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

[ShiningLight]

@Colonial I did that once too! 🤣 Overtired, I guess!

[kiwifellow]

Hi Guys,

 

I am on 300mg per day of Zyban SR ( 150mg twice a day ) And I need to know if I can crush the entire x2 Zyban SR 150mg pills and then divide the dose into 3 equal amounts and take 3 times a day like IR pills. I understand that the SR pills have binders in them. 

 

Plan would be for first 10% drop being 30mg for a month - 90mg at 6am, 90mg at 12pm, 90mg at 6pm. Total 270mg per day. This would be 300mg Zyban SR pills crushed and divided. 

 

Has anyone done this above with SR pills?

 

Also with changing from SR twice a day to now IR 3 times a day, would it be suggested I do the first month at my normal 300mg per day to get use to the change or should I just the first drop at the same time?

 

Many thanks guys. Your all awesome.

[SonSetFree]

Hi @Altostrata

 

is it ok cutting bupropion IR into quarters or smaller piece?  How do you know the medicine is evenly distributed.  I have been cutting my 75mg IR into 1/8 pieces and using a scale to get precise measurement but I wonder if I should crush whole tablet completely and mix the powder before measuring out dose. What do you think?

 

thank you for this site!

[Altostrata]

@SonSetFree Please read this topic from the beginning.

[Dany]

I'm planning for my tapering. Is it true that it is only possible with IR tablets to transform it into liquid? I am taking 300 mg XR and would prefer to convert it into liquid because there might be trouble with the prescription.

[ChessieCat]

11 hours ago, Dany said:

I'm planning for my tapering. Is it true that it is only possible with IR tablets to transform it into liquid? I am taking 300 mg XR and would prefer to convert it into liquid because there might be trouble with the prescription.

 

Did you read Post #1 of the current topic which explains the various ways to get non standard doses.  Please read it very carefully, you might need to split your dose and take it more than once a day.  It includes the following information:

 

On 7/17/2011 at 6:28 AM, Altostrata said:

If you cut up Wellbutrin or bupropion XR, what's inside is regular immediate-release bupropion. When you break the time-release coating, the tablet loses its extended-release characteristic and you would be taking immediate-release bupropion.

 

[Altostrata]

On 6/1/2022 at 6:12 AM, Dany said:

Is it true that it is only possible with IR tablets to transform it into liquid?

 

That is correct.

[Soup]

Wellbutrin XL taper tips

 

Looking for any tips anybody has for being able to taper off Wellbutrin 150mg XL ? I have read the Wellbutrin section but was wondering if any real experience of tapering off it ? 

 

Edited June 14, 2022 by ChessieCat
added topic title before merging with existing topic

[ChessieCat]

@Soup

 

Have you read through this current topic?  (I moved your post here).

 

You could try doing a search for members who are taking Wellbutrin / buproprion and visit their Intro topics to see what version they are taking.  If they are taking the same version as you, then you could make a post in their topic asking how they are tapering it.

[Soup]

Thank you I will try that 

[LeoTheLion]

Need Help Tapering Wellbutrin SR

 

I've been trying to read through the posts on tapering Wellbutrin, but I'm still confused. I take 200 mg SR twice per day. Can I cut these or make into a liquid?

 

Thank you.

 

Edited June 27, 2022 by ChessieCat
added topic title before merging with intro topic

[Go2zero]

@LeoTheLion

 

Wellbutrin SR cannot be dissolved. It is NOT possible to make a liquid of them. This also accounts for Wellbutrin XR. 

 

The only form of Wellbutrin that can be used to make a liquid is the IR (instant release) version.

 

But you can cut the SR. They become IR (instant release) then (only) in effect (still not dissolvable however). Since the become instant release effectively, you should not take a higher dose than 75mg of the cut pill at a time. Otherwise you get a peak in the dosage, which is not fun to experience....

 

I understand you take 200 mg SR daily. I would suggest you would start your tapering by taking 1 full 200mg pill in the morning. And by cutting of 10% of your total daily dose (10% of 400 mg + 40mg cut) of the second pill. Which would be 20% cut on 1 pill daily (and leaving the other 200 mg uncut)

 

So you would cut down the second 200mg pill to 160mg.  You could cut this 160 mg then in 2 or even better 3 equal parts and divide them over the afternoon en early evening. So you spread the IR effect.

 

You would best use scales that can weigh up to 1 mg. You need to weigh the total pill weight first. The pill weight of a 200 mg pill will be more than 200 mg because of filling and coating materials. 

 

If (FOR EXAMPLE) a 200mg SR pill would weigh 300mg, you would have to cut of 20% of the TOTAL pill weight (20% of 300 is 60mg), which would result in a Total pill weight of 300 -/- 60= 240 mg.

 

To be safe I would cut the remaining 240 mg pill weight then in 3 equal pieces (using the scales) and divide them over the 2nd part of the day.

 

Here is more info to be found:

 

 

Edited June 29, 2022 by Go2zero

[LeoTheLion]

Thank you very much for the information. I will try this .

[jen84]

What would be the effects of taking bupropian Sr as a liquid twice a day?

 

I've only just realized that since 2017 I've been taking bupropian Sr as a liquid... I've made a post on my personal page yesterday asking for clarification on the difference between Odan bupropian SR, sandiz bupropian SR and Sanis bupropian SR... due to a change with my last rx from sandiz to odan, and feeling withdrawal effects while on Odan.

 

I came back to the site after being away for many years only to now realize that I've been making SR tabs as a liquid form and taking it twice a day... since 2017! I'm currently on 7mg SR, or 3.5mg twice a day.

 

Help!? 

[Altostrata]

@jen84 how are you making a liquid from buproprion SR?

 

Generally, the glue in the tablet interferes with making a smooth liquid from these pills. Members report they turn into a gel.

 

Hypothetically, if you make a liquid of any brand or type of bupropion SR, it become immediate-release bupropion, generally to be taken at least twice a day. See the first post in this topic.

Edited February 16 by Altostrata
updated

[Go2zero]

 

Here is a video how to cut Wellbutrin XL.

 

As soon as you cut XL it becomes instant release. This kicks in much faster and stronger than XL. So the more you will spread the dosages over the day, the better.... I suggest 4 dosages per day when your daily dosage is not higher than 150 mg.

 

When you start cutting 150 mg, you might even cut the pill in 6 parts and see how you react. You can spread the dosages evenly over the day.

 

 

I take the smallest pieces before I go to sleep.  In my case the Wellbutrin  does not seem to affect my sleep. As long as the evening dosage is not big. Big would be more than 25 mg in my opinion.

 

The more you will spread the dosages over the day, (with the bigger parts earlier on the day) the more you will have the (more or less) similar effect you have from uncut XL pills.

 

When you cut these pills, you will most probably get pieces that are somewhat smaller and bigger than the other ones. So you can use that by taking the bigger ones earlier on the day.

 

 

 

Look at the right side graph. 

 

This shows the pattern of the release of the active ingredient in Wellbutrin XL (XR is the same). Therefore we should best take a bit higher dosages earlier in the day. And taking no dosages during the night follows the same pattern as the graph. So no dosages during the night is not a problem. 

 

The graph for instant release is based on REAL Instant Release bupropion. Cutting a XL pill seems to give a bit slower release of the active ingredient than with IR. This is because the cut XL pill needs more time to dissolve in the body than an IR pill.

 

Edited February 26 by Go2zero

[Altostrata]

On 2/26/2023 at 1:18 PM, Go2zero said:

This kicks in much faster and stronger than XL. So the more you will spread the dosages over the day, the better.... I suggest 4 dosages per day when your daily dosage is not higher than 150 mg.

 

Good points, @Go2zero, thanks for the video. 

 

Immediate-release bupropion is taken only 3 times a day. However, if you get "dose dumping" activation after a dose (nervousness, jump in heart rate, insomnia), you may wish to take smaller doses 4 times a day, which may not be so activating.

[Altostrata]

@Go2zero, please explain what you've found about making a liquid from buproprion XR. This is the only form available in many countries.

[j1290]

@Go2zero On the subject of strength and release rates of various time releases, do you think this chart is representing that with the Cmax and Tmax values?   If so, it would explain a lot of my early challenges with tapering.  

[Go2zero]

17 hours ago, j1290 said:

On the subject of strength and release rates of various time releases, do you think this chart is representing that with the Cmax and Tmax values?   If so, it would explain a lot of my early challenges with tapering.  

 

I think the chart shows clearly the differences between IR, SR and XR.

 

XR in 150 mg gives a much lower level of active ingredient, but over a longer period. Whereas IR gives a much higher level at once, which holds much shorter.

 

This also explains that when people take IR or cut XR (which becomes IR), experience that the drug kicks in harder than when taking XR.

 

In my case I experience symptoms like heavy sweating, anxiety and heart palpitations when taking IR is dosages over 40 mg in one time.

 

SR is a bit between IR and XR as it shows (which is logical in my opinion).

 

Very interesting chart. Thank you for sharing!