RitalinLA + Wellbutrin = Overdose? Help! | ADHD Information
[QUOTE=Davidornado]Wow. Doc last Thursday said to up my Wellbutrin to 150 mg, to be taken concurrently with my 60 mg RitalinLA. I waited until Monday, today, to take it, and I am wired. I have trembling hands, a sense of must do something must do something must do something.
I've started like 12 projects today, and haven't finished a one. It's like being ADHD at hyperspeed. I even locked up for about one minute when I was going somewhere, couldn't remember where I was going, and couldn't decide what to do, so just stood there spacing out.
When I was on 60mg RitLA + 75mg Wellbutrin, I did not have these effects, and actually thought this has been one of the best combo's yet. But not now.
Anyone else experience this hyperADHD amplication effect?
I'm sure it'll dissipate after the meds wear off tonight (what else can I start! I can catch up on all my chores in one day!!!) but I'd rather have an off switch right now. Anyone know of an offswitch for Wellbutrin, or RitLA? Ha. Like RitLA's got an off switch.
Oh, well. Hyper day. Might as well enjoy it, and study it. Maybe I'll tell doc.
Do you think I'll adjust if I keep taking it, like say tomorrow, or the next day? I've been on Rit for 8 years, and on Wellbutrin for a/b 5 weeks. On double dose WB for about 2 hours....
Shaky in the City,
Davido [/QUOTE]
I take 60mg of Ritalin LA and 300mg of welbutrin I felt like that in the beginning , Ive been on this same dose for about 2-3 years I don't get the side effects any more.
Tamaraw196938685.5908796296Wellbutrin has minimal impact on serotonin, so serotonin syndrome is not an issue. Wellbutrin is commonly prescribed as an adjunct to serotonergic antidepressants. No worries there. I was on wellbutrin for 8 years, and it is hands down the best med I ever took. Eventually it just stopped working as well, unfortunately. I vaguely remember a week of hell and insomnia when I first started it, but that all went away fairly rapidly. Some people actually require short acting benzos to get to sleep, but rarely for more than the first week. Give it some time, Davie! Hope it works for you as well as it did for me!Thanks, Luvmykids,Here's my report 24 hours later.
I did have a very difficult time falling asleep last night, even utilizing a few extra tricks above just the Ambien. I was in emotional distress as well, which exacerbated the situation. I fell asleep at 04:00, than arose at 07:30.
I took my morning meds of 40mg RitLA (2/3 dose), and the 150 WB. I am myself today, not besides my self running in ADHDerated circlulations. As a matter of fact, I am so myself I forgot I was on meds until I thought of this post.
So, obviously, the overdose may have been a 60mg RitLA related issue, or the sudden onset of WB in a bod that'd been vacationing from it for 4 days.
My plan is to run this dosage one more day, then try the full doses on Wedn. If you hear another cry for help, you'll know what happened. Hopefully I'll forget I even took my meds, until they begin to wear off....
David
Davidornado wrote:
you hear another cry for help, you'll know what happened.
No crys for help today from you David so I guess your doing ok?
May the force be with you!
Oh, yeah! I forgot.I am doing a lot better.
I talked to my pharmer today and she said that WB is used for a lot of things beyond just as an anti-depressant. It's used as a weight loss med, as an anti-smoking med, as an something else med. She said it usually produces hyperness in people. She said what I'm taking is an SR version, so there is a time release w/an initial spike. She was concerned a/b my bp, which according to the machine there was 160/110. I'm concerned, too, but maybe it was her Santa hat she was wearing... She was more concerned with a variation in attitude from taking it only once a day, so I'm gonna try and go back to taking a split dose. Someone call me around 14:00 and remind me to do it, please! Thanks.
Hey Shake Speare,
good to see you back.
Where you been?
In surgery?
Carving a turkey?
Davidornado wrote:
I am doing a lot better.
Way cool Davie
I did do an all nighter last, Saturday? or Friday? Can't remember, but it happens way too often. Even with Ambien.
David,
You really shouldn't be taking Wellbutrin AND Cymbalta at the same time.
Perhaps you should look up "Serotonin Syndrome".
... and in case you don't want to look it up...
Serotonin syndrome is a condition that is typically induced by drug interactions from taking more than one drug that affects the serotonergic systems. These interactions cause too much serotonin to be released or remain in the synapse and cause hyperactivation of serotnergic neurons.
One thing that is important to keep in mind is that it is a "syndrome" and not a well defined problem with a known cause. It is simply a name given to a cluster of symptoms which are believed to be related through a common mechanism. Serotonin Syndrome is a diagnosis given when there are symptoms which match the profile, the patient has taken a serotonergic drug, and there are no other diagnoses that fit better. Serotonin Syndrome is often accompanied by or leads to a hypertensive crisis which can be very dangerous.
Serotonin Syndrome is a potentially fatal condition, with symptoms and complications of euphoria, drowsiness, sustained rapid eye movement, overreaction of the reflexes, rapid muscle contraction and relaxation in the ankle causing abnormal movements of the foot, clumsiness, restlessness, feeling drunk and dizzy, muscle contraction and relaxation in the jaw, sweating, intoxication, muscle twitching, rigidity, high body temperature, frequent mental status changes (including confusion and hypomania - a "happy drunk" state), shivering, diarrhea, loss of consciousness and death. (The Serotonin Syndrome, AM J PSYCHIATRY, June 1991, from http://members.aol.com/atracyphd/syndrome.htm).
But this made it easier.
You're welcome David.
Well, here's an update.
About 4 hours into the dose, I did notice that my hand trembles had settled. I did feel buzzed, still, and did notice hypertension.
I was able to focus better, and did finish one or two projects, but thought of several more. Good ideas. Is that progress? Or regress<<<
In CG's post, yes, I did take a holiday from the meds. I slept like a hibernating bear. The reason doc upped the WB dose, is cuz it's the not XR formulation, so I have to take it every 5 hours. Or so. I forget. Oh, I kept forgetting to take the PM dose, so he said take them both at once in the morning.
And I realized it was last Wedn when Doc I last saw, b/c Thur was a Turkey's non-Holiday.
So, here I am, feeling fairly normal, but maybe a little more aware b/c of what went on. I'm going to cut back my RitLA dose tomorrow, and take the 150mg WB. I think part of the problem was the MPH dump that takes place upon initial ingestion of the caps, coupled with the WB holiday for 4 days.
Oh, my bp is still high, but that's par for the course for me, I'm borderline hypertensive as it is.
Thanks for the responses, everyone. Including you, B. I don't have the Ser Syn going on, if all the symptoms are pre-reqs for it. I did have some.
I was on Wellbutrin a while back. It gave me the shakes terrible. When I got my coffee at the 7-11 in the morning I would tremble so badly that others getting coffee beside me would notice. They either thought I was a bad alcoholic with the shakes or I had some neuro thing going on! It did help me mentally. I eventually went off it though. Then the shakes went away.A whole lot of shakin goin on - Think that was Jerry Lee Lewis.
You been off your meds for the holidays by any chance? Could be that.
Think 150 is a common doseage. But you're not on XR are ya? Give yourself a couple of daze, then if no better, call dalk.
I only shake when I wanna. Wellbutrin 150 xr + Adderall 20 xl + Starbucks Columbian
Think I want my Lexapro back Wow. Doc last Thursday said to up my Wellbutrin to 150 mg, to be taken concurrently with my 60 mg RitalinLA. I waited until Monday, today, to take it, and I am wired. I have trembling hands, a sense of must do something must do something must do something.
I've started like 12 projects today, and haven't finished a one. It's like being ADHD at hyperspeed. I even locked up for about one minute when I was going somewhere, couldn't remember where I was going, and couldn't decide what to do, so just stood there spacing out.
When I was on 60mg RitLA + 75mg Wellbutrin, I did not have these effects, and actually thought this has been one of the best combo's yet. But not now.
Anyone else experience this hyperADHD amplication effect?
I'm sure it'll dissipate after the meds wear off tonight (what else can I start! I can catch up on all my chores in one day!!!) but I'd rather have an off switch right now. Anyone know of an offswitch for Wellbutrin, or RitLA? Ha. Like RitLA's got an off switch.
Oh, well. Hyper day. Might as well enjoy it, and study it. Maybe I'll tell doc.
Do you think I'll adjust if I keep taking it, like say tomorrow, or the next day? I've been on Rit for 8 years, and on Wellbutrin for a/b 5 weeks. On double dose WB for about 2 hours....
Shaky in the City,
Davido I am confused about the concurrent use of Wellbutrin and stimulants like Ritalin LA.
The part I don't understand is how they increase or decrease Dopamine levels in the brain.
If amphetamines and medications with similar action increase Dopamine – boasting the level into the normal range, allowing focus and attention and Wellbutrin is known to block Dopamine, as I have read, then what effect does this have in the brain and in behavioral experience?
Are they effecting different areas of dopamine?
I hope someone can explain this to me.
No, Davie, my patience have (has?) expired. Cest la vi! 
With the reuptake question, I usually use lots of drawings and large, random hand gestures to symbolize neurons, etc., so I'm not sure I really know how to verbalize it...
Here goes: Dopamine is released from neuron A. It travels through a space called the synapse and then stimulates neuron B. Any leftover is sucked back into neuron A (called reuptake) to be reused. Wellbutrin, like all reuptake inhibitors, blocks that action. The result is that the dopamine from neuron A doesn't get sucked back in so it stays in the synapse longer so it can keep stimulating neuron B. So you're actually enhancing dopamine function, not blocking it. Stims do that too. Actually, methylphenidate does mostly reuptake inhibition with a little extra neurotransmitter release for good measure. Amphetamines do the opposite... they mostly cause extra release and do a little reuptake inhibition. That's one of the reasons people tend to respond to one better than the other.
How'd I do? OK, now for the drawings...
Neuron A ; ; ; Neuron B ;
>>>>>>> Dopamine >>>>>
<<<<<<<<<Dopamine Reuptake (without Wellbutrin)
< < <Dopamine Reuptake (with Wellbutrin)= More Dopamine!
See, that was So Much Easier for me! But I'm a visual learner, I guess...
shakespeare38697.5067939815Hey jfla,WB is a dopamine reuptake inhibitor, leaving more in the synaptic spaces. Stims release more neuros, therefore leaving more in the synaptic Space, the Final Frontier...[QUOTE=Davidornado] Hey Shake Speare,
good to see you back.
Where you been?
In surgery?
Carving a turkey?
[/QUOTE]
Thanks Davie! I got really bogged down with school winding down before winter break. Operating on 3-4 hours sleep every night for 2 weeks kind of drained my interest in socializing!
[QUOTE=shakespeare]Thanks Davie! I got really bogged down with school winding down before winter break. Operating on 3-4 hours sleep every night
[/QUOTE]Did your patience survive? [QUOTE=Countrygirl]Think I want my Lexapro back [/QUOTE]
Here's how it works:
(I'm not da moma:)
CG!
Your room is a MESS!!!
Clean up your Lexapro!!!
Right now, young Lady!!!
Well, I talked to others here somewhere, and decided it was more important to continue the prolonged exposure than ease of medicating, so I'm back to taking it twice a day. Problem is, I still forget to take it. So, otherwise, I'm back to "normal".
First of all, Glad to know you are doing better David!
Second, Valzap: Just another thought to ponder. I got sick with a nasty little viral sinus infection a few weeks back... I still took my meds, but it felt like ai was taking placebos!
I was awake, but there was no focus and constant daydreaming. I even went back to my old habit of pacing around the classroom during planning while I figured out what I needed to be doing.
My point is, that it is quite possible that your illness could have caused your regression instead of the medicine. When my illness was over, the meds started helping again.. I think when we are sick, no amount of stimulant is going to cause you to be 100%.. and it shouldnt.. we need that downtime to recover.
Maybe stay at your origional dose until all the infection is gone, then try again to up it?
Sherry
HOw have you been feeling now?
we upped my dosage of concerta from 54 mg to 72. This week has been hell with fighting a cold and being extremely tired from it.
I only did the high dosage of concerta one day (yesterday). I noticed I was "very focused" on the wrong thing again- like I was before medication. I spent most of the day- and I mean 8-10 hours focusing on how many shares of a stock I could buy and what my profit would be if I could sell it at my desired amount. (this is all a pipe dream of course). But, it was very much like my episodes when the lottery would be over 100 million and I would day dream for hours. I didn't get any work done at all. Couldn't concentrate on it, only my money daydream.
Today, I took 36 mg of concerta and I still had the same daydreaming this morning. Though I was finally able to come down from that.
I have a tightness in the back of my neck - like I feel when I get a migraine. Not sure if this is med induced or just symptoms of the last of my viral infection.
David, hope all is well with you - and you better start exercising or something to get that BP down. Those numbers are a little scary.
Hey jfla,Thanks!
Ya oughta see it in action...
I've got an .mgp video of driving it through a muddy road, one hand on the camera, the other on my cell phone, the music rockin', my right leg doin' the gasgas, and the steering being done by my left knee... Cool as all get out. Is your email listed? I'll send it to you. Btw, no accidents, and only one ticket in the last 10 years...
David'0 Who says impulsiveness, distraction, and multi-tasking creativity don't have value???
Hi David and Shakespeare,
Thanks for explaining how dopamine reuptake and Wellbutrin work. I had forgatten about the concept of reuptake.
I'm visual too (a sign language interpreter)
I couldn't find any visuals online, but as i was reading shakespeare's explanation, I realized I was seeing a sign language translation in my head of what I was reading and it made sense.
David,
a while back I saw a picture of the front seat of your car somewhere on this board and I wanted to tell you how cool i think it is. About 5 years ago I was prescribed 300 mg of Wellbutrin, 60 mg of Ritalin, and I forget how much Ambien. This was WAY too much medication for me and eventually had very bad side effects. Even when I was talking 150 mg of Welbutrin and 10 mg of Ritalin it was too much. And the Ambien--yikes! The first night I took it I fell asleep sitting up with the TV on and the clicker in my hand. It wasn't long before I couldn't sleep more than a few hours without it. As they say on the Ambien commercial "all sleep aids can be habit forming."
I've been off all of it for maybe a couple of years. In retrospect, I think at first it was great, then as it built up I was overmedicated, and had manic symptoms that my doctor didn't seem to recognize. Eventually I developed a verbal tic and they were concerned that I might be having small siezures. When I stopped talking it the side effects went away, but I think all that time being wired up took a toll on my body...
Still, it's so hard without any medication...I'm wondering if I can go back on it at a very low dose, maybe in a time release form.