MarilynJG: Better self-care

[MarilynJG]

Hello, I'm Marilyn JG .

 

I was happy to learn of this organization after reading several authors on substack. I have been on various antidepressants, on and off, for 30+ years. As I have aged, I have developed increased sensitivity to all medications.

 

I am currently taking welbutrin sr, for approximately 16 months. I have experienced some changes that I attributed to a worsening of my depression and PTSD : for example

out of the blue thoughts of suicide, memory impairment, unstable moods, sudden waking in the night and weird dreams. One change that caused most distress and concern has been the feeling that I am losing my mind. I have been following two doctors on substack; one of them mentioned this organization. The other, a psychiatrist, wrote on the dangers of mental health medications, which led me to examine some research on the efficacy of these medications. Learning that many others are experiencing changes similar to mine,

I made the decision to find a way to get off welbutrin sr.

 

I came here to improve my self-care by learning how to get off this medication safely, and to share with others in their journeys. 

Edited July 21 by Emonda
Name to title

[Emonda]

Welcome @MarilynJG

 

So the moderators can best help you, please complete your drug signature by following these instructions. Adding a signature ensures your drug history appears at the bottom of every post, making it more efficient for those trying to assist. This link should go directly to your own signature: Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

 

10 hours ago, MarilynJG said:

Learning that many others are experiencing changes similar to mine, I made the decision to find a way to get off welbutrin sr.

 

It'd be worth reading this link:

 

if you want to taper your medication, a good place to start would be by reading the following links

Keep It Simple, Slow, and Stable

Why taper by 10% of my dosage? The reductions should get smaller and smaller each month, for example: 10mg, 9mg, 8.1mg, 7.3mg etc. This process involves a degree of trial and error, as there is no way of predicting how an individual will respond. Importantly, if you develop unpleasant side effects from tapering, halt the taper, give yourself time to settle, and once stable, taper more slowly and by smaller amounts moving forward. The experience of others suggests that the lower you go in dose, the slower you need to go with tapering.

Those that taper too quickly often develop very unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. This Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (PDF) is a helpful summary of what many experience. The point of providing this list is not to scare you but to ensure your eyes are open to the warning signs as you taper.

Some people find tapering by smaller weekly amounts more tolerable. You can read more about this approach here: The Brassmonkey Slide Method of Micro-tapering

Recovery from ADs and tapering is not linear. There are good days and not-so-good days/weeks/months. This is referred to as the Windows and waves pattern of stabilization.

 

The following general links are worth reading:

Emotional Spirals

Non-drug coping strategies

Melatonin for sleep

 

We don't suggest many supplements, but two that many of us find helpful are magnesium and omega-3 fish oil. Here are the links for info about those. Add one at a time and start with a low dose to see how it affects you. 

Magnesium and Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil)

Avoid alcohol.

Don't change the manufacturer of your AD.

Once again, welcome to S.A.

Emonda