did you cold-turkey from Wellbutrin?
• Was your last dose 300 mg?
• What dose did you start taking?
• What symptoms are you experiencing?  You might find it helpful to review the checklist linked in this topic:
  Glenmullen’s withdrawal symptom list

A request: Would you summarize your history in a signature -- drugs (all you take, not just the psych drugs), doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-18 months particularly? Any drugs prior to that can just be listed with start and stop years. Please put your withdrawal history in signature

You may way want to follow this topic so that you get notifications when someone posts in your thread. Click the gray "Follow this topic" button. A dialog box appears: select one of the notify options, then click follow this topic in the dialog box.

I hope that information above is useful for you. Please feel free to come back to this thread and post your questions.

[woof]

HI Bobby,

 

How are things going for you?

[AliG]

Hi Bobby.  It can be so confusing during this time. Did you start back on your original dose ?  It takes a while to become steady state in the blood stream. Please have a read around and come back with any questions that you may have .

We are here to help.  How are you feeling now ?

Ali

[vetdoc]

I need help, i have been taking wellbutrin xl 300mg for years and decided to stop cold turkey. It wasnt until after 3 weeks that i started feeling major w/d symptoms. I started taking them again and after 3 days still feeling w/d is this normal?

Hi Bobby

 

I was CT off 300mg of Wellbutrin back in 2012 after 7 yrs on Wellbutrin   I started having severe anxiety and insomnia, and depression symptoms in  about 3-4 wks.  I tried to reinstate at a low dose 100mg, but even at that low dose  I actiually felt more activation of my symptoms.  I basically had to tuff out the WD which was not fun for 3-4 months.  Then after 3-4 months still having withdrawls I was able to reinstate Wellbutrin 100mmg which actually reduced my withdrawl symptoms markedly.

I'm not certain why the initial reinstatement trial after 4 weeks caused increased symptoms , but the second reinstatement 3-4 months later resolved most symptoms.  Possibly less sensitivity to the drug after 3-4 months?  Of course my PDoc up the dose to 300mg (moron). So I have been forced to taper slowly off 300 mg at this point.

 

Wellbutrin is a very activating drug with amphetamine like qualities more so for some then others.   It was and has been for me.

 

What exactly are your symptoms right now going CT and reinstating??

 

I'm not suggesting that your pattern of symptoms will follow mine, but it is similar for you right now that the reinstatement is still causing with drawl and increase side effects of the drug.  It might be that you could reinstate at a lower dose 100-150 mg and see if that helps or still revs up your symptoms.  If you have become sensitized to the drug then even a low dose may may not resolve your symptoms.

 

Hoepfully one of the mods will have a plan for you.

[Bobby]

I cant thank everyone enough! It took me so long to find help like this.  Right after i read the first response I started taking the lowest dose possible and the first day I did that I felt way better. I still have the odd dizzy spell and light headed but fell so much better. Everyone who takes anti depressants should know about this site.

I never would have put it together myself that I was taking too much medication. Thank you everyone! Thank you! Thank you!

[Bobby]

You guys did more for me in an hour, then three different doctors could in three days. Totaling 20+ hours of wait times.

[Bobby]

I'm trying to get the guts to go onto my social media and let everyone i know about this site. Its very embarrassing but at the same time no one deserves to go through these kinds of things without any answers.

[JanCarol]

Hey Bobby, we're still concerned here.

 

These things are usually not "fixed" in a matter of hours.

 

As VetDoc noted, there are all kinds of weird things that can happen with these drugs.

 

First, we really, really need your signature:  Please Put Your WIthdrawal History Into your Signature or Complete your Signature from Phone or Tablet  Please put start date, dosage, CT date, reinstatements, and current dose.

 

How much is "lowest possible dose?"  How are you achieving this?  With liquid?  Dry cutting?

 

It is important that you understand how these drugs work, they are not like aspirin.  Rhi says it best, here:  Rhi's description of healing the brain

but if you want a video, try this:  Healing from Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery (by Toxic Antidepressants)

 

The information we have here is not easy to absorb - it's challenging, and sometimes it's the hardest stuff you will ever read.  You can share our site to whomever you want - but often our ideas are not well received on "social media," and I have been asked to leave chronic fatigue, thyroid and other forums for my views on these dangerous drugs.

 

Likewise, when you tell your doctor, he is not likely to believe it either.

 

But please, at least, tell us what you are doing?  What is your "lowest possible dose," how are you getting there, and please complete your signature?

 

I'm glad you found us.

[Bobby]

Starting feeling dizzy again last night and into this morning. I guess i was just really excited because i hadn't felt this good in a long time, and am able to safely work now aas i wasnt able to while going through ful W/D and then taking too much medication. I have been taking 150mg since fri july 1st. I take a 150 and a 300 usually. Should i try breaking a 150 in half?

[woof]

Hi Bobby,

 

I just copied below one of the many important excerpts from:

 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms 

 

Reinstate at what dosage?

Sometimes reinstatement not only doesn't work but makes symptoms worse. That is why we often suggest very, very low doses -- to reduce this risk. Higher doses can go wrong in much bigger ways. A very low dose is a way to explore the option with less risk.

 

The dosage is always going to be a guess. Here are some factors that might influence the dosage of reinstatement:

• How the person quit the drug and how long he or she's been off it. If you've just cold-turkeyed 20mg Celexa a few days ago, you might reinstate at closer to your original dosage, such as 10mg. (It may not be necessary to go back to 20mg, standard dosages tend to be overly powerful.)
• If you've had withdrawal symptoms for a month or more, it's likely your system is somewhat sensitized to drugs. You might wish to try reinstating at a lower dosage, such as 2mg-5mg (if you had been taking 20mg Celexa).
• Your present condition. If you have symptoms of hyper-reactivity, alerting (anxiety, panic, sleeplessness), you may be too sensitive for reinstatement. If you want to try it anyway, you might wish to try reinstating at a very low dosage, such as 1mg (if you had been taking 20mg Celexa).
• ...
• Other drugs you're taking. Be very careful adding a drug to other drugs. Use the Drug Interactions Checker before even considering this. (Your symptoms may be due to drug-drug interactions.)

None of the above are hard-and-fast rules. There are reports of people with prolonged post-withdrawal syndrome who did better taking a drug at full dosage 2 years later. If you want to do this, please consult a doctor, we cannot advise you on it.

 

 

 

 

Woof

[Bobby]

My dizziness is getting worse as my day goes on, not sure if i should take more or less. First thought is less as i felt much better when i initially cut down from 450 to 150, now im not sure what to do. 

[woof]

 

Hi Bobby,

 

Even though you have already cut 33%, down to 150mg, I would not recommend going up on your dosage.  I might suggest to look carefully at the example of percentages recommnended for someone in your position reinstate they are much less than 33% reinsatement of the dose one was originally taking. This information is on my first post and can also be found on the first page of

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms 

 

I just copied below another one of the many important excerpts from:

 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms 

 

How long should you give reinstatement?

• It takes at least 4 days for your body to fully register the addition of a neuroactive drug. Unless you have an immediate bad reaction, observe your symptom pattern for about a week to see if the reinstatement is helping. If you have an immediate bad reaction, reduce or stop taking the drug.
• After reinstatement, the amount of time needed to alleviate withdrawal symptoms (stabilizing) varies according to the individual. Relief can be felt immediately, after some weeks, or after some months.
• Once you feel withdrawal symptoms are reduced after reinstatement, give your nervous system time to stabilize before attempting dosage reduction. Think in terms of months, not days.
• Be patient after you reinstate. Reinstatement may not immediately eliminate all withdrawal symptoms. You may still experience waves of symptoms, which usually lessen as time goes on.
• The dose needed for effective reinstatement varies according to the individual.

 

 

Keep asking questions - we care about you!

Woof

[scallywag]

Bobby, your CNS (central nervous system) was given a wild ride when the Wellbutrin suddenly stopped. It's going to take some time for it to settle down to a "new normal."  Please hold steady at 150 mg least until Sunday of this coming weekend. 
 
Some people see reduced symptoms immediately after reinstating; sometimes it takes longer. Reinstating is never a sure-fire thing -- sometimes symptoms stay the same, and for the unlucky ones the symptoms worsen.

WD (withdrawal) symptoms don't get better in a straight-line fashion. They wax and wane, they come and they go. A survivor of antidepressants came up with the term "Windows and Waves" to describe this pattern. You can read about that here:

The Windows and Waves pattern of stabilization

It can be helpful to record your symptoms on paper. After several weeks of notes many people notice that their symptoms have reduced in duration or in intensity. This can be a great encouragement. A tool that many find useful is this daily checklist:

Glenmullen’s withdrawal symptom list

[Bobby]

Ok I will stick with the 150, thank you so much to everyone for the help!

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Bobby.

 

Please be sure to take 150mg Wellbutrin XL at the same time each day, do not skip doses! This will help your nervous system stabilize.

 

Let us know how you are doing.

[Bobby]

It will be seven days exactly tomorrow morning that i have taken my 150mg at the same time every day. Still feeling very dizzy/light headed. Just thought that by now i would see some progress from the reinstatement.

[KarenB]

It differs for each person.  Four days or a week would be the minimum time needed for stabilisation.  For some it can takes weeks or months.  Your best bet is to keep everything you can control running smoothly - good diet, gentle exercise, drink plenty, meditate etc.  Are you taking Fish oil or Magnesium?  Many people find them useful during withdrawal.  

[tntd]

Hi Bobby,

 

I hope you are starting to feel a little better today. I also had to quit Wellbutrin Cold Turkey but was unable to reinstate due to a severe side effect so I understand how hard the withdrawal symptoms can be.

 

You might want to check out this link http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/7997-dizziness-vertigo-lightheaded-etc/for your symptoms. I don't have dizzyness as one of my withdrawal symptoms but I do have it from one of the meds I still take. There is a very interesting article that Squirrel and Alto posted in this thread.

 

I hope your reinstatement helps you feel better soon. My heart goes out to you. Hugs.

[woof]

Hello Bobby,   I hope you are feeling better.    In an effort to help you understand the situation regarding Antidepressants and their rather incredible effects at extremely low dosages better.  You just need to click onto the "forum"  and and then click onto into tapering.  Then click onto Why taper? Paper demonstrates importance of gradual change in plasma concentration, please click onto the articles on the first page from dcrmt and updated by Scallywag from MMarie. These articles helped me to understand what the heck was going on with AD withdrawal and the need for a slow steady pace to decrease, I believe graphs found within the links in the first page are very empowering.   I copied the first page down below for you conveneince. 

 

We care about you,  

Woof

 

 

 

Hi, I thought I'd share this as it's quite relevant, not 100% sure if this is the right subforum, will post in both this and research.

 

http://ils.unc.edu/b...iew/tmp/352.pdf or http://survivinganti...mography-study/

 

the pretty pictures are from page 4 onwards. [Admin note: Pretty pictures here

http://www.mediafire...0yp2c8pbjrziaab ]

 

What these fellows did here, was attempt to measure serotonin transporter occupancy at various doses for 5 different drugs. (Zoloft, celexa  paxil, effxor and Prozac, not in that order). They fit curves for both the oral doses and blood concentrations.

 

Long story short for anyone who doesn't know, SSRI’s ‘work’ by binding to the serotonin transporter protein (SERT) and stopping it doing it’s normal thing (reuptake of post-synaptic serotonin), resulting in serotonin hanging around for longer.

 

Now a couple of interesting things:

-at minimum therapeutic doses in every case, there was about 80% SERT occupancy. That shocked me personally. Even the minimum doses are locking down 80% of your brains reuptake ‘capacity’. Higher doses do more but it’s obviously not linear – they actually have plotted curves, and they’re quite a good fit statistically, particularly for the blood concentrations. Really good in fact. 

Point here though is that there’s a long way between 0% at no drug and 80% at the minimum dose.

 

-the curves man, look at the curves. This gives a fairly good indication of why some people find tapering necessary. You NEED a percentage taper just to get a linear decrease in SERT occupancy. Linear decreases in dose will actually hit you with exponentially increasing drops in SERT occupancy, particularly drops between the minimum therapeutic dose and 0

 

Basically, this paper provides a real basis for percentage reductions in dose when discontinuing SSRI’s.

I realize I'm kinda preaching to the converted and telling people what they already know, but it seems there may actually be a real reason why some people find it necessary to do these percentage tapers to get off SSRI's.

 

 

Caveat: I have no idea what the relationship between SERT occupancy and post synaptic serotonin is, it’s probably not linear since if it was higher doses would have basically no effect, but this is nevertheless very interesting to look at.

They were only looking at one part of the brain but pointed out it correlated strongly to elsewhere.

 

Administrator's note: Also see http://survivinganti...mography-study/

 

2016-July-01 Moderator note:

MMarie found this paper on Cymbalta (duloxetine) and 5HTT occupancy. The site,  academia.edu, requires login: http://www.academia....orter_occupancy

 

Link to screen shot of dose-occupancy and dose-plasma concentration curves

Edited by scallywag, 01 July 2016 - 07:23 PM.
add Cymbalta and 5HTT study

 

•  

[Bobby]

Thanks guys, seems to be getting a little better every day that passes. feels amazing to not be dizzy and light headed every day all day, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Wanted to mention and see if anyone else has had this experience because i quit C/T about 12 times in the past with wellbutrin and never haad a problem (which is why it was so hard for me to figure out what was going on. But i was recently switch to bupropion (aprox 1 year ago) and ended up having these severe W/D symptoms. Is it due to the generic change?

[tntd]

Hi Bobby,

 

I have to say I've been wondering the same thing. I quit Wellbutrin C/T and had no problems. I also didn't have any real side effects while taking it. This time they put me on generic buproprion as well and I had horrible side effects and C/T withdrawal has been awful. I know that they did find that buproprion 300xl was not Bio-equivalent and it was removed from the market for a time. http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/10/15/popular-generic-antidepressant-recalled/ 

 

I have had problems with generics in the past and have had to be approved, through an arduous process, to be allowed to remain on the name brand. The insurance company would only approve it after proof that the generic didn't work. This of course makes you wonder about all generics if they cause you problems when the name brand did not. 

 

I'm glad to hear that you are feeling a little better. Every improvement is amazing. 

[KarenB]

There can be differences in brands of drugs, but I'd say it's more likely that your Central Nervous System just finally had enough.  Like the story of the straw that broke the camel's back.  We are resilient to a certain point, but at some stage we actually need to stop heaping these loads onto ourselves.

 

Glad to hear you are feeling somewhat better these days.  A big relief, I bet. 

[Bobby]

I have been taking Mylan bupropion for years now and have not felt great just kind of getting by with my depression. Recently my pharmacy ran out and gave me name brand Wellbutrin and I don't remember feeling this good. Is this possible.

Thank you

Rob

[ChessieCat]

On 6/14/2018 at 3:44 AM, brassmonkey said:

The only thing a brand name tablet and a generic tablet have to have in common is the dose weight of the active ingredient.  All of the fillers and time release materials are up to the individual manufacturer.  The size and shape of the tablet is sometimes dictated by the local regulatory agency as every different tablet must be identifiable from every other type of tablet via size, shape or identifying markings. These differences can cause the tablet to react differently between people because they can affect the absorption rate of the medication.  Because of the difference in the fillers etc, some generics will cause problems for some people while others won't.  It's a trial and error thing to find out which will work and which will not, but experimenting can be painful.

 

[Bobby]

Is it possible to go through withdrawals when changing from generic welbutrin to name brand? Is there any reason to tapper

? 

[Bobby]

I did not tapper arpox one month ago and think I may be going through withdrawals.

 

[Carmie]

8 hours ago, Bobby said:

Is it possible to go through withdrawals when changing from generic welbutrin to name brand? Is there any reason to tapper

? 

 

Hi Bobby, 

 

Yes, changing formulations can put you in withdrawals. Some people change from brand name to generics or vice versa no problem but others have had problems doing so. 

 

Take care💚

 

 

[ChessieCat]

generic-vs-brand-versions-of-antidepressants

 

[Bobby]

Thank you! I will try to tapper the generic then while taking the name brand