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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by vw girlie on September 21, 2004, at 9:43:25
I am thinking about discontinuing wellbutrin to see what my body can do on it's own, I have been on anti-depressants for about 4 years now. I have looked on the web and can't seem to find info on withdrawal symptoms specific to my situation. I have no other addictions, I am not taking any other meds and most info I did find, there were underlying issues. Withdrawal from effexor was harsh, is wellbutrin the same?
Posted by Waki on September 21, 2004, at 20:25:15
In reply to Wellbutrin withdrawal, posted by vw girlie on September 21, 2004, at 9:43:25
i don't think it's possible to predict what one person will or will not feel when they stop a med.
why do you have to be in such a rush and stop? "stopping" has all the issues of withdrawl behind it.
start now and decrease it over a period of 2 months, heck more if you want. after all youve been on it for 4 years, what is 2 more months going to hurt? some people taper off for years.
Posted by Questionmark on September 23, 2004, at 2:07:45
In reply to Wellbutrin withdrawal, posted by vw girlie on September 21, 2004, at 9:43:25
Wellbutrin withdrawal is all but unheard of, and i would guarantee (if i was a guaranteeing man) that it would not even be near the suffering of Effexor withdrawal. You could probably drop the Wellbutrin cold-turkey and be fine, although i would not recommend that since it may be hard on your brain or what have you.
> I am thinking about discontinuing wellbutrin to see what my body can do on it's own, I have been on anti-depressants for about 4 years now. I have looked on the web and can't seem to find info on withdrawal symptoms specific to my situation. I have no other addictions, I am not taking any other meds and most info I did find, there were underlying issues. Withdrawal from effexor was harsh, is wellbutrin the same?
Posted by watergirl on September 24, 2004, at 20:05:03
In reply to Wellbutrin withdrawal, posted by vw girlie on September 21, 2004, at 9:43:25
Hi. I did not experience any withdrawal symptoms when I discontinued Wellbutrin. I was on 450mgs WellbutrinXR. I had to stop cold turkey because of seizures.
Withdrawal from Effexor is HARSH, to say the least. I have come off of both. With Effexor I tapered very slowly.^^Withdrawal from effexor was harsh, is wellbutrin the same?
No, Wellbutrin is not the same!Good luck! You may want to check out Psycho-Babble Alternative if your body still needs help after you are off of Wellbutrin.
Best Wishes,
Cindy
Posted by kwang-gae on October 15, 2004, at 8:24:17
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin withdrawal » vw girlie, posted by watergirl on September 24, 2004, at 20:05:03
The following list of withdrawal symptoms for Wellbutrin seems to be extremely plausable from everything that I have been experiencing the last month or two.
"Wellbutrin Withdrawal Symptom List:
Anxiety,Dizziness,Fatigue,Muscle and joint pain, Jolting electric "zaps”, Tingling sensations, Vertigo, Gait disturbances, Restlessness, Tremors,
Visual hallucinations, Headache, Insomnia, Nausea,
Vomiting, Diarrhea, Blurred vision, Sweating, Fever, Abdominal discomfort, Aggression, Sleep disturbance and insomnia, Nightmares, Vivid dreams, Flu symptoms and general malaise, Anorexia, agitation, Irritability, Confusion, Memory and concentration difficulties, Chills and hot flashes, Crying spells, Suicidal thoughts
Lethargy, Weakness, Myalgia"It seems the brain and body go through similiar things that it went through when starting Wellbutrin. So, suffice it to say if a person had no side effects when they began taking it that went away within a month or two they are less likely to experience side effects going off of it, but for those of us who experieced side effects for the first couple weeks or month when starting Wellbutrin we can expect the similiar reactions when going "cold turkey".
I have gone cold turkey twice in the last two months. The first time I tried to stop without reading or thinking about it, my husband and I were trying to conceive. A couple of weeks after going cold turkey the side effects were unbearable, and I went back on for a couple weeks until I saw my Doctor. I was also on Lexapro at the same time, which I could cut my pills to decrease my dosage, but I was taking Wellbutrin XL (time release) so couldn't reduce the dosage myself. I requested my doctor to prescribe me a lower dose of Wellbutrin so that I could go off gradually and he actually refused because he didn't think it was a good idea for me to stop. So, now that I am pregnant and being off of medications is important to me I went cold turkey again. I'm two weeks into withdrawal and am hopefully experiencing the worst of it. Some report it to go eight weeks, don't know if I can bear that.
I do NOT recommend going cold turkey, I'd go off gradually if it is an option.
Posted by MKB on October 15, 2004, at 14:37:21
In reply to Wellbutrin withdrawal, posted by vw girlie on September 21, 2004, at 9:43:25
I was on Wellbutrin for over a year, but ran out when I lived overseas and could not get more. I did not have any problems with withdrawal.
Posted by Optimist on October 15, 2004, at 16:06:34
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin withdrawal, posted by MKB on October 15, 2004, at 14:37:21
I had no problems with withdrawal either when I went cold turkey last spring. I was taking 300mg of SR
Posted by one4light on November 12, 2004, at 23:26:58
In reply to Wellbutrin withdrawal, posted by vw girlie on September 21, 2004, at 9:43:25
i've been on wellbutrin 300 SR for 2.9 years. this is my third day off of it...definitely feel chemical, physical changes, some muscle tightness in the arms and jaw...other than that, nothing severe...
Posted by ravenstorm on November 13, 2004, at 10:58:03
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin withdrawal, posted by one4light on November 12, 2004, at 23:26:58
I have had withdrawal from every AD I have tried, EXCEPT wellbutrin. Absolutely no withdrawal syndrome at all for me.
Posted by Questionmark on November 16, 2004, at 2:06:13
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin withdrawal, posted by kwang-gae on October 15, 2004, at 8:24:17
i'm strongly inclined to believe that your withdrawal symptoms were not from that of Wellbutrin, but of Lexapro, especially given the symptoms you reported. If you've ever quit Wellbutrin at a time that was adequately seperate from quitting or starting anything else, and you still felt those symptoms, then i would "stand corrected."
> The following list of withdrawal symptoms for Wellbutrin seems to be extremely plausable from everything that I have been experiencing the last month or two.
>
> "Wellbutrin Withdrawal Symptom List:
> Anxiety,Dizziness,Fatigue,Muscle and joint pain, Jolting electric "zaps”, Tingling sensations, Vertigo, Gait disturbances, Restlessness, Tremors,
> Visual hallucinations, Headache, Insomnia, Nausea,
> Vomiting, Diarrhea, Blurred vision, Sweating, Fever, Abdominal discomfort, Aggression, Sleep disturbance and insomnia, Nightmares, Vivid dreams, Flu symptoms and general malaise, Anorexia, agitation, Irritability, Confusion, Memory and concentration difficulties, Chills and hot flashes, Crying spells, Suicidal thoughts
> Lethargy, Weakness, Myalgia"
>
> It seems the brain and body go through similiar things that it went through when starting Wellbutrin. So, suffice it to say if a person had no side effects when they began taking it that went away within a month or two they are less likely to experience side effects going off of it, but for those of us who experieced side effects for the first couple weeks or month when starting Wellbutrin we can expect the similiar reactions when going "cold turkey".
>
> I have gone cold turkey twice in the last two months. The first time I tried to stop without reading or thinking about it, my husband and I were trying to conceive. A couple of weeks after going cold turkey the side effects were unbearable, and I went back on for a couple weeks until I saw my Doctor. I was also on Lexapro at the same time, which I could cut my pills to decrease my dosage, but I was taking Wellbutrin XL (time release) so couldn't reduce the dosage myself. I requested my doctor to prescribe me a lower dose of Wellbutrin so that I could go off gradually and he actually refused because he didn't think it was a good idea for me to stop. So, now that I am pregnant and being off of medications is important to me I went cold turkey again. I'm two weeks into withdrawal and am hopefully experiencing the worst of it. Some report it to go eight weeks, don't know if I can bear that.
>
> I do NOT recommend going cold turkey, I'd go off gradually if it is an option.
>
>
>
This is the end of the thread.
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