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Taper and d/c of Wellbutrin XL

Posted by gregory999 @gregory999, Jun 11, 2023

Does anybody have an experience with tapering and discontinuation of WellbutrinXL 150 mg tab( one tab daily)
taken for 12 months after recovery from a major depressive disorder?

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Jake | @jakedduck1 | Jun 14 10:43am

@rainier
Wellbutrin is considered to be a higher risk medication known to lower the seizure threshold. However, it's usually dose related. Did the doctor recently increase his dose or did he take more than prescribed on his own or perhaps stopped taking it abructly? Any of which could increase seizure risk. How long has he had these personality changes? Is he worried about another seizure? .Once a person has a seizure the likelihood for them to have more is increased substantially. If it were me I’d seriously consider changing medications. If he chose Wellbutrin to avoid sexual side effects, that option may no longer be open to him.
Take care,
Jake

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heyjoe415 | @heyjoe415 | Jun 15 5:52am
In reply to @floralou "I've been taking Wellbutrin XL for 12 years. One Dr. tried to reduce it and I..." + (show)
Profile picture for floralou @floralou

I've been taking Wellbutrin XL for 12 years. One Dr. tried to reduce it and I started to have black out panic attacks. Be very careful. Why do you want off it?

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Thanks FloraLou,

I did the same thing with Paxil. I had been on it since 2002 and in 2023 my Dr tried tapering my dose down. I started at 40 mg and got to 20mg before feelings of depression returned.

Why quit something if it helps, especially with the utter horror of panic attacks? If Wellbutrin is helping you as Paxil has helped me, well then I see no need to stop.

I understand what panic attacks feel like, as well as depression and OCD. Paxil and talk therapy have helped with all. Why change anything that is working so well?

All the best to you FloraLou.

Joe

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1 reply
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daveshaw | @daveshaw | Jun 15 10:11am
In reply to @1k194 "Im not a medical professional, and I’m not recommending anything, but I was on bupropion (Wellbutrin)..." + (show)
Profile picture for 1k194 @1k194

Im not a medical professional, and I’m not recommending anything, but I was on bupropion (Wellbutrin) 150 XL once a day for only a few weeks…I quit cold turkey because the side effects of taking the medicine were awful.
I don’t think I had any withdrawal symptoms, but if I did, they weren’t as bad as the medicine’s side effects.

It made me very agitated and angry, insomnia, racing thoughts….. the worst was the extreme agitation and anger blow ups.

What are others’ experience with Wellbutrin? Did it help you? Has anyone else had side effects like mine?

Best wishes for your recovery

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@1k194 Wellbutrin is not even a stand alone antidepressant and it is also used for people trying to quit smoking.
Side effects are virtually non existent but it does pair well with certain SSRI’s like Zoloft. At least that has been my experience for over 30 years.
Good luck and I hope whatever you take helps you with your depression and anxiety.

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daveshaw | @daveshaw | Jun 15 10:21am
In reply to @heyjoe415 "Thanks FloraLou, I did the same thing with Paxil. I had been on it since 2002..." + (show)
Profile picture for heyjoe415 @heyjoe415

Thanks FloraLou,

I did the same thing with Paxil. I had been on it since 2002 and in 2023 my Dr tried tapering my dose down. I started at 40 mg and got to 20mg before feelings of depression returned.

Why quit something if it helps, especially with the utter horror of panic attacks? If Wellbutrin is helping you as Paxil has helped me, well then I see no need to stop.

I understand what panic attacks feel like, as well as depression and OCD. Paxil and talk therapy have helped with all. Why change anything that is working so well?

All the best to you FloraLou.

Joe

Jump to this post

@heyjoe415 I could not have said it better. Depression, anxiety and OCD are all very real conditions that can’t be ignored. Why would someone choose to live their life like that when medications can relieve those symptoms. You probably will have to take them the rest of your life just like people with diabetes have to take insulin the rest of their life.
Depression is a disease and left untreated can result in having a very miserable life.

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