Medication Guide
Bupropion (Wellbutrin XL, Wellbutrin SR) Side Effects and Uses
A plain-language guide to Bupropion, an Atypical antidepressant (norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor). Learn how it helps, what it treats, how to take it and which side effects to know about.
Quick answer. Bupropion (Wellbutrin XL) is an Atypical antidepressant (norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor). Common bupropion side effects include trouble sleeping or vivid dreams, dry mouth, headache and nausea. The rare but serious ones, and when to get help, are listed under bupropion side effects below. Never stop or change your dose on your own.
How Bupropion Can Help You
Bupropion (Wellbutrin) works in a different way from SSRIs and SNRIs. It boosts norepinephrine and dopamine. These brain chemicals are tied to energy, drive, focus and pleasure. So it can help most when depression brings tiredness or low drive. It can also help with too much sleep or poor focus.
It does not act on serotonin. So it rarely causes sexual side effects or weight gain. It can even be added to an SSRI to help offset those effects.
Many people notice more energy and drive within one to two weeks. The full effect on mood usually builds over four to eight weeks. Bupropion is also used to prevent seasonal depression and to help people quit smoking. Your prescriber picks the form and dose that fit your needs.
Uses for Bupropion
- Major depressive disorder
- Seasonal affective disorder (winter depression), with the XL form
- Quitting smoking (as Zyban)
- Sexual side effects from other antidepressants (off-label)
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (off-label)
- Depression with strong tiredness or low drive
- Add-on to an SSRI when it has helped only partly (off-label)
How to Take Bupropion
Your prescriber decides your dose and form. The XL form is taken once a day, usually in the morning. The SR form is usually taken twice a day. Bupropion can be energizing. So doses are taken earlier in the day to protect sleep. You can take it with or without food. Swallow the tablets whole. Never crush, chew or split them.
Never take extra doses or double up after a missed one. Seizure risk rises with too much at once. If you miss a dose, just take the next one on schedule. Do not stop bupropion without talking to your prescriber. Before you start, tell your prescriber about any seizures, eating disorder or heavy drinking.
Bupropion Side Effects
Common Side Effects
- Trouble sleeping or vivid dreams
- Dry mouth
- Headache
- Nausea
- Anxious or jittery feelings early on
- Lower appetite
- More sweating
- Shakiness
- Constipation
Serious: Get Medical Help Promptly
- New or worse suicidal thoughts, mostly in people under 25 (boxed warning)
- Seizure, with higher risk at high doses or in people with risk factors
- Higher blood pressure
- Severe allergic reaction, with rash, hives, swelling or trouble breathing
- New or worse agitation, hostility or mood changes
- Angle-closure glaucoma, with eye pain or vision changes
How Bupropion Works
Bupropion slows the reuptake of norepinephrine and dopamine. So more of them stay active. It has almost no effect on serotonin. That is why it feels different from SSRIs. It tends to be energizing rather than calming.
Bupropion comes in three forms. They are immediate-release, SR (sustained-release) and XL (extended-release). The forms release the medicine at different speeds. Your prescriber chooses one. Zyban, the form for quitting smoking, is the same medicine. Never take two bupropion products at the same time.
Before You Start Bupropion
Bupropion is not safe for everyone. It should not be used by people with a seizure disorder. It is also ruled out with a current or past eating disorder. Examples are anorexia and bulimia. It is also avoided in someone suddenly stopping alcohol, benzodiazepines or seizure drugs. It must never be taken with an MAOI antidepressant.
Bupropion can raise the levels of some medicines. These include some antidepressants and heart drugs. Tell your prescriber about high blood pressure and head injury. Also share liver or kidney disease and bipolar disorder. If you are thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988, or call 911. Read about depression care by telehealth in California.
Is Bupropion Right for You?
Only a full evaluation with a prescriber can tell you if Bupropion fits your symptoms, history and goals. Harpal Singh, PMHNP-BC offers psychiatric evaluations and ongoing medication management by telehealth anywhere in California.
SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT CALL (888) 457-8124
Related Medication Guides
Other guides in the same group, written the same simple way. Being in one group does not mean you can swap one medicine for another.
- Fluoxetine (Prozac), SSRI antidepressant
- Fluvoxamine (Luvox), SSRI antidepressant
- Mirtazapine (Remeron), Atypical antidepressant (noradrenergic and specific serotonergic)
- Nortriptyline (Pamelor), Tricyclic antidepressant (TCA)
- Paroxetine (Paxil), SSRI antidepressant
- Sertraline (Zoloft), SSRI antidepressant
FAQ
Questions About Bupropion
Why is bupropion different from SSRIs?
Bupropion works on norepinephrine and dopamine instead of serotonin. It tends to be energizing rather than calming and rarely causes sexual side effects or weight gain. It can even be combined with an SSRI when each covers what the other misses.
Who should not take bupropion?
People with a seizure disorder, a current or past eating disorder, or who are suddenly stopping alcohol or sedatives should not take it. These raise seizure risk. Share your full medical history so your prescriber can confirm it is safe for you.
Will bupropion help me quit smoking?
Yes. Bupropion is FDA approved for quitting smoking under the name Zyban. It can ease cravings and withdrawal. It is usually started before your quit date, and your prescriber explains the timing.
Will bupropion make my anxiety worse?
Because it is energizing, bupropion can raise jitters or anxiety for some people in the first weeks. For many, this settles. If anxiety is your main problem, a serotonin medicine is often a better first choice, and your prescriber matches the medicine to your symptoms.
Does bupropion cause weight gain?
Usually not. Bupropion is one of the few antidepressants linked to no weight change or a small weight loss. This, along with a low rate of sexual side effects, is a common reason people choose it.
Can I drink alcohol while taking bupropion?
Keep alcohol to a minimum or avoid it. Alcohol can lower the seizure threshold, and suddenly stopping heavy drinking while on bupropion raises seizure risk. Be honest with your prescriber about how much you drink.
Can bupropion affect a drug test?
Bupropion can cause a false positive for amphetamines on some urine screening tests. A more specific lab test can sort this out. If you have a drug test, tell the tester you take bupropion.
What is the difference between Wellbutrin XL and SR?
Both contain bupropion, but they release it at different speeds. XL is usually taken once a day, and SR is usually taken twice a day. Your prescriber chooses the form that fits your routine and needs.