luvzkittenz: went without Wellbutrin for 15 hours - worst feeling of my life

[luvzkittenz]

Ok, I shouldn't have taken matters into my own hands and I will never do this again on my own and NEITHER should anyone else but I decided to see how it would feel to try to taper off of Wellbutrin XL 150 mg by taking it every other day instead of every day and I can assure you, it was the most horrific experience of my entire life. And this is supposed to be easier to withdraw from than say, Effexor or Cymbalta, for example. HA. I'm glad it's not too difficult for some, but what the heck happened to me is beyond me. I ended up going back on for now. I felt like I truly wanted to die. It was terrible. It caused the most debilitating, dreadful, incapacitating, immobilizing fatigue ever, both in my head and body. It was unfathomable. Take the flu and multiply it by 5 or so, and that's how weak I felt. I am panicking now at the thought of withdrawing from this. 

 

I didn't really think it was doing a whole lot for my depression, and contrary to mainstream experience, I actually feel tired and borderline dazed when taking this. It doesn't give me energy like it does other people. 

 

The worst thing about all this is that I don't seem to be able to tolerate the SR version, which is what most people seem to do when they want to wean off the XL. I tried the SR version and oh my gosh it made me so drowsy. Even after I woke up, I had a hangover that lasted over 24 hours. I don't know if I just had a bad day or something, or if it would happen again, but as a result I feel literally trapped on Wellbutrin XL. I CAN'T TAPER IT WITH THE SR! WHAT A NIGHTMARE! How on earth will I ever get off this drug if I can't use the SR? 

 

My pdoc is most likely going to refer me to a psychiatrist for further insight but I am afraid that the psychiatrist will "prescribe" a tapering routine that will tear me apart! 

 

Edited March 2, 2019 by ChessieCat
added space

[ChessieCat]

Hi luvzkittenza and welcome to SA,

 

I'm glad that you have found SA.  It is possible to get off psychiatric drugs.  We just need to do it carefully.  Please do not skip doses to taper.  The brain likes consistency.

 

Thank you for creating your drug signature.  Q:  Have you taken any other psychiatric drugs which are not listed.  If yes, please add them to your signature.  Thank you.

 

This is the information we need to see.  Keep it simple.  NO diagnoses or symptoms please - thank you.

• details for last 2 years - dates, ALL drugs, doses
• summary for older than 2 years - just years and drug/s

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

 

 

SA recommends tapering by no more than 10% of the current dose followed by a hold of about 4 weeks to allow the brain to adapt to not getting as much of the drug.  See * below.  Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

When the drug is taken away too quickly we can get withdrawal symptoms:  Dr Joseph Glenmullen's Withdrawal Symptoms

 

This topic explains how to get the dose you need.  * You may be able to reduce a bit faster than the 10% taper rate which we suggest.  There is information about this in Post #1 of this topic:

 

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

 

Because Wellbutrin is stimulating, arrange the doses so they do not affect your sleep.

 

If you can't get bupropion IR, you'll have to taper with buproprion SR. If you cut up an SR tablet, it effectively become immediate-release. To taper accurately, you'll have to use a digital scale to weigh tablet fragments.

 

How to cut up tablets or pills

 

Using a digital scale to measure doses

 

 

I will provide some more information in the next post.  This is your own introductions topic where your can ask questions about your own situation and journal your progress.

[ChessieCat]

Here's some additional information which might help you to understand what is happening:

 

Recovery isn't linear it happens in a Windows and Waves Pattern

 

Withdrawal Normal Description

When we take a psychiatric drug, we are adding chemical/s to the brain.  The brain then has to change to adapt to getting the chemical/s.  It might have to change something to do with A and then once that change has been made it affects B so another change has to be made and so on down the line.  It is a chain reaction, a domino effect.

 

The same thing happens when we take the drug away.  That's why it's possible to experience such a vast array of withdrawal symptoms, and they can change, and be of different intensity.

 

are-we-there-yet-how-long-is-withdrawal-going-to-take

 

These explain it really well:

 

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

 

On 8/31/2011 at 5:28 AM, Rhiannon said:

When we stop taking the drug, we have a brain that has designed itself so that it works in the presence of the drug; now it can't work properly without the drug because it's designed itself so that the drug is part of its chemistry and structure. It's like a plant that has grown on a trellis; you can't just yank out the trellis and expect the plant to be okay. When the drug is removed, the remodeling process has to take place in reverse. SO--it's not a matter of just getting the drug out of your system and moving on. If it were that simple, none of us would be here. It's a matter of, as I describe it, having to grow a new brain. I believe this growing-a-new-brain happens throughout the taper process if the taper is slow enough. (If it's too fast, then there's not a lot of time for actually rebalancing things, and basically the brain is just pedaling fast trying to keep us alive.) It also continues to happen, probably for longer than the symptoms actually last, throughout the time of recovery after we are completely off the drug, which is why recovery takes so long.

 

AND

 

On 12/4/2015 at 2:41 AM, apace41 said:

Basically- you have a building where the MAJOR steel structures are trying to be rebuilt at different times - ALL while people are coming and going in the building and attempting to work.

It would be like if the World Trade Center Towers hadn't completely fallen - but had crumbled inside in different places.. Imagine if you were trying to rebuild the tower - WHILE people were coming and going and trying to work in the building!  You'd have to set up a temporary elevator - but when you needed to fix part of that area, you'd have to tear down that elevator and set up a temporary elevator somewhere else. And so on. You'd have to build, work around, then tear down, then build again, then work around, then build... ALL while people are coming and going, ALL while the furniture is being replaced, ALL while the walls are getting repainted... ALL while life is going on INSIDE the building. No doubt it would be chaotic. That is EXACTLY what is happening with windows and waves.  The windows are where the body has "got it right" for a day or so - but then the building shifts and the brain works on something else - and it's chaos again while another temporary pathway is set up to reroute function until repairs are made.  

 

[ChessieCat]

Not many medical professionals understand psychiatric drug tapering and withdrawal which is why this site exists.  Before you see your doctor, I suggest you check out these topics.  You might find it helpful to write a script and rehearse what you are going to say so that you can get what you need to taper.  Be calm, gentle but assertive.  You are the customer, it is your body.  Use words like I'd like to try this, or I'd prefer to do it this way.  If a suggestion is made that you don't want to follow, say I'd like to think about it before making a decision.

 

How do you talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal?

What should I expect from my doctor about withdrawal symptoms?

[Carmie]

Hi luvzkittenz, 

 

Welcome to SA from me too. I’m so sorry for what you’re going through. Everyone on here understands what it’s like going through withdrawals. It’s really hard trying to explain it to people who haven’t been through it. 

 

Please don’t follow a doctors tapering advice. They make us taper way too fast, with terrible consequences. They really don’t know anything about withdrawals. We can come off these meds though, we just have to go really slowly, no more than 10% a month. Some people, like myself now, do half of that, or even less. 

 

Wishing you all the best in your recovery 💚

[luvzkittenz]

ChessieCat, 

I did try Zoloft and Celexa a long time ago, back in 2003, but I didn't feel it was relevant to now. I hated how I felt on both of them. They made me more suicidal and gave me that ugly "homicidal" feel too. I tried each of them for 2 weeks, and had to quit. I quit CT and didn't have a problem, but maybe I wasn't on them long enough. Should I still put this info in my sig?

 

Carmie, I agree that we shouldn't follow a doc's advice, but how can I taper using SR if I don't have enough SR pills to do it? Surely I would have to get more from the doc...To make matters worse, I tried the SR version before and it made me so drowsy that it wasn't even funny (rare reaction), so how am I going to be able to use SR to get off the XL? This is a huge mess...

 

 

[ChessieCat]

7 hours ago, luvzkittenz said:

I did try Zoloft and Celexa a long time ago, back in 2003, but I didn't feel it was relevant to now.

 

We still need to see them in your drug signature please.  Just the year, drug name and approximate length of time you were taking them.

 

What we see is that going on and off psychiatric drugs and having adverse reactions to them causes the nervous system to be hypersensitive to drugs and sometimes supplements and even foods.

[luvzkittenz]

Ok I edited my signature, I hope it's ok now.

does anyone have any insight on what I just said about the difficulties with the SR though? I understand how difficult my situation appears...

[ChessieCat]

I've asked the other mods for their assistance.

[Altostrata]

Welcome, luvz.

 

Skipping doses of a drug to taper is a good way to trigger withdrawal symptoms.

 

How has Buspar stopped working? Why are you taking it?

 

On 3/2/2019 at 6:11 AM, luvzkittenz said:

I tried the SR version and oh my gosh it made me so drowsy.

 

This is an unusual reaction, and not all that terrible! We may be able to utilize it. What time of day do you take Wellbutrin? When do you take Buspar? Are you taking any other drugs?

 

Please be sure to read Tips for tapering off Wellbutrin, SR, XR, XL (buproprion)

[luvzkittenz]

I thought Buspar "stopped" working because I used to feel a serenity when Buspar started to work, and now that serenity has dissipated and I can't really discern it anymore. I take it for general anxiety. I'm not sure I like it also because I think my memory has gotten worse, though how much worse I can't quite tell. 

 

I used to take Wellbutrin a couple hours before bed because I thought it made me sort of tired (weird). But I also noticed that my sleep was not very smooth that way, but I don't know if the Wellbutrin was causing it, or general proclivity to insomnia on my part. I moved Wellbutrin to the beginning of the day instead and I certainly can't say it's energizing, I find myself a tad dazed on it, but not necessarily in a way in which I "have" to sleep, but it would be nice to put my head on a pillow nonetheless just to chill. (all this is referring to the XL by the way) 

 

I've been prescribed trazodone for insomnia but I don't use it because it gave me a hangover when I tried it once (I understand that using it just once is not enough, but I still hated it). I've been using 1 mg melatonin for the past few days and it has helped my sleep but I'm afraid it will stop working one day...knowing my luck...

 

what I haven't tried is the melatonin and Wellbutrin together and see if I can sleep that way...