benesh: is this possible

[benesh]

Have been on antidepressants since 1990s. I would go to my PCP and tell them what I wanted to try next. Over the years I have been on prozac, paxil, and now the cocktail I want to taper from. Tried to taper in past but gave up quickly thinking there would be a better time. And May 2019 was it. Started to taper from wellbutrin and lexapro ‘cocktail’ under guidance of PCP. She put me on a 2 year taper. In March was down to 150 mg wellbutrin every 4 days. Crashed with current homebound routine. So she suggested I go to every 3 days and wait for the pandemic to ease up before resuming taper. Is it possible after all these years to actually be drug free? Are there any psychiatrists who know about tapering? Ive read allot about the tapering strips. Any psychiatrists willing to prescribe? I want off these meds...but the road sure is daunting at times. Any words of encouragement welcomed.

Edited November 20, 2020 by Shep
added new username

[Gridley]

Welcome to SA,

 

To start, yes, it is very possible after all these years to be drug-free.  Read some of the stories in our Success Stories topic when you feel you need a little encouragement.

 

Very few psychiatrists, doctors or PCP's know anything about safe tapering,  leading to withdrawal, which they don't believe exists because that's what the drug companies tell them.

 

What is withdrawal syndrome.

 

Skipping doses as your PCP instructed you to do is a terrible idea.  It causes the amount of medication in your bloodstream to go up and down, battering your nervous system and making withdrawal worse.  I suggest you take your 150mg Wellbutrin every day and wait to stabilize.  This may take some time, possibly several months.

 

We recommend tapering no more than 10% of your current dose every four weeks.

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Wellbutrin is one drug that in some cases it is possible to taper somewhat more quickly.  What type of Wellbutrin are you taking?  This link is specifically about tapering Wellbutrin, including how to get the nonstandard doses you'll need for your taper.  

 

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

 

Are you also tapering Lexapro?  We recommend tapering only one drug at a time.  Otherwise, if there are problems you won't know the cause.  

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system. 

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

Add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems.

 

This is your Introduction topic, where you can ask questions and connect with other members.  We're glad you found your way here.

 

Edited November 18, 2020 by ChessieCat
removed name

[benesh]

Needing encouragement

 

My brain and emotions all over the place. Please forgive me if I am not composing this correctly.I know somewhere I am to record my history of medication but not sure where...or how. Is there a start page so that every time I write  it will be included,repopulated ? Anyway back in my 30’s I requested to be put on the wonder designer drug prozac. It was a low dose from what I can recall. After about a few years, I stopped cold turkey. Very bad idea. So from then on I would go to my PCP and request a script of what my closest friend was taking.She was a nurse. Clearly my approach was questionable at best. So after many years on paxil at maybe 20mg, I switched to lexapro 10 mg. That was in 2004. After a couple of years on the lexapro, I  asked to have wellbutrin added since I still was not ‘well’. Started at 150 mg. Last 2 years I took 300mg. From the time I quit prozac, I wanted off but was clueless about how to proceed. My husband and I decided that once we moved back to the city after having lived in rural america for 17 years. So in May of 2019, my well intended PCP, gave me a tapering schedule first for the wellbutrin then for the lexapro. We moved in December 1, 2019. By that time I was alternating doses between 300 and 150. Finally, in January 2020 I was ready for the next taper off the 150. Her plan was to have me skip days between doses. I did that until March 2020. Between that and COVID-19 isolation, no longer working..I  knew there had to be another way. I felt I was losing my mind..I found a doctor in our new city. She agreed to help me. So I embarked on a much slower taper. In May she started me on 75mg 2 x a day. fast forward to now. I have been following the taper plan found on this site. So excel sheet where I put in my numbers of desired reduction and voila a plan. This means I am making my own drugs. I have been doing a 5% reduction each month. I have decreased the days in between the reduction. So for 3 months, it was 28 days. ..then I did a reduction every 21 days for 4 times.  Now I am doing a 5% reduction every 18 days. I am at 52.4 mg which I divide by 2 so I take a pill 2 x daily.

I hope this makes sense. 

Here is where I need encouragement. I have some window days, where I can see  hope but mostly waves of crying and fatigue. All seems a push for me. I want to be alone most of the time since conversing is rather effortful. Its as if my brain is in neutral with no thought content.

 

I wonder if I will ever get off these drugs. According to the schedule I have figured it will be another year or more to come off the welbutrin. I am now 63 and feeling scared.I do try and exercise or get outside most days. I get to the gym but I mostly cry when I am alone. reprieve from tears come when I am cooking and cleaning. Just needed to share as I feel so alone. Thanks. If I need to write this in a different way or different place, please let me know. 

 

Edited November 18, 2020 by ChessieCat
added topic title

[ChessieCat]

To help us out please create your drug signature following these instructions:

 

Instructions:  Withdrawal History Signature

[ChessieCat]

On 11/18/2020 at 6:21 PM, benesh said:

In May she started me on 75mg 2 x a day. fast forward to now. I have been following the taper plan found on this site. So excel sheet where I put in my numbers of desired reduction and voila a plan. This means I am making my own drugs. I have been doing a 5% reduction each month. I have decreased the days in between the reduction. So for 3 months, it was 28 days. ..then I did a reduction every 21 days for 4 times.  Now I am doing a 5% reduction every 18 days. I am at 52.4 mg which I divide by 2 so I take a pill 2 x daily.

 

So in May 2020 you were taking 150mg a day?  or were you taking a total of 75mg but taking it in two doses?

 

And now you are on 52.4mgs a day?

 

Could you please post the dates and the doses for the reductions?

 

On 11/18/2020 at 6:21 PM, benesh said:

I have some window days, where I can see  hope but mostly waves of crying and fatigue. All seems a push for me. I want to be alone most of the time since conversing is rather effortful. Its as if my brain is in neutral with no thought content.

 

If you experience withdrawal symptoms it is the sign that you are going too quickly.  It's important to listen to your body/symptoms and tapering according to them, not a calendar.  The idea of tapering is to keep withdrawal symptoms to a minimum.

 

On 11/18/2020 at 6:21 PM, benesh said:

According to the schedule I have figured it will be another year or more to come off the welbutrin.

 

If you are currently taking 52.4mg a day, even at a taper rate of 10% every 4 weeks it will definitely take more than 1 year to get off.  But remember that any reduction is getting you closer to 0 drugs.

 

Once we have more details about your taper this year we will be better able to offer suggestions.

 

 

Edited November 20, 2020 by Shep
updated with new username in quote boxes

[ChessieCat]

Please do not make another reduction until we have the requested information.  If you are experiencing withdrawal symptoms then it would probably be a good idea to do a nice long hold, or possibly even a tiny updose.  But we need the details first please.

[benesh]

Trying to figure out how to get my signature with tapering history to get included. 
I am so not tech savvy.

I tried following the directions. 
I will try again later.

[ChessieCat]

Thank you for creating your drug signature.

 

Please add DATES to the following:

 

2020 DATE June-71.3 mg bupropion HCL (2 pills daily -divided)

2020 DATE November-52.4 mg bupropion HCL 

 

Questions:

 

How is your sleep?

 

What symptoms do you currently have?

 

Have they improved?

[benesh]

Wondering what to do next

 

Hello all of my fellow survivors,

Thanks to this forum and for the quick response from one particular member. She firmly suggested I hold my taper since I was encountering horrific crying spells and scary thoughts. What a good idea. I was trying to adhere to a taper schedule based on time table not my own physical or emotional indicators. I am feeling sooo much better. Thank you ChessieCat again. When would I do the next taper? I am making my own pills at a 5% reduction each time. I was trying to speed up the process by decreasing the time in between the next taper. Well I will not do that again. I am thinking to do taper once a month only.

Input appreciated of course. Hope I am making sense as I write this🙃benesh

 

Edited November 29, 2020 by ChessieCat
added topic title

[ChessieCat]

Please do not create any more Introduction topics.  Only 1 Introduction topic per member.  This keeps your history in one place.  Thank you.

 

[ChessieCat]

·      2020 June 10-71.3 mg bupropion HCL (2 pills daily -divided)

·      2020 November 20-52.4 mg bupropion HCL 

 

Q:  Did you make any reductions between 10 June and 20 November?

 

If yes, then please add the dates and doses to your drug signature.

 

If no, then your last reduction from 71.3mg to 52.4mg was a 26.5077% decrease.  That was 9 days ago.

 

Before we can offer any suggestions we need the answer to the above question IN A POST which will notify us that you have answered.

[benesh]

18 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

·      2020 June 10-71.3 mg bupropion HCL (2 pills daily -divided)

·      2020 November 20-52.4 mg bupropion HCL 

 

Q:  Did you make any reductions between 10 June and 20 November?

 

If yes, then please add the dates and doses to your drug signature.

 

If no, then your last reduction from 71.3mg to 52.4mg was a 26.5077% decrease.  That was 9 days ago.

 

Before we can offer any suggestions we need the answer to the above question IN A POST which will notify us that you have answered.

 

I changed the signature to reflect the taperings I have done. I appreciate your attention to these important details! is this a post and did I do it correctly?

 

Edited November 29, 2020 by ChessieCat
added space below quote

[benesh]

On 11/29/2020 at 7:49 AM, ChessieCat said:

Thank you for creating your drug signature.

 

Please add DATES to the following:

 

2020 DATE June-71.3 mg bupropion HCL (2 pills daily -divided)

2020 DATE November-52.4 mg bupropion HCL 

 

Questions:

 

How is your sleep?

 

What symptoms do you currently have?

 

Have they improved?

 

Sleep seems ok. No changes that I note. THIS IS GOOD.Overall I feel aok.YES symptoms improved. No eruption of tears or dark suicidal thoughts. I incorporate self care activities daily.I spend time each day reading the bible, do mindfulness exercises, I follow a whole foods plant based diet to reduce inflammation, walk most days, gym attendance sporadic. When I am not in a wave I reach out to others etc...MY husband is very supportive.We have a small gathering of folk at our home weekly from our community church group.

 

oh I do take some supplements--I think that goes in the signature page? B-12 and D-3. 

Are there certain pages or topics on SA you would suggest I read? 

 

So wanting to follow through on this taper with wisdom and guidance. Thanks for taking the time to respond!

 

Edited November 29, 2020 by ChessieCat
removed extra white space and added paragraph spacing

[ChessieCat]

If you are experiencing withdrawal symptoms then it is better to hold for longer.

 

Stability

 

WDnormal
 

It is better to listen to your body/symptoms and tapering according to them and not by an amount and/or calendar.  The idea of tapering is to get off the drug with minimal discomfort, not as fast as you can.  Of course we would all like to be off our drug quickly but that is not always possible.  It's taken me 5 years to get from 100mg Pristiq to 0.5mg and I've still got about 1 more year to go.

 

I recently added this to my drug signature:

 

REMINDER TO SELF:  I don't need the drug now, but my still brain does.

 

[benesh]

next taper

 

I am ready to do the next taper. going down from 52.4mg to 49.8mg. I've been feeling good after 32 days at the previous dose so thought to move to the next planned taper amount.

Will closely monitor my symptoms.Thanks for being there. It helps to know I am on the journey with many who have gone before me.

 

Edited December 4, 2020 by ChessieCat
added topic title

[ChessieCat]

On 11/29/2020 at 1:42 PM, ChessieCat said:

Please do not create any more Introduction topics.  Only 1 Introduction topic per member.  This keeps your history in one place.  Thank you.

 

 

As previously requested please do not create any more Introduction topics.

 

SA works differently to many other forums.  Each member has their own Introduction topic which is the best place for them to ask questions about their own situation and journal their progress.  This keeps your history in on place and means that you do not need to repeat your history each time you post.

[benesh]

Thanks again CC. You are faithfully watching out for me. I seem to be rather slow in understanding but I will catch on.

[benesh]

So CC does that mean I should only respond on this page? Hopefully I am getting it.🙃

[ChessieCat]

Yes, for things about your own situation, so journalling your progress and asking questions.  Moderators check the Introduction topics for new posts by members.  If you post asking questions about your own situation in other topics then they may not get seen by the moderators.

 

There are other topics on SA where you can make general posts.  And of course we encourage members to visit other members' Introduction topics so that you can support each other.

[benesh]

Hello All,

I can hardly recall what a working brain is like so bear with me. No doubt this is a foggy brain under the influence of a taper. I had been feeling good so decided to try another minuscule taper. Obviously not minuscule enough......symptoms of daily crying spells resumed. I went from 52.4 mg bupropion starting November 2-December 3 to 49.8 on December 3 for the pm dose.Then I reflected again on the history of my taper starting in June 2019. Following the Doctors counsel I was down from 300mg bupropion XL in June 2019 to 75 mg HCL in April 2020. Right now my ability to calculate percentages is a bit compromised BUT that seems a heck of allot more than what is suggested. All to say, i am thinking I better get back to the 52.4 mg. and stay there for ?????. That is the issue. I feel ok..no noticed negative symptoms ..so think it is ok to decrease again. I feel so mixed up and lost with all this. I read this site often but even when I write down my questions, I am thinking I have put it in the wrong place or missed the way to put in the title or tag or something like that. I am open to ideas, suggestions, encouragement....desperate but determined to find my way through all this. Grateful that you are here ...Benesh.

[ChessieCat]

Here are two calculators for working out what percentage you have either decreased or increased:

 

https://www.calculatorsoup.com/calculators/algebra/percentage-decrease-calculator.php

 

https://www.calculatorsoup.com/calculators/algebra/percentage-increase-calculator.php

 

And SA's topic with links to various dose calculators:

 

how-to-calculate-dosages-and-dilutions-spreadsheets-and-calculators

 

[benesh]

Tapering, hold, all the unknowns..input, feedback..please.

Some questions along the way.

If I am doing the next taper based on symptoms or absence there of do I stay at current dose? As mentioned in signature, I am choosing to go up a small amount. After recent taper, I had a few days of crying spells. Not today. However decided with input from hubby to reinstate to previous dose. How long do I stay there? Is it trial and error?Making another batch of drugs for the previous amount taken is arduous. I am needing some reassurance that this is how it is. I see some folk have a spreadsheet of ETA of total cessation. Is it possible to do that when reaction to taper is unknown?

I guess I am looking for a hard and fast rule..however that does not seem to fit with the journey of tapering.

Perhaps my motto needs to be The certain plan is that I am certainly moving towards being drug free, certainly one day.

Not as desperate today..which is good.

[ChessieCat]

8 hours ago, benesh said:

I see some folk have a spreadsheet of ETA of total cessation. Is it possible to do that when reaction to taper is unknown?

 

Some members feel the need to have a plan.  This might be for different reasons.  For example, it might help them to feel as if they have some control, or it might help them to feel encouraged and help them get through any discomfort becaue they can see that one day they will be drug free.  For myself I have had to have a plan because I could only get certain dosages compounded and each dose was a batch of 100 capsules, so I have had to work out in advance what I needed.  By the way, I was hoping to be off by my 60th birthday, and I've just turned 63, and still have another year of tapering before I'm off.

 

And some members just decide that they will follow their plan regardless of their withdrawal symptoms because they follow the calendar and ignore their symptoms.  They think they can "tough it out", but it has nothing to do with how determined we are, but how the brain handles getting less of the drug.  We have members who have ended up taking longer to get off their drug (than if they had gone at a nice, steady pace) because they have ended up having to hold for a long time after getting bad withdrawal symptoms.  Some have even ended up on an additional drug which will then need to be tapered.

 

I recently added this to my signature:  REMINDER TO SELF:  I don't need the drug now, but my still brain does.

 

8 hours ago, benesh said:

If I am doing the next taper based on symptoms or absence there of do I stay at current dose? As mentioned in signature, I am choosing to go up a small amount. After recent taper, I had a few days of crying spells. Not today. However decided with input from hubby to reinstate to previous dose. How long do I stay there?

 

It would be a good idea to hold for 4 weeks from the updose and then reassess then.  It is better to hold for longer than to reduce too soon.  Please see these posts:

 

Stability

 

WDnormal
 

[benesh]

Thanks dear CC. BY  the way Benesh is the yiddish translation of the word, Benedictus..which means BLESSED. So blessed by your time and input. Hey you and I are the same age🥰🤦🏻‍♀️
I print out what you send me so I have it in my tapering file...road to freedom.

[Go2zero]

Hi Benesh, sorry to read how you are struggling with the tapering of bupropion. I am more or less in the same situation. Maybe it will help if you would read my introduction https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/23288-go2zero-getting-off-wellbutrin-and-prozac/?tab=comments#comment-500873

 

 

I am quite sure that tapering bupropion whilst taking an SSRI as well, makes the tapering of bupropion nearly impossible as of a certain dosage. At least this is the case with me as you can read in my posts on SA. 

 

In my case the tapering of bupropion from 150 to approximately 60 mg went without much problems. But going down from 60 mg it became more and more difficult. I went several times through hell with changes of only 3% of the latest dose. And that took months and months to settle again. I have decided to get of the SSRI first. Then wait for 4 months at least and then restart tapering bupropion.

 

Problem with bupropion is also that it slows the metabolism of the SSRI. So if you decrease the dose of bupropion, the SSRI is metabolized faster. So you get an effect as if you are tapering the SSRI as well.... So double withdrawal symptoms from 2 different meds at the same time!

 

Please read my story. I hope that gives you more helpful information. We are all different of course, but I know there are more people who have problems getting of bupropion as long as they are taking a SSRI.  

 

 

[benesh]

On 12/14/2020 at 6:14 AM, Go2zero said:

Problem with bupropion is also that it slows the metabolism of the SSRI. So if you decrease the dose of bupropion, the SSRI is metabolized faster. So you get an effect as if you are tapering the SSRI as well.... So double withdrawal symptoms from 2 different meds at the same time

Scared, curious, wondering..now what do I do?

 

After reading the above..not sure how to proceed. I called my PCP, about this and my most recent emotional 😭 upticks when I decreased from 52.4 to 49.8 I HAVE RESUMED 52.4,  walking 2 times daily, and intend to stay at 52.4 for a bit longer. Questions.....should I switch to taper from lexapro? Or switch to,prozac and then taper from that? Hold off the wellbutrin taper for now. Find a compound pharmacy, make a liquid  version myself.

BTW, my doc was not in so spoke with nurse practitioner..who after hearing about my tearfulness asked if perhaps, I was bipolar. GRRRRR😡 OY YOY YOY.

I am certain there is a way out...And I am determined to find baby steps to get me there.

Thanks,

benesh

[Go2zero]

On 12/30/2020 at 7:54 PM, benesh said:

Questions.....should I switch to taper from lexapro? Or switch to,prozac and then taper from that? Hold off the wellbutrin taper for now. Find a compound pharmacy, make a liquid  version myself.

BTW, my doc was not in so spoke with nurse practitioner..who after hearing about my tearfulness asked if perhaps, I was bipolar.

I cannot advise you what to do. But I can help you with my experiences and what I have found over the last few years. As said in my earlier post, withdrawal from Wellbutrin can be more difficult when also taking a SSRI. My experience is that tapering the SSRI first, is easier than tapering the Wellbutrin first whilst still taking an SSRI.

 

I cannot tell yet from own experience what will happen with the further tapering of Wellbutrin after fully quitting my SSRI, since I am still tapering Prozac and keeping the dose of Wellbutrin completely stable (33,3 mg)  since March 2020.

 

I have to say that tapering the last part (0,57 mg) of my SSRI (Prozac) is not easy either. But MUCH easier than tapering the Wellbutrin. Every small step (3% of last dosage) down of Wellbutrin takes me 8-10 months to recover (in HELL!).  Whereas several steps tapering of Prozac sometimes force me to stabilize for a few weeks (most times reasonably bearable).

 

I guess I may need another year maybe to get away from that little bit of Prozac (just 1/35 pill per day!) But this small dosage gives still a serotonine receptor blockage of 19% as far as I know. Every small step of 3% down is being felt by me. Faster than I go does not seem to be possible.

 

I guess you need to decide first if you can/want to stop and start tapering your Lexapro. My tapering of Lexapro went quite OK up to 0,7mg, as long as I left the Wellbutrin alone. Which I often did not do, since I was not aware then of the interactions when tapering both. 

 

I did make a switch from Lexapro to Prozac, but not before I was on a Lexapro dosage of only 0,3 mg. But shortly before I also went down with the Wellbutrin. When I look back, I guess the extreme withdrawal I had at the moment of switching to Prozac, again had to do with the interaction between both medications. I was hoping the switch to Prozac would make withdrawal of the SSRI easier. But I have the strong impression that I still went through an extreme heavy withdrawal of the Lexapro (0,3mg) although I made the switch to Prozac. On this site I have found more proof of this possibility.

 

When I look back with my current knowledge, I would NOT have switched to Prozac. I would have kept the Wellbutrin on its dosage and taper the Lexapro slowly to 0. Then wait for at least 4 months before starting to taper the Wellbutrin! Since in my earlier experiences with tapering (too fast en both at the same time) I crashed suddenly 3 months later after quitting completely.

 

Doctors have told me also a few times I might be bipolar. I know for 100% I am not! But believe me, withdrawal from Wellbutrin in combination with a SSRI can give extreme withdrawal effects in specific cases. (I seem to be one of them). And we know that doctors often like to give us a label...

 

 

[Colonial]

I think you just may want to slow the rate of the taper until your symptoms ease.

And then maybe slow your reductions to every 6 weeks or so instead of monthly.

 

While the Wellbutrin is a booster to other SSRI's that can give you a "double withdrawal effect", the lower you get on the Wellbutrin and the smaller the overall percentage drops you make the less that is an issue.

 

It also depends on how much of the other med your taking to begin with how much the Wellbutrin is "boosting" that dose.

The complexity is how much of both meds are being taken and how much and how fast your dropping the Wellbutrin.

 

In only 7 months you've dropped from 71 to 52 mgs. That very good! You just may need to give your brain a break for a bit to let everything settle.

Some people can't constantly be tampering with their brain chemistry every 30 days.

 

Your NOT Bi-polar, that's the number1 false diagnosis in WD, due to your brain readjusting to not being medicated and your normal emotions coming back.

 

[benesh]

Thank you so much for the input. It feels like a life preserver, and communicates hope and direction.

I am asking my husband to read over so we can make sure the WD BRAIN of mine fully gets it. For now, I will stay with the Wellbutrin at 52.4mg which I have been at since 11/2. Except for a few days at 49.8 mg. I hope to talk with both my doctor and a compound pharmacist on Wednesday to figure out how to proceed.

It would be wonderful to find someone to make the medications. The medication making under an already compromised brain is getting so stressful.

Less daily crying. Still prefer to hangout with my husband and sister. Less inclined to interact with others since it seems to require more energy than I presently have. 
Not sure what else to say. I continue to walk daily..sometimes 2 x daily.... weather permitting.

I guess that is all for now. Again so grateful for the input. Feeling less alone makes the journey more doable.

benesh

[Colonial]

1 hour ago, benesh said:

Still prefer to hangout with my husband and sister. Less inclined to interact with others since it seems to require more energy than I presently have. 

 

Give your permission to stay home and heal.

Don't "force" extra activity or interaction on your nervous system.

That doesn't mean you have to sit in a closet and be a hermit all day long but take small amounts of interaction as you feel capable.

I found "forcing" myself to plan to do things ahead of time or to keep a predetermined schedule and more stress than it was worth.

You'll find a happy medium in between both, just give yourself permission to say "No" and not feel bad abut it.

 

 

Edited January 4, 2021 by Colonial

[benesh]

A quick update

Hello fellow survivors,

Tele health with supportive doctor. Told her about the input from here that tapering from wellbutrin while still on ssri ( lexapro) might be problematic. Before I could say what I learned on here, she suggested I stop the wellbutrin taper and start the lexapro taper. Meanwhile I found a compound pharmacist who has heard of this issue..interplay between tapering wellbutrin and SSRI. My doctor suggested I start doing liquid taper. Here is what pharmacist and I have agreed to. Start the liquid of the welbutrin where I have been at. Do that for a while, until stable as possible. Then I will hold wellbutrin taper and start the lexapro liquid taper..very slowly. I have received some wonderful posts on hope for recovery here. So grateful for this forum. 
Open to input as always. 
Daily eruption of tears has lessened. Yay! Walking daily, praying, giving myself permission to rest, notice my thoughts that lead me down dread road and reorient myself to the goal and feeding hope.

Just wanting to check in.

[Colonial]

39 minutes ago, benesh said:

Then I will hold wellbutrin taper and start the lexapro liquid taper..very slowly.

 

Yes, slow. 

Since you do not know how much the Wellbutrin is still "boosting" your Lexapro.

You may think your only dropping the Lexapro a certain percent but it could effectively have the effect of a bigger drop.

Good to hear from you!

[benesh]

NEW QUESTIONs AND INPUT PLEASE

Hello again,

Many windows and some waves. However, I am now resuming the intentional taper. I have been on hold for a few months with the bupropion and Escitalopram . After reading the input from SA members, I am maintaining the bupropion level but now starting to taper the escitalopram. Here are the questions:

I am trying to find the spreadsheet that would help me plot some tapering scenarios. I have looked but so many and I cant seem to figure out how to use them. According to one, if I taper at 5%, this will take me 5 plus years? Huh? Really? 
I also read about microtapering....that seems more complicated. Perhaps it isn’t but my pea brain under the influence of tapering is very limited. Ugh.

So any help so appreciated. The biggest challenge during a wave is unrelenting tears. I notice the more I walk the better. Still wet tearful but a bit of a reprieve when outdoors.

Thanks again fellow survivors.

 

 

[benesh]

Is this part of the process of tapering and related symptoms?

I am noticing what feels like an irregular heart beat. Feels like I can’t catch my breath or deeply enough. 
Not panicking..yet....but curious. Feeling pretty tired..sleeping during the day from exhaustion not due to an escape from pain.

Wanting to know I am not alone.
Likely there is a list of symptoms somewhere on this site. I will check but wanted to at least get this written out.

Doing baby steps and working at taking it easy on myself. Shedding the slave driver mode.Thanks for listening.

 

[Go2zero]

3 hours ago, benesh said:

Is this part of the process of tapering and related symptoms?

Hi Benesh, irregular heartbeat and also heart palpitations can be symptoms of withdrawal in my experience. I had it during longer periods, especially when going down with Bupropion. But also sometimes when doing down on Prozac.

 

I went to 2 doctors and had my heart checked in different ways. Everything fine. After some months the irregular heartbeat and palpitations disappeared. Sometimes they are there back again, but just for an hour or so. It is one of the so many withdrawal effects that may occur. Like extremely sweating in bed, insomnia, migraine, extremely tiredness, depressive and anxious feelings, brain fog, etc. In my case it differs often every few days.

 

So, you are not alone!  Take car, you will get there. It may take time however. And yes, with 5% per month decrease, it may take 5 years. Also there you are not alone. Even my taper of now only 0,5 mg (1/40 pill) of Prozac may take more than 1 year. And after that I have to resume the tapering of Bupropion... But as said, you will get there!

[benesh]

Hello dear go2zero,

So grateful for your input. It means more than my words can convey. 
blessings to you as you move forward towards ad freedom.

benesh