Posted by Cam W. on April 1, 2001, at 20:29:24
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin....message for CAM » Cam W., posted by terra miller on April 1, 2001, at 17:44:37
Terra - Actually, we don't have the regular Wellbutrin in Canada, so I am not actually sure what the half-life is (ie I have no books telling me this). Other from the U.S. may have this at their fingertips, but I don't. I believe that the regular Wellbutrin needs to be taken 3 times daily, so I would guess that, on average, the half-life would be 8 to 10 hours (just a guess).
Once you have adjusted to the dose you are on (ie 2 or 3 months of taking the drug), you could try slowing adjusting your nighttime dose closer to bedtime. You could try taking it 1/2 an hour later for 3 or 4 nights and keep doing this as long as you have no problem falling asleep. This may stop some of the morning low blood levels. If at any point you have problems sleeping, bump the dose back that 1/2 hour and try again in a few days.
The other option is to switch to the Wellbutrin SR version. You should be able to switch from the regular to the long acting without any washout. You can just switch from the regular (75mg 3 times daily) one day to the SR (150mg twice daily) the next. The only problem here is that you are going from a total daily dose of 225mg to 300mg. This may or may not be a problem, but the SR version may give you more adequate and sustained blood levels than the regular version. This is something to discuss with your doc. Tell him/her that you are not being covered for the full 24 hours with the regular version and see what the doc has to say.
Hope this is of some help - Cam
poster:Cam W.
thread:57711
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010327/msgs/58366.html