Wellbutrin Withdrawal: Overview, Symptoms & Coping

As more physicians prescribe antidepressants for a myriad of clinical entities, they need to remain alert for withdrawal symptoms and work in educating patients to the possibility of discontinuation symptoms. This type of education will not only increase compliance but also decrease the abrupt discontinuation of antidepressants by patients. If your withdrawal symptoms become severe or unmanageable, seek professional help immediately. Signs such as severe depression, suicidal thoughts, intense anxiety, and significant physical health issues all indicate the need for medical intervention.

As one example of the latter, some abstinence-based residential recovery programs may discourage admission of residents on MOUD, and other programs may admit these patients but encourage tapering MOUD while enrolled 32, 33. Overall, these results point to several targets for clinical intervention to improve MOUD retention among the most at-risk Veterans, including younger adults, Black patients, and those involved in residential programs. Such interventions could be aimed at reducing medication stigma or views that MOUD is a “crutch” that should not be utilized long-term 58.

Symptoms of antidepressant discontinuation syndrome

Lagging these covariates also accounted for the possibility that engagement with a service may not have an immediate effect on treatment discontinuation. To examine changes in service use over time, follow-up time was partitioned into six 90-day quarters. Analyses were performed using SAS Enterprise Guide version 8.3 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC) from April 2023 through November 2024. During a medically assisted detoxification process, a doctor or nurse will assess your withdrawal symptoms and provide medication to ease their intensity. This helps make the withdrawal process more comfortable and ensures that any underlying medical issues are addressed during treatment.

Data availability

Third, it is possible that patients may have filled but not taken their medications or that they received medications outside of the VHA or in ways that we could not capture in outpatient pharmacy records. Similarly, we only assessed VHA service utilization and did not have access to non-VA data on outside MOUD or other service receipt. Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a major public health crisis in the United States 1, and opioid overdose deaths among Veterans continue to rise substantially 2,3,4. Veterans are considered to be a group at high risk of OUD due to their higher prevalence of risk factors like chronic pain and psychiatric comorbidities compared with the general population 5,6,7. The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest direct provider of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment (medication and/or psychotherapy) in the United States 8.

Although side effects can occur, typical side effects such as dry mouth, constipation, and insomnia are generally mild and manageable. Regular blood pressure monitoring is recommended when taking Wellbutrin® , as it may cause an increase in blood pressure. Always reach out to your doctor if these symptoms are affecting your quality of life. Know that you can work together and come up with strategies that can make this journey less challenging. This involves slowly reducing the dose of your current antidepressant while slowly increasing the dose of your new antidepressant.

Understanding Addiction

If you were using Wellbutrin to quit smoking, your nicotine cravings might return when you stop taking the drug, but they're likely to be milder than what you'd experience without having taken the drug. All human subjects procedures in this study were approved by the Indiana University Institutional Review Board, as well the VA Research and Development Committee of the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center. Without the psychoactive ingredient, bodily systems may have to recalibrate, leading to flu-like symptoms and headaches in rare cases. Despite common misconceptions, Wellbutrin® does not cause addiction in the traditional sense. Unlike opioids or benzodiazepines, Wellbutrin® does not produce a euphoric high or create cravings.

Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, is a long-term process in which you explore the reasons for your feelings and actions. Together with a qualified therapist, you will learn how to work toward the life you want by reforming the unhealthy patterns standing in your way. Antidepressants such as Wellbutrin affect certain neurotransmitters in your brain, the chemical messengers that help with complex functions such as eating, sleeping, and emotional regulation.

Do not stop taking your antidepressant all of a sudden, and discuss safe tapering options with your doctor. If your withdrawal symptoms are severely affecting your quality of life, they can prescribe medications to reduce them and help you feel better. Restore Detox Centers is your 24-hour residential treatment facility for alcohol and drug addiction. Our compassionate team of professionals understands your challenges, providing effective rehabilitation services in San Diego.

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• Call us today or schedule a consultation to learn more about our mental health treatment program.
• Restore Detox Centers is your 24-hour residential treatment facility for alcohol and drug addiction.
• We included PTSD treatment, as symptoms may undermine effectiveness of buprenorphine treatment 6.
• Wellbutrin® , unlike other antidepressants, falls under the aminoketones drug classification.
• Wellbutrin is a common antidepressant used to manage major depressive disorder and seasonal affective disorder.

You should seek medical attention if you experience severe symptoms such as suicidal thoughts, intense mood swings, persistent insomnia, or significant physical discomfort. These could indicate complications does bupropion have withdrawal symptoms or an underlying issue requiring professional care. A healthcare provider can offer support and adjust your treatment plan as needed. Bupropion withdrawal symptoms can vary but often include irritability, mood swings, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, and sleep disturbances such as insomnia or vivid dreams. However, it can lead to dependence when taken consistently over an extended period.

• This type of education will not only increase compliance but also decrease the abrupt discontinuation of antidepressants by patients.
• CDW data included prescription records, inpatient and outpatient files, healthcare utilization, and sociodemographic information.
• Finding the right medication or combination of medications can take several tries.
• Like all antidepressants, it offers many potential benefits but doesn’t work for everyone.

If you’re experiencing headaches, they might advise you to take acetaminophen or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) like ibuprofen (Advil). You live at home and attend detox treatment sessions at a clinic for up to 30 hours per week, depending on the specific program. Meditate and practice mindfulness, which can help manage anxiety and cause relaxation.

Related support groups

You live at the detox facility during Wellbutrin withdrawal but there is limited access to medical care. People refer to Wellbutrin as “poor man’s cocaine” due to its stimulant-like effects and high.6 And chronic Wellbutrin abuse can lead to more severe physiological dependence and subsequent withdrawal. We've tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of the best online therapy programs including Talkspace, BetterHelp, and ReGain. Like some other antidepressants, Wellbutrin carries an FDA warning about the risk of suicidal ideation in children, teens, and young adults.

Most people experience symptoms that last from a few days to a few weeks, with severe or prolonged symptoms being less common. Wellbutrin withdrawal symptoms can be challenging, but understanding what to expect and how to manage the process can make it more manageable. Gradual tapering, support systems, and healthy lifestyle choices are key to navigating withdrawal successfully. Always consult with a healthcare provider before making any changes to medication regimens to ensure a safe and effective withdrawal process.

If you have health insurance, another way to find a therapist is to search your insurance plan’s website. Typically, insurance companies have a list of local providers who accept your insurance.

Fifth, whereas we chose to treat ED visits as a covariate to reduce confounding, it is possible that instability resulting in ED use may also lie on a causal pathway from a given service to discontinuation. Our design could not distinguish between these possibilities, although the mechanism by which visiting the ED would affect risk of discontinuation is unclear. Finally, these results are specific to the Veteran population that utilizes VHA services, which has been shown to have elevated health burden compared with other Veterans 66. Our results may not be generalizable to services received by other patient populations.

Mixing Antidepressants with Alcohol

Counseling or behavior therapy is not necessary for success and should be offered based on each patient’s needs and preferences. Regular urine drug testing helps identify patients who may benefit from more intense treatment or other options; any unexpected test results should not be a primary reason for treatment termination. Buprenorphine is maintenance treatment for a chronic disease and should be continued for as long as it is beneficial. Relapse rates after discontinuation are lower in patients who complete 1 year of treatment, and they continue to decline with longer treatment duration. Bupropion is a prescription drug that has been used to treat a myriad of disorders, including depression, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and is also used to aid in the cessation of cigarette smoking.

At Recovery Unplugged, all information published on our website has been rigorously medically reviewed by a doctorate level medical professional, and cross checked to ensure medical accuracy. With 10 years of experience working in and writing about mental health and addiction treatment, societal issues, and history, she ensures the quality and authenticity of written content at RU. She holds degrees in behavioral psychology, cultural anthropology, and marketing. When she is not working, she enjoys travel, rollerblading, and playing with her dog, Hamilton. Holistic approaches to treatment can also be effective in Wellbutrin® addiction treatment. Holistic practices typically consider the patient’s mental, physical, and spiritual aspects.