wanting to get off wellbutrin and xanax..

[-Ell]

but scared as hell to even attempt it. Any suggestions?

I've weaned off the paxil a year or so ago and thought I was going to die. The xanax I've been on for over 8 years and am totally addicted to it. I am always freaking out in the morning and have to rush to get a pill...lay back down for about 15 minutes for it to kick in and then can go about doing what I need to do. That one is going to suck getting off of.

I have no clue how to get off the wellbutrin since it can't be cut.

I don't know which one to get off of first. I'm thinking the wellbutrin because it obviously isnt' doing anything. The xanax will at least stop a panic attack.

any help would be much appreciated.

this will suck too because I am working...only 1 day a week right now but still I remember for the first month laying in the bathroom and hurling about every 1/2 hour. SIGH!

[Amaya's Nana]

Ell - the WB could really be contributing to any anxiety you may be having. I'd dump the WB first. The benzo is probably going to be harder to taper. Is there any way your doctor might cross-taper you to valium or Klonopin since they have much longer half lives than Xanax?? After 8 years' of use, I don't think its going to be very easy trying to cut Xanax pills unless you shave them with a nail file because you will want to take very, very small reductions.

I'm getting ready to wean Klonopin using a compounded liquid. I'm going to go very, very slowly. You can do this!! Don't be afraid. You've gotten off Paxil and that's a huge accomplishment!

We're here to help you every step of the way. But it would be my advice to taper the WB first. I didn't taper it after three months' use. I just stopped taking it. I don't think its an AD that has to be tapered slowly.

P.S. Don't go borrowing trouble!!! Change your mindset to "I know I can do this" instead of "I'm freaking out here." Love you bunches!!!

[-Ell]

thank you lisa...I know you will all be here to help and guide! Love you all lots!

I think you are right about ditching the wellbutrin first. So you really don't think I have to taper that? Wow that would be a first. I was thinking since I take 2 a day..just start taking 1 like every day and then 1 every other day or something like that???

oh hell I'm gonna go postal getting off the xanax..next to coffee...ohhh that's my buddy! I dont' know about even talking to the doctor anymore about it. If I mention anything about switching drugs she just wants to up my dose of what I'm already on. If I mention the other Klo thing she'll just say that I need more xanax or something. I don't know I need a plan of action here.

[Casey1231]

What is your dosage of xanax?

[texgirl]

Ell, I agree with Lisa. Get off the Wellbutrin first. The Xanax is more likely to cushion some of the effects of AD withdrawal than vice versa. Then, once you're good and stable off the Well, you can think about very slowly tapering Xanax. I waited nearly a year off Paxil to start tapering Klonopin. Can't imagine going through two w/d's at once.

I may be confusing this with another drug, but I believe Wellbutrin is relatively easy to go off for most, with few side effects.

[sunexomega]

Everyone is different. But I cut my dose of 75mg daily of wellbutrin down to 37.5mg daily and I went through a week of hell, then it got better, then a few days here and there of hell. Its now a month later and I am just starting to feel better. I had all the classic AD discontinuation syndrome symptoms. Some people quit with nothing, I even quit paxil 3 years ago with essentially nothing. But this time around the WB is a bit tough on me. I also take 2mg valium daily and dont plan to mess with that for a little while. I also did the xanax taper which was doable, very tough but doable. I just suggest you take it slow. Cutting the pills on xl basically negates the time releases making it just like standard WB. I cut my for a little while, then changed to regular generic WB which I now cut about 20% every week. Goodluck.

my dad is weaning off wellbutrin by first switching to the generic that is not time released. He didn't have trouble with the switch. Then, you can cut those pills. I would use the Ashton Method to get off the Xanax, since Xanax is so short-acting. Yahoo benzo or www.benzoisland.org can help you with the benzo.

Good luck,

Emmy

[-Ell]

Originally Posted by Casey1231

What is your dosage of xanax?

Casey...I take between 3 and 4 mgs a day and have for the past 7 -8 years.

Originally Posted by emmy

my dad is weaning off wellbutrin by first switching to the generic that is not time released. He didn't have trouble with the switch. Then, you can cut those pills. I would use the Ashton Method to get off the Xanax, since Xanax is so short-acting. Yahoo benzo or www.benzoisland.org can help you with the benzo.

Good luck,

Emmy

I forgot but mine is the generic one too...I forgot about that so maybe that will help some. Yeah the xanax is what scares the crap out of me getting off

[texgirl]

I didn't use the Ashton method since there's some question, even in the manual, about how useful it is in weaning off Klonopin. But I wouldn't hesitate to use it to taper off a fast-acting benzo like Xanax. (The Ashton method is what Lisa describes in her post: switching from a benzo with short-half life, like Xanax, to a long-acting one like Valium and then tapering very slowly from there. The manual is available online and has detailed charts that you can take to your doctor explaining the various types and stages of cross-tapering.)

[palm]

Hi,

My experience has not been that Wellbutrin XL is an easy drug to taper off. After only reducing it 10 per cent, I had horrible agiatation one day. The other days have been fine but I think that is due to the supplements I am taking

I am sure Paxil is a lot tougher but personally, I would taper slowly. Fortunately, I have a great compound pharmacist who will make any dose I need.

Hope this helps

Palm:

[safarigal]

therapy works better than drugs any day -Ell

That's a lot of Xanax you're taking. I think you'd need to learn lots of coping skills before trying to get off the Xanax.

[Casey1231]

Hi,

That's a big dose of xanax, that's probably the equivalent of about 40mg of valium a day, you will need to taper very slowly. You should probably check out benzo island when you are ready to do this, but first you will need really strong coping skills and a good relationship with a therapist.

[texgirl]

1 mg Xanax is roughly equivalent to 20 mg Valium (diazepam), so 3 mg Xanax would = 60 mg Valium, and 4 mg Xanax = 80 mg Valium.

You shouldn't do a straight switch from one to the other, though; the difference in the half-lives and profiles of action of the two drugs usually requires a gradual cross-over over several weeks. Table 7 of the Ashton manual contains a schedule for switching from 4 mg of Xanax to 80 mg of Valium and tapering slowly but steadily from there.

[Pat Shields]

I have told the story before about stopping Wellbutrin for a while. I just stopped taking it, no problems. HOWEVER - if you are predisposed to having seizures (having cerebral palsy, epilepsy, familial traits, head injury), that might not be such a good idea, as sudden withdrawal can cause seizures, or so I have been told by the mhp's at my hospital.

[CELESTEP]

Wellbutrin is notorious for causing anxiety and insomnia. I agree to get off that first.....slowly and then attack the xanax issue.

[Iksfreundin]

Yes, Wellbutrin first. Xanax will have to be done a lot slower and will help you with the wellbutrin withdrawal, if you have one.

I know some people who have gone to an outpatient detox center for help with xanax withdrawal. The key is to have your coping and anxiety skills sharply honed before attempting that one. I wonder, though, if it will be as bad as you think - you might be getting rebound depression or anxiety from it, and if that would lessen, you might feel much better and begin to see how little you really need it.... I think more often, we just imagine ourselves as so weak, and think that the pills are what are keeping us together, when in fact we are very strong and it's the pills making us weak and making us think we're weak.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[Casey1231]

Originally Posted by terrap420

I think more often, we just imagine ourselves as so weak, and think that the pills are what are keeping us together, when in fact we are very strong and it's the pills making us weak and making us think we're weak.

Good luck and keep us posted!

This is an enormous obstacle for me. I have been on some kind of medication for most of my adult life, and I just feel like I will fall to pieces again without it. Even though logically, the dose I'm on now is so low I really don't think it's therapeutic, I think I'm just staving off withdrawal. But I have a terrible fear of going back to where I was years ago, being hospitalized, etc. This is the crux of my recovery - learning to let go of the past, tap into my own strength (which is considerable) and just allow the feelings, good or bad, to flow through me without attaching a big "story" to them - i.e., this will kill me, here I go again, oh no it's going to get worse, etc.

Thanks for posting that and I'm glad to see you're almost through!

[Amaya's Nana]

Originally Posted by Casey1231

This is the crux of my recovery - learning to let go of the past, tap into my own strength (which is considerable) and just allow the feelings, good or bad, to flow through me without attaching a big "story" to them - i.e., this will kill me, here I go again, oh no it's going to get worse, etc.

Isn't it funny how some of us have so many of the same or similar thought patterns????? Your above statement was the crux of my recovery as well. I had no idea the strength I had down on the inside of me. But I'm telling you from my own personal experience in the last several months, if you will not attach to the big "story" to the scary thoughts and feelings, those feelings and thoughts have absolutely no power. And, the less power I'm giving them, the less frequent they seem to come. I'm convinced without a shadow of a doubt that meditation, trusting in yourself, believing in yourself, and practicing it every single day, truly rewires your brain to think differently!

[Casey1231]

Originally Posted by Amaya's Nana

Isn't it funny how some of us have so many of the same or similar thought patterns????? Your above statement was the crux of my recovery as well. I had no idea the strength I had down on the inside of me. But I'm telling you from my own personal experience in the last several months, if you will not attach to the big "story" to the scary thoughts and feelings, those feelings and thoughts have absolutely no power. And, the less power I'm giving them, the less frequent they seem to come. I'm convinced without a shadow of a doubt that meditation, trusting in yourself, believing in yourself, and practicing it every single day, truly rewires your brain to think differently!

Thank you so much, this is exactly what I need at this very moment - the last 2 days have been very tough for me, self-doubt has been rampant. I will keep this in my heart all day today.

[Johnnny off Paxil]

Originally Posted by Amaya's Nana

Isn't it funny how some of us have so many of the same or similar thought patterns????? Your above statement was the crux of my recovery as well. I had no idea the strength I had down on the inside of me. But I'm telling you from my own personal experience in the last several months, if you will not attach to the big "story" to the scary thoughts and feelings, those feelings and thoughts have absolutely no power. And, the less power I'm giving them, the less frequent they seem to come. I'm convinced without a shadow of a doubt that meditation, trusting in yourself, believing in yourself, and practicing it every single day, truly rewires your brain to think differently!

Ditto..hard earned wisdom from the school of hard knocks!!!

Well said Casey!!

Regards, Johnny

[-Ell]

I'm afraid to even go in and talk to my doctor...if I would ask her to put me on valium...holy cow! I wish she would just suggest it or something.