What happens if i stop taking wellbutrin xl

Discontinuation symptoms can include anxiety and depression. Since these may be the reason you were prescribed antidepressants in the first place, their reappearance may suggest that you're having a relapse and need ongoing treatment. Here's how to distinguish discontinuation symptoms from relapse:. Discontinuation symptoms emerge within days to weeks of stopping the medication or lowering the dose, whereas relapse symptoms develop later and more gradually. Discontinuation symptoms often include physical complaints that aren't commonly found in depression, such as dizziness, flulike symptoms, and abnormal sensations.

Discontinuation symptoms disappear quickly if you take a dose of the antidepressant, while drug treatment of depression itself takes weeks to work. Discontinuation symptoms resolve as the body readjusts, while recurrent depression continues and may get worse. If symptoms last more than a month and are worsening, it's worth considering whether you're having a relapse of depression. Neurotransmitters act throughout the body, and you may experience physical as well as mental effects when you stop taking antidepressants or lower the dose too fast.

Common complaints include the following:. As dire as some of these symptoms may sound, you shouldn't let them discourage you if you want to go off your antidepressant.

Many of the symptoms of SRI discontinuation syndrome can be minimized or prevented by gradually lowering, or tapering, the dose over weeks to months, sometimes substituting longer-acting drugs such as fluoxetine Prozac for shorter-acting medications. The antidepressants most likely to cause troublesome symptoms are those that have a short half-life — that is, they break down and leave the body quickly. See the chart "Antidepressant drugs and their half-lives. Extended-release versions of these drugs enter the body more slowly but leave it just as fast.

Antidepressants with a longer half-life, chiefly fluoxetine, cause fewer problems on discontinuation. Besides easing the transition, tapering the dose decreases the risk that depression will recur. In a Harvard Medical School study, nearly patients two-thirds of them women were followed for more than a year after they stopped taking antidepressants prescribed for mood and anxiety disorders. Participants who discontinued rapidly over one to seven days were more likely to relapse within a few months than those who reduced the dose gradually over two or more weeks.

Source: Adapted from Joseph Glenmullen, M. If you're thinking about stopping antidepressants, you should go step-by-step, and consider the following:. Take your time. You may be tempted to stop taking antidepressants as soon as your symptoms ease, but depression can return if you quit too soon. Clinicians generally recommend staying on the medication for six to nine months before considering going off antidepressants. If you've had three or more recurrences of depression, make that at least two years.

Talk to your clinician about the benefits and risks of antidepressants in your particular situation, and work with her or him in deciding whether and when to stop using them. Before discontinuing, you should feel confident that you're functioning well, that your life circumstances are stable, and that you can cope with any negative thoughts that might emerge. Don't try to quit while you're under stress or undergoing a significant change in your life, such as a new job or an illness.

Make a plan. Going off an antidepressant usually involves reducing your dose in increments, allowing two to six weeks between dose reductions.

Your clinician can instruct you in tapering your dose and prescribe the appropriate dosage pills for making the change. The schedule will depend on which antidepressant you're taking, how long you've been on it, your current dose, and any symptoms you had during previous medication changes. It's also a good idea to keep a "mood calendar" on which you record your mood on a scale of one to 10 on a daily basis.

Consider psychotherapy. This is particularly true when the antidepressant causes no significant side effects. Still, people go on and off antidepressants all the time. Antidepressants are an unusual class of drugs because not every drug works for every person. It takes some people several tries before they find a medication that works for them.

You may also be choosing to stop your Wellbutrin dose because you feel stable and ready to live without it. Other reasons for stopping include having successfully quit smoking. You may have heard about something called antidepressant discontinuation syndrome—which is basically a fancy way of saying antidepressant withdrawal.

This is more common with antidepressants that affect a neurotransmitter called serotonin. As a result, the withdrawal symptoms are typically mild, or, more often, undetectable. It is not common to experience Wellbutrin withdrawal symptoms, but those who do may become agitated and irritable. If you recently quit smoking, you may find your nicotine cravings return. Most people do not experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop taking Wellbutrin.

Among those who do, the symptoms range in severity from mild to moderate. However, if you are quitting Wellbutrin and a more common class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors SSRIs , your symptoms may be more severe. Doctors often prescribe it in conjunction with SSRIs.

Antidepressants affect the levels of certain neurotransmitters in your brain. They help nerve cells communicate and are involved in managing many of the complex functions your body performs, like eating and sleeping. They also play a role in your emotions and moods. Most of the modern antidepressants out there affect a neurotransmitter called serotonin.

Serotonin plays an important role in mood stabilization. Although the exact causes of depression are unknown, doctors believe that low levels of serotonin are a contributing factor. But when you abruptly stop taking these drugs, it can be a real shock to the system. As the body adjusts to lower serotonin levels, it is not uncommon to experience withdrawal symptoms.

If you are quitting an SSRI, you may experience:. Wellbutrin works differently than other antidepressants because it affects the neurotransmitters dopamine and noradrenaline. Unless you are also withdrawing from an SSRI, it is unlikely that you will experience any of the serotonin-related symptoms described above.

There are very few published cases of Wellbutrin withdrawal in the scientific literature. However, according to Dr. Joseph Glenmullen, author of The Antidepressant Solution , irritability is a common symptom. This includes a state of extreme agitation as well as uncharacteristically hostile, rude, or aggressive behavior. If you were using Wellbutrin to quit smoking, it is also possible that your nicotine cravings may return when you stop taking the drug.

Fortunately, these cravings should be mild compared to what you have experienced in the past. If you have a mental illness like depression or bipolar disorder, it is important to stay in contact with a doctor or therapist whenever you adjust your medications. Talking to a therapist can help you cope with challenges such as mood swings, agitation, and feelings of hopelessness. If you were taking Wellbutrin to quit smoking, you may want to keep a nicotine patch or some nicotine gum on hand.

This will help reduce potential nicotine cravings and any associated agitation. If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at for support and assistance from a trained counselor.

If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database. Suicidal feelings are more common among children and young adults age 24 and under, but they can happen to anyone.

Seek emergency medical care if you are experiencing:. The risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors is small, but it does happen to some people. Before you stop taking Wellbutrin, discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor. They should be clear about the limits of the research around that medication and if there are any other options. After starting bupropion, symptoms gradually decrease over a period of weeks. In MDD and SAD, sleep and other physical symptoms may improve before there is noticeable improvement in mood or interest in activities.

Once symptoms are under control, MDD usually requires long-term treatment to help prevent the return of depressive symptoms. If you are using bupropion for SAD or smoking cessation, the length of your treatment may be shorter.

With input from you, your health care provider will assess how long you will need to take the medicine. Do not stop taking bupropion or change your dose without talking with your health care provider first. Depression is also a part of bipolar illness. People with bipolar disorder who take antidepressants may be at risk for "switching" from depression into mania.

Symptoms of mania include "high" or irritable mood, very high self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, pressure to keep talking, racing thoughts, being easily distracted, frequently involved in activities with a large risk for bad consequences for example, excessive buying sprees.

If you are planning on becoming pregnant, notify your health care provider to best manage your medications. People living with MDD who wish to become pregnant face important decisions, each with risks and benefits as they relate to how the illness, medications, and risks to the fetus may interact. Untreated MDD has risks to the fetus, as well as the mother. It is important to discuss the risks and benefits of treatment with your doctor and caregivers. Bupropion has also been evaluated for smoking cessation during pregnancy and is recommended only after other therapies have failed.

Bupropion hydrochloride is available in 3 different forms: immediate release IR , sustained release SR , and extended release XL. Bupropion IR is usually taken 2 or 3 times per day with hours between doses. The dose usually ranges from mg twice daily to mg three times daily, with the last dose taken mid-afternoon. Bupropion SR is usually taken twice daily in the morning and mid-afternoon. The dose usually ranges from mg twice daily up to mg twice daily.

The dose ranges from mg to mg. While there are dose ranges for each form, your health care provider will determine the form and dose that is right for you based on your response.

The dose may be increased to mg once daily. The dose for smoking cessation is bupropion SR mg once daily for 3 days and then twice daily for 7 to 12 weeks. You should not take more than one product that contains bupropion, including the products that are used to quit smoking. Do not take more than your prescribed dose since higher doses may increase your risk of having a seizure. Since quickly increasing the dose of bupropion can cause seizures in some people, your doctor will slowly increase your dose.

You can take bupropion on an empty stomach or with food. The SR and XL forms should be swallowed whole — not chewed, crushed, or broken — so that the medication can work correctly in your body and to reduce the risk of serious side effects. The tablet shell from the SR and XL forms may appear in your feces.

Consider using a calendar, pillbox, alarm clock, or cell phone alert to help you remember to take your medication. You may also ask a family member or friend to remind you or check in with you to be sure you are taking your medication. For bupropion IR or SR, if you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember.

Take the remaining doses for the day at evenly spaced times at least 4 hours apart. DO NOT take 2 doses at once. You should not take more than your prescribed dose and doing so may increase your risk of having a seizure. For bupropion XL, do not take an extra tablet to make up for the dose you forgot.

Wait and take your next dose at your regular time the next day. Avoid drinking alcohol or using illegal drugs while you are taking bupropion because the beneficial effects of the medication may be decreased and the risk of seizures may be increased. If you are dependent on drugs or alcohol and would like to stop, consult your healthcare provider for help.