Bupropion Hydrochloride (Antidepressant), Oral

What are other names for this medicine?

Type of medicine: antidepressant

Generic and brand names: bupropion hydrochloride, oral, antidepressant; Aplenzin; Wellbutrin; Wellbutrin SR; Wellbutrin XL

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is taken by mouth to treat depression, including seasonal affective disorder. It may be used to treat other conditions as determined by your healthcare provider.

What should my healthcare provider know before I take this medicine?

Do not take this medicine if you:

• have a seizure disorder such as epilepsy
• are taking Zyban or any other medicine that also contains bupropion hydrochloride
• have or have had an eating disorder such as bulimia or anorexia nervosa
• are taking an MAO inhibitor antidepressant (Do not take this medicine and an MAO inhibitor within 14 days of each other.)

Before taking this medicine, tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had:

• an allergic reaction to any medicine
• a head injury or tumor
• bipolar disorder
• diabetes
• heart disease
• high blood pressure
• kidney or liver disease
• problems with alcohol or drug abuse

Also tell your provider if you drink alcohol or take any other medicines regularly, such as sedatives, stimulants, or weight-loss medicines.

Females of childbearing age: Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Do not breast-feed while taking this medicine without your healthcare provider's approval.

How do I take it?

This medicine comes in regular tablets and extended-release tablets. Do not crush or chew the extended-release tablets. Swallow them whole. Ask your pharmacist if you have the extended-release tablets.

Check the label on the medicine for directions about your specific dose. Take this medicine exactly as directed by your healthcare provider in the proper amounts and at the proper times of the day. You may take this medicine with or without food.

Do not take more of it or take it longer than prescribed. Taking too much of this medicine may increase the risk of side effects. Do not stop taking this medicine without your healthcare provider's approval.

What if I miss a dose?

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember unless it is almost time for the next scheduled dose. In that case, skip the missed dose and take the next one as directed. Do not take double doses. If you are not sure of what to do if you miss a dose, or if you miss more than one dose, contact your healthcare provider.

What if I overdose?

If you or anyone else has intentionally taken too much of this medicine, call 911 or go to the emergency room right away. If you pass out, have seizures, weakness or confusion, or have trouble breathing, call 911. If you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much of this medicine, call the poison control center. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. The poison control center number is 800-222-1222.

Symptoms of an acute overdose may include: seizures, muscle stiffness, hallucinations, fainting, fast or irregular heartbeat, shallow breathing, heart failure, coma.

What should I watch out for?

Antidepressant medicines may increase suicidal thoughts or actions in some children, teenagers, and young adults within the first few months of treatment. Talk with your provider about this.

Behavior changes may be caused by the medicine or by depression or another mental illness. Contact your provider right away if you or your family notice any disturbing changes in your thoughts or behavior, such as:

• more outgoing or aggressive behavior than normal
• confusion
• hallucinations
• worsening of depression
• suicidal thoughts

If you have any seizures while you are taking this medicine, contact your healthcare provider right away.

Your healthcare provider will want to see you regularly to determine whether you should continue taking this medicine. Keep your appointments.

This medicine may affect your ability to perform tasks requiring coordination. Do not drive or operate machinery unless you are fully alert.

This medicine increases the effects of alcohol and other drugs that slow down your nervous system. Do not drink alcohol or take other medicines unless your health care provider approves.

You may see pieces of the extended-release tablet in your stool. This is normal. This is the empty tablet shell leaving your body.

What are the possible side effects?

Along with its needed effects, your medicine may cause some unwanted side effects. Some side effects may be very serious. Some side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that continue or get worse.

Life-threatening (Report these to your healthcare provider right away. If you cannot reach your healthcare provider right away, get emergency medical care or call 911 for help): Allergic reaction (hives; itching; rash; trouble breathing; tightness in your chest; swelling of your lips, tongue, and throat).

Serious (report these to your healthcare provider right away): Seizures, thoughts of suicide, extreme nervousness, chest pain, yellowish eyes or skin, extreme weakness, muscle or joint pain, dark urine, light colored bowel movements, hallucinations, fast or irregular heart beat.

Other: Headache, nausea, vomiting, dry skin, trouble sleeping, dizziness, loss of appetite, constipation, weight gain or loss, dry mouth, sweating, ringing in the ears, urinating more often, nervousness, abnormal dreams, change in sense of taste, tremors.

What products might interact with this medicine?

When you take this medicine with other medicines, it can change the way this or any of the other medicines work. Nonprescription medicines, vitamins, natural remedies, and certain foods may also interact. Using these products together might cause harmful side effects. Talk to your healthcare provider if you are taking:

• anti-HIV medicines such as nelfinavir (Viracept), efavirenz (Sustiva), and ritonavir (Norvir)
• antipsychotics such as thioridazine, haloperidol (Haldol) and risperidone (Risperdal)
• antiseizure medicines such as carbamazepine (Tegretol) and phenytoin (Dilantin)
• benzodiazepines such as alprazolam (Xanax), diazepam (Valium), triazolam (Halcion), and lorazepam (Ativan)
• beta blockers such as betaxolol (Kerlone), pindolol, metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), timolol, propranolol (Inderal), labetalol (Normodyne, Trandate), and carvedilol (Coreg)
• cimetidine (Tagamet, Tagamet HB)
• corticosteroids such as dexamethasone, fludrocortisone (Florinef), methylprednisolone (Medrol), prednisone (Meticorten), and prednisolone
• cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan)
• heart medicines such as flecainide (Tambocor) and propafenone (Rythmol)
• medicines to treat Parkinson's disease such as amantadine (Symmetrel) and levodopa/carbidopa (Sinemet)
• MAO inhibitor antidepressants such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), and tranylcypromine (Parnate) (do not take and MAO inhibitor and this medicine within 14 days each other)
• medicines to decrease appetite or cause weight loss including nonprescription or herbal weight-loss medicines
• medicines to stimulate the nervous system such as dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine, Dextrostat, Adderall, Adderall XR), methamphetamine (Desoxyn), and methylphenidate (Concerta, Ritalin, Ritalin LA, Ritalin SR)
• narcotics such as morphine (MS Contin, Oramorph SR, Roxanol), meperidine (Demerol), codeine, hydromorphone (Dilaudid), and oxycodone (OxyContin, OxyIR)
• natural remedies such as St. John's wort, SAMe, valerian, gotu kola, and kava
• nicotine in products such as Nicorette, NicoDerm, Nicotrol, Habitrol, ProStep, and NicoDerm-CQ
• orphenadrine (Norflex)
• phenobarbital (Luminal)
• selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor antidepressants (SSRIs) such as citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluvoxamine (Luvox), and sertraline (Zoloft)
• theophylline
• tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline, nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor), imipramine (Tofranil), and doxepin (Sinequan), trazodone (Desyrel), desipramine (Norpramin, Pertofrane)

Drinking alcohol while you are taking this medicine may increase its side effects. Ask your healthcare provider about this.

Keep a list of all your medicines with you. List all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take. Be sure that you tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the products you are taking.

How should I store this medicine?

Store this medicine at room temperature. Keep the container tightly closed. Protect it from heat, high humidity, and bright light.

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This advisory includes selected information only and may not include all side effects of this medicine or interactions with other medicines. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information or if you have any questions.

Ask your pharmacist for the best way to dispose of outdated medicine or medicine you have not used. Do not throw medicine in the trash.

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Do not share medicines with other people.

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