Anastasia: overwhelmed and wondering how to best taper from 150 mg of Bupropion SR

[Anastasia]

Hello all,

 

I am new to this forum and have been on 150 mg. of Bupropion SR for over 10 years (among many other meds). My new Psychiatrist (who I sought out because he seemed sensitive to the necessity for slow tapering for Benzodiazapines and Effexor). I was very disappointed that in our first meeting he recommended a jump from 150 to 100 mg Bupropion. Much of this was based on my report to him that on a couple of days when I forgot to take the Bupropion, I was much less anxious (I know it tends to be stimulating). I tried to challenge him but was too anxious at the time and just agreed with the plan. I plan on broaching this with him in an email.  

 

I want to tell him how I would like to taper and ask him if he would work with me on this. The problem is, I don't know myself.  I've been looking through this site and trying to make sense of the tapering schedules for this medication and it feels overwhelming to me. I don't know if I'm experiencing brain fog or what. There were a few people who recommended splitting the SR tablets. All of this is so confusing to me. If I were to do a 10 or 25% taper, what would be the easiest way?

 

Thank you in advance for any guidance around this.

 

Warmly,

Anastasia

 

[arbor]

Hello @Anastasia

Welcome to SA.

To get you started and to give you pertinent information, could you summarize your medication history in a signature – only drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements in a vertical list format. 

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

I sympathize with the difficulty in communicating with doctors sometimes.  I encourage you to share links from this site with your doctor.  The first one explains our philosophy for slow tapering.  The second is recently published by our SA founder, Alto:

How to talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal?

What I have learnt from helping thousands of ... - PubMed

 

These links can be helpful for planning your taper:

why taper by 10%

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

 

Based on Chessie Cat's experience tapering Wellbutrin, and quoting her words, I recommend reducing 150 by 10% and see how you go.  If after 3 weeks you find that you are feeling ok, you could reduce again by another 10%.  The idea is to stay tuned to your reactions so as not to move too quickly.  Remember to calculate the next reduction on the previous dose your took. 

 

Once you've finished your signature, please ask further questions as you begin.  Remember also to avoid skipping doses as this can unsettle the nervous system which will be extra sensitive during the taper.

 

This is your Introduction site where you can ask questions, report your progress, and connect with other members.

I'm glad you've found us. 

Arbor

 

 

[Anastasia]

Thanks Arbor. I appreciate these resources. They were helpful to me. I communicated by email very diplomatically with my Psychiatrist and while he agreed to a tapering schedule of 10% per month for the Bupropion, he completely invalidated my past experience of tapering too fast and other things he said make me see that he wouldn't be open to reading any of these papers. 

[arbor]

Dear @Anastasia

Good for you--talking to your doctor and agreeing to a 10% taper!  But it's amazing, isn't it? how staunchly disinterested these doctors are in learning anything from their patients.  Their priority in their own superiority rather than the patient themselves, is causing so much suffering--as we can see all over this site.  I so support you in taking good care of yourself, especially as you begin to taper.  

Arbor

PS--Don't forget to fill out your signature.  Then you'll be able to share with others.

[Altostrata]

Hello, @Anastasia We really don't expect new information to be welcomed by any psychiatrist. Occasionally, one surprises us, though. If you have the opportunity, please do send your doctor 

 

Framer, A. (2021). What I have learnt from helping thousands of people to taper off antidepressants and other psychotropic medications. Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology. https://doi.org/10.1177/2045125321991274  

 

Hengartner, M. P., Schulthess, L., Sorensen, A., & Framer, A. (2020). Protracted withdrawal syndrome after stopping antidepressants: A descriptive quantitative analysis of consumer narratives from a large internet forum. Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology. https://doi.org/10.1177/2045125320980573

[HikingAlong]

Hi @Anastasia,

 

I have experience tapering from Bupoprion (Welbutrin). Slow was the way to go for me. It took me 3 years to get off it, but I'm good now. I started by switching to the immediate release form. Then I went down 5% at a time, and waited til I felt really stable before attempting another taper. Sometimes I could taper within a couple weeks, but in the winter it was more like 2 months or more. I think I even did a 6 month hold once. Anyway, slow is the way for any of these meds. It's complicated, difficult, and worth it.

 

Hiking Along

[Anastasia]

Thanks for all of your very supportive responses and helpful information. It means a lot.

 

Congratulations to you HikingAlong in being able to taper off all meds! You truly are a survivor!

 

I started to taper from Bupropion 150 mg SR by 10% yesterday. I took 100mg SR in the morning along with 18.75 of the Bupropion IR (I quartered the 75 mg IR tablet that my doctor called in) and then 18.75 mg IR in the afternoon (around 1 or 2 pm). I am wondering if it is wise to taper this way. Also, the pill cutter I have isn't doing a stellar job of cutting the pills. Can anyone recommend a really good one? Thanks again!

 

Anastasia

[Ariel]

Hi @Anastasia

How are you doing?

Well wishes,

A.

[Anastasia]

Hi @Ariel

 

Thanks so much for checking in! I've had ups and downs. I started a taper from 150mg of Bupropion which I had been on for several years or more. The first week in October of 2021 I went down from the 150 to 137.5 mg. Initially I was okay but I started to become much more depressed in November or December. I wasn't having any changes in sleep, appetite or energy level. I was just feeling very depressed about my life- how it's turned out so far (being single during a Pandemic and social isolation doesn't help) and the holidays have been hard for me in the last few years.  I found myself with decreased motivation (i.e., "Why does it matter?) with fleeting passive suicidal ideation and a lack of enjoyment in many things. I told my psychiatrist and he agreed with me to stay steady and not decrease the Bupropion any more until the spring. I actually have been feeling a lot better and able to enjoy life in the past couple of months. However, I was concerned about continuing to decrease Bupropion (particularly while on a Benzo and wondered if we should have started tapering that first) I asked him if he would consider a slow taper of my Clonazepam instead. I have been on 1.5 mg of Clonazepam for four years (was on 3 mg for several years and slowly tapered down over a year to 1.5mg). So, we started the taper on April 1st and I went down from 1.5 to 1.375 mg. I've been taking it at bedtime all these years. Oh..and I am doing the taper with 2 .5 mg tablets, splitting the third .5 tablet in half and then adding a .125 ODT everyday. I haven't noticed a change yet though I do feel a little "off balance" at times when getting up from a seated position. I want to taper by 10% at a time but am not sure of the time frame. I was actually going to go on this site or Benzo Buddies for advice on that. Any thoughts you would have on that would be very helpful. Also, today, I am feeling unusually tired and a little weak (hope I haven't caught the Covid!). Sorry to dump all of this. Thanks for reading. I hope you are doing well.

Kind regards,

Anastasia

[Ariel]

Hi @Anastasia

Thank you for your update. There are so many unpredictable twists and turns, aren't there?

 

10 hours ago, Anastasia said:

I want to taper by 10% at a time but am not sure of the time frame. I was actually going to go on this site or Benzo Buddies for advice on that. Any thoughts you would have on that would be very helpful.

 

I'm not a mod, just a fellow member here on the long, bumpy road to recovery. I can only imagine the moderators would be happy to help with specific tapering advice.

Good luck to you on your journey,

A. 

[Anastasia]

Hi Ariel,

 

Thank you for your kind response. Yes. The road to recovery is long and bumpy. That's for sure! I was looking at your signature and realized that you have been drug-free since August of 2021. Many congratulations!

 

Warm regards,

 

Anastasia

 

[Anastasia]

On Clonazepam for 20 years and wondering how to best taper off from 1.5 mg

 

Hi all,

 

I started on a low dose of Clonazepam in 2002 but by 2011 ended up on 3mg. Tapered down to 1.5 mg over a period of three years (2015-2018), .5 mg a year which I realize was probably not wise (to make such big decreases in dose and wonder if some of my anxiety may be a result of this). Now, with a new psychiatrist am starting another taper from 1.5mg. As of April 1st, I've been on 1.37 mg (less than a 10% reduction). Normally, I would take the 1.5 mg dose all at bedtime (three .5 mg pills). Now, I take two of the .5mg pills, split the third in half (.25 mg) and add on a .125 mg ODT at bedtime. I had the idea of reducing by 10% but didn't want to have to weigh pills. So the 1.37 is less than 10% of a reduction. Is this okay? So far, I feel fine but it's only been a 3 weeks or so. And what would the timetable be for the next reduction? I'm thinking that I want to do this extremely slowly given the length of time I've been on this drug.

 

Thanks so much in advance for any thoughts about this!

 

Warmly,

Anastasia

 

Edited April 20, 2022 by ChessieCat
added Intro topic title before merging with intro topic

[Anastasia]

Chronic off-balance feelings in the wake of tapering off Bupropion- how long will this last? Help!

 

Dear all,

 

I started a long process of tapering from Bupropion. I originally went down from 300 to 150 mg over a period of 2-3 years and had stopped there for another year or so and was fine. Then was tapered to 137.5 mg (switched from the extended form to Bupropion SR 100 mg in the AM and half a pill of Bupropion Immediate Release -75 mg in the PM) in September/October of 2021. Then in June of 2022, I was tapered to 118.75 mg (Bupropion SR 100 mg in the AM and a quarter tablet of 75 mg Bupropion IR in the pm). I have been increasingly feeling a sensation of feeling off balance when I walk, more so, when I get up or turn and change directions. 

 

I had thought that my doctor had me on a slow enough taper to avoid side-effects and am wondering if the switch to the IR form has anything to do with it. I don't know how much of a difference it might make that I sometimes take my first - the AM dose (the 100mg SR) at different times because I wake up at different times.  I always take the afternoon dose at 2:55pm (I have an alarm set for this). 

 

Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated!  🙏

 

Edited October 15, 2022 by ChessieCat
added topic title before merging with intro topic

[ChessieCat]

dizziness-vertigo-light-headedness-rocking-or-swaying-sensations

 

what-to-do-for-dizziness-queasiness-nausea

 

[Anastasia]

Dear comrades,

I am struggling with symptoms that I believe to be due to a too-fast taper of bupropion. At first, it started with episodes of anxiety and feeling overwhelmed. Now it is constant muscle tension and agitation when I am completing tasks. Also- 2 years of unsteadiness/mild problems with balance that feels worse in the last few months since the last taper.  I feel sped up and can't slow down- but only when completing tasks. I'm also irritable and overreactive at times. I tapered down from 150 mg  of Bupropion (which I had been on for many years) to 137 mg to 118.75mg over a year and a half. First taper was in November 2021, second one was in June of 2022. 

Should I tough it out or reinstate to a higher dose? I wonder if I institute a more serious self-care regimen if this will help me through (meditation, deep breathing while moving- which has helped-and walking daily) and how long these symptoms might last. I really don't want to have to start over if I don't have to.

I am desperate for some answers. Thank you. 🙏

Anastasia
 

[Anastasia]

Dear comrades,
I am struggling with symptoms that I believe are due to a too-fast taper of bupropion and Clonazepam. At first, it started with episodes of anxiety. Now it is constant muscle tension and agitation mostly when I am completing tasks. Also- 2 years of unsteadiness that feels worse since the last taper. I feel sped up and can't slow down- but only when completing tasks. Also, am irritable and overreactive at times. Tapered down from 150 mg  of Bupropion (which I had been on for many years) to 137 mg to 118.75mg over a year and a half ago. First taper was in November 2021, second one was in June of 2022. 
I also tapered down from 3 mg. Clonazepam to 1.5mg over a 2-3 year period (have been on Clonazepam for 20 years)- this was a few years ago and wonder if that was too fast. I really don't want to start over if I don't have to. I recently started some new self-care measures (meditating, deep breathing and walking more often- seems to be helping somewhat). How long will these symptoms last?
I'm at my wit's end and desperate for any help/suggestions. Thank you.
Anastasia
 

[Altostrata]

@Anastasiaplease put questions about your particular situation here, in your Introductions topic.

 

Please update your signature. What drug changes have you made in the last 6 months? What changes have you made in clonazepam?

 

In October, you wrote this:

 

On 10/15/2022 at 9:32 AM, Anastasia said:

I had thought that my doctor had me on a slow enough taper to avoid side-effects and am wondering if the switch to the IR form has anything to do with it. I don't know how much of a difference it might make that I sometimes take my first - the AM dose (the 100mg SR) at different times because I wake up at different times.  I always take the afternoon dose at 2:55pm (I have an alarm set for this). 

 

When you're taking the immediate-release form of the drug, variation in your drug schedule of a couple of hours could cause odd symptoms.

 

What times o'clock do you take your drugs, with their dosages?

[Anastasia]

Altostrata, How do I put questions in my introductions topic? Also, I can't seem to update my signature. Thank you for your help with this. Anastasia

57 minutes ago, Anastasia said:

Dear comrades,
I am struggling with symptoms that I believe are due to a too-fast taper of bupropion and Clonazepam. At first, it started with episodes of anxiety. Now it is constant muscle tension and agitation mostly when I am completing tasks. Also- 2 years of unsteadiness that feels worse since the last taper. I feel sped up and can't slow down- but only when completing tasks. Also, am irritable and overreactive at times. Tapered down from 150 mg  of Bupropion (which I had been on for many years) to 137 mg to 118.75mg over a year and a half ago. First taper was in November 2021, second one was in June of 2022. 
I also tapered down from 3 mg. Clonazepam to 1.5mg over a 2-3 year period (have been on Clonazepam for 20 years)- this was a few years ago and wonder if that was too fast. I really don't want to start over if I don't have to. I recently started some new self-care measures (meditating, deep breathing and walking more often- seems to be helping somewhat). How long will these symptoms last?
I'm at my wit's end and desperate for any help/suggestions. Thank you.
Anastasia
 

 

[Anastasia]

Dear comrades,

Within the past few months, I've increasingly been experiencing very uncomfortable agitation and anxiety upon completing tasks. I feel so sped up like I can't slow down. This is accompanied by tightness around my diaphragm. I've also been more irritable and impatient. I'm concerned that I've been tapered too quickly from Bupropion and Clonazepam (see below in signature). 

Should I reinstate to a higher dose of one or the other and then taper down more slowly (I don't know if my Psychiatrist will agree with this- was already hard to get him to agree to a 10% reduction of my meds. I don't want to reinstate if I don't have to and lately I've been taking a lot of self-care measures I hadn't before which has been which has been helping. Part of the question relates to how long protracted withdrawal symptoms last which I know is impossible to answer. 

Thank you so much for any ideas/suggestions.

Anastasia

Quote

1993: Buspar and Restoril (don't recall dosages)- both for about 4 months.

1998: Paxil, Antidepresants and Lithium (don't recall doses just that they were all moderate), Clonazepam (low dose)

2000:  Was tapered off all meds by the Psychiatrist- don't recall the schedule. Was fine for the two years off all the meds.

2002: Clonazepam (initially .5 mg quickly increased to 1 and then to 1.5 or 2 mg). Lithium (don't recall dose- though moderate), various and sundry SSRI's (don't recall the doses) including Celexa and Effexor.

2004: Effexor discontinued. I developed a tolerance. Another SSRI was tried (don't recall which one).

2010: Depakote added (increased up to 450mg over a period of months). Lithium was discontinued. 

2011: Effexor reinstated (moderate dose). Bupropion started- eventually increased to 300 mg. Clonazepam increased to 3mg.

2014: Effexor taper continued to 50 mg (what it is at present). It was excruciatingly difficult to taper and I had to stop. 

2015-2018 Clonazepam taper from 3mg to 1.5mg (current dose). I tapered at the directed of Psychiatrist by .5 mg per year. 

October 2021 Bupropion 150 SR reduced to 137.5 (100mg SR tablet at 9-10 AM and half 75 IR mg tab at 2 PM)

April 2022 decreased Clonazepam from 1.5 mg HS to 1.37 mg HS.

June 2022 further decreased Bupropion from 137.5 mg to 118.75mg (100mg SR at 10 am and 18.75 IR at 2 pm)

Often, I took the AM dose of Bupropion whenever I get up in the morning (8am-10am) and the afternoon dose 4 hours later. In past month taking the morning dose at the same time and the afternoon dose 3 hours later (10am and 1 pm).

 

 

[Onmyway]

Hi @Anastasia, 

please post only to your intro topic instead of creating new ones - each member gets only one intro topic where we can follow their history and advise appropriately. 

 

In order to answer your questions can you please update your signature with the instructions below? Once you do that we will be back to help you. 

OMW

 

[Anastasia]

Dear comrades,

Within the past few months, I've increasingly been experiencing very uncomfortable agitation and anxiety upon completing tasks. I feel so sped up like I can't slow down. This is accompanied by tightness around my diaphragm. I've also been more irritable and impatient. I'm concerned that I've been tapered too quickly from Bupropion and Clonazepam (see below in signature). 

Should I reinstate to a higher dose of one or the other and then taper down more slowly (I don't know if my Psychiatrist will agree with this- was already hard to get him to agree to a 10% reduction of my meds. I don't want to reinstate if I don't have to and lately I've been taking a lot of self-care measures I hadn't before which has been which has been helping. Part of the question relates to how long protracted withdrawal symptoms last and/or how to manage them better.  Also, of note, until this week, I had not been taking my morning dose of Bupropion at the same time everyday. I would take it anywhere between 8:30 and 10 am (upon awakening) and then take the afternoon dose at 1 or 2 pm. I wonder how that may be impacting me. 

Thank you so much for any ideas/suggestions.  🙏