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Hellbutrin: Wellbutrin nightmare - advice welcome


Hellbutrin

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Hi Hellbutrin!
I just wanted to say hi and to offer that I was once on Wellbutrin and tapered off and for me with this drug it did not last long. I hope it is that way for you too!

-D

2001- Klonopin 0.125 mg.  2011- increase to 1 mg.  2018- increase to 1.5 mg 

2010- Trials of SSRI's, several.

2011- Saphris 5 mg. CT. 6/2017- retry Saphris 5 mg sublingual, begin taper August 2020 10% taper with scale, and final taper liquid sublingual, August 2019- taper complete!

2011- Geodon 20 mg. Begin taper Sept 2019. 10% liquid taper. 2020: December-5 mg. 2021: Jan-4.5mg. (held Feb.for vacation). March-4mg. Apr-3.6mg. May-3.2mg. June-2.8mg. (Held July for vacation). Aug-2.4mg. Sept.- 2.2mg. Oct. 2mg. Dec 2022 - Taper complete!

2011- Gabapentin 300 mg to present- 2020. Increase 2023 to 400mg.

2014- Vyvanse 20 mg, 2020- Vyvanse 5 mg. Increase August 2022 20mg

2016- Lithium 300 mg, June 2016 - FT.

2017- Cogentin 0.5 mg. June-August 2019- off Cogentin.

2021 - Hydroxyzine 30mg. Holding.

Omeprazole 20 mg and holding, Omega 3's/fish oil, Magnesium

 

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10 minutes ago, DMV64 said:

Hi Hellbutrin!
I just wanted to say hi and to offer that I was once on Wellbutrin and tapered off and for me with this drug it did not last long. I hope it is that way for you too!

-D

Thanks DMV64, How long did you take Wellbutrin how long did you have withdrawal symptoms and what were your withdrawal symptoms? Thanks for your input and reassurance!

  1. Started Wellbutrin 75 mg IR the end of 2015.
  2. Tried quitting cold turkey in June 30th- July 3rd 2017.
  3. Had severe withdrawals.
  4. Was placed on Wellbutrin 100mg SR so I could taper without withdrawal.
  5. Stabilized on 100mg SR for most of the month of July.
  6. Started tapering on July 17th,  2017.
  7. Completed taper on August 8th, 2017.
  8. Currently experiencing severe withdrawal.
  • Symptoms- Currently experiencing anhedonia, depersonalization/derealization, concentration/memory issues, chronic congestion, chronic dry eyes, dry skin, dislocated TMJ joint from teeth grinding during C/T withdrawal, waves of depression, anxiety, nausea, morning cortisol spikes, insomnia, agitation, food sensitivities, no tolerance for caffeine and chronic fatigue, burning muscle pain in upper and lower back and occasional tinninitus.
  • Supplements- Omega-3 fish oil supplement twice daily, 100 mg of magnesium once daily. 
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I guess I took it for about a year and a half? I took 50 then up to 100. I tapered down pretty quickly. Had agitation, lots of crying. Foggy brain. Overwhelmedness. I would say it was a little over a month before it started to ease.

2001- Klonopin 0.125 mg.  2011- increase to 1 mg.  2018- increase to 1.5 mg 

2010- Trials of SSRI's, several.

2011- Saphris 5 mg. CT. 6/2017- retry Saphris 5 mg sublingual, begin taper August 2020 10% taper with scale, and final taper liquid sublingual, August 2019- taper complete!

2011- Geodon 20 mg. Begin taper Sept 2019. 10% liquid taper. 2020: December-5 mg. 2021: Jan-4.5mg. (held Feb.for vacation). March-4mg. Apr-3.6mg. May-3.2mg. June-2.8mg. (Held July for vacation). Aug-2.4mg. Sept.- 2.2mg. Oct. 2mg. Dec 2022 - Taper complete!

2011- Gabapentin 300 mg to present- 2020. Increase 2023 to 400mg.

2014- Vyvanse 20 mg, 2020- Vyvanse 5 mg. Increase August 2022 20mg

2016- Lithium 300 mg, June 2016 - FT.

2017- Cogentin 0.5 mg. June-August 2019- off Cogentin.

2021 - Hydroxyzine 30mg. Holding.

Omeprazole 20 mg and holding, Omega 3's/fish oil, Magnesium

 

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2 minutes ago, DMV64 said:

I guess I took it for about a year and a half? I took 50 then up to 100. I tapered down pretty quickly. Had agitation, lots of crying. Foggy brain. Overwhelmedness. I would say it was a little over a month before it started to ease.

Thanks so much! That makes me feel A LOT better, would you say that your cognitive function totally recovered eventually?

  1. Started Wellbutrin 75 mg IR the end of 2015.
  2. Tried quitting cold turkey in June 30th- July 3rd 2017.
  3. Had severe withdrawals.
  4. Was placed on Wellbutrin 100mg SR so I could taper without withdrawal.
  5. Stabilized on 100mg SR for most of the month of July.
  6. Started tapering on July 17th,  2017.
  7. Completed taper on August 8th, 2017.
  8. Currently experiencing severe withdrawal.
  • Symptoms- Currently experiencing anhedonia, depersonalization/derealization, concentration/memory issues, chronic congestion, chronic dry eyes, dry skin, dislocated TMJ joint from teeth grinding during C/T withdrawal, waves of depression, anxiety, nausea, morning cortisol spikes, insomnia, agitation, food sensitivities, no tolerance for caffeine and chronic fatigue, burning muscle pain in upper and lower back and occasional tinninitus.
  • Supplements- Omega-3 fish oil supplement twice daily, 100 mg of magnesium once daily. 
Link to comment

Well I would say that if I hadn't started other meds. But unfortunately I did and so now I am here!

2001- Klonopin 0.125 mg.  2011- increase to 1 mg.  2018- increase to 1.5 mg 

2010- Trials of SSRI's, several.

2011- Saphris 5 mg. CT. 6/2017- retry Saphris 5 mg sublingual, begin taper August 2020 10% taper with scale, and final taper liquid sublingual, August 2019- taper complete!

2011- Geodon 20 mg. Begin taper Sept 2019. 10% liquid taper. 2020: December-5 mg. 2021: Jan-4.5mg. (held Feb.for vacation). March-4mg. Apr-3.6mg. May-3.2mg. June-2.8mg. (Held July for vacation). Aug-2.4mg. Sept.- 2.2mg. Oct. 2mg. Dec 2022 - Taper complete!

2011- Gabapentin 300 mg to present- 2020. Increase 2023 to 400mg.

2014- Vyvanse 20 mg, 2020- Vyvanse 5 mg. Increase August 2022 20mg

2016- Lithium 300 mg, June 2016 - FT.

2017- Cogentin 0.5 mg. June-August 2019- off Cogentin.

2021 - Hydroxyzine 30mg. Holding.

Omeprazole 20 mg and holding, Omega 3's/fish oil, Magnesium

 

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Just now, DMV64 said:

Well I would say that if I hadn't started other meds. But unfortunately I did and so now I am here!

Yikes, how are you doing tapering off of your other meds? Are you having similar withdrawal symptoms with the tapering off of the other drugs that you had to tapering off of Wellbutrin?  What did you start taking in place of Wellbutrin?

  1. Started Wellbutrin 75 mg IR the end of 2015.
  2. Tried quitting cold turkey in June 30th- July 3rd 2017.
  3. Had severe withdrawals.
  4. Was placed on Wellbutrin 100mg SR so I could taper without withdrawal.
  5. Stabilized on 100mg SR for most of the month of July.
  6. Started tapering on July 17th,  2017.
  7. Completed taper on August 8th, 2017.
  8. Currently experiencing severe withdrawal.
  • Symptoms- Currently experiencing anhedonia, depersonalization/derealization, concentration/memory issues, chronic congestion, chronic dry eyes, dry skin, dislocated TMJ joint from teeth grinding during C/T withdrawal, waves of depression, anxiety, nausea, morning cortisol spikes, insomnia, agitation, food sensitivities, no tolerance for caffeine and chronic fatigue, burning muscle pain in upper and lower back and occasional tinninitus.
  • Supplements- Omega-3 fish oil supplement twice daily, 100 mg of magnesium once daily. 
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Thanks for asking. Doing ok. Hard. After Wellbutrin I was just on vyvanse for awhile but when I became severely depressed I was put on lithium. And eventually Saphris. I am really just beginning to put together a taper plan. 

2001- Klonopin 0.125 mg.  2011- increase to 1 mg.  2018- increase to 1.5 mg 

2010- Trials of SSRI's, several.

2011- Saphris 5 mg. CT. 6/2017- retry Saphris 5 mg sublingual, begin taper August 2020 10% taper with scale, and final taper liquid sublingual, August 2019- taper complete!

2011- Geodon 20 mg. Begin taper Sept 2019. 10% liquid taper. 2020: December-5 mg. 2021: Jan-4.5mg. (held Feb.for vacation). March-4mg. Apr-3.6mg. May-3.2mg. June-2.8mg. (Held July for vacation). Aug-2.4mg. Sept.- 2.2mg. Oct. 2mg. Dec 2022 - Taper complete!

2011- Gabapentin 300 mg to present- 2020. Increase 2023 to 400mg.

2014- Vyvanse 20 mg, 2020- Vyvanse 5 mg. Increase August 2022 20mg

2016- Lithium 300 mg, June 2016 - FT.

2017- Cogentin 0.5 mg. June-August 2019- off Cogentin.

2021 - Hydroxyzine 30mg. Holding.

Omeprazole 20 mg and holding, Omega 3's/fish oil, Magnesium

 

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Welcome to the forum. Wellbutrin is one of the drugs I take too and would like to some day get off of. Wow, it seems a lot harder to get off of than I initially thought. I was assuming based on what I'd read before that I could do the Wellbutrin faster than 10% a month when I do taper but I'm re-thinking that now.

I would assume that because you're young, your body has a good ability to recover. Good luck.

-I was on an SSRI (most recently Celexa at 40mg/day) for about 15 years for anxiety. I tapered off over about 8 months and in 2015 and had worsened anxiety and well-being once off it. In the fall of 2015 (I believe) I did a low dose reinstatement and was doing better. I stayed on roughly 1 ml (2 mg) for a while but eventually lowered it to .5 ml and was on this for a long time.

-Around late mid May (2017) my anxiety was worse and I increased the Celexa to 1.5 ml. At first, I felt significantly better but I developed a hand tremor. I also was having some attention and concentration difficulties. In mid July (over about 2 weeks) I tapered off of the Celexa and was off it for about 2 1/2 weeks before I started to feel an intense increase in anxiety and my hand tremor returned.

-Aug 13, 2017 I did a low dose reinstatement of 0.5 ml a day and am currently still taking that. Initial response is good.

-Early September 2017 to present - hand tremor returns and attention and concentration are impaired. Feeling of unbalance/unsteadiness from using treadmill. Mild changes to sexual performance too.

-Sept 18, 2017: 0.4 ml Celexa. Everything is generally improving although hand tremor is worse. Attention, concentration, and anxiety are good.

-I am also on Wellbutrin (200 mg/day) for anxiety and take a Benadryl at night for sleep and allergies. Eventually I'd like to be off everything.

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9730-chancelucky-antidepressant-withdrawal-social-anxiety-pessimism/

 

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2 hours ago, ChanceLucky said:

Welcome to the forum. Wellbutrin is one of the drugs I take too and would like to some day get off of. Wow, it seems a lot harder to get off of than I initially thought. I was assuming based on what I'd read before that I could do the Wellbutrin faster than 10% a month when I do taper but I'm re-thinking that now.

I would assume that because you're young, your body has a good ability to recover. Good luck.

Hi ChanceLucky,

 

Thanks for the reassurance! Wellbutrin is the only drug that I have ever taken and given what I know now and the experience that I have had trying to get off of this drug, I will NEVER take another psychoactive drug again. I finished my taper 5 weeks ago and since then I have experienced severe memory impairment/concentration issues, depersonalization and anhedonia, head aches, brain zaps, fatigue and terrible insomnia. I was taking the lowest dosage possible over a period of almost two years, so I'm expecting that it's likely going to take me a while to recover completely. I wish you luck in your taper, let me know when you start your Wellbutrin taper. This forum has been tremendously supportive and helpful to me while I've been going through withdrawals, so I would like to offer that to other people that are going through similar experiences. 

  1. Started Wellbutrin 75 mg IR the end of 2015.
  2. Tried quitting cold turkey in June 30th- July 3rd 2017.
  3. Had severe withdrawals.
  4. Was placed on Wellbutrin 100mg SR so I could taper without withdrawal.
  5. Stabilized on 100mg SR for most of the month of July.
  6. Started tapering on July 17th,  2017.
  7. Completed taper on August 8th, 2017.
  8. Currently experiencing severe withdrawal.
  • Symptoms- Currently experiencing anhedonia, depersonalization/derealization, concentration/memory issues, chronic congestion, chronic dry eyes, dry skin, dislocated TMJ joint from teeth grinding during C/T withdrawal, waves of depression, anxiety, nausea, morning cortisol spikes, insomnia, agitation, food sensitivities, no tolerance for caffeine and chronic fatigue, burning muscle pain in upper and lower back and occasional tinninitus.
  • Supplements- Omega-3 fish oil supplement twice daily, 100 mg of magnesium once daily. 
Link to comment
14 hours ago, DMV64 said:

Thanks for asking. Doing ok. Hard. After Wellbutrin I was just on vyvanse for awhile but when I became severely depressed I was put on lithium. And eventually Saphris. I am really just beginning to put together a taper plan. 

Yeah, some people might disagree with this, but I think that the most important part of tapering is finding the right time. I started my taper two weeks before I was supposed to take my exit exam for my professional certification for graduate school. TERRIBLE IDEA. I had what I could only describe as a mental break down DURING the exam and had to go to the bathroom to collect myself before I could return to finish the test. If I could start my taper over again I would definitely go much slower, I was in such a hurry to get off of the drug entirely that I forgot to be easy on myself. Brain adaptation doesn't happen over night and I was forcing myself to adjust too quickly. 

  1. Started Wellbutrin 75 mg IR the end of 2015.
  2. Tried quitting cold turkey in June 30th- July 3rd 2017.
  3. Had severe withdrawals.
  4. Was placed on Wellbutrin 100mg SR so I could taper without withdrawal.
  5. Stabilized on 100mg SR for most of the month of July.
  6. Started tapering on July 17th,  2017.
  7. Completed taper on August 8th, 2017.
  8. Currently experiencing severe withdrawal.
  • Symptoms- Currently experiencing anhedonia, depersonalization/derealization, concentration/memory issues, chronic congestion, chronic dry eyes, dry skin, dislocated TMJ joint from teeth grinding during C/T withdrawal, waves of depression, anxiety, nausea, morning cortisol spikes, insomnia, agitation, food sensitivities, no tolerance for caffeine and chronic fatigue, burning muscle pain in upper and lower back and occasional tinninitus.
  • Supplements- Omega-3 fish oil supplement twice daily, 100 mg of magnesium once daily. 
Link to comment

Yes! i just opened a new business. I really have to take it slow. I am just trying to stablize now and go from there.

2001- Klonopin 0.125 mg.  2011- increase to 1 mg.  2018- increase to 1.5 mg 

2010- Trials of SSRI's, several.

2011- Saphris 5 mg. CT. 6/2017- retry Saphris 5 mg sublingual, begin taper August 2020 10% taper with scale, and final taper liquid sublingual, August 2019- taper complete!

2011- Geodon 20 mg. Begin taper Sept 2019. 10% liquid taper. 2020: December-5 mg. 2021: Jan-4.5mg. (held Feb.for vacation). March-4mg. Apr-3.6mg. May-3.2mg. June-2.8mg. (Held July for vacation). Aug-2.4mg. Sept.- 2.2mg. Oct. 2mg. Dec 2022 - Taper complete!

2011- Gabapentin 300 mg to present- 2020. Increase 2023 to 400mg.

2014- Vyvanse 20 mg, 2020- Vyvanse 5 mg. Increase August 2022 20mg

2016- Lithium 300 mg, June 2016 - FT.

2017- Cogentin 0.5 mg. June-August 2019- off Cogentin.

2021 - Hydroxyzine 30mg. Holding.

Omeprazole 20 mg and holding, Omega 3's/fish oil, Magnesium

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

This Tuesday will mark 7 weeks of being totally off of Wellbutrin, and I've started noticing some rather disturbing signs of agitation and irritability bordering on rage replacing some of the anhedonia and disassociation symptoms that I've had since I started my taper. I don't feel even relatively similar to how I was before I started taking these drugs, but I'm concerned that even after being totally off of the drugs for the last two months I've started seeing completely new symptoms instead of the gradual easing of the symptoms that I was already struggling with. I'd like to think that these new symptoms are just a side effect of my PMS this month, but I'm wondering why the symptoms would exhibit themselves now and not in the last two months that I've been totally off of the Wellbutrin. One theory that I have for this is that my CNS was trying to protect itself with the disassociation and anhedonia, and now that they are starting to ease ever so slightly I am becoming slightly overwhelmed by my typical everyday emotions. My PMS wasn't that bad before I started taking this medication, and it wasn't that bad while I was on it. But I think that because I've been so used to not feeling anything for so long, that I'm becoming overwhelmed by my own feelings. This is a bizarre feeling, especially since I still feel so out of touch with my own emotions. This is another cruel catch 22 of these drugs, I can't feel joy or happiness like I used to but I sure can have a super hellish PMS. Have other people experienced similar instances, and if so did you find that the irritability and agitation coincided with a gradual easing of anhedonia and disassociation?

  1. Started Wellbutrin 75 mg IR the end of 2015.
  2. Tried quitting cold turkey in June 30th- July 3rd 2017.
  3. Had severe withdrawals.
  4. Was placed on Wellbutrin 100mg SR so I could taper without withdrawal.
  5. Stabilized on 100mg SR for most of the month of July.
  6. Started tapering on July 17th,  2017.
  7. Completed taper on August 8th, 2017.
  8. Currently experiencing severe withdrawal.
  • Symptoms- Currently experiencing anhedonia, depersonalization/derealization, concentration/memory issues, chronic congestion, chronic dry eyes, dry skin, dislocated TMJ joint from teeth grinding during C/T withdrawal, waves of depression, anxiety, nausea, morning cortisol spikes, insomnia, agitation, food sensitivities, no tolerance for caffeine and chronic fatigue, burning muscle pain in upper and lower back and occasional tinninitus.
  • Supplements- Omega-3 fish oil supplement twice daily, 100 mg of magnesium once daily. 
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  • 2 weeks later...

Attended my first appointment with a licensed psychiatrist  WHAT A JOKE!!!

 

I felt that the entire appointment she was trying to tell me that the only option for getting over my symptoms was to start taking more medications. She expressed to me that withdrawal in my situation is very unusual and she suspects that there might be underlying issues going on. Despite me adamantly insisting that I was perfectly happy before I started taking antidepressants in the first place (with the exception of my anxiety issues), and that I wasn't even taking the Wellbutrin for depression in the first place. I actually think that for a lot of the session she was very literally IGNORING me into submission. It got so bad to the point that I was willing to say anything to get out of her office. She made me feel terrible about my condition, and told me that "withdrawal is something that people in online forums make up in order to explain the symptoms that they are having from their depression, anxiety or other underlying psychological illness." I ended up telling her that I would give myself another month to see if I saw any improvement, and if not then I would come back to her to consider an alternate type of medication. FAT CHANCE, if I was EVER going to consider medication again I wouldn't go to someone who could very likely put me in a worse off position then I am in now. I didn't expect to get all of my answers from the psychiatrist, but after finally getting to the point that I was ready to see a doctor about my symptoms, I see the VERY REAL value in forums like this. I've been having to recover from the appointment over this past weekend, because I think that her "expertise" actually messed up my thinking about this condition even more and made it worse. Now I feel like I'm a very rare withdrawal phenomena and I was just too sensitive to have been on the medication in the first place and so I must have permanently messed up my brain. I TRULY hope that this is just my anxiety talking, but I really wish that I could find a therapist that believed whole heartedly in talk therapy or holistic medicine, instead of one that believes that eating pills is the only way to fix issues of withdrawal. 

 

Has anyone else experienced withdrawal from specifically Wellbutrin??

 

I'm a little concerned because a lot of the rhetoric that I've seen says that Wellbutrin is one of the easier antidepressants to withdrawal from, and I've been having a TERRIBLE experience trying to recover from it. 

 

Has anyone experienced withdrawal from Wellbutrin and recovered entirely? If so, how long did it take to recover? 

 

Edited by ChessieCat
added topic title (merged) to post
  1. Started Wellbutrin 75 mg IR the end of 2015.
  2. Tried quitting cold turkey in June 30th- July 3rd 2017.
  3. Had severe withdrawals.
  4. Was placed on Wellbutrin 100mg SR so I could taper without withdrawal.
  5. Stabilized on 100mg SR for most of the month of July.
  6. Started tapering on July 17th,  2017.
  7. Completed taper on August 8th, 2017.
  8. Currently experiencing severe withdrawal.
  • Symptoms- Currently experiencing anhedonia, depersonalization/derealization, concentration/memory issues, chronic congestion, chronic dry eyes, dry skin, dislocated TMJ joint from teeth grinding during C/T withdrawal, waves of depression, anxiety, nausea, morning cortisol spikes, insomnia, agitation, food sensitivities, no tolerance for caffeine and chronic fatigue, burning muscle pain in upper and lower back and occasional tinninitus.
  • Supplements- Omega-3 fish oil supplement twice daily, 100 mg of magnesium once daily. 
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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Hellbutrin,

 

I've merged the new topic you created with your Intro topic.  Each member has 1 Intro topic where they can ask questions about their own situation.  This keeps your history in one place and is helpful for mods, yourself and other members.

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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  • Moderator Emeritus

If you click on the drug tags below the topic title you will find other members who have the same tag.

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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Hi

 

I just wanted to say that I'm so sorry you're going thru this.  You've posted on my thread, so you know that I, too, am having a hard time coming off of Wellbutrin.  I've been told it's one of the easier medications to come off of as well.  But we are all different, some of us are more sensitive and take more time to heal.  

 

You must believe you can heal.  I hope SA doesn't mind... but I have also found the following sites helpful.  Just google.  It will show you that withdrawal syndrome is very real, and that you will heal. 

 

Mad in America

Mad in America Podcast... they have stories of everyone going thru withdrawal. 

Dr Peter Breggin... and his harm reduction guide. 

Dr Kelley Brogan

 

Good luck to you my friend

 

Early 2000s: 4 years Paxil (CT).    Mid 2000s: 4 years Lexapro (CT).  6 years on Wellbutrin XL 150. 2012-2017.

Mar 26 2017. Began Wellbutrin XL 150 taper : Mar 31 2017. Wellbutrin IR 75mg : Apr 7 2017. Wellbutrin IR 65mg

Apr 25 2017. Wellbutrin IR 56mg : May 30 2017. Wellbutrin IR 37.5mg : Aug 14 2017. Wellbutrin IR 28.125mg : Sep 9 2017. Wellbutrin IR 26.5mg  Sep 13 2017. Wellbutrin IR 25.4mg : Sep 17 2017. Wellbutrin IR 24mg : Sep 20 2017. Wellbutrin IR 23.2mg : Sep 25 2017. Wellbutrin IR 22.4mg 

Oct 3 2017. Wellbutrin IR 21.6mg : Oct 9 2017. Wellbutrin IR 20.8mg : Oct 17 2017. Wellbutrin IR 20mg : Oct 25 2017. Wellbutrin IR 19.2mg

Oct 27 2017. Wellbutrin IR 18.4mg : Nov 2 2017. Wellbutrin IR 17.6mg : Nov 11 2017. Wellbutrin IR 15mg : Nov 16 2017. Wellbutrin IR 12mg

Nov 19 2017. Wellbutrin IR 9mg : Nov 23 2017. Wellbutrin IR 6mg : Nov 24 2017. Wellbutrin IR 4mg 

Nov 27 2017. 0mg.  Stopped Wellbutrin 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 10/2/2017 at 5:15 PM, Hellbutrin said:

She made me feel terrible about my condition, and told me that "withdrawal is something that people in online forums make up in order to explain the symptoms that they are having from their depression, anxiety or other underlying psychological illness."

 

I'm lucky that all of my symptoms were well into play (January-July 2015) WELL BEFORE I even found this site and became a member in July 2015.  Upon which I found 100% of what I was experiencing is verifiable reactions to these meds.  But with doctors like that, "trained" by the drug companies to mis diagnose withdrawal as "proof" of a "new" condition, you can see why it's such a merry go round.

 

You are way too early into your withdrawal to be worrying yourself about "permanent damage", and you have 2 things going for you:

1;  Wellbutrin was your first drug, and,

2: Your planning to NEVER taking another different one again (my non medical advice that's the way to go).

 

Reinstatement of a "small" about of wellbutrin is possible, as you see I currently take 3.5 mgs a day on my taper.  But your window of opportunity for that "may" be closing.  Your 2 months since your last dose?  If you wait too long, you can be prolonging your recovery as re reinstatement could give a reaction. If you can't reinstate at something small, it "may" be too late for a larger reinstatement of 15 mgs or such.

Have you even thought on how you can "reliably" get a small amount per day?  Slicing and dicing pills at those small amounts is kinda futile.  You could be trying for 4 mgs a day and getting 2.75 one day and 6.25 the next, and that will definitely make you worse.  I'm lucky I have a compounding place in town.

That's the problem with drugs that don't have  liquids, very hard to taper reliably.  Do you even have a doctor that would write you scripts for such small compounding amounts?

 

The last thing you want, is to try to re instate, do WORSE, and have it be because the dosages are fluctuating from day to day, and not realize that is the reason and then blame yourself for thinking it's the re reinstatement itself. 

 

If you check out by Wellbutrin signature you can check out how long I have been withdrawing from 12.75 over the past year or so...

And any doctor who told you to take it one day and not the next should have lost their license.  That is SO 1990'S...

 

Welcome aboard.

 

 Starting ds 2 (12.5 CR'S) = 25 MG PAXIL CR 1/21/15: 1 Pill + 10mg liquid (2 weeks) 2/4: 1 Pill + 9mg Lq (3 weeks) 2/25: 1 Pill + 8 mg lq (1 week) 3/4: 1 Pill + 6 mg lq (2 weeks) 3/18/15 1 Pill + 4 mg lq (2 weeks) 4/1/15 1 Pill + 3 mg lq (2 weeks) 4/14/15 1 Pill + 2 mg lq (2 weeks) 4/29/15 1Pill + 1 mg lq (16 days) 5/15/15 1 12.5 mg Pill ONLY (9 days) 5/24/15 12 mgs liquid (8 days) 6/1/15 11mg lq (12 days) 6/13/15 10 mg.  12/3/15 Drop from 8mg to 7.6 (24 days to) 12/27/15 7.2mgs 8/4/16 6.8mgs,  11/1/16 6.4mgs, 2/5/17 6 mgs  4/3/17 5.6mgs, 4/24/17 5.2mg, 6/13/17 4.8mgs, 9/20/17 4.4mgS, 11/23/17 4 mgs, 1/1/18 3.6 mgs, 2/15/18 3.2 mgs. 4/13/18 2.8mgs, 5/11/18 2.4mgs, 6/10/18 2.0 mgs, 8/4/18 1.6mgs,  9/27/18 1.2mgs, 12/24/18 0.8mg, 3/24/19 0.64 mg,(syringe change issue date?) 4/22/19 0.60 mg, 5/24/19 0.60 mg, 7/7/19 0.52 mgs, 8/4/19 0.44mgs, 11/4/19 0.36mgs, 2/1/20 0.28mgs, 3/1/20 0.24mgs (crash April 6) Compound started 6/28/21: 0.24mgs, 8/29/21: 0.22mgs, 10/31/21: 0.20mgs, 1/03/22: 0.18mgs, 3/5/22: 0.16mgs, 5/5/22: 0.14mgs.

 

Original Wellbutrin Dose: 6 months from 9/14 to 3/2015, 300 XL 3/15/15: Half to 150 XL ( severe symptoms started on day 12) 4/16/15: 125mg   for 20 days to: 5/6/15:   100mg  for  15 days to: 5/21/15    75mg  for  10 days to: 6/1/15:  56.25mg      13 days to: 6/13/15: 37.25mg    7 days to: 6/20/15  28.12mg   14 days to: 7/4/15  18.75mg, 7 days to: 7/11/15; RAISE BACK TO: 28.12 to 8/14/15: 18.75mg  20 days to :9/3/15 : 12.5mg, 8/4/16 9mg 1/9/17: 8.5mg 2/8/17 8mg, 3/9/17: 7.6  4/9/17  7.2  5/27/17 6.4 6/24/17 5.8, 8/1/17 5.0, 8/29/17 4.2mgs, 10/2/17 3.5mgs, 12/28/17 2.5mgs, 2/27/18 1.7mgs,  4/19/18 0.8 mgs, LAST DOSE: 6/11/18:  3 YEARS, 2 MONTHS, 27 DAYS...

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19 hours ago, Colonial said:

 

I'm lucky that all of my symptoms were well into play (January-July 2015) WELL BEFORE I even found this site and became a member in July 2015.  Upon which I found 100% of what I was experiencing is verifiable reactions to these meds.  But with doctors like that, "trained" by the drug companies to mis diagnose withdrawal as "proof" of a "new" condition, you can see why it's such a merry go round.

 

You are way too early into your withdrawal to be worrying yourself about "permanent damage", and you have 2 things going for you:

1;  Wellbutrin was your first drug, and,

2: Your planning to NEVER taking another different one again (my non medical advice that's the way to go).

 

Reinstatement of a "small" about of wellbutrin is possible, as you see I currently take 3.5 mgs a day on my taper.  But your window of opportunity for that "may" be closing.  Your 2 months since your last dose?  If you wait too long, you can be prolonging your recovery as re reinstatement could give a reaction. If you can't reinstate at something small, it "may" be too late for a larger reinstatement of 15 mgs or such.

Have you even thought on how you can "reliably" get a small amount per day?  Slicing and dicing pills at those small amounts is kinda futile.  You could be trying for 4 mgs a day and getting 2.75 one day and 6.25 the next, and that will definitely make you worse.  I'm lucky I have a compounding place in town.

That's the problem with drugs that don't have  liquids, very hard to taper reliably.  Do you even have a doctor that would write you scripts for such small compounding amounts?

 

The last thing you want, is to try to re instate, do WORSE, and have it be because the dosages are fluctuating from day to day, and not realize that is the reason and then blame yourself for thinking it's the re reinstatement itself. 

 

If you check out by Wellbutrin signature you can check out how long I have been withdrawing from 12.75 over the past year or so...

And any doctor who told you to take it one day and not the next should have lost their license.  That is SO 1990'S...

 

Welcome aboard.

 

Hi Colonial,

 

Thank you so much for your feedback and encouragement! I read previous posts when I'm having days where withdrawal feels like it's too much, so it really helps to have posts like yours that I can look back on. I agree with your comment about reinstatement potentially causing a reaction. When I quit Wellbutrin cold turkey the first time I was forced to reinstate because I was having such bad withdrawals, I was experiencing suicidal ideation and such bad anxiety that I hospitalized myself twice thinking that I might have been having a heart attack. What's worse is that following my cold turkey I went to my primary care doctor (the one that prescribed me to Wellbutrin in the first place) and she reinstated me on an even higher dose than what I had been previously taking before my cold turkey. This is why I'm wary of trying a small reinstatement, my window and waves following my reinstatement had me in such an emotional spiral that I could hardly function. Not to mention that she was having me taper by switching doses. If there's anything that I've learned from this experience it's that there is tremendous value in doing your own research instead of relying %100 on what doctor's tell you.  10/24/2017 will mark 11 weeks since I completed my taper and I've been seeing some slight increase in the frequency of my windows, but I haven't seen any improvement in my concentration, depersonalization or memory. I recently joined a gym and it has helped slightly with my fatigue and improved my energy level.

  1. Started Wellbutrin 75 mg IR the end of 2015.
  2. Tried quitting cold turkey in June 30th- July 3rd 2017.
  3. Had severe withdrawals.
  4. Was placed on Wellbutrin 100mg SR so I could taper without withdrawal.
  5. Stabilized on 100mg SR for most of the month of July.
  6. Started tapering on July 17th,  2017.
  7. Completed taper on August 8th, 2017.
  8. Currently experiencing severe withdrawal.
  • Symptoms- Currently experiencing anhedonia, depersonalization/derealization, concentration/memory issues, chronic congestion, chronic dry eyes, dry skin, dislocated TMJ joint from teeth grinding during C/T withdrawal, waves of depression, anxiety, nausea, morning cortisol spikes, insomnia, agitation, food sensitivities, no tolerance for caffeine and chronic fatigue, burning muscle pain in upper and lower back and occasional tinninitus.
  • Supplements- Omega-3 fish oil supplement twice daily, 100 mg of magnesium once daily. 
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15 minutes ago, Hellbutrin said:

What's worse is that following my cold turkey I went to my primary care doctor (the one that prescribed me to Wellbutrin in the first place) and she reinstated me on an even higher dose than what I had been previously taking before my cold turkey.

 

That's a big clue... 

 

Your body had already starting making changes and now MORE than you were at to begin with is just as bad as not enough.  What would have been the correct guess would probably have been something LOWER than your original dose, but it's all depending on the timing and how LONG a person has been off before reinstatement.

 

The more I read here, the most successful re in statements generally happen within the first 3 weeks, or at the beginning of symptoms.  The further out you wait, not only is it more risky, but you would need  MUCH LESS to re instate.

 

But, that's just the averages of what I've seen here, any one person can be the exception of the 5 % that due great doing what made others worse. 

 

So, if you've been Wellbutrin free for 11 weeks?  If I was you (which I'm not, but) I  think you just gotta stick it out.. especially since your getting better and not worse.  Especially if you don't have a reliable way to dose EXACTLY the very little you would need at this point.

 

Also, remember your battling the "autumn season" as well, when people have extra troubles to begin with. This could be giving you a "false negative" about your progress. If it wasn't autumn on top of your taper, you might be doing a lot better.  If your holding steady at this troublesome time of the year, I think your through the worst.

 

Edited by Colonial

 Starting ds 2 (12.5 CR'S) = 25 MG PAXIL CR 1/21/15: 1 Pill + 10mg liquid (2 weeks) 2/4: 1 Pill + 9mg Lq (3 weeks) 2/25: 1 Pill + 8 mg lq (1 week) 3/4: 1 Pill + 6 mg lq (2 weeks) 3/18/15 1 Pill + 4 mg lq (2 weeks) 4/1/15 1 Pill + 3 mg lq (2 weeks) 4/14/15 1 Pill + 2 mg lq (2 weeks) 4/29/15 1Pill + 1 mg lq (16 days) 5/15/15 1 12.5 mg Pill ONLY (9 days) 5/24/15 12 mgs liquid (8 days) 6/1/15 11mg lq (12 days) 6/13/15 10 mg.  12/3/15 Drop from 8mg to 7.6 (24 days to) 12/27/15 7.2mgs 8/4/16 6.8mgs,  11/1/16 6.4mgs, 2/5/17 6 mgs  4/3/17 5.6mgs, 4/24/17 5.2mg, 6/13/17 4.8mgs, 9/20/17 4.4mgS, 11/23/17 4 mgs, 1/1/18 3.6 mgs, 2/15/18 3.2 mgs. 4/13/18 2.8mgs, 5/11/18 2.4mgs, 6/10/18 2.0 mgs, 8/4/18 1.6mgs,  9/27/18 1.2mgs, 12/24/18 0.8mg, 3/24/19 0.64 mg,(syringe change issue date?) 4/22/19 0.60 mg, 5/24/19 0.60 mg, 7/7/19 0.52 mgs, 8/4/19 0.44mgs, 11/4/19 0.36mgs, 2/1/20 0.28mgs, 3/1/20 0.24mgs (crash April 6) Compound started 6/28/21: 0.24mgs, 8/29/21: 0.22mgs, 10/31/21: 0.20mgs, 1/03/22: 0.18mgs, 3/5/22: 0.16mgs, 5/5/22: 0.14mgs.

 

Original Wellbutrin Dose: 6 months from 9/14 to 3/2015, 300 XL 3/15/15: Half to 150 XL ( severe symptoms started on day 12) 4/16/15: 125mg   for 20 days to: 5/6/15:   100mg  for  15 days to: 5/21/15    75mg  for  10 days to: 6/1/15:  56.25mg      13 days to: 6/13/15: 37.25mg    7 days to: 6/20/15  28.12mg   14 days to: 7/4/15  18.75mg, 7 days to: 7/11/15; RAISE BACK TO: 28.12 to 8/14/15: 18.75mg  20 days to :9/3/15 : 12.5mg, 8/4/16 9mg 1/9/17: 8.5mg 2/8/17 8mg, 3/9/17: 7.6  4/9/17  7.2  5/27/17 6.4 6/24/17 5.8, 8/1/17 5.0, 8/29/17 4.2mgs, 10/2/17 3.5mgs, 12/28/17 2.5mgs, 2/27/18 1.7mgs,  4/19/18 0.8 mgs, LAST DOSE: 6/11/18:  3 YEARS, 2 MONTHS, 27 DAYS...

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  • 2 weeks later...

Any information or first hand experience with withdrawal and anesthesia for a surgery while being in withdrawal is appreciated. I completed my taper is August and have been in withdrawal from Wellbutrin since then. I'm supposed to have surgery on my for a TMJ issue that I've had (also a product of being on Wellbutrin) in November. I wanted to see if anyone else has any information about what to expect after going under anesthesia and how it will effect withdrawal. Will it make my withdrawal worse, or is there usually not a change? I want to make sure that I know everything about it going into it. Any information is appreciated!

  1. Started Wellbutrin 75 mg IR the end of 2015.
  2. Tried quitting cold turkey in June 30th- July 3rd 2017.
  3. Had severe withdrawals.
  4. Was placed on Wellbutrin 100mg SR so I could taper without withdrawal.
  5. Stabilized on 100mg SR for most of the month of July.
  6. Started tapering on July 17th,  2017.
  7. Completed taper on August 8th, 2017.
  8. Currently experiencing severe withdrawal.
  • Symptoms- Currently experiencing anhedonia, depersonalization/derealization, concentration/memory issues, chronic congestion, chronic dry eyes, dry skin, dislocated TMJ joint from teeth grinding during C/T withdrawal, waves of depression, anxiety, nausea, morning cortisol spikes, insomnia, agitation, food sensitivities, no tolerance for caffeine and chronic fatigue, burning muscle pain in upper and lower back and occasional tinninitus.
  • Supplements- Omega-3 fish oil supplement twice daily, 100 mg of magnesium once daily. 
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  • Moderator Emeritus

Here is SA's topic:  surgery-and-anesthesia

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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The last five days have been hell on earth. I've got crippling depression so bad to the point that I went to an inpatient unit to check myself in because I was scared that I was going to harm myself. How long do these severe waves last? I can't take much more of this.

  1. Started Wellbutrin 75 mg IR the end of 2015.
  2. Tried quitting cold turkey in June 30th- July 3rd 2017.
  3. Had severe withdrawals.
  4. Was placed on Wellbutrin 100mg SR so I could taper without withdrawal.
  5. Stabilized on 100mg SR for most of the month of July.
  6. Started tapering on July 17th,  2017.
  7. Completed taper on August 8th, 2017.
  8. Currently experiencing severe withdrawal.
  • Symptoms- Currently experiencing anhedonia, depersonalization/derealization, concentration/memory issues, chronic congestion, chronic dry eyes, dry skin, dislocated TMJ joint from teeth grinding during C/T withdrawal, waves of depression, anxiety, nausea, morning cortisol spikes, insomnia, agitation, food sensitivities, no tolerance for caffeine and chronic fatigue, burning muscle pain in upper and lower back and occasional tinninitus.
  • Supplements- Omega-3 fish oil supplement twice daily, 100 mg of magnesium once daily. 
Link to comment

Hi Moderators,

 

I have a desperate question. Is suicidal depression normal to experience as part of the more intense waves? Will it go away on it's own or do I need to seek medical assistance? I've had depression as part of my waves before but never anything like the waves I've experienced over the last month. Is it common for suicidal waves to last months or weeks? I'M DESPERATE, PLEASE HELP ME WITH ANY INFORMATION YOU CAN OFFER.

  1. Started Wellbutrin 75 mg IR the end of 2015.
  2. Tried quitting cold turkey in June 30th- July 3rd 2017.
  3. Had severe withdrawals.
  4. Was placed on Wellbutrin 100mg SR so I could taper without withdrawal.
  5. Stabilized on 100mg SR for most of the month of July.
  6. Started tapering on July 17th,  2017.
  7. Completed taper on August 8th, 2017.
  8. Currently experiencing severe withdrawal.
  • Symptoms- Currently experiencing anhedonia, depersonalization/derealization, concentration/memory issues, chronic congestion, chronic dry eyes, dry skin, dislocated TMJ joint from teeth grinding during C/T withdrawal, waves of depression, anxiety, nausea, morning cortisol spikes, insomnia, agitation, food sensitivities, no tolerance for caffeine and chronic fatigue, burning muscle pain in upper and lower back and occasional tinninitus.
  • Supplements- Omega-3 fish oil supplement twice daily, 100 mg of magnesium once daily. 
Link to comment
3 hours ago, Hellbutrin said:

Hi Moderators,

 

I have a desperate question. Is suicidal depression normal to experience as part of the more intense waves? Will it go away on it's own or do I need to seek medical assistance? I've had depression as part of my waves before but never anything like the waves I've experienced over the last month. Is it common for suicidal waves to last months or weeks? I'M DESPERATE, PLEASE HELP ME WITH ANY INFORMATION YOU CAN OFFER.

Hellbutrin, 

 

I was experiencing a lot of very extreme suicidal thoughts, despair, depression and extreme desperation. I couldn't take it anymore, it was going on for 3 months, but became unbearable for a whole month - I was crying and couldn't take another day. I almost went to hospital, so the pdoc prescribed effexor, which I heard is harder to get off than Wellbutrin (which my other pdoc wanted me on).

 

I've been taking it for over a week, slight improvement, but nothing significant, still feeling pretty awful, but not as desperate. But I'm still struggling severely. 

 

Idk what to suggest to you. I tried to hold off going on drugs and was trying to use cbd oil, but it wasn't helping and I was severely desperate. I wanted to die, but I just really want my brain to go back to normal. 

 

Sorry that I don't have more to offer for suggestions. 

Dec 2016 Risperidone 1 mg, Seroquel 25mg, Latuda 40mg 

Jan - Mar 2017 Paliperidone (invega) 6 -9mg, Zoloft, Mirtazapine, Proprananol, Ativan

Mar - Apr 2017 Aripiprazole (abilify) 10 mg

Apr 2017 - July 2017 Olanzapine (zyprexa) 5 mg tapered to 0mg

Oct 2017 - Present Effexor 37.5mg and Prozac 10mg 

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10 minutes ago, Plshelp said:

Hellbutrin, 

 

I was experiencing a lot of very extreme suicidal thoughts, despair, depression and extreme desperation. I couldn't take it anymore, it was going on for 3 months, but became unbearable for a whole month - I was crying and couldn't take another day. I almost went to hospital, so the pdoc prescribed effexor, which I heard is harder to get off than Wellbutrin (which my other pdoc wanted me on).

 

I've been taking it for over a week, slight improvement, but nothing significant, still feeling pretty awful, but not as desperate. But I'm still struggling severely. 

 

Idk what to suggest to you. I tried to hold off going on drugs and was trying to use cbd oil, but it wasn't helping and I was severely desperate. I wanted to die, but I just really want my brain to go back to normal. 

 

Sorry that I don't have more to offer for suggestions. 

Hi Plshelp,

 

3 months is a long time to go with having suicidal depression, were you having those symptoms as a part of withdrawal or were they related to the drugs you were taking? Also, did you have extreme nausea during your depression?

 

  1. Started Wellbutrin 75 mg IR the end of 2015.
  2. Tried quitting cold turkey in June 30th- July 3rd 2017.
  3. Had severe withdrawals.
  4. Was placed on Wellbutrin 100mg SR so I could taper without withdrawal.
  5. Stabilized on 100mg SR for most of the month of July.
  6. Started tapering on July 17th,  2017.
  7. Completed taper on August 8th, 2017.
  8. Currently experiencing severe withdrawal.
  • Symptoms- Currently experiencing anhedonia, depersonalization/derealization, concentration/memory issues, chronic congestion, chronic dry eyes, dry skin, dislocated TMJ joint from teeth grinding during C/T withdrawal, waves of depression, anxiety, nausea, morning cortisol spikes, insomnia, agitation, food sensitivities, no tolerance for caffeine and chronic fatigue, burning muscle pain in upper and lower back and occasional tinninitus.
  • Supplements- Omega-3 fish oil supplement twice daily, 100 mg of magnesium once daily. 
Link to comment
  • Administrator

What exactly do you experience as "suicidal depression"?

 

Withdrawal can bring waves of unprecedented bad thoughts and feelings I called "black holes." Your habit of thinking may be to "cure" these thoughts with the idea of suicide.

 

Sometimes withdrawal can bring about what seem to be spontaneous feelings of suicidality or violence against others.

 

These, however, are still thoughts or feelings. You can observe them and choose to manage them rather than becoming frightened by them -- the fear making them even worse. Many people here have done this, see

 

Dealing With Emotional Spirals

 

Neuro-emotions

 

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms

 

Please look around the site, visit other Intro topics, to see how other people are coping with withdrawal syndrome, which can be very severe and last a long time.

 

I think we've discussed reinstatement of a small dosage of Wellbutrin, to take the edge off withdrawal symptoms?

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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3 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

What exactly do you experience as "suicidal depression"?

 

Withdrawal can bring waves of unprecedented bad thoughts and feelings I called "black holes." Your habit of thinking may be to "cure" these thoughts with the idea of suicide.

 

Sometimes withdrawal can bring about what seem to be spontaneous feelings of suicidality or violence against others.

 

These, however, are still thoughts or feelings. You can observe them and choose to manage them rather than becoming frightened by them -- the fear making them even worse. Many people here have done this, see

 

Dealing With Emotional Spirals

 

Neuro-emotions

 

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms

 

Please look around the site, visit other Intro topics, to see how other people are coping with withdrawal syndrome, which can be very severe and last a long time.

 

I think we've discussed reinstatement of a small dosage of Wellbutrin, to take the edge off withdrawal symptoms?

Yes, but is that an option for me when I've been off of it totally for three months? Could the reinstatement of a small dosage make my depressive symptoms worse?

  1. Started Wellbutrin 75 mg IR the end of 2015.
  2. Tried quitting cold turkey in June 30th- July 3rd 2017.
  3. Had severe withdrawals.
  4. Was placed on Wellbutrin 100mg SR so I could taper without withdrawal.
  5. Stabilized on 100mg SR for most of the month of July.
  6. Started tapering on July 17th,  2017.
  7. Completed taper on August 8th, 2017.
  8. Currently experiencing severe withdrawal.
  • Symptoms- Currently experiencing anhedonia, depersonalization/derealization, concentration/memory issues, chronic congestion, chronic dry eyes, dry skin, dislocated TMJ joint from teeth grinding during C/T withdrawal, waves of depression, anxiety, nausea, morning cortisol spikes, insomnia, agitation, food sensitivities, no tolerance for caffeine and chronic fatigue, burning muscle pain in upper and lower back and occasional tinninitus.
  • Supplements- Omega-3 fish oil supplement twice daily, 100 mg of magnesium once daily. 
Link to comment
  • Administrator

Here is the information about reinstatement, which we recommend for unbearable withdrawal symptoms:

On 8/22/2017 at 11:50 AM, Altostrata said:

Hellbutrin, tapering by skipping doses of a drug is not a very good way to taper. I don't know why doctors suggest this. They know the drugs have very short half-lives.

 

You could probably reduce withdrawal symptoms by reinstating a small amount, even 10mg Wellbutrin twice a day. See

 

 

This topic explains how to take a small amount of Wellbutrin Tips for tapering off Wellbutrin, SR, XR, XL (buproprion)

 

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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2 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

Here is the information about reinstatement, which we recommend for unbearable withdrawal symptoms:

 

Thanks Altostrata, the minimum dosage of Wellbutrin is 75mg, and I was told not to split it when I was tapering off of it, and to taper by taking it every other day. I have some 75mg instant release tablets left, do you think it would be wise to try taking a small portion of it with a pill splitter? 

  1. Started Wellbutrin 75 mg IR the end of 2015.
  2. Tried quitting cold turkey in June 30th- July 3rd 2017.
  3. Had severe withdrawals.
  4. Was placed on Wellbutrin 100mg SR so I could taper without withdrawal.
  5. Stabilized on 100mg SR for most of the month of July.
  6. Started tapering on July 17th,  2017.
  7. Completed taper on August 8th, 2017.
  8. Currently experiencing severe withdrawal.
  • Symptoms- Currently experiencing anhedonia, depersonalization/derealization, concentration/memory issues, chronic congestion, chronic dry eyes, dry skin, dislocated TMJ joint from teeth grinding during C/T withdrawal, waves of depression, anxiety, nausea, morning cortisol spikes, insomnia, agitation, food sensitivities, no tolerance for caffeine and chronic fatigue, burning muscle pain in upper and lower back and occasional tinninitus.
  • Supplements- Omega-3 fish oil supplement twice daily, 100 mg of magnesium once daily. 
Link to comment
33 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

Here is the information about reinstatement, which we recommend for unbearable withdrawal symptoms:

 

I just talked to the pharmacist about the best way to reinstate and she told me to take small portions of klonopin to help with the withdrawal. I told her that it makes me tired and"out of it", but she said that addressing some of the anxiety that i'm feeling might help with the depression. Do you think that using Klonopin during my heavy depression days will set me back in my recovery and make my wave pattern longer?

  1. Started Wellbutrin 75 mg IR the end of 2015.
  2. Tried quitting cold turkey in June 30th- July 3rd 2017.
  3. Had severe withdrawals.
  4. Was placed on Wellbutrin 100mg SR so I could taper without withdrawal.
  5. Stabilized on 100mg SR for most of the month of July.
  6. Started tapering on July 17th,  2017.
  7. Completed taper on August 8th, 2017.
  8. Currently experiencing severe withdrawal.
  • Symptoms- Currently experiencing anhedonia, depersonalization/derealization, concentration/memory issues, chronic congestion, chronic dry eyes, dry skin, dislocated TMJ joint from teeth grinding during C/T withdrawal, waves of depression, anxiety, nausea, morning cortisol spikes, insomnia, agitation, food sensitivities, no tolerance for caffeine and chronic fatigue, burning muscle pain in upper and lower back and occasional tinninitus.
  • Supplements- Omega-3 fish oil supplement twice daily, 100 mg of magnesium once daily. 
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  • Moderator Emeritus
38 minutes ago, Hellbutrin said:

she told me to take small portions of klonopin to help with the withdrawal

 

It is best not to add new drugs into the mix.  Doing this muddies the waters.  You will not be able to tell if you are experiencing start up/side effects or possibly even bad reaction to a new drug.

 

1 hour ago, Hellbutrin said:

I have some 75mg instant release tablets left, do you think it would be wise to try taking a small portion of it with a pill splitter? 

 

Extracted from Post #1 of Tips for tapering off Wellbutrin, SR, XR, XL (buproprion)

 

There are 3 buproprion formulations: IR, SR, XL or XR
Name-brand Wellbutrin or generic bupropion is available in 3 variations with different half-lives -- the amount of time they last in your body (see below).
 
From the manufacturers' and the FDA's information (see below), the different versions are bio-equivalent. The only difference is the frequency of the dosage:

  • Immediate release (IR): 3 times a day dosing
  • Sustained release (SR): 2 times a day dosing
  • Extended release (XR or XL): Once a day dosing

...

How gradually should I taper buproprion?
There is little information about tapering off Wellbutrin, probably because it is assumed not much of a taper is needed.

As with all other psychiatric medications, do not skip doses to taper. If you're susceptible to withdrawal symptoms, this is an excellent way to trigger them.

...

Taper with a liquid

Using a liquid for tapering is very convenient, especially if you wish to taper more cautiously. Using a liquid to taper makes measuring very small decreases much easier and precise.

 

You can only make a liquid from immediate-release buproprion:

...

 

I hope this information helps.

 

 

Edited by ChessieCat

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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1 hour ago, ChessieCat said:

 

It is best not to add new drugs into the mix.  Doing this muddies the waters.  You will not be able to tell if you are experiencing start up/side effects or possibly even bad reaction to a new drug.

 

 

Extracted from Post #1 of Tips for tapering off Wellbutrin, SR, XR, XL (buproprion)

 

There are 3 buproprion formulations: IR, SR, XL or XR
Name-brand Wellbutrin or generic bupropion is available in 3 variations with different half-lives -- the amount of time they last in your body (see below).
 
From the manufacturers' and the FDA's information (see below), the different versions are bio-equivalent. The only difference is the frequency of the dosage:

  • Immediate release (IR): 3 times a day dosing
  • Sustained release (SR): 2 times a day dosing
  • Extended release (XR or XL): Once a day dosing

...

How gradually should I taper buproprion?
There is little information about tapering off Wellbutrin, probably because it is assumed not much of a taper is needed.

As with all other psychiatric medications, do not skip doses to taper. If you're susceptible to withdrawal symptoms, this is an excellent way to trigger them.

...

Taper with a liquid

Using a liquid for tapering is very convenient, especially if you wish to taper more cautiously. Using a liquid to taper makes measuring very small decreases much easier and precise.

 

You can only make a liquid from immediate-release buproprion:

...

 

I hope this information helps.

 

 

Do you think that it will be okay if I only take the klonopin .25 mg on days that I'm having really bad withdrawal?

  1. Started Wellbutrin 75 mg IR the end of 2015.
  2. Tried quitting cold turkey in June 30th- July 3rd 2017.
  3. Had severe withdrawals.
  4. Was placed on Wellbutrin 100mg SR so I could taper without withdrawal.
  5. Stabilized on 100mg SR for most of the month of July.
  6. Started tapering on July 17th,  2017.
  7. Completed taper on August 8th, 2017.
  8. Currently experiencing severe withdrawal.
  • Symptoms- Currently experiencing anhedonia, depersonalization/derealization, concentration/memory issues, chronic congestion, chronic dry eyes, dry skin, dislocated TMJ joint from teeth grinding during C/T withdrawal, waves of depression, anxiety, nausea, morning cortisol spikes, insomnia, agitation, food sensitivities, no tolerance for caffeine and chronic fatigue, burning muscle pain in upper and lower back and occasional tinninitus.
  • Supplements- Omega-3 fish oil supplement twice daily, 100 mg of magnesium once daily. 
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Hellbutrin,

I am writing hoping you are getting some pockets of relief. I have experienced suicidal depression in the past and I really feel for you. One thing that helped me face my days was getting outside as early as I could in the day, forcing myself to walk or job or bike. It helped shift things for me, not perfectly, but notably.

-D

2001- Klonopin 0.125 mg.  2011- increase to 1 mg.  2018- increase to 1.5 mg 

2010- Trials of SSRI's, several.

2011- Saphris 5 mg. CT. 6/2017- retry Saphris 5 mg sublingual, begin taper August 2020 10% taper with scale, and final taper liquid sublingual, August 2019- taper complete!

2011- Geodon 20 mg. Begin taper Sept 2019. 10% liquid taper. 2020: December-5 mg. 2021: Jan-4.5mg. (held Feb.for vacation). March-4mg. Apr-3.6mg. May-3.2mg. June-2.8mg. (Held July for vacation). Aug-2.4mg. Sept.- 2.2mg. Oct. 2mg. Dec 2022 - Taper complete!

2011- Gabapentin 300 mg to present- 2020. Increase 2023 to 400mg.

2014- Vyvanse 20 mg, 2020- Vyvanse 5 mg. Increase August 2022 20mg

2016- Lithium 300 mg, June 2016 - FT.

2017- Cogentin 0.5 mg. June-August 2019- off Cogentin.

2021 - Hydroxyzine 30mg. Holding.

Omeprazole 20 mg and holding, Omega 3's/fish oil, Magnesium

 

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3 minutes ago, DMV64 said:

Hellbutrin,

I am writing hoping you are getting some pockets of relief. I have experienced suicidal depression in the past and I really feel for you. One thing that helped me face my days was getting outside as early as I could in the day, forcing myself to walk or job or bike. It helped shift things for me, not perfectly, but notably.

-D

Thank you DMV64,

 

Have you ever tried fish oil?

 

How long were your suicidal episodes of depression?

  1. Started Wellbutrin 75 mg IR the end of 2015.
  2. Tried quitting cold turkey in June 30th- July 3rd 2017.
  3. Had severe withdrawals.
  4. Was placed on Wellbutrin 100mg SR so I could taper without withdrawal.
  5. Stabilized on 100mg SR for most of the month of July.
  6. Started tapering on July 17th,  2017.
  7. Completed taper on August 8th, 2017.
  8. Currently experiencing severe withdrawal.
  • Symptoms- Currently experiencing anhedonia, depersonalization/derealization, concentration/memory issues, chronic congestion, chronic dry eyes, dry skin, dislocated TMJ joint from teeth grinding during C/T withdrawal, waves of depression, anxiety, nausea, morning cortisol spikes, insomnia, agitation, food sensitivities, no tolerance for caffeine and chronic fatigue, burning muscle pain in upper and lower back and occasional tinninitus.
  • Supplements- Omega-3 fish oil supplement twice daily, 100 mg of magnesium once daily. 
Link to comment
1 minute ago, Hellbutrin said:

Thank you DMV64,

 

Have you ever tried fish oil? I just started it actually!

 

How long were your suicidal episodes of depression? Sometimes weeks, sometimes longer. Sometimes short bursts of it, then it would pass. I do not feel immune from it now. But I do try the floating through it technique. And somewhere inside me, I know I can heal and that keeps me going. because it is horrible to feel this way, I hang on to whatever I can a moment at a time when it happens.

 

2001- Klonopin 0.125 mg.  2011- increase to 1 mg.  2018- increase to 1.5 mg 

2010- Trials of SSRI's, several.

2011- Saphris 5 mg. CT. 6/2017- retry Saphris 5 mg sublingual, begin taper August 2020 10% taper with scale, and final taper liquid sublingual, August 2019- taper complete!

2011- Geodon 20 mg. Begin taper Sept 2019. 10% liquid taper. 2020: December-5 mg. 2021: Jan-4.5mg. (held Feb.for vacation). March-4mg. Apr-3.6mg. May-3.2mg. June-2.8mg. (Held July for vacation). Aug-2.4mg. Sept.- 2.2mg. Oct. 2mg. Dec 2022 - Taper complete!

2011- Gabapentin 300 mg to present- 2020. Increase 2023 to 400mg.

2014- Vyvanse 20 mg, 2020- Vyvanse 5 mg. Increase August 2022 20mg

2016- Lithium 300 mg, June 2016 - FT.

2017- Cogentin 0.5 mg. June-August 2019- off Cogentin.

2021 - Hydroxyzine 30mg. Holding.

Omeprazole 20 mg and holding, Omega 3's/fish oil, Magnesium

 

Link to comment
16 minutes ago, DMV64 said:

 

I started fish oil to try to help pull me out of my most recent bout of suicidal depression. This episode has lasted since Tuesday, so I hope it ends soon. I'm not really functioning very well dealing with this kind of depression. I think a lot of it is stemming from anxiety so I caved and took .25 mg of Klonopin so that I could calm down and stop ruminating, the ruminating was making the anxiety worse. The Klonopin helps a lot, but I don't want to take it unless I have no other choice. Have you had any luck so far with the fish oil? I've read that fish oil helps with depressive symptoms a lot, so I'm holding out hope that it will help with my suicidal ideation. Thanks for your encouragement, and I hope you are doing well in your journey through this unjust illness.

  1. Started Wellbutrin 75 mg IR the end of 2015.
  2. Tried quitting cold turkey in June 30th- July 3rd 2017.
  3. Had severe withdrawals.
  4. Was placed on Wellbutrin 100mg SR so I could taper without withdrawal.
  5. Stabilized on 100mg SR for most of the month of July.
  6. Started tapering on July 17th,  2017.
  7. Completed taper on August 8th, 2017.
  8. Currently experiencing severe withdrawal.
  • Symptoms- Currently experiencing anhedonia, depersonalization/derealization, concentration/memory issues, chronic congestion, chronic dry eyes, dry skin, dislocated TMJ joint from teeth grinding during C/T withdrawal, waves of depression, anxiety, nausea, morning cortisol spikes, insomnia, agitation, food sensitivities, no tolerance for caffeine and chronic fatigue, burning muscle pain in upper and lower back and occasional tinninitus.
  • Supplements- Omega-3 fish oil supplement twice daily, 100 mg of magnesium once daily. 
Link to comment

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