DazzlingCold: 20 years on AD

[DazzlingCold]

Hello, I’ve been on AD on and off for 20 years for depression and anxiety. Started at 19 years old/ Only two have really helped. Im currently on Wellbutrin 150mg XL and just went from 10mg Lexapro to 5mg. 
i started microdosing psilocybin but i think it may be causing more anxiety or maybe it’s the withdrawal. 
i wanted to join as I want to stop AD so I can, Hopefully, feel the effects of psilocybin for brain connections. (Let’s see) 

[DazzlingCold]

Weaning off Lexapro and Wellbutrin

 

Hello, i have weaned of Lexapro 20mg and Wellbutrin XL 300mg before within 5 months and a month after no meds, I felt like I didn’t want to live. I have been reading a lot about super slow tapers and I’m wondering if maybe I felt that way because my taper needs to be slower?

when i started feeling like i don’t  want to live I restarted wellbutrin 150mg XL and had so much anxiety that I started Lexapro and got to 10mg. Its now week 2 of 5mg and I have felt

It but it has been manageable. 

 

Edited April 17, 2022 by ChessieCat
added topic title before merging with intro topic (moved from success stories)

[Onmyway]

2 hours ago, DazzlingCold said:

Hello, I’ve been on AD on and off for 20 years for depression and anxiety. Started at 19 years old/ Only two have really helped. Im currently on Wellbutrin 150mg XL and just went from 10mg Lexapro to 5mg. 
i started microdosing psilocybin but i think it may be causing more anxiety or maybe it’s the withdrawal. 
i wanted to join as I want to stop AD so I can, Hopefully, feel the effects of psilocybin for brain connections. (Let’s see) 

Dear @DazzlingCold, 

welcome to SA. 

Can you please create a drug signature for yourself so that we know what you are taking now and what you have taken before in order to better advise you. Here are the instructions on how to do it properly. 

How to List Drug History in Signature - Introductions and updates - Surviving Antidepressants

 

We advise tapering off of your medicines at no more than 10% of your previous dose every 4 weeks. Here are the topics that will be most informative. The one on the top answers most questions that you may ask. 

Important topics in the Tapering forum and FAQ - Tapering - Surviving Antidepressants

Why taper by 10% of my dosage? - Tapering - Surviving Antidepressants

Why taper? SERT transporter occupancy studies show importance of gradual change in plasma concentration - Tapering - Surviving Antidepressants

 

We find that withdrawal and tapering as well as a history of multiple drug switches sensitizes the nervous system so many of our members find that taking any psychoactive substances during tapering and WD makes their symptoms much worse or causes adverse drug effects. Even usually benign drugs and supplements may cause adverse effects during withdrawal. Maybe that is what you are feeling with psilocybin. We would advise against microdosing psilocybin. 

 

We believe that the brain is a finely tuned system which is very adaptable and with the introduction of any new substance it adapts itself to it and withdrawing from it may, in the future, cause severe issues. These additions and subtractions of substances are additive in the sense that the more you add and stop drugs, switch substances or jump around in doses the worse future adverse effects may be (you can look up kindling). The chemical imbalance myth is just that - a myth. 

 

Lexapro is a relatively difficult drug to withdraw from so we would recommend a taper that is not more than 10% every 4 weeks. 

 

Hope you feel better soon, 
OMW

[divegrl]

Just stopping by to say hi as I was on Wellbutrin 150 for many years. 
 

Wishing you the best. 

[DazzlingCold]

9 hours ago, divegrl said:

Just stopping by to say hi as I was on Wellbutrin 150 for many years. 
 

Wishing you the best. 

Hi! How was your journey with withdrawal?

[DazzlingCold]

12 hours ago, Onmyway said:

Dear @DazzlingCold, 

welcome to SA. 

Can you please create a drug signature for yourself so that we know what you are taking now and what you have taken before in order to better advise you. Here are the instructions on how to do it properly. 

How to List Drug History in Signature - Introductions and updates - Surviving Antidepressants

 

We advise tapering off of your medicines at no more than 10% of your previous dose every 4 weeks. Here are the topics that will be most informative. The one on the top answers most questions that you may ask. 

Important topics in the Tapering forum and FAQ - Tapering - Surviving Antidepressants

Why taper by 10% of my dosage? - Tapering - Surviving Antidepressants

Why taper? SERT transporter occupancy studies show importance of gradual change in plasma concentration - Tapering - Surviving Antidepressants

 

We find that withdrawal and tapering as well as a history of multiple drug switches sensitizes the nervous system so many of our members find that taking any psychoactive substances during tapering and WD makes their symptoms much worse or causes adverse drug effects. Even usually benign drugs and supplements may cause adverse effects during withdrawal. Maybe that is what you are feeling with psilocybin. We would advise against microdosing psilocybin. 

 

We believe that the brain is a finely tuned system which is very adaptable and with the introduction of any new substance it adapts itself to it and withdrawing from it may, in the future, cause severe issues. These additions and subtractions of substances are additive in the sense that the more you add and stop drugs, switch substances or jump around in doses the worse future adverse effects may be (you can look up kindling). The chemical imbalance myth is just that - a myth. 

 

Lexapro is a relatively difficult drug to withdraw from so we would recommend a taper that is not more than 10% every 4 weeks. 

 

Hope you feel better soon, 
OMW

Thank you!
Anyone who sees my questions is welcome to provide feedback.

 

Would you say the feelings of depression to the extent (not wanting to live) I experienced them a month after quitting is part of not weaning off slower? I know you mentioned psilocybin was adding to the adverse effects, but could it also be the speed at which I weaned off?

 

Also, i thought I had to be off AD for only two weeks before trying plant medicine. I waited a month. Do you think, then, that i won’t have a good reaction to psilocybin microdosing ever?

 

Last question… thoughts on supplementing with non psychoactive mushrooms like resihi or lions mane, etc… to help with withdrawal??

 

thank you

[DazzlingCold]

Wean off Wellbutrin or Lexapro first?

 

Im taking Lexapro 5mg and Wellbutrin 150xl. I already dropped the Lexapro from 10mg to 5 two weeks ago (before I came across this website). When I have weaned off Lexapro completely before Wellbutrin. ingot REALLY bad anxiety. (When I take Wellbutrin by itself I get very anxious but with the Lexapro I don’t).

i am trying to figure out if next month I should go down on the wellbutrin and maybe i can avoid THAT much anxiety. I know it will be hell, but if something alleviates anxiety even just a little, I’d try it.

If i start weaning off wellbutrin, how would it be best to do it?

 

Edited April 18, 2022 by ChessieCat
added topic title before merging with intro topic (moved from success stories)

[ChessieCat]

7 hours ago, DazzlingCold said:

thoughts on supplementing with non psychoactive mushrooms like resihi or lions mane, etc… to help with withdrawal??

 

 

The only supplements which SA recommends are magnesium and omega 3 fish oil.

 

The idea of tapering is to get off the drug/s with minimal discomfort and being able to live your life as normally as possible.  Tapering carefully by listening to your body/symptoms and not reducing again unless stable is the best way to do this and not adding other random supplements into the mix.

 

If you do decide to try anything new, it is better to start with a small dose and only make one change at a time.

 

Keep it Simple, Slow and Stable

 

There are topics about these and many other things, including what you asked about, on SA.  You can use the search function or an internet search engine and add site:survivingantidepressants.org to the search term to find them.

 

 

[Onmyway]

11 hours ago, DazzlingCold said:

Thank you!
Anyone who sees my questions is welcome to provide feedback.

 

Would you say the feelings of depression to the extent (not wanting to live) I experienced them a month after quitting is part of not weaning off slower? I know you mentioned psilocybin was adding to the adverse effects, but could it also be the speed at which I weaned off?

 

Also, i thought I had to be off AD for only two weeks before trying plant medicine. I waited a month. Do you think, then, that i won’t have a good reaction to psilocybin microdosing ever?

 

Last question… thoughts on supplementing with non psychoactive mushrooms like resihi or lions mane, etc… to help with withdrawal??

 

thank you

@DazzlingCold

I can't say what is responsible for your feelings of depression (nobody can) - withdrawal can be a cause for sure and adding psilocybin to a sensitized system could also contribute. Why did you think that you had to be off ADs for only 2 weeks to try plant medicine? I don't know what your reaction to P will be. Some people find that drinking alcohol years after withdrawal sets them back, others are ok. 

 

I have no knowledge of mushroom medicine unfortunately - you can search on the site to see whether others have experimented with it and what they found. Your reaction could be similar. Or not. The best way to avoid WD symptoms is to taper very slowly. The best way to deal with WD symptoms that have emerged already is to reinstate or updose. 

 

If you are having serious symptoms, I'd suggest a small updose. 

 

Psych drugs are not like ibuprofen, your brain adapts to them and when you withdraw it needs to adapt back again. Experimenting is not suggested. I see you have jumped up and down and changed quite a few drugs. People do that in the hopes that some drug will work but there is plenty of research that shows that ADs are no better than placebo (Prof. Irving Kirsch of Harvard works in this area). In this process you are basically playing Russian roulette with your brain. It might not be for a while but one of these changes/jumps/withdrawals might really make things very bad for you and when that happens it is a very slow and hard process to come back. Be careful. Putting Humpty Dumpty back together can take years and years. Many of us are in this boat unfortunately. Please taper!

 

OMW

[DazzlingCold]

30 minutes ago, Onmyway said:

@DazzlingCold

I can't say what is responsible for your feelings of depression (nobody can) - withdrawal can be a cause for sure and adding psilocybin to a sensitized system could also contribute. Why did you think that you had to be off ADs for only 2 weeks to try plant medicine? I don't know what your reaction to P will be. Some people find that drinking alcohol years after withdrawal sets them back, others are ok. 

 

I have no knowledge of mushroom medicine unfortunately - you can search on the site to see whether others have experimented with it and what they found. Your reaction could be similar. Or not. The best way to avoid WD symptoms is to taper very slowly. The best way to deal with WD symptoms that have emerged already is to reinstate or updose. 

 

If you are having serious symptoms, I'd suggest a small updose. 

 

Psych drugs are not like ibuprofen, your brain adapts to them and when you withdraw it needs to adapt back again. Experimenting is not suggested. I see you have jumped up and down and changed quite a few drugs. People do that in the hopes that some drug will work but there is plenty of research that shows that ADs are no better than placebo (Prof. Irving Kirsch of Harvard works in this area). In this process you are basically playing Russian roulette with your brain. It might not be for a while but one of these changes/jumps/withdrawals might really make things very bad for you and when that happens it is a very slow and hard process to come back. Be careful. Putting Humpty Dumpty back together can take years and years. Many of us are in this boat unfortunately. Please taper!

 

OMW

Oh Gosh

so a taper that lasts years, huh? Or even years after being off? Can we get back to “normal” after years? Are those who have weaned off feeling good at least 60% of the time?

[DazzlingCold]

4 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

 

The only supplements which SA recommends are magnesium and omega 3 fish oil.

 

The idea of tapering is to get off the drug/s with minimal discomfort and being able to live your life as normally as possible.  Tapering carefully by listening to your body/symptoms and not reducing again unless stable is the best way to do this and not adding other random supplements into the mix.

 

If you do decide to try anything new, it is better to start with a small dose and only make one change at a time.

 

Keep it Simple, Slow and Stable

 

There are topics about these and many other things, including what you asked about, on SA.  You can use the search function or an internet search engine and add site:survivingantidepressants.org to the search term to find them.

 

 

Thank you and congratulations on your success!

[ChessieCat]

1 hour ago, DazzlingCold said:

so a taper that lasts years, huh?

 

The thing to understand and remember is that even though you might be on the drug for a long time you are gradually reducing the dose and you will get to the end eventually.  Yes, it takes a lot longer than we would like, but it's better to do it the careful way.  We have members here at SA who have tried to go too fast and it has ended up taking longer than if they had stuck to a 10% reduction every 4 weeks.  Some have ended up changing to a different drug and that does not always work and can actually make things worse, and some have ended up on an additional drug and of course that has to be tapered as well.

 

1 hour ago, DazzlingCold said:

Can we get back to “normal” after years? Are those who have weaned off feeling good at least 60% of the time?

 

success-stories-recovery-from-psychiatric-drug-withdrawal

[DazzlingCold]

Too fast?

 

Hello,

 

10 days ago I dropped from 10 mg of Lexapro to 5 mg.l after 1.5/2 months of being on that dose. Im feeling very sensitive today. Should I go up to 7.5mg for a month and then start a slower taper? 
im also on Wellbutrin 150xl which I will not start tapering anytime soon. 

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by ChessieCat
added topic title before merging with intro topic

[DazzlingCold]

9 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

 

The thing to understand and remember is that even though you might be on the drug for a long time you are gradually reducing the dose and you will get to the end eventually.  Yes, it takes a lot longer than we would like, but it's better to do it the careful way.  We have members here at SA who have tried to go too fast and it has ended up taking longer than if they had stuck to a 10% reduction every 4 weeks.  Some have ended up changing to a different drug and that does not always work and can actually make things worse, and some have ended up on an additional drug and of course that has to be tapered as well.

 

 

success-stories-recovery-from-psychiatric-drug-withdrawal

Thank you!

Edited April 19, 2022 by DazzlingCold

[DazzlingCold]

On 4/17/2022 at 11:27 PM, divegrl said:

Just stopping by to say hi as I was on Wellbutrin 150 for many years. 
 

Wishing you the best. 

Hello! And thank you. Can you share how you tapered?

[DazzlingCold]

Tapering two substances

 

I am now at 7.5 lexapro and wellbutrin 150xl. What is the best way to go about tapering two ADs? 
i started with Lexapro 1.5 weeks ago. Still on Wellbutrin 150xl

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by ChessieCat
added topic title before merging with intro topic

[DazzlingCold]

On 4/18/2022 at 9:06 AM, DazzlingCold said:

Hi! How was your journey with withdrawal?

And how were you able to do the odd doses? Liquid? If so, how do you make liquid out of pills?

[DazzlingCold]

Liquid med expiration

 

If I was to crush lexapro and make a liquid form of it, how long does it last?

 

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

[ChessieCat]

Post #1 of this topic explains how to get non standard doses.  There is a lot of information there, please read through it carefully and thoroughly.

 

Tips for tapering off escitalopram (Lexapro)

 

There are instructions in that post about how to make a liquid from Lexapro tablets using a saline solution.

 

Generally SA suggests that a home made liquid will last for about 4 days, covered in the fridge.

[DazzlingCold]

On 4/18/2022 at 5:19 PM, ChessieCat said:

 

The only supplements which SA recommends are magnesium and omega 3 fish oil.

 

The idea of tapering is to get off the drug/s with minimal discomfort and being able to live your life as normally as possible.  Tapering carefully by listening to your body/symptoms and not reducing again unless stable is the best way to do this and not adding other random supplements into the mix.

 

If you do decide to try anything new, it is better to start with a small dose and only make one change at a time.

 

Keep it Simple, Slow and Stable

 

There are topics about these and many other things, including what you asked about, on SA.  You can use the search function or an internet search engine and add site:survivingantidepressants.org to the search term to find them.

 

 

Thank you

how many mg of magnesium and fish oil may help best?

[DazzlingCold]

Tapering two meds?

 

1st a huge thank you all for this space and support! Im on two (Lexapro 7.5mg and Wellbutrin 112.7 mg right now. 
Question…. yesterday i felt ok until 21 pm when I started to get really foggy, tired, unable to focus much, tension in my body, lack of patience/a little irritable. Also, its been hard to fall asleep so I sometimes go to bed really late or have to take melatonin and other meds for chronic pain that thankfully (in this case) make me sleepy.

Today I feel ok on the same doses as yesterday.
is it safe to taper two AD at the same time? If so, what may be the best game plan??

 

thank you!!

 

Edited April 23, 2022 by ChessieCat
added Intro topic title before merging with intro topic

[ChessieCat]

SA works differently to many other forums.  Each member has their own Intro topic which is where you ask questions specific to your own situation and journal your progress.  This keeps your history in one place and means that you do not need to repeat your story.

 

I have moved multiple new topics (including a second Introduction topic) to your Introduction topic.  Only ONE Introduction topic per member.

 

Please do not create any more Introduction topics.  Thank you.

[ChessieCat]

3 hours ago, DazzlingCold said:

Tapering two meds?

 

No it is generally recommended to only taper one drug at a time.  The reason for this is because if issues arise it can be difficult to know what caused the issues.  We have members here at SA who have tried to get off their drug/s faster and in the end it has taken them longer than if they had done a nice and steady taper.  Some of them have ended up changing drugs (which does not always work) and some have ended up on an additional drug (which may make things worse) which then also needs to be tapered.

 

Link to:  Taking multiple psych drugs? Which drug to taper first?
If you're not having an adverse reaction from the other medications, taper the most activating drug first. This is usually an antidepressant or stimulant (ADHD drug).

 

  Link to:  Taper more than one drug at a time?
Try this only if you know your withdrawal symptom pattern and know how to control your taper with various tapering techniques.

 

Lexapro is a very strong drug (see below) and can be difficult to taper, so I think it would be better to only taper one at a time.  However, you might be able to taper Lexapro for a while and then change to tapering Wellbutrin for a while (see the drug interaction below).

 

On 5/27/2011 at 12:16 PM, Altostrata said:

 

If you are taking 5mg of Lexapro, it's not tiny, it's equivalent to 10-20mg Paxil or Celexa.

Consequently, when you taper off escitalopram, you should be careful to decrease by small amounts, as each drop is magnified by escitalopram's extra potency. If you find withdrawal symptoms from a 10% decrease to be too difficult, after 3-4 weeks decrease by a smaller amount.

 

 

https://reference.medscape.com/drug-interactionchecker

Serious - Use Alternative

• escitalopram + bupropion

  escitalopram increases toxicity of bupropion by unspecified interaction mechanism. Avoid or Use Alternate Drug. May lower seizure threshold; keep bupropion dose as low as possible.

[DazzlingCold]

Doctors not cooperating with taper

 

Hello,

the psychiatrists and PCP I have contacted to taper have said they can’t help me. I told th I wanted to taper so I can get to “the lowest therapeutic dose”, and emailed then the articles in the section “how to talk to your Doctor about tapering” and nothing. So any ideas in how to taper slowly from Wellbutrin xl?

i have 150xl pills, 300xl and I have an active refill for 7 days for 75 IR. 
 

Also, since tapering off Wellbutrin is said to be easier than most antidepressants what are you alla thoughts on tapering it at 25% per month? Or should I do 15% every two weeks?

 

Edited April 23, 2022 by ChessieCat
added Intro topic title before merging with intro topic

[ChessieCat]

25 minutes ago, DazzlingCold said:

“the lowest therapeutic dose”

 

SA thinks in terms of "lowest effective dose" which is the lowest dose that a person finds that gives the result that they want.

 

"Therapeutic dose" is an arbitrary term that pharmaceutical companies use.  A medical professional would probably interpret "lowest therapeutic dose" as the smallest standard tablet/capsule dose available for that drug.

 

Many members of SA are tapering by themselves without the help of a medical professional.  That is the reason why SA and other sites like this exist - because the medical professionals don't know how to get people off the drugs.

 

30 minutes ago, DazzlingCold said:

Also, since tapering off Wellbutrin is said to be easier than most antidepressants what are you alla thoughts on tapering it at 25% per month? Or should I do 15% every two weeks?

 

When getting off a drug it is important to listen to your body/symptoms and taper according to those.

 

It takes about 4 days for a dose change to get to the full level in the blood and a bit longer for that change to register in the brain.

 

You might be thinking that you have not been on Wellbutrin for very long.  However, you have a long history of psychiatric drugs and the effect of taking psychiatric drugs is cumulative.  You have already been on Wellbutrin for at least 3 months so your brain will be fully adapted to getting the drug.  Nobody can say in advance whether you could make a 15% reduction.  It might be better to try a 10% reduction first.  If you feel okay after 2 weeks then you could try making another reduction of 5% reduction.

 

It will be important not to make another reduction unless you are stable.

 

It is important to listen to your body/symptoms and hold for longer if you are not stable.

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist

 

Stability

 

WDnormal

 

And Brassmonkey talks more about it here:

 

tao-of-the-brassmonkey

 

[DazzlingCold]

5 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

5 hours ago, DazzlingCold said:

per month? Or should I do 15% every two weeks?

 

When getting off a drug it is important to listen to your body/symptoms and taper according to

 

5 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

 

SA thinks in terms of "lowest effective dose" which is the lowest dose that a person finds that gives the result that they want.

 

"Therapeutic dose" is an arbitrary term that pharmaceutical companies use.  A medical professional would probably interpret "lowest therapeutic dose" as the smallest standard tablet/capsule dose available for that drug.

 

Many members of SA are tapering by themselves without the help of a medical professional.  That is the reason why SA and other sites like this exist - because the medical professionals don't know how to get people off the drugs.

 

 

When getting off a drug it is important to listen to your body/symptoms and taper according to those.

 

It takes about 4 days for a dose change to get to the full level in the blood and a bit longer for that change to register in the brain.

 

You might be thinking that you have not been on Wellbutrin for very long.  However, you have a long history of psychiatric drugs and the effect of taking psychiatric drugs is cumulative.  You have already been on Wellbutrin for at least 3 months so your brain will be fully adapted to getting the drug.  Nobody can say in advance whether you could make a 15% reduction.  It might be better to try a 10% reduction first.  If you feel okay after 2 weeks then you could try making another reduction of 5% reduction.

 

It will be important not to make another reduction unless you are stable.

 

It is important to listen to your body/symptoms and hold for longer if you are not stable.

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist

 

Stability

 

WDnormal

 

And Brassmonkey talks more about it here:

 

tao-of-the-brassmonkey

 

Thank you

and sorry about creating new topics. Im experiencing some cognitive impairment for a couple of months. I will try to be more mindful about that.

[DazzlingCold]

Can’t fund any info here on tapering wellbutrin xl. Crushing/cutting the pill makes it IR and you can make a liquid our if IR. So crushing xl and removing the outside of the pill should work if adding water. Thoughts???

[ChessieCat]

I've moved your post from the When to End Taper topic.

 

Post #1 of this topic has the information about how to get non standard doses.

 

tips-for-tapering-off-wellbutrin-sr-xr-xl-zyban-buproprion

 

 

[DazzlingCold]

On 4/25/2022 at 11:38 PM, ChessieCat said:

I've moved your post from the When to End Taper topic.

 

Post #1 of this topic has the information about how to get non standard doses.

 

tips-for-tapering-off-wellbutrin-sr-xr-xl-zyban-buproprion

 

 

Thank you

[Altostrata]

Welcome, @DazzlingCold

 

What drugs are you currently taking now, at what times o'clock and dosages? Are you also taking psilocybin, how often?

 

Please stop going up and down in dosing of any of your drugs. It's very important to maintain a consistent drug schedule, or you can get odd symptoms you might mistake for "relapse".

 

On 4/17/2022 at 11:51 PM, DazzlingCold said:

Weaning off Lexapro and Wellbutrin

 

Hello, i have weaned of Lexapro 20mg and Wellbutrin XL 300mg before within 5 months and a month after no meds, I felt like I didn’t want to live. I have been reading a lot about super slow tapers and I’m wondering if maybe I felt that way because my taper needs to be slower?

when i started feeling like i don’t  want to live I restarted wellbutrin 150mg XL and had so much anxiety that I started Lexapro and got to 10mg. Its now week 2 of 5mg and I have felt

It but it has been manageable. 

 

 

Both Lexapro and Wellbutrin are known to be activating drugs, anxiety is a common adverse effect of Wellbutrin in particular. How's your sleep?

[DazzlingCold]

17 hours ago, Altostrata said:

Welcome, @DazzlingCold

 

What drugs are you currently taking now, at what times o'clock and dosages? Are you also taking psilocybin, how often?

 

Please stop going up and down in dosing of any of your drugs. It's very important to maintain a consistent drug schedule, or you can get odd symptoms you might mistake for "relapse".

 

 

Both Lexapro and Wellbutrin are known to be activating drugs, anxiety is a common adverse effect of Wellbutrin in particular. How's your sleep?

Thank you for your welcome 😊 

i am on 7.5 lexapro, 112.5 Wellbutrin xl, and other things for asthma and allergies. I am Not going up and down though. I just made an adjustment as I had dropped (before i ran into this  website) from 10mg lexapro to 5 and I started to feel a lot of withdrawal symptoms, so I went up to 7.5. 
 

i take the Lexapro in the morning with 37.5mg of wellbutrin in the am. I take another 37.5 wellbutrin at around 11:30 and another 37.5 at around 4 pm. Psilocybin, I take .030g (in a homogeneous tincture) in the morning 5 daya on, 2 days off (i take it during the week- 5 days- and rest weekends)
 

thanks for letting me know both substances are activating as I thought it was only wellbutrin. i want to taper Lexapro before as it makes me insanely hungry. But i am actually doing 2 months of lexapro reduction, and then 6 weeks of wellbutrin reduction. 

My sleep… challenging area. I have chronic neck pain but don’t take the meds im prescribed as strength training is more helpful long term. BUT, i have taken then nights where i cannot fall asleep as they make me drowsy. I also got an extended release melatonin pill which helps l, along with hydroxyzine I am prescribed for allergy related itching.

Magnesium glycinate, l theanine, and probiotics helps too. I have been taking about 2,600 units of fish oil, but went up to 3,800 with vitamin d.

ive also taken for a long time a complex b pill in the am, a very good (not cheap) multivitamin and mineral every day. 
Good night! Wherever you are rim

All your feedback is always appreciated 

[DazzlingCold]

6 hours ago, DazzlingCold said:

Thank you for your welcome 😊 

i am on 7.5 lexapro, 112.5 Wellbutrin xl, and other things for asthma and allergies. I am Not going up and down though. I just made an adjustment as I had dropped (before i ran into this  website) from 10mg lexapro to 5 and I started to feel a lot of withdrawal symptoms, so I went up to 7.5. 
 

i take the Lexapro in the morning with 37.5mg of wellbutrin in the am. I take another 37.5 wellbutrin at around 11:30 and another 37.5 at around 4 pm. Psilocybin, I take .030g (in a homogeneous tincture) in the morning 5 daya on, 2 days off (i take it during the week- 5 days- and rest weekends)
 

thanks for letting me know both substances are activating as I thought it was only wellbutrin. i want to taper Lexapro before as it makes me insanely hungry. But i am actually doing 2 months of lexapro reduction, and then 6 weeks of wellbutrin reduction. 

My sleep… challenging area. I have chronic neck pain but don’t take the meds im prescribed as strength training is more helpful long term. BUT, i have taken then nights where i cannot fall asleep as they make me drowsy. I also got an extended release melatonin pill which helps l, along with hydroxyzine I am prescribed for allergy related itching.

Magnesium glycinate, l theanine, and probiotics helps too. I have been taking about 2,600 units of fish oil, but went up to 3,800 with vitamin d.

ive also taken for a long time a complex b pill in the am, a very good (not cheap) multivitamin and mineral every day. 
Good night! Wherever you are rim

All your feedback is always appreciated 

Correction: i am going down in dosage every two months, alternating AD. Ex:May 20 i go down to 37.5 mg wellbutrin in the am, 37.5 afternoon and 18.75 early evening, while staying on 7.5mg lexapro and I will do the wellbutrin amount until July. 20. On June 20, i am dropping lexapro to 6.75 but leave wellbutrin at same doses.

[Altostrata]

On 4/28/2022 at 9:33 AM, DazzlingCold said:

i take the Lexapro in the morning with 37.5mg of wellbutrin in the am. I take another 37.5 wellbutrin at around 11:30 and another 37.5 at around 4 pm. Psilocybin, I take .030g (in a homogeneous tincture) in the morning 5 daya on, 2 days off (i take it during the week- 5 days- and rest weekends)

 

How long have you been taking psilocybin? How long on this schedule? What effects do you feel from it?

 

Please keep daily notes of times of day you take your drugs, their dosages, and your symptoms throughout the day. Post 24 hours of notes at a time in this topic, in a simple list format with time of day on the left and notation (symptom or drug and dosage) on the right. This can show if your symptoms are adverse effects from one of your drugs.

[DazzlingCold]

Mornings:

37.5 Wellbutrin xl (150mg cut into 1/4)

.025 Psilocybin

Montelukast 10mg

Zyrtec 10mg

Hydroxizine 10mg

spiriva Respimat 2 puffs

Complex B and probiotics

 

Afternoons:

Multi vitamins and minerals

37.5 Wellbutrin 

Hydroxizine 10-25mg as needed if itching/anxious

 

Dinner:

7.5 lexapro at night

3800mg fish oil

5000 iu Vitamin D

200mg CoQ10

 

Before Bed:

200-600mg Magnesium glycinate

Probiotics

1.5-10mg Melatonin as needed

50-100mg Hydroxyzine as needed

200-400mg Ltheanine as needed

 

Hell week (PMDD) started 3 days ago. Depression, anxiety, lack of focus, fatigue, mood swings, irritability kick in hard these days.

 

today im feeling extra tired even if morning. Drinking coffee is not helping. Didn’t take hydroxyzine so I wouldn’t feel tired. Getting lots done for work has been hard. My brain is much slower, having difficulty finding words to express myself, more distracted and forgetful, hard to not let all tasks hit me at once and feeling anxious bc I may forget them instead of prioritizing and being calm because i know my brain got my back haha.

Small things feeling very overwhelming. Don’t feel like socializing nearly as much as before starting taper. Having trouble falling asleep but supplements and drugs I take at night help so I’ve been sleeping enough. Waking up tired and unmotivated. 
I am constantly thinking and craving comfort: food, ice cream, sleep, staying warm in bed, things that take the least energy. Doing just the essentials as it is hard in itself. Im doing things dividing them in small tasks. reminding myself some of what I feel is partly tapering and PMDD. Pushing through feelings of overwhelm and irritability. Feeling like crying most mornings. Stress that Im not moving at my usual pace at work. Then remind myself of self compassion. Im doing my best considering all factors. Feel like a good cry would help some. At times I can’t cry and feel like itstbeing pushed in because i can’t let it out.

 

Someone asked how psilocybin affects me… it helps me with self awareness and a bit of a better perspective (but rarely helos during PMDD). It’s mist likely not working as well as serotonin receptors are taken by lexapro. But just changed lexapro to nights hoping to get more out of it.

 

after PMDD I will assess progress and consider tapering slower. I know a link in here says to stop the most activating medication first but I don’t know between Lexapro or Wellbutrin which one is most activating.

 

currently planning on lowering doses of each substances every two months.  Reasoning being that Lexapro by itself makes me SUPER fatigued. And Wellbutrin by itself makes me very anxious (and aside from the emotional turmoil of anxiety, I start picking my face a lot and have caused infections and don’t want scars). May 20 is my projected date to do my next taper. It would be Lexapros turn from 7.5 to 6.75. But I am taking it day by day and also considering staying at this dose longer if that’s what it takes to stabilize. Listening to my body in order to adjust tapering. 
 

 

[Frogie]

@DazzlingCold

 

I have merged your post to your introduction page. We ask that each member only have one introduction page to keep all your information in one place.

 

Thank you.

[Altostrata]

We have no experience with people taking psilocybin with an antidepressant every day. They are both serotonergics, which could affect re-adaptation while you taper. 

 

You're taking quite the cocktail. Please put ALL your drugs in the Drug Interactions Checker https://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.php

and copy and paste the results or a link to them in this topic. You probably will not get any results for psilocybin, nobody knows how it interacts with other drugs.