mirage tapering from Wellbutrin 150XL

[Soup]

@mirage we share a great name and I just turned 58 😊I live in Canada .  I know I felt this way last time but this time seems so much harder .I just don’t understand how the antibiotic put me back so far .  I really want to be better so badly but I will admit I am tired of the fight everyday since I already had to do it once for so long . But I am really hoping that I can recover like I did last time . Thank you for your kind words they really do help . 

[mirage]

@Soup Yes, we share a great name and a wonderful age. I love that! I am a big believer, that God brings people into our lives when we need them most. 

 

I am much better, but I still do not go through a day without some type of symptoms. They are for sure much milder and many are completely gone, but things are still there. My hold on the wean is to allow for good stability. However, I do sometimes think my system is fighting the med. But, I am not willing to challenge my thoughts on that, for fear of completely destabilizing my system again. 

 

When did you take the antibiotic? How long ago? I took the steroid for only a week but the dosage was too high and the dr did not have me wean off of it. She just had me stop. I should have known better, but didn't think. I will be off of that med, a month, on July 12th. The symptoms that rolled in with this were terrible headaches, extreme tingling in my hands and feet, constant muscle ticks throughout my body, and the feeling of weakness in my limbs. I am still battling all but the headaches. I had zero of these issues prior to taking the steroid. It is what it is, and I cannot change it. All I can do is rely on God to walk with me and see me through.  

 

You will heal. You will. You have had a set back. Right now is a challenge and it is very difficult, but all will resolve and you will be back on track. Keep reminding yourself of that. You are strong and you will over come! Try and remember, the women I overheard at the grocery store, "it cant rain forever. One day the sun will come out". 

 

 

[Soup]

@mirage it has been 6 months and a lot of my old symptoms came back DR/DP , brain fog , numbed skin sensation , andehonia , heartbeat in head , just all the awful stuff and I am devastated . I wasn’t perfect before but not like  this . I am just surprised it has lasted this long . I really did think things would of stared too get better but now . The only things that have gone are the dry wretching, nausea and burning skin . I have to just put everything I have in the fact I got better before so I will this time as well 🙏🏻. I hope your symptoms go very soon .Thanks again for your kind words . I hope you have a good night ❤️

[Soup]

@mirage how are you feeling from the steroids? I hope things are getting better 

[mirage]

@SoupThings are, slowly, getting better. Not there yet, but making progress. There are times during the days, when symptoms are mild or better, but, then other times, they are there and strong. You know how it goes. It is up and down. 

 

I accept that this is what is happening and I can't do anything about it. So I go with it. I find blessings in the day and do what I can do. 

 

How are you? I continue to hold you in my prayers. 

[Soup]

I am glad that things are at least coming and going for you hopefully just get less and less . I am about the same although I think my cold skin patches might be less ? But my temp is still very off everybody is complaining about the heat and I just don’t feel it …..so weird . 
Wishing you more and more settling of your symptoms 

Susan ❤️

[mirage]

@soup, So very glad to hear you are seeing something improve. The process is always so incredibly slow and slight and odd. 

 

You will get there, again. Hang on my friend. I am here to talk anytime. 

 

Blessings my friend,

Susan

 

 

[Soup]

@mirage how are you doing ? Sending you lots of healing wishes and hope you are seeing the backside of that steroid stuff 

[mirage]

@Go2zero. Inquiring about tapering from Wellbutrin 150XL. Looking for help on the smoothest way to do this. I heard that the XL can be cut into fourths and taken 4 times a day? Not sure if I am correct with this? If so, what times should they be taken? 

[Go2zero]

I merged your last message to this thread. Please post only here an do not start new topics please. This is important for you and for the staff. In this way all you info stays in one place. 

 

20 minutes ago, mirage said:

I heard that the XL can be cut into fourths and taken 4 times a day? Not sure if I am correct with this? If so, what times should they be taken? 

 

This is possible. As soon as you cut XL it becomes instant release. This kicks in much faster and stronger than XL. So the more you will spread the dosages over the day, the better....

 

When you start cutting 150 mg, you might even cut the pill in 6 parts and see how you react. You can spread the dosages evenly over the day.

 

[mirage]

@Go2zeroThank you! I truly appreciate your help! When you first did this, how late in the evening did you take your last dose? Did it interfere with your sleep? 

[Go2zero]

I have been doing this for several years now. When I started cutting the 150 mg XL pills, I went down immediately from 150 to 3/4 of a pill so 112,5mg.  This went well for me. It seems that lots of people can taper a bit faster than 10% as long as they are above 75mg per day. But everybody may react differently.... So better be careful and slow. And start with 10% (so 135mg).

 

I take the smallest pieces before I go to sleep. I am at a dose of 32 mg per day. So 4 pieces of only 8 mg (average) per day. In my case it does not seem to affect my sleep. 

 

The more you would spread the dosages over the day, (with the bigger parts earlier on the day) the more you will have the (more or less) similar effect you have from uncut XL pills.

 

When you cut you will most probably get pieces that are somewhat smaller and bigger than the other ones. So you can use that by taking the bigger ones earlier on the day.

[mirage]

 

Thank you!!!! This is so incredibly helpful! I truly appreciate the information and help! 

 

Did you have and issues with going through the night since there was quite a bit of time without a dose of the med? Or, was it fine since Wellbutrin has a long half life?

[littlebird]

2 hours ago, mirage said:

Did you have and issues with going through the night since there was quite a bit of time without a dose of the med? Or, was it fine since Wellbutrin has a long half life?

 

I'd been wondering about this! I felt better when I added in a third dose around 8pm, it seems to help carry me through to the next day.

[Altostrata]

@Go2zero, brilliant tips on Wellbutrin. Please add them to the Tips for Tapering Bupropion topic.

[Go2zero]

13 hours ago, mirage said:

Did you have and issues with going through the night since there was quite a bit of time without a dose of the med? Or, was it fine since Wellbutrin has a long half life?

 I never perceived any problems there. This wil certainly have to do with the long half life. 

 

I notice that with each taper symptoms start after 4 days, not earlier. So a night without the drug does not give any problem is my experience.

[mirage]

 

Thank you! Any information you can pass along, will be greatly appreciated! My thoughts are to get a sound plan of action and to begin this in early May. 

 

When I had the initial crash in June of 2017, my entire system was a disaster for years and while a lot has improved, and gotten better, there are several symptoms that have never gone away and in looking back at my years on the med prior to the crash, I had these issues then. I just never knew why, and never understood why I felt so crummy every day. 

 

While I am anxious to be off of this med, I know that I must go slow and steady. I cannot be in a hurry. 

 

You are a blessing! 

[Go2zero]

 

Look at the right side graph.

 

This shows the pattern of the release of the active ingredient in Wellbutrin XL (XR is the same). Therefore we should best take a bit higher dosages earlier in the day. And taking no dosages during the night follows the same pattern as the graph. So not a problem in my opinion. 

 

The graph for instant release is based on REAL Instant Release bupropion. Cutting a XL pill seems to give a bit slower release of the active ingredient than with IR. This is because the cut XL pill needs more time to dissolve in the body than an IR pill.

Edited February 26, 2023 by Go2zero

[mirage]

This is soooo helpful! Thank you! I did read somewhere that the end of day mechanisms of those two meds are very similar. Seeing the graph makes it more clear. 

 

You are helping me get excited about moving forward for the first time. I have a busy next couple of months and then things slow down until July, so early May seems to make sense to give me some time, to see how my system is going to react. 

[mirage]

In looking at the graphs, it helps make so much sense on how I feel throughout every day. It looks like the med actually increases during the first 6 hours and then the intensity begins to decline.

 

I usually wake up fine but about a half an hour after taking the med, I begin to feel bad. That rough feeling and symptoms, progressively get worse throughout the day and by the late afternoon, I feel pretty terrible. However, the later in the night it gets, so around 10pm and after, I begin to feel better. 

[Go2zero]

10 minutes ago, mirage said:

I usually wake up fine but about a half an hour after taking the med, I begin to feel bad. That rough feeling and symptoms, progressively get worse throughout the day and by the late afternoon, I feel pretty terrible. However, the later in the night it gets, so around 10pm and after, I begin to feel better. 

 

I can relate to that. Maybe the 150mg is too high for you. When I tapered from 150 to 75 mg I felt better. With 150mg I was often stressed an sweating extremely.

 

So tapering may give a relief....

 

But..., as written before, try to spread the dosage as much a possible over the day. Rather 6 times a lower dosage than 2 or 3 higher ones. I learned that the lower each dose, the less I feel the Wellbutrin kicking in.

[mirage]

You are correct that 150 is too high for me. I have a dr who did some genetic testing on me with these meds and I have a geno marker, showing that my liver cannot metabolize these meds and Wellbutrin is actually the worse for me and because of my slow metabolizing, the med actually stays in my system longer than the average person. That said, the lower the dosage, the less the symptoms. This is a new dr I am seeing and she is rather great. She absolutely believes these meds cause more complications to most people and that getting off of them is difficult. I just saw her last week and we spent a bit over an hour talking about all of this. She is completely on board and she too thinks I need to move very slow with this. 

 

She suggested using a compound pharmacy to make the med in the exact dosages of the cutsm as we go along. But, I have been on the name brand Wellbutrin this entire time and I think my system will do better with cutting my current pills? So I like your idea about that. It makes sense. She also suggested that when we get to low dosages and smaller cuts, we switch to a liquid form and have the pharmacy make it. 

 

Oh there is so much to think about!

 

As my day goes, symptom wise, I get dizzy and a feeling of wooziness and the brain fog that kicks in, late afternoon is awful. When that flares up, I also get crazy head pressure. It is all so much and I get this feeling of a disconnect in my brain. It's hard to explain. It is like nothing in your system is balancing. While I am fully functioning and manage everything, it is always difficult. 

 

 

 

 

[Go2zero]

 

FYI  Just made this video. Hope this helps.

[Go2zero]

5 hours ago, mirage said:

She also suggested that when we get to low dosages and smaller cuts, we switch to a liquid form and have the pharmacy make it. 

As you can see in the video it is very well possible to cut also small dosages.

 

I am not very positive about compounding bupropion. The ingredients used seem to be somewhat different (generics very often if not always) from the brand names.

 

I have noticed symptoms when switching to generics. Several members here also.

 

Making a liquid gives some (still) unanswered questions. Most probably a liquid made of Wellbutrin XL will act as very fast Instant Release, whereas cut XL pills dissolve more smoothly in the body.

[mirage]

Thank you! This does help. The beginning of this may be easier on cutting, since the pill will only need to be in fourths?

[Go2zero]

1 minute ago, mirage said:

The beginning of this may be easier on cutting, since the pill will only need to be in fourths?

 

It depend of your dose. If you are close to 150 mg, maybe 6 pieces per day would be better and safer to start. If that goes well and the more you taper you could divide your daily dose over 4 pieces.

 

 

[mirage]

Currently, I take 1 tablet of, Wellbutrin 150XL, per day. 

 

How long after you take the dose do you notice it kicking in? Im not sure I would remember to take it 6 times a day. Although, I may have to do that for the first month, then switch to 4 times a day?

 

I am still working through all of this and I also have to purchase a scale. You are a big help. Thank you!

[Go2zero]

2 minutes ago, mirage said:

How long after you take the dose do you notice it kicking in?

Since I am on a daily dose of only 32 mg which I divide over 4 separate dosages of 8 mg, I do not feel it kicking in.

 

But I do clearly remember the first (and only) time I took 75mg in one dose. It kicked in within half an hour I think. And HARD....

[Go2zero]

5 minutes ago, mirage said:

Im not sure I would remember to take it 6 times a day. Although, I may have to do that for the first month, then switch to 4 times a day?

I put my 4 daily dosages each morning in a small pil container. In that way I am always sure that I cannot take too much or too little each day. Given the long half life, it is not so bad when we take a dose 1 or 2 hours later than usually now and then.

[mirage]

I think taking 75mg of immediate release, twice a day, will completely overwhelm my system. I already struggle between the time I take the pill in the morning, until around 6 to 7pm in the evening. I have symptoms that roll in throughout the day and then, things get a little better, later in the evenings. So, switching to just an immediate release, twice a day, will not work for me. I like your idea of cutting the extended release. 

[j1290]

Hi there, I was looking around for Bupropion stories and saw yours.  How's things these days?   

[mirage]

Hi @j1290

 

I am hanging in. Been holding at 150xl for a long time. I have a plan to begin completing this wean and getting off of this awful drug! 

 

I am currently taking the, name brand xl form, once a day. I am going to have to make the switch to, a compounded, immediate release. My plan is to take 37.5mg, 4 times a day. I do have the meds here so when I feel it is time, then I am ready to go. 

 

Still not quite balanced and back to any normal. But, can function fully with the symptoms. Somes days they are milder, other days, a bit rough. 

 

I rely on God and patience to get me through. 

 

How are you doing? Did you have any complications switching from the xl form to the immediate release? 

[j1290]

2 minutes ago, mirage said:

I am currently taking the, name brand xl form

Wow, great score!  I tried some GSK samples from my Psych doctor last year and found them better than the generics.  

 

Glad to hear you're functioning and hanging in.  

6 minutes ago, mirage said:

How are you doing? Did you have any complications switching from the xl form to the immediate release? 

I'm still in the thick of it, but things are gradually improving every day, fortunately.   Personally I found the IR to be more intense than the XL and it was uncomfortable to adjust to, but others report it being not that hard. I think my CNS has been sensitized. 

 

If you have a compounded IR ready to go, it sounds like things are really solid on your end.   Hats off to you!  

[mirage]

@j1290

My entire system crashed when I stopped taking the drug in 2017. I was taking 300xl at that time. My system is still fragile and not back to homeostasis. Thus, still having symptoms. 

 

I found a new dr about a year ago. She is not a fan of any of these meds and has never seen any benefits from them. Only complications. 

 

I have heard that the immediate release form, hits the system hard. The dr I had prior to this one, wanted to switch me to 75mg of instant release to be taken twice a day. I am thankful that I did not do that. This dr suggested compounding an immediate release form and taking small doses through the day to mimic what the extended release form does. It makes a lot of sense to me. I will have to take it 4 times a day, but I am absolutely okay with that. I would rather do that, hoping it keeps my system calm. We shall see. This dr also then recommended that we compound the cuts in the exact dosage that is needed so we make sure we keep things as balanced as possible. So, that is my plan. 

 

Now the really tough part, deciding when to make the change over and begin this. The fact that I am functioning, despite symptoms, is holding me back. Yet, at the same time, I really want off of this drug and I do think some of my symptoms are actually from the drug. 

[mirage]

@j1290Sorry, I forgot to ask you if you have seen improvement in any symptoms as you lowered the dosage of the drug?

[j1290]

2 minutes ago, mirage said:

My system is still fragile and not back to homeostasis. Thus, still having symptoms.

Got it.  Once I started tapering 2+ years ago, I believe I got sensitized.  I reinstated to the XL after a year with little relief of symptoms, then switched to a different brand generic IR and tapered to where I am now.  

5 minutes ago, mirage said:

I found a new dr about a year ago. She is not a fan of any of these meds and has never seen any benefits from them. Only complications. 

That's a priceless doctor indeed!  

 

6 minutes ago, mirage said:

I have heard that the immediate release form, hits the system hard.

That was my experience.  The good thing for you is you're only at 150mg, so this really may not be too bad, especially as you're taking it 4 times a day with the compounded dose.   The other factor I didn't anticipate was some manufacturers of the generics worked better for me than others.   

 

11 minutes ago, mirage said:

This dr also then recommended that we compound the cuts in the exact dosage that is needed so we make sure we keep things as balanced as possible. So, that is my plan. 

I was going to do compounding, then I read so reports of issues with the pharmacies so I switched to making my own liquid instead using the regular 75mg  IR pills.   Turns out it was super easy and no issues making the switch.  I made little AD shooters out of plastic test tubes so it was convenient.   

 

17 minutes ago, mirage said:

Now the really tough part, deciding when to make the change over and begin this.

That's the hardest part, deciding to get back on that tapering rollercoaster when things are somewhat steady.  Once I'm started, though?   It's a lot easier to continue to the next one.  

 

20 minutes ago, mirage said:

Sorry, I forgot to ask you if you have seen improvement in any symptoms as you lowered the dosage of the drug?

Definitely, all symptoms have improved as I lowered.  It's just been incremental, never a hugely noticeable difference at one time.