SSRI withdrawal - Wellbutrin ??

December 26, 2002

Has anyone gone off Wellbutrin after being on it for a while? I

think Wellbutrin is classfied as one of the weaker SSRI's.

I have been on it for about 18 months, one pill at 100 mg per day

which is a minimal dose.

Does anyone have any suggestions to minimize any side effects

while getting off? I will probably do a gradual taper off, slowly

reducing dosage over about a 3 week period. Is anyone aware of any

vitamins or foods that may help?

Happy Holiday Season to all,

Heli786

December 26, 2002

Dear Heli,

Off the top of my head, I think that wellbutrin is not an ssri type

but a tricyclic antidepressant.

There are so many now a person needs a progarm to keep track of them

all.

Anyway, with all psychotropic type medications, it is not just the

drug in the blood that one has to consider when using, changing or

terminating this drugs.

They all cause a difference in the neurotransmitters in the body, so

when they are stopped, the body is left in an usually worse imbalance

than before.

For some when stoping these drugs, can expect to feel some effects as

to mood, changes in senses, energy production, sleep, highly

irregular thinking and thought processes, etc. For some people they

can become quite severe. Do not be alarmed. It is your body trying to

cope and readjust to a normal state.

The difficulties involved will be determined by the type of

medication, the length of taking, your ability to detoxify these

substances when you were taking, your general state of health, other

medicines you are also taking, how good your intake of nutrients were

while taking and later to rebuild, your individual biochemical make

up. etc.

The antidepressants usually need to be tapered over a fairly long

time period. When the doctor prescribes them he usually tells the

patient that they take for 6 weeks to start working as they need to

build up in the body. It is then a little strange that most then tell

their patients that they can quit over a very short time frame. Over

a three week time frame there will be very little chance for the

brain chemicals to rebalance from the antidepressant withdrawing.

These medicines not only affect the brain, but most of the organs of

the body and many, many biochemical processes. As an example, about

60% of the serotonin recepters in your body are in your intestines

not your brain so there can be some reaction there also. Diahhrea is

not uncommon.

No one can tell you exactly what if any symptoms you may experience

coming off of these drugs or how long you should taper. A good rule

of thumb for people who have taken them for some time is to taper in

steps of 10% and with each step to be determined by how you feel a

couple of weeks after cutting. With this method, most can be stopped

with minimal bad experiences. The person would still have to rebalace

their biocheistry of the brain with dietery nutrients to normalize.

Some dietery input could be, Tryptophan, 5htp, gaba, niacin,

essential fatty acids, good basic amino acid supplements, a good all

around nutrition program with all of the basic, 50+ " essential "

nutrients and time.

Not every person will have a bad reaction, but once these meds are

taken, they can become more sensetive to reactions when trying to

take them again later in life.

regards,

Frank

Gettingwell , " Heli <Heli21@h...> "

<Heli21@h...> wrote:

> Has anyone gone off Wellbutrin after being on it for a while? I

> think Wellbutrin is classfied as one of the weaker SSRI's.

> I have been on it for about 18 months, one pill at 100 mg per

day

> which is a minimal dose.

> Does anyone have any suggestions to minimize any side effects

> while getting off? I will probably do a gradual taper off, slowly

> reducing dosage over about a 3 week period. Is anyone aware of any

> vitamins or foods that may help?

> Happy Holiday Season to all,

> Heli786

December 26, 2002

Hi,

I was on Wellbutrin for 3 years on 150mg a day- with my doctor's approval I

stopped cold turkey- felt a bit strange for 2 weeks and insomnia - headaches but

apart from that I was fine-

good luck

Chantal

" Heli <Heli21 " <Heli21 wrote: Has anyone gone off

Wellbutrin after being on it for a while? I

think Wellbutrin is classfied as one of the weaker SSRI's.

I have been on it for about 18 months, one pill at 100 mg per day

which is a minimal dose.

Does anyone have any suggestions to minimize any side effects

while getting off? I will probably do a gradual taper off, slowly

reducing dosage over about a 3 week period. Is anyone aware of any

vitamins or foods that may help?

Happy Holiday Season to all,

Heli786

Getting well is done one step at a time, day by day, building health and well

being.

list or archives: Gettingwell

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December 26, 2002

Hi Chantal--nice name

I donot have much to offer but i did want to stress

that you VERY SLOWLY come off the wellbutrin. Any

medication that someone has been takeing for an

extended time should taper off real slow. So you are

going off eh????? Congratulations.!!!Let me know how

youa re doing bevause i am on the too. and soon the

will start tapering off alot of my drugs.

I take 300 mg of welllbutrin each day.i jsut hope it

helps me to smoke too. They use it for that too.

That should be to hlep me NOT smoke. LOL

Well you have anice day dear

All my wishes to you

Angel

P>S Feel fre to call anytime--- chantal robichaud

<chantaleca wrote:

>

> Hi,

> I was on Wellbutrin for 3 years on 150mg a day- with

> my doctor's approval I stopped cold turkey- felt a

> bit strange for 2 weeks and insomnia - headaches but

> apart from that I was fine-

> good luck

> Chantal

> " Heli <Heli21 " <Heli21

> wrote: Has anyone gone off Wellbutrin after being

> on it for a while? I

> think Wellbutrin is classfied as one of the weaker

> SSRI's.

> I have been on it for about 18 months, one pill

> at 100 mg per day

> which is a minimal dose.

> Does anyone have any suggestions to minimize any

> side effects

> while getting off? I will probably do a gradual

> taper off, slowly

> reducing dosage over about a 3 week period. Is

> anyone aware of any

> vitamins or foods that may help?

> Happy Holiday Season to all,

> Heli786

>

> Getting well is done one step at a time, day by day,

> building health and well being.

>

> list or archives:

> Gettingwell

>

> ........

> Gettingwell-

> post............. Gettingwell

> digest form...... Gettingwell-digest

> individual emails Gettingwell-normal

> no email......... Gettingwell-nomail

>

> moderator ....... Gettingwell-owner

> ......

> Gettingwell-

>

December 26, 2002

Hi Frank

Thanks for all thar info about Wellbutrin as i am on

it but i do not know when the will take me off it. I

dread that day!!!!! This drug has really worked well

for me.SO i knew a bit about it and you filled me in

on the rest. Thank you so much.

Merry christmas and Happy New Year

Take care

Angel

--- " califpacific <califpacific "

<califpacific wrote:

> Dear Heli,

>

> Off the top of my head, I think that wellbutrin is

> not an ssri type

> but a tricyclic antidepressant.

>

> There are so many now a person needs a progarm to

> keep track of them

> all.

>

> Anyway, with all psychotropic type medications, it

> is not just the

> drug in the blood that one has to consider when

> using, changing or

> terminating this drugs.

>

> They all cause a difference in the neurotransmitters

> in the body, so

> when they are stopped, the body is left in an

> usually worse imbalance

> than before.

>

> For some when stoping these drugs, can expect to

> feel some effects as

> to mood, changes in senses, energy production,

> sleep, highly

> irregular thinking and thought processes, etc. For

> some people they

> can become quite severe. Do not be alarmed. It is

> your body trying to

> cope and readjust to a normal state.

>

> The difficulties involved will be determined by the

> type of

> medication, the length of taking, your ability to

> detoxify these

> substances when you were taking, your general state

> of health, other

> medicines you are also taking, how good your intake

> of nutrients were

> while taking and later to rebuild, your individual

> biochemical make

> up. etc.

>

> The antidepressants usually need to be tapered over

> a fairly long

> time period. When the doctor prescribes them he

> usually tells the

> patient that they take for 6 weeks to start working

> as they need to

> build up in the body. It is then a little strange

> that most then tell

> their patients that they can quit over a very short

> time frame. Over

> a three week time frame there will be very little

> chance for the

> brain chemicals to rebalance from the antidepressant

> withdrawing.

>

> These medicines not only affect the brain, but most

> of the organs of

> the body and many, many biochemical processes. As an

> example, about

> 60% of the serotonin recepters in your body are in

> your intestines

> not your brain so there can be some reaction there

> also. Diahhrea is

> not uncommon.

>

> No one can tell you exactly what if any symptoms you

> may experience

> coming off of these drugs or how long you should

> taper. A good rule

> of thumb for people who have taken them for some

> time is to taper in

> steps of 10% and with each step to be determined by

> how you feel a

> couple of weeks after cutting. With this method,

> most can be stopped

> with minimal bad experiences. The person would still

> have to rebalace

> their biocheistry of the brain with dietery

> nutrients to normalize.

>

> Some dietery input could be, Tryptophan, 5htp, gaba,

> niacin,

> essential fatty acids, good basic amino acid

> supplements, a good all

> around nutrition program with all of the basic, 50+

> " essential "

> nutrients and time.

>

> Not every person will have a bad reaction, but once

> these meds are

> taken, they can become more sensetive to reactions

> when trying to

> take them again later in life.

>

> regards,

>

> Frank

>

> Gettingwell , " Heli

> <Heli21@h...> "

> <Heli21@h...> wrote:

> > Has anyone gone off Wellbutrin after being on it

> for a while? I

> > think Wellbutrin is classfied as one of the weaker

> SSRI's.

> > I have been on it for about 18 months, one pill

> at 100 mg per

> day

> > which is a minimal dose.

> > Does anyone have any suggestions to minimize

> any side effects

> > while getting off? I will probably do a gradual

> taper off, slowly

> > reducing dosage over about a 3 week period. Is

> anyone aware of any

> > vitamins or foods that may help?

> > Happy Holiday Season to all,

> > Heli786

>

> Getting well is done one step at a time, day by day,

> building health and well being.

>

> list or archives:

> Gettingwell

>

> ........

> Gettingwell-

> post............. Gettingwell

> digest form...... Gettingwell-digest

> individual emails Gettingwell-normal

> no email......... Gettingwell-nomail

>

> moderator ....... Gettingwell-owner

> ......

> Gettingwell-

>

December 26, 2002

Looking at Chantal's original post, she says she has already

gone off Wellbutrin *coldturkey* (after being on it for 3 years).

Not something I see recommended much. I know another woman who came

off some other SSRI drug cold-turkey. So it seems like it can be

done by some people. I do wonder whey some have so much more

trouble getting off the psych meds than others.