Overview: Bupropion is used to treat depression, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and to help you quit smoking. It works by regulating chemicals in your brain called norepinephrine and dopamine. Some of the most common side effects of bupropion are dry mouth, nausea, trouble sleeping, and dizziness. Before taking bupropion, make sure to tell your healthcare provider about any health conditions you have or medicines you take.

Uses

What is bupropion used for?

Bupropion is commonly used to treat the following conditions.

Bupropion may also be used for other conditions as determined by your healthcare provider.

How does bupropion work (mechanism of action)?

Bupropion works to regulate chemicals in your brain called norepinephrine and dopamine. 

How is bupropion supplied (dosage forms)?

Brands and other names

  • Aplenzin
  • Forfivo XL
  • Wellbutrin
  • Wellbutrin SR
  • Wellbutrin XL
  • Zyban

Dosage forms and strengths

  • 75 mg, 100 mg oral tablets
  • 150 mg, 174 mg, 300 mg, 348 mg, 450 mg, 522 mg extended-release oral tablets
  • 100 mg, 150 mg, 200 mg sustained-release oral tablets

How should I store bupropion?

Bupropion should be stored at room temperature, between 68 F to 77 F (20 C to 25 C). It can be exposed to temperatures between 59 F to 86 F (15 C to 30 C) for shorter periods of time, such as when transporting it. Store in a cool, dry place. Protect from light and moisture. 

Side Effects

What are the most common side effects of bupropion?

The most common side effects of bupropion are listed below. These side effects may vary depending on the condition being treated and what form of bupropion you are taking. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any of these side effects that bother you.

  • Dry mouth
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Constipation
  • Headache
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Dizziness
  • Blurred vision
  • Sore throat or runny or stuffy nose
  • Stomach pain
  • Agitation
  • Anxiety or nervousness
  • Tremor
  • Fast heartbeat or feeling of skipped heartbeats
  • Sweating
  • Ringing in the ears
  • Muscle or joint pain
  • Loss of appetite 
  • Having to pee a lot 
  • Rash

There may be other side effects of bupropion that are not listed here. Contact your healthcare provider if you think you are having a side effect of a medicine. In the U.S., you can report side effects to the FDA at www.fda.gov/medwatch or by calling 800-FDA-1088. In Canada, you can report side effects to Health Canada at www.health.gc.ca/medeffect or by calling 866-234-2345.

What are the serious side effects of bupropion?

While less common, the most serious side effects of bupropion are described below, along with what to do if they happen.

Severe Allergic Reactions. Bupropion may cause allergic reactions, which can be serious. Stop taking bupropion and get help right away if you have any of the following symptoms of a serious allergic reaction.

  • Breathing problems or wheezing
  • Racing heart
  • Fever or general ill feeling
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat
  • Trouble swallowing or throat tightness
  • Itching, skin rash, or pale red bumps on the skin called hives
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Dizziness, feeling lightheaded, or fainting
  • Stomach cramps
  • Joint pain

Suicidal Thoughts and Actions. Bupropion may cause suicidal thoughts or actions in a small number of people. Depression or other serious mental health conditions are the most important causes of suicidal thoughts or actions. If you are about to harm yourself, call 911 or call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Stop taking bupropion and call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms.

  • New or increased thoughts of suicide or death
  • Suicide attempt
  • New or increased feelings of anxiety, depression, or other unusual changes in mood or behavior

Seizures. Some people who have taken bupropion have reported having seizures. There are many different types of seizures and some of them are not easy to recognize. Stop taking bupropion and call your healthcare provider if you have any of the following signs that a seizure is happening or could happen.

  • Muscle twitching, jerking, spasms, tremors, or other uncontrolled movements
  • Stiffening of your arms and legs
  • Feeling anxious, nervous, confused, or a sense of dread
  • Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
  • Falling or losing consciousness

Increased Blood Pressure (Hypertension). Bupropion may increase your blood pressure or make it worse if you have a history of high blood pressure. Call your healthcare provider if your blood pressure increases while taking this medicine.

If you measure your blood pressure and the top number (systolic) is 180 mm Hg or higher or the bottom number (diastolic) is 120 mm Hg or higher, get medical attention right away. Increases in blood pressure may not be noticeable, but look out for and tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms of severely high blood pressure.

  • Sudden severe headache
  • Chest pain
  • Dizziness or confusion
  • Trouble breathing
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Blurry or other changes to vision
  • Anxiety
  • Buzzing in the ears
  • Nosebleed
  • Feeling of skipped heartbeats

Extremely Elevated Mood (Mania). Bupropion may lead to a higher risk of having mania or a manic episode. People with bipolar disorder who take an antidepressant, such as bupropion, may have a higher risk of having mania or a manic episode. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms of a manic episode.

  • Very increased energy
  • Significant trouble sleeping
  • Racing, fast-paced thoughts
  • Reckless behavior
  • Unusually grand ideas
  • Excessive happiness or irritability
  • Talking more or faster than usual

Unusual Thoughts or Behavior. Taking bupropion can cause you to have unusual thoughts or behaviors. These may include delusions (not knowing what is and is not real), hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there), paranoia (feeling that people are out to get you), or confusion. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms, or if you have been told by others you have these symptoms.

Glaucoma. Bupropion may increase pressure inside the eye and cause or worsen a certain type of eye problem called narrow-angle glaucoma, which can lead to blindness. Not everyone is at risk for this problem. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms of angle-closure glaucoma.

  • Eye pain
  • Changes in your vision
  • Swelling or redness in or around your eye

Warnings & Precautions

Who should not use bupropion?

Allergies to Ingredients. People who are allergic to any of the following should not take bupropion.

  • Bupropion
  • Aplenzin
  • Forfivo XL
  • Wellbutrin
  • Wellbutrin SR
  • Wellbutrin XL
  • Zyban
  • Any of the ingredients in the specific product dispensed

Your pharmacist can tell you all of the ingredients in the specific bupropion products they stock.

Seizure Disorder or Epilepsy. Bupropion should not be taken if you have seizures or epilepsy.

Eating Disorder. Do not take bupropion if you have or have had an eating disorder, such as anorexia or bulimia. 

Suddenly Stopping Certain Medicines or Alcohol. Tell your healthcare provider if you drink a lot of alcohol and have suddenly stopped. Also tell your healthcare provider if you suddenly stop taking a medicine called a benzodiazepine (such as clonazepam or diazepam), barbiturate (such as phenobarbital or butalbital), or a medicine used for seizures (such as carbamazepine or phenytoin). See the Interactions section for more details. 

Drug Interactions. Bupropion should not be taken while you are using certain other medicines. Before taking bupropion, tell your healthcare provider about any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using. See the Interactions section for more details.

What should I know about bupropion before using it?

Do not take bupropion unless it has been prescribed to you by a healthcare provider. Take it as prescribed. Do not stop taking bupropion without talking to your healthcare provider.

Do not share bupropion with other people, even if they have the same condition as you. It may harm them.

Do not chew, cut, or crush bupropion. Ask your pharmacist or other healthcare provider if you are not sure how to take the bupropion product you are prescribed.

Bupropion can affect your alertness or coordination. Do not drive or do other activities that require alertness or coordination until you know how bupropion affects you.

Keep bupropion out of the reach of children.

Bupropion may cause false-positive results on certain urine drug screenings for amphetamines. Tell all of your healthcare providers about the medicines you take.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before using bupropion?

Tell your healthcare provider about all of your health conditions and any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using. This will help them determine if bupropion is right for you.

In particular, make sure that you discuss any of the following.

Current and Past Health Conditions. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any of the following.

  • Liver problems, including having scar tissue on your liver (cirrhosis)
  • Kidney problems
  • An eating disorder, such as anorexia or bulimia
  • Head injury
  • Seizures or epilepsy
  • Tumor in your brain or spine
  • Heart problems, including a prior heart attack or high blood pressure
  • Diabetes
  • Mental health conditions, including depression, suicidal thoughts, or bipolar disorder
  • Eye problems, including glaucoma
  • Any symptoms when you tried to quit smoking in the past

Alcohol. Tell your healthcare provider if you drink alcohol or have recently stopped drinking alcohol.

Misuse. Tell your healthcare provider if you misuse prescription medicines or street drugs. Misuse means taking a medicine in a way other than how it was prescribed.

Pregnancy. It is not known if or how bupropion could affect pregnancy or harm an unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you are or plan to become pregnant. Your healthcare provider will advise you if you should take bupropion while you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant. If you become pregnant while taking bupropion, talk to your healthcare provider to see if you should sign up for the National Pregnancy Registry for Antidepressants by calling 866-961-2388 or at www.womensmentalhealth.org/research/pregnancyregistry/antidepressants. This registry collects safety information about the use of antidepressant medicines during pregnancy. 

Breastfeeding. Bupropion passes into breast milk. Tell your healthcare provider if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Your healthcare provider will advise you if you should take bupropion while breastfeeding.

Interactions

Does bupropion interact with foods or drinks?

There are no known interactions between bupropion and foods or drinks.

It is recommended to limit or avoid the use of alcohol while taking bupropion.

Does bupropion interact with other medicines (drug interactions)?

Always tell your healthcare provider about any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using.

In particular, make sure that you discuss if you are using any of the following before taking bupropion.

  • A monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) within the past two weeks, which is a medicine usually used for depression or Parkinson’s disease, and also includes the antibiotic linezolid
  • A benzodiazepine, such as clonazepam (Klonopin), diazepam (Valium and others), or lorazepam (Ativan and others), which is a medicine used for anxiety, muscle spasms, or seizures
  • Clopidogrel or ticlopidine, which is a medicine used to prevent blood clots
  • Ritonavir (Norvir), lopinavir (Kaletra), or efavirenz, which is a medicine used for HIV
  • Any medicine for seizures, such as carbamazepine, phenytoin, or phenobarbital
  • A barbiturate, such as phenobarbital, butalbital, or primidone, which is a medicine that may be used to treat insomnia, migraines, or seizures
  • A medicine used to treat depression, such as venlafaxine (Effexor), nortriptyline (Pamelor), imipramine (Tofranil), desipramine (Norpramin), paroxetine (Paxil), fluoxetine (Prozac and others), or sertraline (Zoloft)
  • An antipsychotic, such as haloperidol (Haldol), risperidone (Risperdal), or thioridazine, which is a medicine for certain mental health conditions
  • A beta-blocker, such as metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL, and others), atenolol (Tenormin), or propranolol (Inderal LA, Innopran XL), which is a medicine that may be used for certain heart conditions or to lower blood pressure
  • A medicine used to control your heart rate or rhythm (antiarrhythmic), such as propafenone or flecainide
  • Tamoxifen, which is a medicine used for breast cancer
  • Theophylline (Theo-24, Elixophyllin), which is a medicine for asthma or certain other breathing problems
  • A corticosteroid, such as dexamethasone, methylprednisolone, or prednisone, which is a medicine for certain inflammatory conditions
  • Digoxin (Lanoxin), which is a medicine used to treat irregular heartbeat and some types of heart failure
  • Levodopa or amantadine (Gocovri), which is a medicine that may be used for Parkinson’s disease
  • Warfarin, which is a blood thinner
  • A medicine for diabetes, including insulin
  • Any other medicine that contains bupropion, such as Aplenzin, Forfivo XL, Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL, or Zyban

Some other medicines may alter the blood levels of bupropion, and vice versa. Tell your healthcare provider about all medicines that you take or have recently taken.

This may not be a complete list of medicines that can interact with bupropion. Always check with your healthcare provider.

Does interact with other drugs you are taking?

Enter your medication into the WebMD interaction checker

Overdose/Missed Dose

What should I do if I accidentally use too much bupropion?

If you or someone else has used too much bupropion, get medical help right away, call 911, or contact a Poison Control center at 800-222-1222.

What should I do if I miss a dose of bupropion?

If you miss a dose, skip the missed dose and only take the next dose. Do not take double or extra doses. Taking too much bupropion may increase your risk of a seizure.