Concerned!!!

[Countrymorninggirl]

I started Wellbutrin two and a half weeks ago, it's making me feel like crap. My neck hurts, feel like my brain is numb, just a weird feeling, but also it feels like a headache wants to come on. Weird!! I'm feeling dizzy a lot and it's not taking all the depression and anxiety away. I want to stop taking it but I'm scared I will have a seizure. I have only been taking it like I said less than 3 weeks. How do I taper off of it??? I only take 1 pill a day 75mg tab. Please give me your opinion. :( Not having luck with these stupid drugs that I don't want to take in the first place.

[Paxiled]

Hi, it usually takes a month or so to completely "absorb" into your system. If it is giving you a lot of symptoms, let your doctor know -he or she may adjust your prescription. You should not have a seizure if you stop - your doctor would not have prescribed it in the first place if that were a possibility! If you are taking other things prescribed by other doctors, you hopefully let the Wellbutrin-prescribing doctor know before he issued you this prescription; otherwise you may be experiencing something relating to combining medicines, so make sure you contact your doctor and let him/her know. If you feel strongly that you do not want to take this, let your doctor know as well and he/she can tell you the best way to "taper off." Be sure to let the doctor know about the headaches. Is there something other than the Wellbutrin that could be making you feel like crap?

[Paxiled]

Arello, would what you say were true!  Doctors know very little about the drugs they prescribe and tell us even less.  Benzos can cause a seizure if you stop abruptly -- not this drug but a drug most of us on here are on or have been on -- and I'm guessing not one of our doctors ever told us that and I'm also betting all of us had a doctor who told us it was just dandy to just stop taking them.  The poster is very smart to do homework on drugs that are prescribed, because your doctor surely isn't going to do that for you unless you have a very special doctor who spends a lot of time with you sufficient to tell you all this and has actually learned more than what's in the pamphlet the pharmaceutical company put in his hands or in his textbook.  

[Paxiled]

Gee, I could go on -- neurontin and lyrica and any drug that targets GABA can cause seizures if stopped abruptly.  Ever had a doctor tell you that?

[Countrymorninggirl]

No never had a Dr tell me that. When I take the Zoloft at around 5pm it makes me feel bad. I take the Wellbutrin at 9am, I dont think there mixing well together. I've been on the Zoloft for years and the Wellbutrin only going on 3 weeks. The reason I am trying the Wellbutrin because the Zoloft isn't working good anymore. But she hasn't taken me off of the Zoloft.  Thanks to both of you for answering me back. <3

[Paxiled]

My own two cents worth is that if the Zoloft has pooped out, and this happens often, I've had a drug poop out on me, you can't revive it by adding another drug.  What my psychiatrist did in that case was have me stop the drug I was on (not safely I now know, but fortunately that one was easy to stop) and started trying other drugs.  They didn't just start adding other drugs to one that had stopped working.  Quitting the Zoloft could be time consuming, as you've been on it a long time and you'd have to taper off very slowly to avoid long-term withdrawal problems, but if it has pooped out, I think that's what you've going to have to a some point.  Some docs believe in getting you on a different drug before doing that, but I've never found any evidence this works.  I do know a lot of docs believe it does.  I hope you find a good answer.

[Countrymorninggirl]

Thank you! I hope it's not too crazy hard.  It scares me just thinking about it.

[Paxiled]

It won't be crazy hard because you know about it beforehand.  I didn't, and doctors just won't spend much time with this problem.  Knowing about it lets you set your own schedule for stopping that suits you and lets you know if you have to go back on it temporarily and taper off more slowly.  I know it's nuts, but even the psychiatrist who tapered me off Paxil didn't tell me anything about withdrawal even after it happened, so I had no idea what to do.  You do know, so you can react if your doc doesn't.  So it should go well!  

[Countrymorninggirl]

Thank you. <3

[Paxiled]

The seizure problems are with benzodiazapenes when stopped abruptly, not with antidepressants.  The main reason is that benzos target GABA, which is involved in seizures and anti-seizure meds.  Other neurotransmitters are targeted by antidepressants.  As for the wellbutrin, know that with any antidepressant, it takes most people 4-6 weeks for them to start working but the side effects start right away.  Quitting this med should be easy because you haven't been on it long, it isn't one of the really bad ones for quitting, and your brain hasn't had time to get used to working with it yet so it still remembers how to work naturally and hasn't shut down neurotransmitter receptor sites yet the drug makes the brain think are no longer necessary.  If anxiety is a big problem, this drug is one of the most stimulating antidepressants and might make it worse, unless depression is the cause of your anxiety, which is common.  Your psychiatrist should be able to taper you off this pretty easily.

[Countrymorninggirl]

Thank you so much for your time.