Wellbutrin, OCD, and Generic SR (long post)

[Wintermute]

Well, I've been taking Wellbutrin for 5 weeks now, and I'm starting to have some doubts. I was prescribed it after I got into a month and half long slump during the holidays. I had no energy and was getting down on myself for not doing anything at all and for smoking cigarettes still.

I quit smoking and then my low energy turned into actual depression (not because I wanted to smoke surprisingly, I just felt like crap). After 5 days with no cigarettes I started Wellbutrin and my mood improved immediately. Energy levels and motivation improved at first, but have dropped again (though not as bad as before). I've felt barely any "adjustment" to the Wellbutrin except that it seemed to work better when I first started.

I also take 60mg generic Adderall (IR) daily. The Wellbutrin makes the side effects worse (heart rate, anxiety, sweating, etc...) but I wasn't able to lower my dose without becoming tired and unfocused.

I know this is a long post, if you don't care about the rest of the background info you can just skip to the bold text.

This might seem a little out of the blue since I've recently been saying in my posts that Wellbutrin has worked well for me. Well, yesterday I ended up missing my morning dose of Wellbutrin, and I noticed that I felt better than I have in a while.

I was actually in a terrific mood (not high mind you, I know the difference) and felt almost a little manic compared to how I've been feeling. I could tell it had something to do with not taking Wellbutrin because I was also craving cigarettes again. I didn't smoke though, and it didn't really bother me.

Anyway, I took my evening dose of Wellbutrin when I finally got home, and slowly calmed down. The thing is, is I actually felt happier before taking it. I felt a little uncomfortable and slowed down once I took the Wellbutrin, and I couldn't help but wish I had waited until the next day to take it. My mood was ok, but a little flat. I had felt like playing my guitar for the first time in a while until I took it. After it kicked in I kinda just vegged on the computer and got annoyed when I had to make dinner before my girlfriend got home.

Lastly, this morning (after taking my usual dose) I never made it to class because I got hyperfocused on something on the computer, and then had trouble leaving the house because of repeated checking and re-checking things (OCD symptoms). This has happened more times than I care to admit since starting the Wellbutrin, and when I left yesterday without taking it I was surprised at how easily I left the house. I only checked things once, which is pretty normal behavior I think. I have missed a good deal of sleep in the last week or so, which makes any kind of anxiety worse, but it's not unusual for me.

Ok, I apologize for this being such a long thread. I'm trying to give good background info


My questions for you guys are:

Do you think I should lower my dosage to see if maybe the high dose is causing the "flat" mood and more severe OCD symptoms?

Also, am I able to split the SR pills in half so I can lower the dosage to 75mg twice a day? Would that be dropping my dose too much at once?

If I think I'd be better off without the Wellbutrin, what's the best/safest way to wean off?


I know those are pretty basic questions after all that background info. I tried searching for some of the stuff but a lot of what I found didn't seem to pertain to my situation quite the same.

Any other thoughts or suggestions welcome. My doctor is happy to prescribe me drugs, but I don't get a lot of feedback. Mainly because I always feel rushed. That and he's not a therapist, just a drug dealer. Oops, I mean Psychiatrist

Thanks!

[Wintermute]

Oh yeah, I take 150mg generic bupropion (Sandoz) 2x daily. I'm considering dropping to 75mg 2x daily if I can split the pills.

[EshkaronsEngine]

Originally Posted by Wintermute

Do you think I should lower my dosage to see if maybe the high dose is causing the "flat" mood and more severe OCD symptoms?

Also, am I able to split the SR pills in half so I can lower the dosage to 75mg twice a day? Would that be dropping my dose too much at once?

1. Yes
2. they of course tell you not to split the SRs but i do and i try to take around 100mg so for me thats 2/3 pill - they only come in 150mg here and i used to take 100mg.

I think Sandoz is very good but i spend the extra amount and get brand and then every 3 or 4 days i take a Sandoz 100mg pill to change it up a bit.

[Wintermute]

Thanks for the quick response

Yeah, I figured they could be, but I didnt want to try and have too much hit my brain all at once and make it worse.

I would try the brand if I still had insurance.....I get a deal on the generics for some unknown reason, only $40 for 60 pills instead of $80. I can't imagine how much the name brand is.

[EshkaronsEngine]

Originally Posted by Wintermute

. I can't imagine how much the name brand is.

Yeah i think the pills of the future should also be meal supplements. I don't think people should even have to think like "Wow I could have a meal for the price of this pill." Eat or pill? Eat or pill?

[Wintermute]

Well in some cases the pill makes you not want to eat, so pick the pill in that case!

[penguin]

Hi,
Yes, can split the SR. Do not split XL. But SR is ok. It is buried in the doctors prescription instructions, but the manufacturer says it is ok. DO NOT crush or chew, as that will turn all of it into the IR instant release. The SR does not depend on the coating for its release.
I have been splitting it for 2 years now with great results.
Enjoy, Ken

[Wintermute]

Good to know. I'm feeling more alert and in a better mood already after only taking 75mg last night and again this morning. I also got 9 hours of nearly uninterrupted sleep, so that helps a lot as well

Oh and I accidentally had a pill in my mouth for too long while I was trying to find my water bottle or a clean cup, and the taste it left in my mouth was so foul I nearly gagged. I've never tasted anything so chemically, it's what I imagine a battery would taste like.

[penguin]

Yea, It can gag a maggot. Effexor generic is even worse. They are so small that they can get hung up somewhere and cause a chemical burn if not washed down all the way in time. That is the main hazzard of splitting small pills. Wash down with plenty of water.
Enjoy...Ken

[Wintermute]

Well so far cutting my dose in half seems like it was the perfect idea. Combined with my getting Eon/Sandoz generic Adderall this month (after 2 months without) and getting a full night's rest, I felt better today than I have in a while. A lot of factors besides the lower dose could actually be contributing, but I didn't notice any negative effects from cutting down, so why not keep it up? I guess I was craving cigarettes more than I have since quitting, but it's really not that bad at all. I wasn't irritable or anything.

I know some of the metabolites of bupropion stay in the system for quite some time, so I expect that if I'm going to have any side-effects it will be in the next few days. So far so good though If I don't have any problems for a week or so I'll bring it down some more. I'd rather not pay for them if I don't absolutely need them. We'll see though. I felt about as happy and relaxed today as I could hope for, so this might just be my ideal dosage.