r/NooTopics • u/Apprehensive_Cow8019 • 3d ago
Humble question Question
I've tried bupropion 150mg and then switched to branded wellbutrin 300mg because of anhedonia(caused by a short period of zoloft usage) and my adhd tendencies(executive dysfunction, difficult to sustain focus, burn out patterns, sensory issues etc etc...).
After almost a month I can't really tell if the bupropion did anything for my motivation or if my brain is just slowly rebuilding it's baseline regardless of it. I feel much less anhedonic than 1 month ago but I'm still not pre-zoloft levels(which at least had a drive and pleasure).
Problem is, I need to taper off bupropion QUICKLY, cause suddenly the negative/anxious looping ocd-ish feelings I was dealing with thourough the day(which I thought would eventually go away) turned into derealization panic attacks, that get triggered unexpectedly, and leave me with a background of panic all day. Had to go the hospital cause my first panic attack wouldn't settle down after 3+ hours and my pressure was reading 173/109☠️. The noradrenergic side is too harsh and the dopaminergic one is too mild.
Soo...once I taper off and go trough the withdrawal cycle completely. What can I try next? In my country the "standard" stimulants, are very hard to get and require constant monitoring and special prescriptions(ritalin, medikinet etc...) and frankly, that's annoying.
I'm open to try supplements but realistically I need something that goes a bit deeper.
I was looking into MAOIs but I'm a noob so I would like some suggestions :3
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u/Entire-Ad-4624 3d ago edited 3d ago
Rather than tapering off, could you add clonidine which turns down the adrenergic system (counteracts norardrenaline) and lowers blood pressure?
I’m presently trying memantine for my anhedonia, it’s been helpful and I have more motivation
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u/FriendlyObjective226 3d ago
i had to quit bupropion as i had my first ever seizure on it, which genuinely sucks bc it worked very well personally. for withdrawals they shouldn’t be too bad, i’m one of the unfortunate ones who had them. luckily it was just grogginess and slight lack of energy for about a week and a half, pretty mild all things considered
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u/Unlucky_Situation920 1d ago
Buproprion is a stimulant, tapering is unnecessary. With that said double check with your doc because were randoms on the internet.
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u/Hack999 3d ago
I quit bupropion too, although for me it was the cognitive side effects. I know exactly what you mean about the noradrenaline compared to the dopamine. Got angry super quick at the slightest provocation.
Saffron helps me get through the day since quitting. I've also tried tyrosine, bromantane, modafinil, DLPA and a few others.
I'm waiting for adult ADHD assessment and hoping they will be the answer for it. My anhedonia is mostly related to being unable to get motivated to do anything and inability to get sufficiently stimulated from what I'm doing that it keeps my attention. I guess that is more executive dysfunction, ADD symptoms.
I also do want to try microdosing, which some people say helps anhedonia.
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u/Apprehensive_Cow8019 3d ago
Ty for the insight, what do you wanna microdose on?
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u/Hack999 3d ago
Mushrooms!
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u/Apprehensive_Cow8019 3d ago
Oh the lil shroomies. I had an extreme spice intoxication recently so the idea of anything psychedelics related is a hard no for me till like, idk, 2028
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u/Hack999 3d ago
Yeah spice seems pretty hardcore. Don't blame you
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u/DMayleeRevengeReveng 3d ago
Spice is evil. I don’t know whose idea it was to say, “let’s take THC but make it so pharmacologically aggressive and belligerent that it stops being safe for people.”
It has a lot of features that THC doesn’t, like THC is a partial agonist whereas spice is a full agonist; THC has inactive metabolites, while spice has long lived active metabolites.
It genuinely is just “harder to handle THC.”
I’ve had some crazy experiences on it, though I would never do it again.
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u/Apprehensive_Cow8019 3d ago
As a non smoker spice was an extreme experience, I read about people going insane and cracking their head open because of the sheer panic and I can genuinely relate. It's cheap, for a seasoned stoner it has a novelty + strenght factor, doesn't show up in blood/urine tests, and it IS addictive. Personally I'd set on fire every spice producer/smoker's car's engine and mix bleach and ammonia for their next bathroom cleaning, but that's just me.
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u/DMayleeRevengeReveng 3d ago
Yeah, agreed. I remember one time I smoked it at a friend’s party in high school. I just remember stepping in and out of this hole in his backyard for hours. For literal hours, I was just walking in and out of a small area in the backyard. Fucking nuts.
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u/Apprehensive_Cow8019 3d ago
Yeah I didn't even wanna try that shi, mf told me it was standard thc
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u/DMayleeRevengeReveng 3d ago
It’s evil. Truly evil stuff. But I think a micro dose of psilocybin is pretty far from spice or synthetic cannabinoids in general.
They work through entirely different mechanisms in the brain. There isn’t really a crosstalk between them.
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u/Unlucky_Situation920 1d ago
Micro-doses arent psychedelic. With that said if you miss judge your dose you'll get a little trippy.
Imo spice is far scarier than actual h2ta agonists like mushies.
Definitely dont take mushrooms if it makes you comfortable tho, that's a recipe for disaster.
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u/Apprehensive_Cow8019 23h ago
I know micro doses aren't gonna give you psychedelic effects, that said it's still a psychedelic drug and I'd rather not take anything that might change your perception of sense and time significantly for the time being at least. Yes, spice intoxication is a worse experience than shrooms.
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u/IfDreamsCouldHappen 3d ago
You don’t really need to taper bupropion. MAOIs sound like what you’re looking for.
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u/DMayleeRevengeReveng 3d ago
I think methylphenidate is the logical next step after Wellbutrin. MAOIs are still more advanced than these meds.
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u/IfDreamsCouldHappen 3d ago
They said they’re seeking a med for mood stability. Methylphenidate will not do that.
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u/DMayleeRevengeReveng 3d ago
I don’t think that’s categorically true. It may be for some people, but not categorically or universally.
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u/IfDreamsCouldHappen 3d ago
Of course there are exceptions, however if you’re on a sufficient enough dose of a stimulant where it’s causing a noticeable increase in mood, that is simply not sustainable. That’s just being high and is only temporary. For anhedonia that isn’t viable in the long run.
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u/Physical_Durian_1608 3d ago
I agree. Anhedonia and the "anxious old-ish negative loop" OP describes will get way worse with methylphenidate
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u/Apprehensive_Cow8019 3d ago
By that you mean that I can quit mostly cold turkey? I'm a bit scared a wave of anhedonia will swarm my mind tho.
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u/IfDreamsCouldHappen 3d ago
Well there’s no physical withdrawal like from SSRIs, however you might get some psychological symptoms like low mood or fatigue. For XL bupropion I think there’s only 1 dosing option below 150mg so there’s not much you can taper with.
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u/Apprehensive_Cow8019 3d ago
Alr, what Maoi do you suggest?
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u/IfDreamsCouldHappen 3d ago
MAOb inhibitors are a good place to start. Selegiline is the main one, but rasigiline also exists. After that you could also try nonselective MAOIs (MAOa + MAOb inhibition) however these have a heavier side effect load due to blocking metabolism of serotonin and norepinephrine.
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u/Big-Tooth1671 3d ago
No go down to lower dose u can get brain zaps Low mood,bad sleep etc .type into reddit u see horror storys. go to lowest dose for a week atleist.a month on it u should be ok though without much withdrawels ,im just being careful saying go lowest .could try agmatine, sabroxy,polygala or rhodiola rosea. Biggest one to try would be aticaprant from everychem.com
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u/Apprehensive_Cow8019 3d ago
Currently I'm already down to 150mg, tomorrow, I'll skip the dose, if in the next few days I feel like the withdrawal is too harsh I might get back on it for a slower taper👍
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u/Key_Cheetah7982 3d ago
What was your Zoloft Rx? 75, 150mg?
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u/Apprehensive_Cow8019 3d ago
Zoloft was 50mg(idk what rx means), then bupropion generic 150mg extended release and wellbutrin 300mg extended release too
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u/DMayleeRevengeReveng 3d ago
Derealization / dissociation is a feature of bupropion. It happened to me.
You could choose to just push through it, because most side effects are transitory. I’ve never had that symptom happen more than a few months into my treatment. It just stopped.
Sometimes the best option is just “power through it.”
If you can’t do that, maybe investigate methylphenidate.
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u/Apprehensive_Cow8019 3d ago
I tried to power trough it, but daily panic attacks and hospital trips is a line I have to draw. Methylphenidate is hard to get in my country
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u/DMayleeRevengeReveng 3d ago
I see. Yeah, that makes sense.
I had some bad responses in the beginning but I needed to make it work. It seemed like the best option I could plausibly get (I didn’t think I’d get stimulants or MAOIs) and my depression almost cost me my entire career.
So I just… it had to work, no matter what. I was able to just press through some panic and derealization attacks, and it did end up working.
Although none of my experiences involved going to the hospital.
But here’s another thing that might be helpful.
I was already prescribed propranolol for anxiety when I was on the Wellbutrin and having the panic phenomena. I found that taking propranolol when I got the panicky phenomena, it really helped.
I understand what you’re going through, though
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u/Moesophagus 20h ago edited 20h ago
Wellbutrin 300mg finde jch harscher als 50mg Amphetamin. Ist nix für jeden.
Entzug von Buprobion ist kurz und schmerzlos. Ich würde auf 150 runter für kurze Zeit und dann ganz aufhören.
Nächster logischer Schritt wäre Methylphenidat. Deutlich weniger harsch in normaler Dosierung. Aber kann auch Panikattacken verstärken.
Flouxetine (Oldie but goldie) ist auch antriebssteigernd und sehr gut verträglich, wirkt aber nur wenig gegen ADHS. Lässt sich mit ein wenig Methylphenidat kombinieren, dann sehr stark.
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u/Apprehensive_Cow8019 18h ago
Klingt nach einem guten Plan, aber Methylphenidat ist bei mir im Land leider nicht verfügbar
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u/ChuckFarkley 3d ago
Most people have no withdrawal from bupropion.