Wellbutin withdrawal advice

[Catnapper]

I need some advice on Wellbutrin withdrawal. I've been on Wellbutrin for over 10 years, with various other meds added in here and there. I had a good long 6 year remission on Wellbutrin + Lamictal, but then went into a depressive episode last November, and it's been resistant. My Wellbutrin dose was increased from 300 mg to 450 mg, then Abilify was added, which made me better, but not well.

A couple of weeks ago Brintellix was added to the mix and the plan is to up the Brintellix from 10 mg to 20 mg (the therapeutic dose) and start reducing the Wellbutrin. The Brintellix increases the action of the Wellbutrin so you can't take very much of both at the same time.

What has been your experience with Wellbutrin withdrawal? What was the titration schedule you used, and what sort of side effects did you have? My biggest concern is that whatever small gains I've gotten so far from the Brintellix will disappear once I start going down on Wellbutrin.

[jt07]

Catnapper, I'm glad to see you, but I'm sorry to hear that you are still fighting the beast. I took Wellbutrin 3 times in my life, but I never had much luck with it and always ended up going off. The last time I took it, I was on it for a year and basically just went down to 150 mg  and then 150 to zero. I didn't have any horrible withdrawals. It was a very easy withdrawal as antidepressants go (unlike SSRIs and Effexor). I can't really say anything about the Brintellix-Wellbutrin interaction or anything about Brintellix in general as I have never taken it.

[saintalto]

Wellbutrin was withdrawal free for me, and I was also on 300mg for over 10 years. I actually have never personally heard of either titrating or withdrawal in reference to Wellbutrin but that doesn't mean they don't exist. I think I was told to go down to 150 for a week and then to stop, but that was the extent of weaning me off of it.