2 hours ago, Chippy said:

I think it is hard to judge how things are going looking at your symptoms hour to hour like this over such a short space of time. Your body is trying to stablise and it needs time without changes to do this.

As discussed before, making a choice and sticking to that is the right move. So you have updosed to 150mg to protect from WD and split the dose into 4 to help with the activation you are feeling. I would stick to that for some time to come until things have settled down.

We often have to zoom out over weeks and months to assess improvement xxxx

Thank you, I really do hear what you’re saying about giving my body time and not judging things hour to hour. I was genuinely trying to leave things alone, stop analyzing, and just let my system settle, but my body feels like it’s telling me otherwise right now.

My concern is that 150 mg feels too activating for me. Since getting back to the full dose, the restless “I could walk for hours” energy, anxiety, intrusive SI rumination, and fragmented sleep have all increased. Last night I woke up four times and had another wave around midnight. I even took black seed oil hoping it would calm things down, and it didn’t seem to do anything.

This level of activation is actually why I had tried reducing the Wellbutrin previously too. At 75 mg, I was tired and probably dropped too much, but I was sleeping normally and didn’t have this intense restless energy.

I really don’t want to keep bouncing around or make another impulsive change, but I’m also worried about forcing myself to stay at a dose that feels this activating. If you were in my position, what would you suggest? Would you still hold 150 mg for now, or would you consider a smaller reduction to somewhere between 75 and 150 and then hold there? ❤️

2 minutes ago, Healthyagain said:

Thank you, I really do hear what you’re saying about giving my body time and not judging things hour to hour. I was genuinely trying to leave things alone, stop analyzing, and just let my system settle, but my body feels like it’s telling me otherwise right now.

Pleasure

2 minutes ago, Healthyagain said:

I really don’t want to keep bouncing around or make another impulsive change, but I’m also worried about forcing myself to stay at a dose that feels this activating. If you were in my position, what would you suggest? Would you still hold 150 mg for now, or would you consider a smaller reduction to somewhere between 75 and 150 and then hold there? ❤️

You have to do what you think is best. We can only give you our thoughts we can’t know for certain what’s the right move. Personally I think I would have gone for the middle dose. Should you do that now? that is for you to decide. If you do I would 100% not make any more moves after. Your nervous system has had a lot of change already. Wish there was a crystal ball I’d lend it to you x

Thank you, I really appreciate your thoughts, and I actually agree that the middle ground makes the most sense. It’s just so hard for me to know what the right move is for myself when everything feels so sensitive right now.

I tried everything I could to settle my system last night, including a weighted blanket and black seed oil, but I still woke up three times. The waves seemed to start after the third of my four doses yesterday, and I even had a wave wake me up about an hour after I fell asleep.

I’d also really love for @Go2zero to chime in, just to get another perspective before I make any more changes.

Edited August 19Aug 19 by Healthyagain

Hi Healthyagain,

I do understand that this feels emotionally difficult. But there is a good chance that feeling better at 75 mg is only temporary and may lead up to a nasty wave.

The fact that you felt calmer and less activated at 75 mg is certainly interesting. But as I said before, this can also happen after a large reduction. You can even get a period of feeling unusually good after a large reduction — calmer, more energetic, sometimes almost euphoric. That can be very misleading. You may think you have finally found the right dose, and then, seemingly out of nowhere, the crash hits.

You were at 75 mg only for three days before going back to 150 mg. In my experience, that is very different from staying at a new dose for weeks or months. I therefore don't think you need to worry too much about the fact that you went back up after only a few days.

I would stick to the 4 × 37.5 mg dosing and see how that feels. For now I would simply concentrate on getting stable again.

When you will be more stable, you could start to think of reducing Wellbutrin (not now!). And I would go not further down that 10 % (15 mg) with the first taper. This is important to see how you react on that. If everything goes fine there, a next taper could be a bit more maybe...

There is also the CYP2D6 issue I mentioned before. Bupropion inhibits CYP2D6, and reducing bupropion can therefore increase the metabolism of other medications that depend on this enzyme. This is another reason why I would be especially careful with Wellbutrin reductions while you are still taking Prozac.

As for the longer-term tapering strategy: we really don't need to decide that now. You have made a lot of changes in a relatively short period, including the recent Prozac formulation change and the 150 → 75 → 150 mg Wellbutrin changes.

For now, I really think the best thing you can do is stop trying to predict what will happen and give your nervous system some time without another change. 🙂

On 8/19/2026 at 11:52 AM, Go2zero said:

Hi Healthyagain,

I do understand that this feels emotionally difficult. But there is a good chance that feeling better at 75 mg is only temporary and may lead up to a nasty wave.

The fact that you felt calmer and less activated at 75 mg is certainly interesting. But as I said before, this can also happen after a large reduction. You can even get a period of feeling unusually good after a large reduction — calmer, more energetic, sometimes almost euphoric. That can be very misleading. You may think you have finally found the right dose, and then, seemingly out of nowhere, the crash hits.

You were at 75 mg only for three days before going back to 150 mg. In my experience, that is very different from staying at a new dose for weeks or months. I therefore don't think you need to worry too much about the fact that you went back up after only a few days.

I would stick to the 4 × 37.5 mg dosing and see how that feels. For now I would simply concentrate on getting stable again.

When you will be more stable, you could start to think of reducing Wellbutrin (not now!). And I would go not further down that 10 % (15 mg) with the first taper. This is important to see how you react on that. If everything goes fine there, a next taper could be a bit more maybe...

There is also the CYP2D6 issue I mentioned before. Bupropion inhibits CYP2D6, and reducing bupropion can therefore increase the metabolism of other medications that depend on this enzyme. This is another reason why I would be especially careful with Wellbutrin reductions while you are still taking Prozac.

As for the longer-term tapering strategy: we really don't need to decide that now. You have made a lot of changes in a relatively short period, including the recent Prozac formulation change and the 150 → 75 → 150 mg Wellbutrin changes.

For now, I really think the best thing you can do is stop trying to predict what will happen and give your nervous system some time without another change. 🙂

Thank you, this makes sense. I’m trying to hold and not react to every wave, but today has been rough. I’m on day 5 back at 150 mg and I’ve had a bad headache, nausea, bloating, and that very activated, almost-on-the-verge-of-panic feeling. Since going back up, my sleep and anxiety have also been worse.

That’s why I keep questioning whether this is just the 75 → 150 mg readjustment that needs time to settle, or whether 150 mg is simply too activating for me now. I agree that three days at 75 mg wasn’t long enough to know how I would have done there long term, and I don’t want to make another impulsive change.

I had even been thinking that, once I’m stable, I might hold Wellbutrin at 150 mg while tapering Prozac, obviously not making that decision now. The intrusive SI, images, and the changing “plot” are still there, very much in a wave and window pattern. I’m just so tired of all of this. My world has felt completely turned upside down since last August.

8 hours ago, Healthyagain said:

I’m just so tired of all of this. My world has felt completely turned upside down since last August.

I am so sorry to read this, for what it is worth I think sticking this out where you are until things settle down is the right move. Your body does not need more changes at this point. Hopefully that split dose, once given some time to settle, will help you feel a bit better too.

13 hours ago, Healthyagain said:

Thank you, this makes sense. I’m trying to hold and not react to every wave, but today has been rough. I’m on day 5 back at 150 mg and I’ve had a bad headache, nausea, bloating, and that very activated, almost-on-the-verge-of-panic feeling. Since going back up, my sleep and anxiety have also been worse.

That’s why I keep questioning whether this is just the 75 → 150 mg readjustment that needs time to settle, or whether 150 mg is simply too activating for me now. I agree that three days at 75 mg wasn’t long enough to know how I would have done there long term, and I don’t want to make another impulsive change.

Hi Healthyagain,

I’m sorry today is so rough. I can understand why you are questioning the 150 mg, especially because you felt calmer and less activated at 75 mg. But I really would not try to interpret this as if 75mg would be the way to go (or another dosage drop). You are only on day 5 after going from 75 back to 150 mg (where you were longer before), and you have also had the recent Prozac formulation change. Your system has been through a lot of changes, so I think it is simply too early to know what is causing what.

There is a chance that the activation may get less when you will go down with the wellbutrin in some time. But we do not even know what caused the current activation. I guess the many many changes and dosage drops you made over the last year. As said many times, you need stability now! I understand you are not feeling stable at all. But we cannot expect fast positive results after dosage and med changes. And the more we change, the more unstable we may become.

As said before, there is a chance that lowering the Wellbutrin (SLOWLY and CAREFUL) might lessen the feelings of activation. But not now! First you need to feel more stable. The more often we change meds and dosages too fast or too much, the longer it may take to achieve stability again... Therefor I would stay on the current 150mg (divided in 4 takings). You have been on that 150 mg dose since October 2025 as I can see in your signature. But you jumped up and down between 75 and 150 mg several times. That does not help. You also made the change from XL (extended release) to IR (instant release) which is another serious change...

May I ask you to read the whole thread of yours with serious attention? Many questions and answers keep coming back. And you show in your questions and reactions that you have most answers yourself. I understand and know that withdrawal can confuse us and may have effect on our emotions, thoughts and feelings. Do your best to accept the moment, stop ruminating. Find distraction, that also helps a lot!

2 hours ago, Go2zero said:

Hi Healthyagain,

I’m sorry today is so rough. I can understand why you are questioning the 150 mg, especially because you felt calmer and less activated at 75 mg. But I really would not try to interpret this as if 75mg would be the way to go (or another dosage drop). You are only on day 5 after going from 75 back to 150 mg (where you were longer before), and you have also had the recent Prozac formulation change. Your system has been through a lot of changes, so I think it is simply too early to know what is causing what.

There is a chance that the activation may get less when you will go down with the wellbutrin in some time. But we do not even know what caused the current activation. I guess the many many changes and dosage drops you made over the last year. As said many times, you need stability now! I understand you are not feeling stable at all. But we cannot expect fast positive results after dosage and med changes. And the more we change, the more unstable we may become.

As said before, there is a chance that lowering the Wellbutrin (SLOWLY and CAREFUL) might lessen the feelings of activation. But not now! First you need to feel more stable. The more often we change meds and dosages too fast or too much, the longer it may take to achieve stability again... Therefor I would stay on the current 150mg (divided in 4 takings). You have been on that 150 mg dose since October 2025 as I can see in your signature. But you jumped up and down between 75 and 150 mg several times. That does not help. You also made the change from XL (extended release) to IR (instant release) which is another serious change...

May I ask you to read the whole thread of yours with serious attention? Many questions and answers keep coming back. And you show in your questions and reactions that you have most answers yourself. I understand and know that withdrawal can confuse us and may have effect on our emotions, thoughts and feelings. Do your best to accept the moment, stop ruminating. Find distraction, that also helps a lot!

Thank you so much for taking the time to explain all of this so thoughtfully. ❤️

It honestly hurts to go back and read my own posts, but I know you’re right that I keep circling back to many of the same questions. I’m going to try to read through my whole thread carefully today instead of constantly reacting to each new wave or symptom.

From what you’ve seen over the years, how long can stabilization realistically take before someone is ready to start tapering again? I held for months before I resumed tapering, but I was still having occasional intrusive SI flickers, so eventually I started reducing again. What is really strange to me is that the intrusive SI feels almost exactly like what I experienced when I cold turkeyed in 2019, even though I’m still on substantial doses now. At the same time, my hormones are completely out of whack, so I know that may be muddying the picture too.

At this point I feel like I may be looking at years of tapering, and I keep wondering whether it is always going to be this hard or whether it generally becomes more manageable once the nervous system settles.

I’ve also been trying to simplify everything else. I’ve stopped almost all of my supplements. I stopped black seed oil two days ago. I still daily put a tiny pinch of saffron in my water, and I’m not even sure whether I should eliminate that too.

The other thing I’m struggling with is metformin. I originally asked to be put on it after stopping the GLP-1 medications because those seemed to make my intrusive SI (anxiety) significantly worse while I was tapering. My A1C is now 5.2, so I’m unsure whether I should slowly taper the metformin too or leave it completely alone while my nervous system settles. I’ve also heard that antidepressant withdrawal can affect blood sugar, which makes me unsure what the smartest move is.

My hormones are another huge question mark: progesterone 0.2, estrogen 13, testosterone essentially 0, and I’ve had amenorrhea for about 9–10 months. I’m trying to avoid HRT because I reacted so badly to progesterone.

If this were you, would you leave the metformin alone for now and focus entirely on stability, or would you slowly work on getting off that too?

2 minutes ago, Healthyagain said:

It honestly hurts to go back and read my own posts, but I know you’re right that I keep circling back to many of the same questions. I’m going to try to read through my whole thread carefully today instead of constantly reacting to each new wave or symptom.

You've got this 🙏

3 minutes ago, Healthyagain said:

how long can stabilization realistically take before someone is ready to start tapering again?

Unfortunately this cannot be said. Sometimes it can be 2 weeks and in extremer cases 8 months or longer. Therefor stability in tapering and dosage changes is so important. The more extreme the changes are, the more longer a stabilization period CAN take. As always said again, we all react different. I understand that you want clear answers and certainty. But no one can give such, without lying....

Un purpose I did not mention it before, but maybe I should now. I see that you are using medication for your thyroid and for diabetes. This medication and the underlying reasons that you are taking them most possibly also affect your emotional balance.

In my opinion you are really playing with fire when I see a the many many changes in meds and dosages over the last few years!

You have been on 450mg !!! Welbutrin for many years until only 1 1/2 year ago! You were on 80mg of Prozac!!!

Now you have come down to 4 mg Prozac and 150 mg Wellbutrin (and going down several times to 75 mg).

I am not judging you. Do not get me wrong. But look where you come from! Is it strange that your system is SCREAMING FOR REST?

Therefor I said before: Be forgiving to yourself! And now I also say: Be kind to you self! Take care of your self! LOVE your self

Give your system some rest. I do not say you need to stay on 150 for another year or so. But find some stability first, before changing another dose.

20 minutes ago, Healthyagain said:

At this point I feel like I may be looking at years of tapering, and I keep wondering whether it is always going to be this hard or whether it generally becomes more manageable once the nervous system settles.

Nobody can tell. People who want to go fast nearly all end up much later than the ones who do it slow and careful. And the first group suffers much more than the second... Trying to get fast result, very often triggers nasty withdrawals. And I am sure you know all of this already!

23 minutes ago, Healthyagain said:

I’ve also been trying to simplify everything else. I’ve stopped almost all of my supplements. I stopped black seed oil two days ago. I still daily put a tiny pinch of saffron in my water, and I’m not even sure whether I should eliminate that too.

I have no idea to be honest. How long have you been taking it? Do you take it everyday? If you started to take it recently you could try without. If you take it for a longer period and it worked for you, I wouldn't change it now. Best change NOTHING now that you have been taking for longer. It might just make things more unstable....

27 minutes ago, Healthyagain said:

The other thing I’m struggling with is metformin. I originally asked to be put on it after stopping the GLP-1 medications because those seemed to make my intrusive SI (anxiety) significantly worse while I was tapering. My A1C is now 5.2, so I’m unsure whether I should slowly taper the metformin too or leave it completely alone while my nervous system settles. I’ve also heard that antidepressant withdrawal can affect blood sugar, which makes me unsure what the smartest move is.

What was the reason for taking GLP-1 medication in the first place. For weight issues or for diabetes (or both)?

Not sure if weight issues were the case? Taking Prozac (and many other SSRI's) can put on a lot of weight....

30 minutes ago, Healthyagain said:

My hormones are another huge question mark: progesterone 0.2, estrogen 13, testosterone essentially 0, and I’ve had amenorrhea for about 9–10 months. I’m trying to avoid HRT because I reacted so badly to progesterone.

If this were you, would you leave the metformin alone for now and focus entirely on stability, or would you slowly work on getting off that too?

My knowledge on this is very limited. Maybe someone else with knowledge can jump in. Or ask a very good doctor, who also understands withdrawal. You really need to understand that all you medication is almost certainly affecting your mood and your whole system (psychologically and physically). Therefor you need to slow down a lot with all your tapering in my opinion and be very careful now with yourself. ❤️

6 hours ago, Go2zero said:

how long can stabilization realistically take before someone is ready to start tapering again?

Unfortunately this cannot be said. Sometimes it can be 2 weeks and in extremer cases 8 months or longer. Therefor stability in tapering and dosage changes is so important. The more extreme the changes are, the more longer a stabilization period CAN take. As always said again, we all react different. I understand that you want clear answers and certainty. But no one can give such, without lying....

Un purpose I did not mention it before, but maybe I should now. I see that you are using medication for your thyroid and for diabetes. This medication and the underlying reasons that you are taking them most possibly also affect your emotional balance.

In my opinion you are really playing with fire when I see a the many many changes in meds and dosages over the last few years!

You have been on 450mg !!! Welbutrin for many years until only 1 1/2 year ago! You were on 80mg of Prozac!!!

Now you have come down to 4 mg Prozac and 150 mg Wellbutrin (and going down several times to 75 mg).

I am not judging you. Do not get me wrong. But look where you come from! Is it strange that your system is SCREAMING FOR REST?

Therefor I said before: Be forgiving to yourself! And now I also say: Be kind to you self! Take care of your self! LOVE your self

Give your system some rest. I do not say you need to stay on 150 for another year or so. But find some stability first, before changing another dose.

  5 hours ago, Healthyagain said:

At this point I feel like I may be looking at years of tapering, and I keep wondering whether it is always going to be this hard or whether it generally becomes more manageable once the nervous system settles.

Nobody can tell. People who want to go fast nearly all end up much later than the ones who do it slow and careful. And the first group suffers much more than the second... Trying to get fast result, very often triggers nasty withdrawals. And I am sure you know all of this already!

  5 hours ago, Healthyagain said:

I’ve also been trying to simplify everything else. I’ve stopped almost all of my supplements. I stopped black seed oil two days ago. I still daily put a tiny pinch of saffron in my water, and I’m not even sure whether I should eliminate that too.

I have no idea to be honest. How long have you been taking it? Do you take it everyday? If you started to take it recently you could try without. If you take it for a longer period and it worked for you, I wouldn't change it now. Best change NOTHING now that you have been taking for longer. It might just make things more unstable....

  5 hours ago, Healthyagain said:

The other thing I’m struggling with is metformin. I originally asked to be put on it after stopping the GLP-1 medications because those seemed to make my intrusive SI (anxiety) significantly worse while I was tapering. My A1C is now 5.2, so I’m unsure whether I should slowly taper the metformin too or leave it completely alone while my nervous system settles. I’ve also heard that antidepressant withdrawal can affect blood sugar, which makes me unsure what the smartest move is.

What was the reason for taking GLP-1 medication in the first place. For weight issues or for diabetes (or both)?

Not sure if weight issues were the case? Taking Prozac (and many other SSRI's) can put on a lot of weight....

  5 hours ago, Healthyagain said:

My hormones are another huge question mark: progesterone 0.2, estrogen 13, testosterone essentially 0, and I’ve had amenorrhea for about 9–10 months. I’m trying to avoid HRT because I reacted so badly to progesterone.

If this were you, would you leave the metformin alone for now and focus entirely on stability, or would you slowly work on getting off that too?

My knowledge on this is very limited. Maybe someone else with knowledge can jump in. Or ask a very good doctor, who also understands withdrawal. You really need to understand that all you medication is almost certainly affecting your mood and your whole system (psychologically and physically). Therefor you need to slow down a lot with all your tapering in my opinion and be very careful now with yourself. ❤️

Thank you ❤️ I really do understand what you’re saying, and I know you’re not judging me. I probably need to accept that my system simply needs more time and rest now.

Just to clarify, I haven’t been on 80 mg Prozac since 2018–2019. I was on 40 mg from 2019–2024 and genuinely thought I was tapering gradually under my doctor’s guidance. Part of what still confuses me is receptor occupancy, because even at 4 mg Prozac there is still over 60% receptor occupancy.

With Wellbutrin, I spent about 3 weeks at 75 mg last August, then my doctor had me increase to 150 and then 300, which was far too activating, so I returned to 150 and held. Prozac went from 10 mg every other day to 10 daily, then 15, which was also too much, so I returned to 10 and held. I had no idea what was happening then and hadn’t found the tapering community yet. I didn’t change Wellbutrin again for another 9–10 months until the formulation switch, aside from the recent 3 days at 75.

I resumed tapering Prozac because even after holding 6–8 months I still wasn’t consistently myself, although I definitely had good days. I really wish I knew then what I know now and had simply held Prozac 5 and Wellbutrin 75 last August instead of updosing and experimenting with so many supplements while trying to figure out what was happening.

The GLP-1 was for weight, not diabetes. I’ve only had prediabetes and my A1C is now 5.2. I strongly suspect the GLP-1 affected me and possibly contributed to the amenorrhea. Metformin came later, mainly for appetite, which has been an issue for me for decades.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a doctor who understands slow tapering. At my last appointment he wanted me to more than double my Prozac back to 10 mg and add Abilify or Rexulti, or stop everything and switch to Cymbalta or Effexor. That scares me much more than holding.

I also want to say this gently because I know you’re trying to help me, but your message and reading your SA thread have honestly scared me quite a bit. When you say I’m “playing with fire” or describe the recent changes as abrupt, or "be very careful now with yourself", I start wondering if you think I’m heading for another crash. Do you know something about my situation that I’m not seeing? Are you actually concerned that I’m going to crash even though I’m now holding Prozac 4 and Wellbutrin 150, or are you mainly saying I need to stop changing things and give my system time?

I became very activated today and briefly had DPDR, the fear of “what if I lose control,” and an intrusive SI thought. You mentioned psychosis in your own thread. Were you referring to anything like what I just described, or something very different?

This is so hard. I started tapering in January 2025 because my goal was eventually to be off these medications and hopefully carry an embryo. I really don’t want fear to make me suddenly jump Prozac back to 10 mg when I’ve already come this far. I’m trying to hear your main message as: stop changing things, be kind to myself, and give my system a chance to settle. ❤️

Edited August 21Aug 21 by Healthyagain

On 2/23/2026 at 8:56 AM, Chippy said:

I see. Try work on coping skills and not look at past threads as they often only feed these fears further someone else's experience isnt your future. 🙂 

I needed to see this today. Thank you 💞🙏 @Go2zero was right on point about me needing to go back and read through my own thread.

I really don’t want fear to make me suddenly jump Prozac back to 10 mg when I’ve already come this far. I’m trying to hear your main message as: stop changing things, be kind to myself, and give my system a chance to settle. ❤️

Yes. I understand the strong impulse to try the fastest way out of this, but making quick changes or adding/changing meds will just prolong your withdrawal. Slow and steady is the best way through this. And practice lots of self love and self forgiveness like you were supporting your best friend.

8 hours ago, Healthyagain said:

Thank you ❤️ I really do understand what you’re saying, and I know you’re not judging me. I probably need to accept that my system simply needs more time and rest now.

I think you have understood my main message correctly. ❤️

8 hours ago, Healthyagain said:

I also want to say this gently because I know you’re trying to help me, but your message and reading your SA thread have honestly scared me quite a bit. When you say I’m “playing with fire” or describe the recent changes as abrupt, or "be very careful now with yourself", I start wondering if you think I’m heading for another crash. Do you know something about my situation that I’m not seeing? Are you actually concerned that I’m going to crash even though I’m now holding Prozac 4 and Wellbutrin 150, or are you mainly saying I need to stop changing things and give my system time?

You misunderstood me here, I guess. With "playing with fire" I meant to say that moving around with these meds and dosages can cause a crash, the more we do change too much and too fast. Just that! And you have gone through a lot of changes the last 1 1/2 year. If you then make another too big change (for example a 50% reduction of Wellbutrin), there may come a moment that a crash can develop. At a certain point too changes to short after each other become too much for your system and may cause a very nasty wave or crash.

Therefor I keep saying that your system needs rest now to find some stability, before thinking about further tapering. That is all! ❤️

8 hours ago, Healthyagain said:

became very activated today and briefly had DPDR, the fear of “what if I lose control,” and an intrusive SI thought. You mentioned psychosis in your own thread. Were you referring to anything like what I just described, or something very different?

This happened to me only once in 2014 when I had stopped my medication too quickly. I did not have the knowledge then that I have now. I hadn't found SA then. And doctors gave the wrong info (classic). So I had stopped , changed and started my medication several times then in 2013-2014. After a full stop (I had tapered, but jumped to zero at a too high dosage, I know now), I felt great for 2-3 months. And then a huge crash came. The 2-3 months period feeling good is more often seen after stopping and before developing symptoms.

Doctors advised me to go back on medication. They did nothing good. They did nothing in my feeling. It took me very very long to find stability again. And yes, I had 2 very strange situations that may have been something like psychosis. And I also had PPDR then now and then. All fully triggered by withdrawal I can say now. Doctors were trying to give me diagnoses of bi-polar and/or psychosis. They also wanted me to take medication for that. I didn't (gladly).

I am just saying this, to show that doctors very often confuse withdrawal with psychosis and/or bi-polair. And DPDR is a common WD symptom that may occur when one tapers to fast or changes too much. Very often is a clear sign to hold for a while.

And one more thing: don't look at my taper and think that your taper will necessarily follow the same path. My experience is only one example. And since I found SA, I found the way up! You have come very far already. And you have this community.

9 hours ago, Healthyagain said:

I’m trying to hear your main message as: stop changing things, be kind to myself, and give my system a chance to settle. ❤️

This is EXACTLY what I am saying. Nothing else! ❤️

3 hours ago, Go2zero said:

I think you have understood my main message correctly. ❤️

You misunderstood me here, I guess. With "playing with fire" I meant to say that moving around with these meds and dosages can cause a crash, the more we do change too much and too fast. Just that! And you have gone through a lot of changes the last 1 1/2 year. If you then make another too big change (for example a 50% reduction of Wellbutrin), there may come a moment that a crash can develop. At a certain point too changes to short after each other become too much for your system and may cause a very nasty wave or crash.

Therefor I keep saying that your system needs rest now to find some stability, before thinking about further tapering. That is all! ❤️

This happened to me only once in 2014 when I had stopped my medication too quickly. I did not have the knowledge then that I have now. I hadn't found SA then. And doctors gave the wrong info (classic). So I had stopped , changed and started my medication several times then in 2013-2014. After a full stop (I had tapered, but jumped to zero at a too high dosage, I know now), I felt great for 2-3 months. And then a huge crash came. The 2-3 months period feeling good is more often seen after stopping and before developing symptoms.

Doctors advised me to go back on medication. They did nothing good. They did nothing in my feeling. It took me very very long to find stability again. And yes, I had 2 very strange situations that may have been something like psychosis. And I also had PPDR then now and then. All fully triggered by withdrawal I can say now. Doctors were trying to give me diagnoses of bi-polar and/or psychosis. They also wanted me to take medication for that. I didn't (gladly).

I am just saying this, to show that doctors very often confuse withdrawal with psychosis and/or bi-polair. And DPDR is a common WD symptom that may occur when one tapers to fast or changes too much. Very often is a clear sign to hold for a while.

And one more thing: don't look at my taper and think that your taper will necessarily follow the same path. My experience is only one example. And since I found SA, I found the way up! You have come very far already. And you have this community.

This is EXACTLY what I am saying. Nothing else! ❤️

Thank you ❤️ I appreciate you taking the time to explain it. I’m going to focus on holding and giving my system time to settle. I just hope it settles sooner rather than later.

What’s still mind boggling to me is that the symptoms have been pretty much the same since last August, just varying in intensity. As an update, I’m on day 6 back at 150 mg Wellbutrin, and the activation is high. The heart palpitations and fragmented sleep nearly every night are back too. Hoping things settle with time.

8 hours ago, mstimc60 said:

I really don’t want fear to make me suddenly jump Prozac back to 10 mg when I’ve already come this far. I’m trying to hear your main message as: stop changing things, be kind to myself, and give my system a chance to settle. ❤️

Yes. I understand the strong impulse to try the fastest way out of this, but making quick changes or adding/changing meds will just prolong your withdrawal. Slow and steady is the best way through this. And practice lots of self love and self forgiveness like you were supporting your best friend.

Thank you ❤️ That’s what I’m going to try to do, hold steady and give myself more grace. I just hope things settle sooner rather than later. What’s mind-boggling to me is that the symptoms are basically the same as they were last August, just less intense.

The difference now is that I understand what’s happening, and I’m grateful to have this community. At the same time, all the knowledge can make me hypervigilant, especially when I’m still dealing with some of the hardest symptoms: intrusive SI, DPDR, panic, fragmented sleep, etc. I’m not even sure I would call them occasional anymore. Since switching the Prozac formulation they’ve been more frequent, then when I dropped Wellbutrin to 75 mg they were mostly gone, only to return after going back to 150 mg. Maybe there was some kind of temporary “euphoria” effect at 75 mg, I really don’t know.

I truly had no idea that even tapering “slowly” could still be this difficult, or that coming off these medications could involve this much suffering.

2 hours ago, Healthyagain said:

The difference now is that I understand what’s happening, and I’m grateful to have this community. At the same time, all the knowledge can make me hypervigilant, especially when I’m still dealing with some of the hardest symptoms: intrusive SI, DPDR, panic, fragmented sleep, etc. I’m not even sure I would call them occasional anymore. Since switching the Prozac formulation they’ve been more frequent, then when I dropped Wellbutrin to 75 mg they were mostly gone, only to return after going back to 150 mg. Maybe there was some kind of temporary “euphoria” effect at 75 mg, I really don’t know.

I truly had no idea that even tapering “slowly” could still be this difficult, or that coming off these medications could involve this much suffering.

It might be helpful to spend less emotional and mental energy trying to figure out the "how and why" of every symptom and instead focus on coping methods and recovery. This will probably be one of the most difficult things you do in your life, but you can do it. Many people, including me, have successfully tapered and recovered. We all had difficult journeys to recovery but we did make it, and so will you!

@Go2zero I have a question about taking ½ of a 75 mg Wellbutrin/bupropion tablet four times a day. Am I doing this correctly? I currently take the doses at 9 AM, 12 PM, 3 PM, and 6 PM. Or when people say “four times a day,” are the doses supposed to be spaced more evenly throughout the full 24 hours?

14 minutes ago, mstimc60 said:

It might be helpful to spend less emotional and mental energy trying to figure out the "how and why" of every symptom and instead focus on coping methods and recovery. This will probably be one of the most difficult things you do in your life, but you can do it. Many people, including me, have successfully tapered and recovered. We all had difficult journeys to recovery but we did make it, and so will you!

Thank you ❤️ I really needed this reminder. It’s so hard, though, and sometimes I don’t even know where to start. Someone suggested that I step away from all the searching and reading for a while and just focus on living and coping. I’m not sure if I can fully do that, but I’m certainly going to try. If you know any coping strategies or ways to make that easier, please share.

1 minute ago, Healthyagain said:

I have a question about taking ½ of a 75 mg Wellbutrin/bupropion tablet four times a day. Am I doing this correctly? I currently take the doses at 9 AM, 12 PM, 3 PM, and 6 PM. Or when people say “four times a day,” are the doses supposed to be spaced more evenly throughout the full 24 hours?

This is perfectly fine. Better not spread it out over 24 hours. Since Wellbutrin is activating it may disturb sleep (more) when taken too late. 6 PM is a good time for the last dose of the day.

33 minutes ago, Healthyagain said:

Thank you ❤️ I really needed this reminder. It’s so hard, though, and sometimes I don’t even know where to start. Someone suggested that I step away from all the searching and reading for a while and just focus on living and coping. I’m not sure if I can fully do that, but I’m certainly going to try. If you know any coping strategies or ways to make that easier, please share.

I think that itd probobaly be good to atleast limit how much youre searching for stuff as that can make you feel worse and more stressed out based on my own experience. Its hard but absolutely possible and it can make things easier!

37 minutes ago, Healthyagain said:

Thank you ❤️ I really needed this reminder. It’s so hard, though, and sometimes I don’t even know where to start. Someone suggested that I step away from all the searching and reading for a while and just focus on living and coping. I’m not sure if I can fully do that, but I’m certainly going to try. If you know any coping strategies or ways to make that easier, please share.

There are several great methods listed in the Coping Strategies forum. CBT methods can be especially helpful at moving you away from anxious thinking cycles and need to research every aspect of your situation. Acceptance, distraction, mindfulness, and calming strategies are key. You may want to look at some very simple tai chi exercises on YouTube to reconnect your mind and body and calm your system. Many are just a few minutes long so you can stay focused on them. It will be hard at first as the intrusive thoughts will keep coming back, but just gently bring yourself back to your calming exercise without judgement. You can do it!

3 hours ago, Go2zero said:

This is perfectly fine. Better not spread it out over 24 hours. Since Wellbutrin is activating it may disturb sleep (more) when taken too late. 6 PM is a good time for the last dose of the day.

I finally did something right lol Thank you!

3 hours ago, Healthyagain said:

I’m just so tired of all of this. My world has felt completely turned upside down since last August.

I hear you. After a year of being destabilized I was pretty exhausted. Still, even I was able to get down the mountain. This is a messy business 😄🏔️

9 hours ago, Healthyagain said:

Since switching the Prozac formulation they’ve been more frequent,

On the topic of formulation FWIW after getting headaches, headpressure, etc after switching to the IR Wellbutrin, I read that different manufacturers of the same medicine can affect me differently. I wound up switching to a new pharmacy that let me select the factory the meds came from(honeybee health) and found one that was easier to tolerate and was able to get a reliable supply that wasn't changed at the whim of my insurance company 😆 it was a generic so very inexpensive.

9 hours ago, Healthyagain said:

I truly had no idea that even tapering “slowly” could still be this difficult, or that coming off these medications could involve this much suffering.

I tapered off Effexor over 5 years and thought I knew how to do this. Wellbutrin still threw me for a loop too many times to count. I, too, had no idea how difficult getting off the meds would be.

9 hours ago, Healthyagain said:

all the knowledge can make me hypervigilant,

I was sensitized for 2 years of tapering and 2 years after getting to zero. It slowly got better.

I used to only read the threads of people I was friends with (you know who you are and will always have a special place in my heart ♥️) because they were safe. I avoided reading the panic and doom and gloom threads. I also was blessed to have private message groups with some of the funniest people I've ever met that happened to be tapering meds.

I'd suggest to anybody here to find their tribe, which I think you're doing. I got lucky and my daily PM exchanges with another member of survivingantidepressants grew to include more people, and I wound up having more laughs while tapering than I had a right to 😂. I was very fortunate. I also tried to take days off from reading anything about tapering.

I think you're doing great, @Healthyagain . I'm seeing you asking the right questions, and pivoting where necessary. There's no single right way to taper, just what works for you and your circumstances.

EDIT: I forgot to mention the whole reason I wanted to post. My rule of thumb was only 1 change every month to maintain stability. One dose change, change in manufacturer of meds, switching from pill to a water taper, switching the times of when I take meds, any of those counted as a change and ideally a one month hold.

Early on I kindled myself by making multiple changes at once, or changing dosages/time releases/method of splitting pills/who knows what multiple times in one month out of desperation to get stable. I never did achieve stability or comfort while tapering(due to what I believe to be poop out), but with using the Daily Withdrawal Checklist I did find that my seemingly mystery symptoms were in fact predictable.

Edited August 22Aug 22 by j1290

Thank you, John. My biggest wish right now is that I were where you are, off the meds and healed, a destination I’m sure didn’t come easily for you.

I hate this so much. Yesterday was actually one year since I got destabilized, and I’m just exhausted by it. The intrusive SI still comes most days. It’s by far my worst symptom, and sometimes it lasts for a few hours. Then I’m left with this sad emotional aftershock afterward. I’m so ready for that symptom to finally fade.

What scares me is that I’m still on my full dose of Wellbutrin and have been for over a year, and I’m still at a meaningful dose of Prozac. I think to myself, if this is how I feel now, what happens when I actually start tapering again? I’ve also seen people stabilize, start tapering, and have the intrusive SI return, even if not at the same intensity. I keep wondering how I’m ever going to taper both Wellbutrin and Prozac.

And how lucky are the people who cold turkey and somehow remain asymptomatic? 😂 I’m really not a jealous person, but I’m definitely jealous of them.

What you said about making only one change a month makes a lot of sense, especially with Prozac’s long half life. So for now, I’m holding everything for at least a month and giving my system some time to settle.

Yesterday I had a few beautiful hours where I felt completely like myself again, and God, I just wish those windows would become consistent. When you say you were sensitized for two years while tapering and two years after zero, did you still experience intrusive SI during that time? When did you notice it really starting to fade?

I also wish I had a few tapering buddies I could laugh with through all of this. Maybe we can start that here, and if others see us laughing and finding little moments of lightness, it might help them feel better too. Having people who truly understand, but can also bring some humor into the process, sounds incredibly helpful. ❤️

Thank you for continuing to remind me that there can still be a way down this mountain, even when it feels impossibly messy. 🏔️❤️

@Go2zero @j1290 @Chippy

Here’s some food for thought: is there actually a way to taper off these poisons without triggering intrusive, unwanted dark thoughts, but also without needing a decade to do it?

I’ve accepted that this may take years. I really have. But a decade? I’m not emotionally prepared to make tapering my full time career. 😂 I was hoping I could be off both drugs within two years, but now I’m starting to wonder if that’s overly optimistic.

Then again, two years already sounds wild considering that last summer I genuinely thought I was basically at the finish line. Apparently, I wasn’t at the finish line at all, I was still in the parking lot, just starting to look for the map and trying to figure out what had just happened.

Edited August 23Aug 23 by Healthyagain