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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
Paxil or Welbutrin - Can you help
Answered by
Roger Gould, M.D. - Mental Health, Wellness
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD), bipolar disorder, dementia, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic, personality disorders, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, stress, transitions, and work problems.
Paxil or Welbutrin - Can you help
by silpugs, Apr 28, 2007 12:00AM
I have been on Paxil for over 5 years and feel like I need a change but am afraid to change. I need some guidance besides what my doctors told me. I want to hear from someone who actually went through the change. I am in the process of weening off of paxil and it is only a week and I have started the welbutrin. I am taking a 1/2 paxil and one welbutrin. I am unable to sleep at night and I am unsure if this is from the welbutrin or the withdrawal from the paxil. Also I have been feeling a little nausia. Can someone help guide? How long shoudl I do this?
Doctor's Answer
by Roger Gould, M.D., Apr 30, 2007 12:00AM
, Apr 30, 2007 12:00AM
This should be done under a doctor's supervision, but in general you should taper off over a three week period by decreasing the dose and the frequency so that by the third week you are down to the smallest possible dose every other day, then stop. You have to do this slowly to avoid complications of seizures and other symptoms.
Member Comments (4)
by dyblue, Apr 30, 2007 12:00AM
I switched many times I went rom eexor to zolot to celexa and I didn't detox o them because they are all srris doc said it was like going rom wiskey to rye so there you go. antidepreesants should help you sleep talk to doc or go to specialist who knows about ant depressants. I was on paxil too at one point made me a zombie but it works or my sis. we are all di but de talk to someone you shouldn't have worry about it.
by flicka250, May 07, 2007 12:00AM
sleeplessness could be caused by either but the nausea makes me think it is more likely the paxil withdrawal. You may want to ask your doctor about going back to your original dose and decreasing more slowly. There is usually no problem taking Wellbutrin and Paxil together, as they affect different neurotransmitters in the brain. Take your time coming off Paxil. Talk to your doctor or NP.
by needed help, Jun 09, 2007 12:00AM
To: Paxil or Welbutrin
I actually have went through this experience recently. I have been on paxil for over 5 years and was feeling like it was not working anymore. I talked with my doctor about it and he told me to try welbutrin. I was taking 20 mg of paxil and was supposed to take welbrutin slowly until I reached 300 mg daily. I started Friday night with the Wellbrutin. I took one pill. The next day one pill. On Sunday I took one pill in the morning and one at night along with my 20 mg paxil. He told me once I had a build up of wellbrutin in my system I could then start to taper off paxil. However, Sunday night in the middle of the night I started having seizures. At first I didn't realize what was happening. After two days in the hospital they told me it was probably the wellbrutin that caused the seizures but now my body was also rejecting the paxil. This last month has been awful. I have had the worst withdrawal symptoms from paxil. So.. a word of caution is to be careful when taking both paxil and welbutrin. It could lead you down a road you were not expecting to take.
