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Mental Health I need a plan for tapering off welbutrin

  • Thread starter Thread starter cj
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cj

cj

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I quit lithium last month. I'm done with phych drugs. I'm on 300mg extended release. I know I need to find some instant release pills. Once I do what's a realistic taper schedule look like?
 
Are you doing this with help and discussion from your psychiatrist? I've tapered off of meds myself and fucked my life for months after so I'd just be weary... I thought I'd be better off unmedicated and boyyyy was I wrong
 
I appreciate the concern but I have my reasons. One being that ive lost 40 pounds since I started Wellbutrin and the weight loss isn't slowing. My doctor won't help and threatened to drop me as a patient. Which would be whatever except he writes my Suboxone
 
You could taper down fairly aggressively if need be because the half life of wellbutrin is something like 30+ hours. I never really experienced major withdrawal from wellbutrin IME.

If i were you i'd cut the pill in half, do that for a week, then eliminate. Or is that mad?
 
My own story here is that I was on just one med, wellbutrin, and I was doing GREAT. When I got off of it my life turned for the worse and it never worked again despite 3-4 more trials and I've never recaptured that satisfaction with life. I can write more but now I must indulge my appeptite.
 
Will that work with the time release madness?

Look I have my reasons. I can always restart the meds if I need too. I just want to try being drug free for once in my life. See where things really stand. If it goes wrong I have the rest of my life to fuck with my brain chemistry.
 
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Just saying you might lose its effect forever if you go off of it. If you're prepared for that, well then I guess you could coordinate with your doctor.
 
Quitting two drugs in quick succession may not be the best choice, but I definitely understand wanting to be off of medicine. Especially if you have been on medications for a while and have a period of struggles.

As long as you have pieces in place, set/defined safe courses of action (family/friends/hospital) to go to in case things go south, tapering wellbutrin is pretty easy. Again, try to coordinate with a psych or someone one who will listen to get your needs met. They may see your situation from a different perspective and be able to offer advice.

I cold-turkeyed off of 375 (300 and a 75) but I have gone off a lot of medicines without noticeable bad effects. Your own personal history may guide that experience. Wellbutrin isn't like paroxetine or some of the SNRIs, I'd halve (perhaps even 3/4 depending on your sensitivity) for 7-10 days and cut off a quarter (or cold turkey) from there.

Impulsively going off of medicines without alternate plans is potential for a disaster. Get pieces in place before deciding axing meds will sort out everything. Maybe it will help, but maybe it won't, and you can lose effects in quitting drugs. I had it with lithium and the other posters are right to mention it.

Best of luck and take care
 
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