kdog332 Suffering through Wellbutrin hell, could use advice

[kdog332]

Hi All, A bit about my history. I never took any psychiatric drugs before this past fall. Started seeing a therapist and a psychiatrist in October 2022 for depression and anxiety. Here's the rundown:

 

75mg Buproprion, October '22 - couple slightly manic days at first, then a very depressed day a week later, then evened out.

Bumped up to 150XL in November - Again a couple energetic days, then a little dip and evened out.

Bumped up to 300XL in December - I actually felt really good. Depression and anxiety seemed gone, but the pills were really causing me sleep issues, so in January the doc switched me over to take two 150SRs in the morning (2 together, not spaced out through the day). This was mostly fine for a few weeks, but I did feel anxiety coming back on certain days here and there.

 

So the middle of February I started getting intense pressure headaches that would coincide with ear pressure for like 4 days in a row. And Tinnitus suddenly appeared in my right ear, which I still have now. Called my doc and she had cut my dosage in half (from two to one 150SR).

 

The next few days I spiraled down into a deep dark depression with feelings of dread. Standing on the brink of an eternal blackness sort of thing. The end of that week (February 17) I went to the ER not knowing what to do and was section 12'd (held there for my safety). This was a shattering experience for me, one I'm still recovering from. 

 

The doc put me back on the 300XLs since I had responded to them well before. A few days after the hospital she also put me on Rexulti 1mg and 300mg lithium. I was on the rexulti for 3 weeks and was dealing with many unpleasant side effects and what to me felt like increasing depression. She told me stop the Rexulti cold turkey. And I specifically asked her if I needed to taper, she said no! This was 2 weeks ago. The following week was an emotional rollercoaster, ending with a couple days of high suicidality, numb/zombie like state, and just feeling plain wrong. Luckily I improved through last week, even started going to the gym.

 

A couple weeks ago I also started getting headaches and ear pressure again. It would come and go. The headaches have since subsided luckily but the ear pressure remains. Today it is especially bad. Like I feel debilitated from this ear pain. I need to get off the buproprion desperately, but I'm also terrified at this prospect since cutting my dose last time ended up with me in the hospital, and I still feel like a non-functional person from that whole ordeal. My hearing has also gotten more sensitive over the last week.  Things like silverware on plates kind of hurt. And my daughters voice (she's a toddler so she yells alot) is hurting my ears. I'm so worried I'm doing permanent damage to my hearing. I need to get off of this stuff or at least get the dosage down.

 

Lithium dose is at 450mg now and I think its the cause of GI issues I've been having the last couple weeks.

 

Every morning all I can think about is how I'm going to scrape through the day to get to bedtime when I can knock myself out with some Ambien, and not have to feel any of this physical pain/discomfort for a few hours.

 

Before all this I was the main caregiver to my 2 year old daughter. My parents have been staying with us since my hospital visit and have been mainly taking care of her during the day, while I flounder around feeling broken and useless. And we have another baby due at the end of June, and I just don't even know how I'm going to handle it. I'm starting TMS therapy this week....I'm really hoping it helps but its no guarantee and its a long process. 

 

I've read the post in the Tapering section about coming off Wellbutrin. From 300XL, I should take a 150XL in the morning and a 75mg IR twice a day and slowly quarter those up. My question on this is timing. How long after taking the 150XL should I take the IR? How to best space these out through the day? I just don't want to get too much juice at once. If anyone has any advice on that I'd really appreciate it.

 

 

 

 

 

[Altostrata]

Welcome, @kdog332

 

On 3/27/2023 at 1:50 PM, kdog332 said:

The next few days I spiraled down into a deep dark depression with feelings of dread. Standing on the brink of an eternal blackness sort of thing. The end of that week (February 17) I went to the ER not knowing what to do and was section 12'd (held there for my safety). This was a shattering experience for me, one I'm still recovering from. 

 

It looks to me like the reduction from two Wellbutrin 150SR per day to one Wellbutrin 150SR per day caused withdrawal symptoms which, typically, were not recognized by you, the hospital, or your doctor.

 

Likewise, your doctor failed to recognize adverse effects of 300mg Wellbutrin XR or SR. It's highly likely the rather excessive high-risk polypharmacy you're now taking is completely unwarranted. 

 

You're probably still having an adverse reaction to 300mg Wellbutrin XR plus the other drugs you're taking. At this point, Wellbutrin may not be even be your major problem.

 

However, to reduce 300mg Wellbutrin XR at this point, I would switch to 150mg XR right off. Given all your other drug reaction problems, if this causes withdrawal, you might not even notice.

 

Please add Ambien and any other drugs you're taking to your signature. Please put ALL your drugs in this Interactions Checker and post the report or a link to it in this topic.

 

How do you want to proceed? If I were you, I'd first find another doctor, your psychiatrist is clueless. Any MD, including your GP, can write prescriptions for your drugs.

[kdog332]

Hey alto,

 

I did find a new prescriber last week and she seems much better. Much more holistic, not a pill pusher at all. She wrote me a scrip for the 150XL and the 75 IR (i sent her the tapering link from this site).

 

I was going to try tapering with the 150xl and two 75s later in the day, but the ear pain so constant and debilitating I might just have to go straight to 150xl to try and find relief.

 

I'm just so afraid to cut the dose. When the last doc cut me down from two to one 150SR I ended up in the hospital from the dread  and despair I experienced.

[Altostrata]

1 hour ago, kdog332 said:

When the last doc cut me down from two to one 150SR I ended up in the hospital from the dread  and despair I experienced.

 

You cannot dose bupropion IR once a day, no matter what the dosage. Once a day dosing causes interdose withdrawal, which you probably suffered. Your prior psychiatrist was an idiot.

 

Twice a day with 150mg XR and 75mg IR should be fine, and hopefully reduced the ear symptoms that are common adverse effects of buproprion, another error of your former psychiatrist. You should file a complaint against her if you can.

 

A bigger problem is her other stupid prescriptions.

[kdog332]

Well I am going to start the taper today. I'm scared as hell. My plan is:

 

150XL @ 8:30am

37.5 IR @ 12:30pm

37.5 IR @ 1:30pm

37.5 IR @4:30/5 pm

 

If you have a better idea for the spacing please let me know.

 

This is more than a 10% drop right off the bat, but the with the pain and discomfort in my ears I need to get off this stuff ASAP. I'm splitting up the midday dose as I'm worried that 75mg all at once might hit too hard.

 

14 hours ago, Altostrata said:

A bigger problem is her other stupid prescriptions.

 

The rexulti was such a mistake and a waste of 5 weeks of possible recovery time. I wished I had said no to that. The lithium, idno. I feel like it maybe helped with the suicidality? But my new prescriber shook her head in her hands when I told her I was on it, she never prescribes it she said. The drug interactions checker said that taking lithium and buproprion together can increase the risk of seizures.

 

I think the ambien has messed me up too. I do think my depression increased this week from it. I am trying to cut back the dose on that too but slowly as the drug interactions checker said stopping it suddenly on buproprion can also risk siezures.

 

All in all I just feels so physically unwell. Earaches, headaches, my GI system has been messed up for weeks. Every day is just misery.

 

 

 

 

[kdog332]

Ok. Well. This is not for me I think. Its 3pm. Ive taken 2 doses of 37.5mg. I am jacked up. Head is pounding. Ear ringing and hearing sensitivity worsened.

 

I think tomorrow I'll just have to do just the 150XL in hopes of getting off completely in a couple weeks. This drug is messing me up too much.

[Altostrata]

What is your entire drug schedule?

 

10 hours ago, kdog332 said:

150XL @ 8:30am

37.5 IR @ 12:30pm

37.5 IR @ 1:30pm

37.5 IR @4:30/5 pm

 

You are being very cautious. 150mg XL should provide coverage for the first half of the day. In my opinion, there is no need to take the two 37.5mg doses an hour apart, you might as well take them together.

 

You'll probably want to drop one of the 3 37.5mg doses pretty soon.