41 replies to this topic

[SonSetFree]

Hi All,

 

(I am typing this for my wife who has trouble with screens and typing.  She has been in WD since July 17 after discontinuing Wellbutrin and Cymbalta.)

 

I have a long history of AD use, but for the last 10+ years I have been on Wellbutrin, Cymbalta and Trazadone.  I started tapering Cymbalta by removing beads 3 years ago, in April I jumped from about 6 to 4 Beads.  I started having muscle twitching and spasms and a couple of melt downs but I did not attribute it to the Cymbalta drop because I didn't have my usual brain zaps that tell me I tapered too fast.  At that time I was also taking 75mg Wellbutrin and started to think my Wellbutrin was the bad guy, so on July 5th I stopped taking the Wellbutrin 75mg cold turkey (after about a week of alternating days) AND at the same time stopped my last 4 beads of Cymbalta.  For almost 2 weeks it was bliss, muscle cramping went away, no issues.

 

Needless to say I got hit hard about 13 days later.  Since then I have had countless physical and mental symptoms that have been debilitating (you all know).  Stomach, Insomnia, Flu Like Symptoms, No Appetite (lost 20 lbs) Depression, Anxiety, Crying Spells, depersonalization and more.

 

My GP referred me to a Psych who initially dismissed withdrawal and put me on 15mg Remeron.  So I broke it in half and took it to see if it would help with my anxiety, sleep and appetite.  It worked on the sleep and appetite for about a week, and then it all came back. So then I tried reinstating WB at about 22 mg a day.  It didn't do much, so I gave it more time, about a month of playing with my dosing slightly and still no change. 

 

I finally decided it must be the Cymbalta, even though I was down to 4 beads when I jumped off.  So I reinstated 2 beads, and it immediately helped with sleep.  I slept 8 hrs the first night I reinstated which was the first full night of sleep at the time in many weeks.  My appetite and anxiety improved, then after 2 weeks, it all came back, but with a vengeance, full on panic attacks off and on for about a week and a half.  Then I updosed 1 Bead and again, sleep and anxiety improved for a little less than 2 weeks, then the panic attacks and no sleep came back.  And that catches you up to where I am today.  So in summary 2 months in to my Cymbalta reinstatement I am currently in total despair; Severe Anxiety, with Panic Attacks every other day, crippling depression in multiple crying spells a day and not leaving the bed/couch/house much;

 

My current daily regiment:

7.5 mg Remeron and 50mg Trazadone at Night

22 mg Wellbutrin broken into 3 doses a day (10mg, 6mg & 6mg)

3 beads Cymbalta, 1 in the morning and 2 early evening (Tiny Beads from Torrent Manufacturer - 210 beads per 20 mg Capsule)

 

Big Questions:  Do you think this is Cymbalta or Wellbutrin WD?  Any idea why it improved then everything came back?  

 

Given I improved on the reinstatement and updose of Cymbalta, do you think I should updose Cymbalta another bead to see if it knocks it out again, or would I possibly be making things worse?

 

Thanks so much you guys are amazing for what you do. 

 

-Son

 

[fishinghat]

We hear this type of story so often. When one begins having serious withdrawal symptoms we get desperate for some relief. That included me when I went through my withdrawal. We start to tweak other meds, updose, down dose and try other meds. This reaction almost never works but usually make things even worse. I can assure you that your experience is not uncommon. Remember that a change in meds (updose, downdose or additional meds) usually takes 4 to 8 weeks for the4 blood chemistry to stabilize. Of course the smaller a change the less effects (positive or negative). 

 

To answer your questions...

 

I would think this is both Cymbalta or Wellbutrin WD. Remember that Cymbalta helps regulate serotonin and norepinephrine and Wellbutrin effects dopamine. So now instead of 2 neurotransmitters out of balance you have 3. The reason this is particularly bad is is that our body converts Dopa to dopamine to norepinephrine and then epinephrine. So now your dopamine is unstable and your body is searching for stability, it overproduces and then under produces as it desperately tries to regain control. This instability causes an instability in norepinephrine and then epinephrine which are already unstable from the Cymbalta withdrawal. 

 

By adding Remeron, which blocks serotonin and adrenaline receptors, this should have helped some BUT is your adrenaline high (probably) and your serotonin high and thus needs blocking? Research into serotonin levels during use of an AD or withdrawal from an AD shows that levels vary widely from one patient to the next. Drs, like yours, just typically throw a med at these symptoms and hope it works. One of the negatives is that Remeron has its own withdrawal that you will have to deal with in time. 

 

Now you understand I am no dr but just my opinion based on my experience with many on this site I would just suggest hold steady at your current med schedule you posted. Give things a couple months for things to stabilize before you make any more changes. Neurotransmitter stability can take up to 2 years for your body to regain control. That is why withdrawal is done so slowly. 

 

By the way that was an excellent post with the details that we need to see in order to understand the situation. Well done.

[invalidusername]

Welcome to the forum, and my apologies in the delay responding to you...

 

..however, Hat has got you offer to a fantastic start here. I agree that one of the problems is that another med has been thrown at the problem prior to letting the neurochemistry balancing itself out. Doctors feel obliged to offer an immediate solution which may turn out to be more harmful in the long run.

 

Very strange to be taking the Wellbutrin at different levels as with a very lengthy half life, it should make no difference. If it is not showing improvement, then I would suggest taking this out of the equation. The less we have to deal with, the easier the problem is to pinpoint. 

 

We have had a number of members who have had issues with the last few beads and I wouldn't be at all surprised if the issue is the Cymbalta. It concerns me that you say "about" 6 beads to 4. At this stage, 1 bead here or there can make a huge difference. When you dropped a bead from 20 to 19, we are talking 5% reduction. Your body can cope with that, but 6 down to 4 is a reduction of 33%. Nearly 7 times worse!! 

 

When it gets to this point, the drops need to be changed in order to get around these final drops, thusly;

 

6 beads

6 beads one day, 5 beads the next

5 beads

5 beads one day, 4 beads the next

...continue

 

Remain at each of these dosage patterns for as long as needed by simply listening to your body.

 

I would also suggest levelling our the dose to eliminate the issues of the short half life, so 6 beads are taken 3 + 3 beads (12 hours apart), 5 beads are taken 3 + 2 beads 12 hours apart etc.

 

Hope this make sense. This is my opinion, but I feel it is the way forward.

 

IUN

[SonSetFree]

Thanks FH & IUN!

 

"Very strange to be taking the Wellbutrin at different levels as with a very lengthy half life, it should make no difference. If it is not showing improvement, then I would suggest taking this out of the equation. The less we have to deal with, the easier the problem is to pinpoint."

 

IUN, are you saying I should just condense my Wellbutrin dose into 1 or 2 doses per day, or are you saying I should get Wellbutrin out of the picture all together?

 

FH, you think I should hold longer?  It has been two months since reinstatement of 2 Cymbalta beads a day and 2.5 weeks since I updosed to 3 beads.  That is the only med change I have made.  

 

BTW, i came down with a cold...and thinking of taking something like Mucinex to help loosen stuff up.  Are you guys generally seeing people able to tolerate these?

 

-Son

[fishinghat]

Well SSF, you did the change in Wellbutrin in July as well. I know that seems like a long time ago but nerves take a long time to heal and the body to adapt. I have seen members often take 6 to 8 months to stabilize after just one change let alone two. 

 

 

Have you felt any better in the last 2 or 3 weeks, basically the same or worse?

 

The manufacturer makes several varieties, each with different ingredients. Those containing Guaifenesin are fine but the varieties containing  Pseudoephedrine  or Dextromethorphan  can cause problems. The Pseudoephedrine  causes a raise in blood pressure and high heart rates in about 10% of the people who take it. The flip side of the coin is that in a similar % of members it greatly helped their withdrawal symptoms. If you decide to try a product with Pseudoephedrine  in it start at a very low dose and gradually work up. That way you can see what effects it has on you. If the heart/blood pressure issues develop stop taking the meds and the symptoms usually clear in 12 hours or so.

 

The Dextromethorphan  is a more dangerous situation. Taking both Dextromethorphan  with an antidepressant can cause serotonin syndrome which can be very serious and even deadly. They should never be taken together.

[SonSetFree]

Thanks for the info!

 

"Have you felt any better in the last 2 or 3 weeks, basically the same or worse?"

 

It's hard to say with the recent cold or whatever it is.  I feel like I have the flu...my body is extra weak and lethargic.  But also have congestion, dry cough, but no fever.  Hopefully it is the cold that has knocked me down.  Before that, I was doing better.  Immediately after updose, my sleep got better and the panic attacks stopped for about a week and a half.  Then anxiety started back up again, just not quite as bad as before.  It is hard to say if I'm doing better without waiting to see when this cold lifts.

[fishinghat]

I think you are right. Just get and get a lot of rest nd see what happens after you get over the cold.

[SonSetFree]

Hey Hat, thanks I will stay put for a while.

 

I wonder, hypothetically, if I maintained my current med regiment indefinitely, would I in theory not only stabilize, but eventually in time get back to normal?  Or would staying on a microdose of Cymb prolong the healing?  

 

SSF

[fishinghat]

it has been my experience with members on this site that most stabilize in 6 to 9 months and then when they make the final mini drop they take another 4 to 8 months to stabilize. This is compared to those who go all the way through bead counting nd take 8 to 16 months to stabilize. 

[invalidusername]

Hey SSF

 

To answer the question regarding the Welbutrin, yes - there will be no difference in reducing the level of dosing even if you are one of those who (due to fast metabolism, low bmi or similar) have the shorter half life. 

 

As Hat said, with the extra addition of the drug, it makes things more complex when trying to pinpoint specific issues. Yet, even after what seems like sufficient time for the symptoms to pass, they may still be having adverse effects. We have seen a number of people on the forum, particularly those as yourself, of whom have had to take these things slowly - and then reduce things almost to a standstill to get a bearable withdrawal plan.

 

Either way - we are here to help you. 

 

Hat has got a far better grasp than I on the OTC stuff than myself, so can't add anything more to that. You can certainly trust his well-founded knowledge.

[SonSetFree]

Hey Hat and IUN,

 

Been holding steady since our last conversation as Hat recommended.  So it will be over two months since reinstatement of Cymb and over one month since updosing 1 bead.  So you don't have to scroll up;

 

My current daily regiment:

7.5 mg Remeron and 50mg Trazadone at Night

22 mg Wellbutrin broken into 3 doses a day (10mg, 6mg & 6mg)

3 beads Cymbalta, 1 in the morning and 2 early evening (Tiny Beads from Torrent Manufacturer - 210 beads per 20 mg Capsule)

 

In these past two weeks,

 

The Good: 

I am seeing improvement in sleep.  I hit record for consecutive days of decent sleep (over 5 hrs).   I have seen some minor improvement in mood and anxiety...had a couple of days going without crying spells.  I also spent most of a 2 day period with Family during Thanksgiving and I don't think I could have a month ago. So I'm thankful.

 

The Bad:

Overall depression and anxiety and that underwater alternate universe feeling that i'm stuck in is still a major issue.  

Still have neurological things, dizziness and feeling car sick after doing certain activities like watching TV. 

Have muscle burning pain on the left side. 

Fatigue is big, although I had chronic fatigue before withdrawal (not saying my chronic fatigue isn't related to antidepressants and antidepressant changes...cold switching over the years as I believe it's related).   

I have had a couple of anger/rage flare ups...just said mean things that's out of character and overreacted to minor annoyances.

 

What do ya'll think?

Is this all to be expected this far out...almost 5 months?  Or since I'm not on therapeutic doses of an AD, could this be my normal unmedicated state?   Or, if you look at my symptom list, does anything jump out at you as being medication interaction related?  

 

At what point in your withdrawal did the crippling anxiety and depression lift?

 

I just want to feel well enough so that I can start a more active daily routine that I can stick to.  Maybe get a part time job or volunteer.  Something that will help with the depression and take my mind off my illness.

 

-Son

 

 

 

My current daily regiment:

7.5 mg Remeron and 50mg Trazadone at Night

22 mg Wellbutrin broken into 3 doses a day (10mg, 6mg & 6mg)

3 beads Cymbalta, 1 in the morning and 2 early evening (Tiny Beads from Torrent Manufacturer - 210 beads per 20 mg Capsule)

[fishinghat]

Excellent post SSF.

 

There are certainly good signs there. The improvements you noted are just what I would expect. 

 

Definitely NOT your "normal unmedicated state".  The absence of Cymbalta from your body is what causes the withdrawal and it normally takes your synapses (part of the nervous system) around 2 years to fully recover. Given your current rate of improvement I would guess that it might take you another 4 or 5 months to get comfortable. The longer you wait the easier the rest of the withdrawal will be. 

 

I see nothing that worries me about drug interactions.

 

The crippling anxiety and/or depression starts to lift after around 8 months to 1 year and can take as long as 2 years but that is rare.

 

I wish I could be more optimistic but given your sensitivity to Cymbalta withdrawal this would be my best guess. It will get better though. Try not to put added pressure (stress) on yourself as this only makes the withdrawal last longer. Right now isn't the time to worry about a job, exercise, diet, or other life changing action. Your body needs stability and a stress free life style in order to recover as fast as possible.

 

Have you talked to your dr about medication to help control your symptoms while you heal? Have you looked at our list of supplements to help the withdrawal? There is a lot of info on this in our free ebook.

[SonSetFree]

Thanks Hat,

 

It was a hard blow to hear the 4 or 5 month outlook.  I feel desperate so it sounds like an eternity.  But thanks for your honesty.

 

In terms of meds I don't want to go the benzo route...  The physical symptoms I can manage, but am interested in anything else to get some type of relief from the fear, panic and doom episodes and the overall complete inability to experience joy.  

 

I have read about Clonidine, Hydroxyzine and then the supplements Suntheanine and Ashwagandha.  I'm worried about these things prolonging my healing or making things worse but willing to give them a try.

 

I just purchased Suntheanine and Ashwagandha GSM 66 after reading the suggestion on your site.  I took a very small dose, 60-80 mg of the Suntheanine as a test to make sure I don't react.  No negative reaction or positive effect observed.  Haven't tried the Ashwagandha yet but will after upping my Suntheanine dose and see how it goes before deciding to try Ashwagandha.

 

Anything else come to mind?  What about EMDR, cognitive behavioral therapy and the like for withdrawal symptoms?

 

Thanks Hat and IUN!

[fishinghat]

You are on the right track. One thing at a time and start with a low dose. Normally we see people get some relief with Suntheanine at 200 to 400 mg/day. It is usually taken in 100 mg doses 2 to 4 times a day and may take a few days to have a significant effect. The GSM 66 Ashwagandha is a good thing to try and has you well know IUN is the expert on that. There is no indication that these items prolong the healing. I have not seen any adverse reactions on this site to either one but can't say it is impossible. There are other things to try but lets take this one step at a time.

 

We have had 5 or six members try EMDR with varied success. It is mostly for ptsd and trauma. I really don't have an opinion on it.

 

 Cognitive behavioral therapy is an excellent way to develop coping skills but the problem is it can take months to learn and master the techniques. Definitely not a quick fix. 

[SonSetFree]

Hey Hat and IUN,

 

Been about 3 weeks since I checked in...hope all is well with you.  A lot going on here.  I had a check up and got some meds refilled.  I got some Hydroxyzine to have on standby, but haven't taken it yet.  They ran some bloodwork and everything was fine except the low iron. 

 

Around Christmas Eve, I started having fever and chills and congestion.  Tested positive for Covid.  Around the time the Covid symptoms came on, strangely, I was doing well mentally from a withdrawal standpoint. This went on until around the time the fever lifted, the 28th, and a massive wave hit. I am still in it and it is as bad as I have seen since the beginning of withdrawal.  I haven't stopped crying since then (my husband is typing this for me).

 

Incidentally, I also accidentally missed one of my 3 daily Wellbutrin doses on the 26th, but took a larger dose on my last dose of the day to compensate.  So I ended up taking 20 mg that day vs my usual 22 mg.  Then the next day, went back to the regular 22 mg regimen. That is the first time I've done that, and not sure it is entering into the equation or not.

 

Looking for reassurance that this set back is due to the Covid, and should resolve soon. I haven't lost 4 months of healing?  What have you and the community experienced with Covid on withdrawal?  

 

Best to you two in the new year,

-Son

[fishinghat]

You are the first person I remember that hjave mentioned having had covid during withdrawal. But others who have gotten sick such as colds, flu, etc have had major setbacks. Once the infection is gone they usually settle back down and continue their withdrawal. Take it easy and get plenty of rest. It can take a while to recover fully from covid.

 

Wishing you the very best. Happy New Year!!

[invalidusername]

Apologies for my delay Son...

 

A belated Happy New Year to you and to say that Hat put you straight with anything that attacks the immunity will undoubtedly cause setbacks. One thing I will add is not to compensate with these meds if you have missed a dose and you end up with another spike in the other direction. Just take your normal dose the next day.

 

I am very sorry to hear that you have been hit with covid. I have my own take on the whole "pandemic" and here in the UK, it is just getting out of hand. They roll out the 3rd jab and then there was even talk of a 4th jab. There are already published papers which have shown the 3rd jab to further suppress the immunity of the individual which is why a majority of the people getting the latest strain are those that have had all 3 jabs. Ironic? Not to me...

 

Not to say these jabs do not have their place, but it is ridiculous when the government advisors know less than they should about immunology. The whole country following the advice of an MD who had friends in the right places at Oxford University.

 

Please let us know how you are getting on - wishing you the very best.

 

IUN

[SonSetFree]

Thanks IUN, 

 

I will heed your advice on not to double up on missed doses.  I am still struggling with the impact Covid has had unfortunately.  It showed signs of lifting with some symptoms easing up for a couple of days, then they came back.  At first most to the symptoms were just physical, then the mental came.  Anxiety is a huge issue especially in the first half of the day.  I have been crying non stop and have not been able to even watch TV.

 

One of the moderators on another sight suggested I start to ween off of Wellbutrin which may be aggravating my anxiety and insomnia.  I am currently on only 22 mg a day.  Given I am mostly likely partially withdrawing from both Wellbutrin and Cymbalta, I felt like the last thing I wanted to do was reduce Wellbutrin, but now I wondering if I might find some relief in doing so.  Especially if the majority of my issue is more Cymbalta withdrawal related.

 

Any advice from you IUN or Hat on the Wellbutrin would be appreciated.  Given things with Covid aftermath/impact to immune system may still be running its course, not sure I should try changing anything yet.  Would also like your take on, once I do decide to taper off these meds, which medicine to taper first.  

 

Hope you are both getting along well!

 

-Son

[fishinghat]

Hi Son

 

It is possible that the Wellbutrin is adding to your anxiety but the observation I have seen here is that only a small percent suffer that occurrence. The FDA statistics only says that 7.7% of people experience anxiety as a side effect of Wellbutrin. That sort of matches what I have seen.

[msmalcolm]

Hi,

 

I was reading your post because I have tried weaning Wellbutrin and Cymbalta. I am sorry you feel so bad. I wanted to share my experience with you. I was on 25mg Wellbutrin and 2 mg Cymbalta and holding on. Then I got the shot and 2 weeks later ended up in the ER with rapid heartrate, chest pain and bad anxiety. I asked my doctor if I could stop the Wellbutrin and he said sure, it wasn't enought to make a difference. Big mistake. I know the Wellbutrin added to my anxiety but I believe stopping it when I was in such a weakened state was a huge mistake.

 

That was in August. I'm still a bundle of anxiety and had to go up on my klonopin that I had worked so hard to wean down on. I'm not working, I have no energy, my heart rate goes up randomly, I can't sleep through the night and I cry a lot.  I've now had to add Zoloft to try to stablize but I'm only in week 2. I'm not dropping anything else until I'm stable. 

 

I hope you feel better soon! This is the hardest thing I've ever done. And it drags on and on. 

[invalidusername]

I think Malcolm speaks for a number of people in your situation and I would agree. Medical workers are all too quick to pull the plug on these things, but the best people to diagnose these things are ourselves. 

 

Bit of a catch 22 as the withdrawal would cause an equal, if not greater, level of anxiety, in which case it is far better off remaining on them. But again, I would strongly suggest one thing at a time as initially discussed...

[SonSetFree]

Thanks MsMalcom for sharing your story.  I am so sorry to hear about all you have had to endure.  I can surely appreciate what you are going through and we will get through this one day at a time.  As bad as you feel, I know it is hard to believe you will get better but YOU WILL GET BETTER.

 

Did you ever reinstate Wellbutrin or Cymbalta or are you now only taking Zoloft?  Please let us know how you are getting along now.

[SonSetFree]

Thanks IUN and Hat,

 

I have been holding at the same drug cocktail for almost 4 months without much change.  If I don't see things start lifting soon, I will have to consider a med change.  Thinking through some options.  Again, the context here is life was pretty good while I was on just 75mg Wellbutrin and 4 tiny beads of Cymbalta;

 

1. Should I give up on reinstatement of Cymbalta?  Maybe since I used to take 4 beads once a day, and now I am taking 1 bead in the AM and 2 beads in the PM, not only am I at a lower overall daily dose, but my daily peak level of Cymbalta is lower with the split dosing.  Maybe I could try gradually increasing Cymbalta bead by bead hoping somewhere I stabilize.

 

2. Maybe bringing Remeron into the picture just made things worse?  Given there could be drug interactions at play with the introduction of Remeron 7.5mg I could start working on eliminating it.  I read something once about Cymbalta - Remeron mix.  They call it Limerick Rocket Fuel.  In some cases it caused agitation/hostility.

 

3. Or, on the flipside, 7.5mg is not the typically prescribed dose for anxiety/depression maybe a therapeutic dose of Remeron would help.  I could increase to 15mg and see if I tolerate it.  Curious to see how MsMalcom does on the Zoloft.

 

-SOn

[fishinghat]

"Maybe bringing Remeron into the picture just made things worse?  Given there could be drug interactions at play with the introduction of Remeron 7.5mg I could start working on eliminating it.  I read something once about Cymbalta - Remeron mix.  They call it Limerick Rocket Fuel.  In some cases it caused agitation/hostility."

 

Absolutely possible!! Even likely.  That is why we always say change one thing at a time or you get in that loop of trying to find out what change caused what problem. I would strongly suggest you stay where you are at another 2 to 4 months. I know it is not what you want to hear but typically 6 to 8 months to stabilize. Any changes at this time would likely just cause more confusion about what new symptoms are due to what changes. I certainly have reservations about increasing the Remeron given its propensity for causing anxiety etc. 

 

The antidepressants that are most effective at handling withdrawal are Prozac, Zoloft or Lexapro. Some work for some but not for others. Just a flip of the coin. 

[invalidusername]

When were you taking the 4 beads? And when are you taking the split dose? I only ask as you might be better off sleeping though the lower dose. A split dose works for some, but not for others. There are too many factors at play. 

 

I also have to agree with Hat with regards to adding more to the mix. This will undoubtedly add more confusion and you will be only more confused as to what is causing the issue. Assuming that it doesn't fix the issue, which if it does, it will take months rather than weeks. 

 

It is a horrible long haul, and patience is called for during this time. It is so tough. I really understand you. Personally speaking, I have had to be my wife's 24/7 carer for 2 years now while she has not been getting the help from the mental health from the NHS. They assume that when there is a partner involved that they do not need to give so much attention as if it were a single person, but when that partner has been subject to mental heath issues themselves (such as myself), there is ever reason to allow more support. I am in effect doing their job for them, whilst trying to hold down a full-time job, do the shopping, the cleaning, the cooking and a part-time research degree. I can't cope, and I have recently really started suffering. 

 

Following the pandemic, there are going to be some tough times ahead for us all. The best advice I can offer is to look after yourself as best you can. You are the best judge as to your mental and physical position. Look after yourself and seek any help you can get. Remembering we are also here to do just that for you...

[SonSetFree]

Thanks IUN,

 

I was on 75mg Wellbutrin and 4 Beads of Cymbalta (out of 208 beads per 20mg capsule) back in July of last year before I CT'd both.  I reinstated after 2 months at a split dose of Cymbalta 1 bead in AM and 2 beads in PM.  I take the morning 1 Bead at 6:15 AM and the 2 Beads at 5:00 PM.  I was thinking about going up a bead in the AM.

 

Upon reinstatement, my sleep improved immediately along with some gastro improvement.  But I continued having anxiety which seemed to progressively get worse.  So maybe I would benefit from the extra bead in the AM.  If I drop the evening dose to 1 bead it will probably disrupt my decent sleep.

 

I appreciate your situation as well IUN and pray that things will improve soon.  

 

-Son

[SonSetFree]

By the way, I meant to mention earlier I refilled my Wellbutrin recently and before my supply was getting pretty old...about 10 months.  When I refilled my prescription and started taking the new tablets, I become very symptomatic.  May have been a coincidence, but it seems the new tablets were like taking a small updose.  I heard that medications can lose 10% effectivity over a year.  So following that logic, I lowered my dose from 22mg to 21 mg (a 5% drop) hoping to minimize the effect.  I think that just made things worse. 

 

I hope this small medicine change hasn't disrupted things too much and doesn't restart the clock to recovery, thoughts?

 

Either that, or Wellbutrin has nothing to do with it and this is all part of the effect of getting Covid in December.  Although I felt better after about 2 weeks from Covid, then things got worse about a month after Covid.   

[fishinghat]

I would say probably the Wellbutrin. It is probably a different manufacturer and absorbs a little slower or faster. Having said that covid can have effects lasting up to a year after infection. Those long-lasting effects are quite varied due to the location of the blood clots and how many there are. So many variables. 

[invalidusername]

Agreed, as Hat said - a lot of variables. But taking 1 bead in 12 hours and 2 in the other 12 hours is going to put you a little out of whack, so I would suggest you balance that out. It gets difficult when if comes to dropping a dose, but then you would have to go 1 bead every 8 hours when you are ready. The spikes can be a lot more noticeable when you get to this point. But given that you won't be boosting the serotonin production as much in the morning with the 1 bead, that is likely to have an effect. I would try to switch out the issues with the evening with supplements, but level out back om 4 beads and go at it again from a position of strength.

 

Take care, and thank you for your kind words

 

IUN

[SonSetFree]

Thanks IUN,

 

So you're saying, add a bead in the Morning and balance out at 2 beads AM, 2 beads PM.  Then when ready to taper again and drop to 3 beads, I would go to 1 bead per 8 hrs to keep balance.  Is that right?

 

Son