DD1DD: Tapering Viibryd and Wellbutrin

[DD1DD]

Hi all - 

 

Early 30s M tapering off Viibryd and (eventually) Wellbutrin. 

A few years ago I took 40mg of Viibryd and dropped it to 20mg while increasing Wellbutrin. I'm currently taking;

15mg Viibryd

250mg Wellbutrin

 

I dropped my Viibryd from 20mg -> 15mg about a year ago. The first few weeks I felt great - amazing even - and then I really crashed into anxiety and depression. I do want to slowly taper off Viibryd though, so I'm going to start with a 5% taper per month and see if I can adjust from there as time goes on. I started my taper from 15mg -> 14.25 a few days ago. So far so good. I know the general recommendation is 10%, but I want to start small and adapt from there as needed.

[Jane318]

Greetings @DD1DD and welcome to SA.    We are a community of volunteers providing peer support in the tapering of psychiatric medications and their associated withdrawal syndromes.

 

Thank you for completing your signature. 

 

Your approach - starting with 5% - is sound.  It is always prudent to start slowly.  You can always increase the taper amount if symptoms are mild or absent altogether.  Many people stay below 10% in order to keep their symptoms in check.  

 

If you have not already done so, please read:  Important topics in the Tapering forum and FAQ.  

 

This is your introduction topic.  Each member gets one intro topic- please post updates and questions here, in this thread.

 

It’s important to keep tabs on your symptoms and adjust your taper amount and schedule as needed.  This will help you identify your windows and waves and reveal your progress, which is encouragement we need!  You can use the following list of typical withdrawal symptoms as a template for a journal, if you wish: Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (PDF) 

 

You may choose to also track your foods and activities to identify things that trigger symptoms as well.  We do encourage people who are tapering to avoid caffeine, alcohol, and recreational drugs.  Many prescription and OTC drugs can cause problems too and should be avoided as much as possible. 

 

We recommend only two supplements here at SA, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids.  So if you decide to try a supplement, even those we recommend here, start with a very low dose.  If you tolerate it well, you can increase the dosage slowly over time.  

 

As you taper, it is very normal to have periods where you feel better, and periods where you feel terrible.  This is what we call the windows and waves pattern of stabilization.  This is actually a good sign of healing!  Read more about windows and waves here:

Windows and waves pattern of stabilization

 

We have many threads on how to cope with symptoms – I encourage you to check out the various forums / links on the SA.org home page.

 

Do explore the rest of the forum – there is a lot of great information here.  Be sure to read “About SurvivingAntidepressants.org,” which has good information about how to use / search the site: https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forums/topic/54-about-survivingantidepressantsorg  

 

Also, feel free to read and comment on the intro threads of other members.  This is how you build a community of people who understand what you are dealing with.   It is so helpful to connect with others who are experiencing the same things.

 

Our brains and bodies are designed to heal!

 

We look forward to following your journey, and helping out in any way we can.

 

Best wishes.

[DD1DD]

Thanks! This is helpful. I lowered my Viibryd dose 5% exactly one week ago (October 26th), meaning today is the start of day 8. So far so good, no big impact, though I did somewhat randomly cry a few days in (it wasn't a sad cry but it wasn't a joyous cry either... not sure).  When I dropped my dosage by 25% back in February my first week I felt amazing but weeks 2-4 were really brutal - volitile mood, crying, poor sleep & waking up in the middle of the night. I also had a lot of additional stressors in my life then though - family stuff, relationship stuff, starting a new job. So I'm cautiously optimistic that this time around will be smoother. I'm trying to stay steady and keep an eye out for withdrawl symptoms. I also bought a fitbit to track my sleep with

Edited November 2, 2024 by DD1DD
clarity, adding more reflections

[Jane318]

@DD1DD - Good news and thank you for the update!  I am optimistic too, that this small taper step will go more smoothly than the big cut in February.  Still, encourage you to wait the recommended 4 weeks until your next cut.  Continue to track your symptoms and don't hesitate to wait a bit longer between cuts.  At lower doses, many people find the BrassMonkey slide taper method works best for controlling symptoms.  The lower you go, the slower you need to go.  

 

I  understand that many people track their sleep with FitBit or similar.  I encourage you not to become too preoccupied with this.  Personally, I try to practice good sleep hygiene and just jot a note in my daily diary about how I slept the night before.  Unfortunately, sleep, disruptions are common.  You might find the topics under "I’m not sleeping. What can I do?" on the home page helpful.

 

Keep us posted - we're with you in this!

[DD1DD]

Day 11 of my first 5% taper. So far so good, some irritability and maybe a little bit melencholy some evenings but nothing out of what I would consider normal for myself. I did cry a little bit on my 3rd day of the taper, which is unusual for me (and tracks with previous times I've reduced medication), so it seems like there are some minor withdrawls. If this taper goes well I may try to taper 10% next month, especially since December is typically a lower-stress time of year at work... I'm also trying not to get ahead of myself too much, especially since I'm only 11 days into my first taper. It can feel hard to accept that this will likely be a long journey until I'm truly off these meds (or on a much lower effective dose). I feel like I want to rush through this and be done with these meds, but I know that slow and steady is key here. 

 

These medications have numbed me for a long time. Which maybe is what I needed to survive when I was younger. I'm the king of avoidance, and on some level the medications brought me to a headspace that allowed me to be slightly less avoidant and face myself in therapy. But now that I'm older I'm ready to face more of my trauma and painful memories without the numbing of medication. I'm trying to visualize this process as learning to ride a bike. As I learn to ride better, I can slowly reduce the size of my training wheels (i.e. my medications) 

 

I've been considering taking a psilocybin (mushroom) trip with a friend in a few weeks, something I haven't done in 10 years. I've met people who have had great experiences (and there is some promising research on psilocybin for mental health).... but I also am hesitant to introduce a new variable into the mix. I did some cursory research and it looks like Viibryd and Wellbutrin don't pose significant drug interaction risk with psilocybin. I'm going to talk with my therapist & psychiatrist about it before I make a decison (although I know their answer will probably be "don't do it"). 

[Jane318]

@DD1DD - Thank you for this encouraging update!  I applaud your commitment to proceeding in a thoughtful and patient way.

 

Yes, we all want off these drugs quickly.  However, our brains have adapted to their presence, and we have to respectfully allow our bodies to "re-acclimate" to life without them.  Experience indicates that going slowly gets you to the finish line the fastest because you avoid the need for reinstatements and/or long holding periods required to stabilize.  The time will go by regardless.  It's best to spend it safely and in the most tolerable way we can.

 

I can relate to all you say about these drugs numbing / incapacitating us from being able to deal with our problems in a healthy, productive way.  In his book, Anatomy of an Epidemic, Robert Whitaker shows the research that reveals that the long term outcomes of people who have taken drugs is worse than those who don't.  

 

We would strongly advise again use of psilocybin.  Adding another (any) psychoactive substance into your body when your CNS is already unstable is never a good idea.  

 

Please keep us updated - best wishes!

[DD1DD]

Thanks for the thoughtful & insightful response. Very valid point regarding psilocybin 

Today is day 22 of reduced Viibryd. Just over 3 weeks and I'm feeling optimistic. I've felt some side effects the last three weeks - more anger (and outward anger towards a longtime friend and a guy in my therapy group). Still though - I wonder how much of that anger is me learning to be more assertive and egosyntonic, even if my two outward angry moments were slight overcorrections. I don't think it's a coincidence that when I finished tapering off of my antipsychotic (2 years ago), within a month I had ended my relationship and quit alcohol. Medications make it easy for me to numb myself and not take action on life's stressors - I had been unhappy in my relationship for a long time but never took action because I was so numbed out with learned helplessness, medication, and alcohol.

That said, it obviously isn't beneficial for me to make rapid shifts to my medication, both from a side effect perspective and mental health management perspective. I keep coming back to the training wheels analogy- I'm slowly shrinking my training wheels (medication) and slowly applying the skills I am building (breathing exercises, therapy, DBT skills, etc) in order to ride my bike (aka live my life) without them.

I may try a slightly larger taper next month - closer to 10% - since December is typically a slow month at work- but I'll see how the next week goes. Maybe if nothing else I'll taper by 7-8%. Trying to remind myself that I need to play the long game here

[DD1DD]

First taper complete 😎

I completed my first Viibryd taper (5%). It's been 33 days and I'm feeling good. 

 

I noticed that my pill splitter splits my Wellbutrin in an uneven/unpreictable way, so I've decided to lower my Wellbutrin 5% for the next few weeks in order to ensure the medication amount is more consistent. After I finish this small Wellbutrin taper I plan to resume reducing my Viibryd since Viibryd is the medication I have more side effects from. Today is day 3 of my reduced Wellbutrin. So far so good. I take a large dose of Wellbutrin (250mg) so a 5% reduction is 237mg, which shouldn't be too bad. 

 

I've been taking 125mg of Magnesium some days but it often makes my mouth too dry (Wellbutrin already makes my mouth dry). Maybe this slightly lowered Wellbutrin will allow me to take Magnesium (and creatine - turns out there's a crazy amount of confirmed cognitive benefits of creatine) which will help my overall mental state.

 

This Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for this website and the knowledge and support I've recieved here. 

[Jane318]

9 hours ago, DD1DD said:

I completed my first Viibryd taper (5%). It's been 33 days and I'm feeling good. 

Such good news!  This is the reward of going thoughtfully and slowly - great job!

 

9 hours ago, DD1DD said:

I noticed that my pill splitter splits my Wellbutrin in an uneven/unpreictable way, so I've decided to lower my Wellbutrin 5% for the next few weeks in order to ensure the medication amount is more consistent. After I finish this small Wellbutrin taper I plan to resume reducing my Viibryd since Viibryd is the medication I have more side effects from. Today is day 3 of my reduced Wellbutrin. So far so good. I take a large dose of Wellbutrin (250mg) so a 5% reduction is 237mg, which shouldn't be too bad. 

Sounds logical.  Be aware that alternating tapers can make it somewhat complicated if withdrawal symptoms appear to know which drug is responsible.  As long as you go slowly, as you are, this should be less of an issue.  

 

9 hours ago, DD1DD said:

I've been taking 125mg of Magnesium some days but it often makes my mouth too dry (Wellbutrin already makes my mouth dry). Maybe this slightly lowered Wellbutrin will allow me to take Magnesium (and creatine - turns out there's a crazy amount of confirmed cognitive benefits of creatine) which will help my overall mental state.

What form of magnesium are you taking?  I'm wondering if you might better tolerate another form.  Some are Magnesium citrate, glycinate, maleate, and L-threonate.  Magnesium citrate causes diarrhea for some.  I take L-threonate.

 

As with all supplements, use caution when adding creatine.  I recommend reviewing possible side effects and drug interactions at drugs.com first.  Then if you decide to take it, start with very low amount to make sure it does not cause problems for you.  Many supplements become problematic during withdrawal.  I have some and decided to hold off for now for that reason.

 

9 hours ago, DD1DD said:

This Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for this website and the knowledge and support I've recieved here. 

Me too!

 

Also, want to make sure you are aware of this information:

Tips for tapering off Viibryd (vilazodone)

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

Edited November 29, 2024 by Jane318

[DD1DD]

Today is Day 15 of my Wellbutrin reduction from 250mg -> 225mg (10% drop). I started with a 5% drop for a week and then impulsively decided to drop it by the full 10%, which was not a good decision - lesson learned. Still at 14.25 mg of Viibryd (Day 52 since my 5% drop of Viibryd). I've defiitely felt more anxious the last few weeks - I feel an anxious internal monologue chattering during social interactions. I've also had trouble focusing at work and got some negative feedback a few weeks ago (although that could have been due to the Viibryd reduction). I don't think it's severe enough that I need to increase my medication dosages again, but I do want to wait a little longer before jumping into my next taper. 

[Jane318]

4 hours ago, DD1DD said:

I do want to wait a little longer before jumping into my next taper

Always wise to hold a bit longer when things seem to be getting wobbly.  Commend you for paying attention to your symptoms as you go.  

[DD1DD]

Today is Day 1 of my third Wellbutrin reduction ("WR3"). I opted to reduce by 5% since the post-holiday period isn't always easy + I have some work stress. Eventually my goal is to return to reducing Viibryd, but I want to get Wellbutrin down to 200mg first. Hopefully 5% is a minor enough drop that I don't notice much of an impact. Other than that, nothing big to report.

Day 1 of Wellbutrin Reduction #3 (5%)
Day 77 of Viibryd Reduction #1 (5%)

I attended a meditation retreat just before the holidays, which was a good reminder how much meditation/mindfullness help me. Also eating more vegtables (I've read about the links between folate and depression). Happy New Year to all! 

[DD1DD]

I talked with a friend this morning and decided to change my plans. I really don't care about getting off Wellbutrin immediately & I want to "keep the main thing the main thing" (so to speak), so I'm going back up to my wellbutrin dose from two days ago and will instead lower Viibryd and want to stick with just lowering Viibryd for the forseeable future. I definitely noticed some side effects from a 5% reduction back in October and I have some work stress right now, so I'm going to try a 3% reduction which hopefully is barely (if at all) percievable. Fingers crossed!

TLDR: Wellbutrin is back up to 225mg. Viibryd is down 3% to 13.80 mg (from previous amount of 14.25mg). Going forward I want to be more stringent about only lowering Viibryd (at least for the next several months) and not impulsively switching medication changes.