Can my dosage of wellbutrin be to high?Side effects are horrible!?

Question

My doctor prescribed me wellbutrin about a week and a half ago.She started me off on 300mg a day and I think by the way I am feeling my dosage may be to high.I am very jumpy sometimes it feels as if my skin is crawling.I feel "high" all the time which I cannot tolerate! And my body just aches I mean my whole body teeth nails and all! Has anyone experienced this also?And are these side effects common for the first few weeks?Your answer back will be appreciated.

Answer 1

Hace you considered talking to your Dr. about these side effects? There is a lower dosage of Wellbutrin i.e. 150mg. Perhaps you can make a follow up appt with the Dr to figure out what would be best for you.

Goodluck

Answer 2

Yes, most likely reduce the dosage by 50% and contact your doctor at once.

I have been on 400 mg of Wellburtin a day for years and never felt those problems; although I do have itchy skin sometimes.  I also suffer the dry mouth that most antidepressants cause.

According to About.com:  http://bipolar.about.com/cs/sfx/a/sfx_we...

"Common Side Effects:

Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome:

Abdominal pain; constipation; decrease in appetite; dizziness; dryness of mouth; increased sweating; nausea or vomiting; trembling or shaking; trouble in sleeping; weight loss (unusual)

Less Common Side Effects:

Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome:

Blurred vision; change in sense of taste; drowsiness; feeling of fast or irregular heartbeat; frequent need to urinate; unusual feeling of well-being.

Always Notify Doctor:

More Common: Agitation; anxiety

Less Common: Buzzing or ringing in ears; headache (severe); skin rash, hives, or itching

Rare: Confusion; extreme distrust; fainting; false beliefs that cannot be changed by facts; hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there); seizures (convulsions), especially with higher doses; trouble in concentrating."

The anxiety is normal, but you can take a smaller dosage and let your body get used to it before increasing the dosage, the feeling jumpy can come from an accelerated heart rate and the anxiety that alone is enough to warrant an immediate reduction in your dosage.

The feeling high is less common and the body aches are unusual, but not unrealistic.

The side effects CAN go away with more exposure as your body grows to tolerate the medication, but that isn't always the case.  In this case there is a wide range of medications that can be used, medications that you could tolerate better.  Never be afraid to recommend medications to your doctor or to ask them to reduce the dosage.  There is no one else who knows how your feel and how cares as much about how you feel.  You are part of the medical treatment team, lead by your doctor, but even a tight end can suggest plays to the quarterback.

Reduce the dosage by 50% for now and call your doctor for an appointment ASAP.  As far as I know you can safely cut the pills in half, there is no special coating that controls release.  I take 4 X 100 mg pills twice per day, but I have a high tolerance to most medications.  You may be different, your problem and reason for taking the medication is different and every brain is unique.

Antidepressants work in the same fashion they increase the amount of a specific neurotransmitter in the bloodstream and the brain.  Some do it by increasing production, some do it by preventing the neurotransmitter to be as easily absorbed.  Doctors are playing educated guessing games when they prescribe a medication; we do not know why the variations in the amounts of neurotransmitters have the effects they do.  Pharmacology is not an exact science because each problem and each person is unique.

DON'T STOP taking the medication you need it and the sudden stop of it can cause other problems, but a reduction of your dosage by 50% is safe and prudent.  If that doesn't alleviate your side effects then you may not be able to tolerate the medication, but they should make your side effects more manageable.

You can't start and stop medications on your own, but you can moderate the dosage safely.  Don't be afraid to do it.  If the problems continue then drop to 100 mg per day, but don't stop taking it.  It may take weeks, months or never for your body to get used to the side effects so you have to be careful of all medication.

Keep this in mind, you are a key member of your medical treatment team only you know what is going on and you have to tell your doctor that.  For a medication like this the root cause requiring it cannot be cured with just a magic pill it takes more.  Finally, your medication is your ammunition in your battle to get better so you want to take it, you need to take it to carry on the fight to be well.  The fault is with your body, but not with you yourself.  You want to be better and you need a little help.  If someone has diabetes then they can't blame themselves for causing it (unless they over indulge in sugar, don't exercise and are too fat).  Some people are just born with certain problems.  Most of us can handle them, some are never detected, and some require help.  That help is out there, but you need to seek it.

The advantages of Wellbutrin are that it increases your energy level, it can be easily tolerated by some, it doesn't cause a decrease in sexual performance and it has a wide dosage range that can be tailored to the individual patient, it also doesn't cause weight gain.

Keep in mind that Bupropion and Zyban are the same medication.

According to About.com:  http://bipolar.about.com/cs/menu_meds/a/...

"Initial dosage should be no more than 150 mg/day but this may be increased to no more than 300 mg/day on the fourth day."

So reduction to that level is recommended.

It is better to error on the side of caution and reduce your dose, but it is potentially dangerous to totally stop taking it.