How to use it
Take this medication by mouth with or without food. (If you experience nausea, take it with food.) Do not crush, chew, or divide the tablet. If you have insomnia, don’t take this medication close to bedtime. Store bupropion at room temperature and away from light, excess heat, and moisture.
Dosing
Bupropion should be taken as instructed by a qualified health care provider. Bupropion typically comes in a tablet form with dosages starting at 75 mg for the immediate-release tablets. Your health care provider may customize dosing based on various factors, including your weight and how well you tolerate the medication.
If you miss a dose, skip the missed dose and then return to your regular dosing schedule. Always allow the full scheduled amount of time to pass between doses of bupropion. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.
Side effects
Tell your health care provider about your medical history. You should not take bupropion if you have any of these conditions:
- Anorexia
- Bulimia
- Seizure disorder
- Severe head injury
- Withdrawal from benzodiazepine or alcohol intoxication
You should not take bupropion under these circumstances either:
- If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant
- If you’ve taken an MAOI (monoamine oxidase inhibitor), such as Nardil®, Parnate®, or Marplan® in the past 14 days
Tell your health care provider right away if you experience:
- Anxiety
- Buzzing or ringing in ears
- Chest discomfort
- Confusion or trouble concentrating
- Depression
- Dry mouth
- Fainting
- Hallucinations
- Headaches
- Hyperventilation
- Impulsivity
- Irregular heartbeats
- Irritability
- Lightheadedness
- Mood or mental changes
- Restlessness
- Seizures
- Shaking
- Skin hives, rashes or itching
- Suicidal thoughts
- Sweating
- Trouble sleeping
- Unusual tiredness
- Vision changes or eye pain
Stop using this medication and get medical help right away if you have any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat; problems breathing or swallowing; severe rash or itching; fainting or feeling dizzy; or very rapid heartbeat.
Black Box Warning
Bupropion’s “black box” warns that this drug may cause suicidal thinking and behavior, as well as other serious mental health side effects, including hallucinations, confusion, paranoia, irrational fears, and manic episodes (for people with undiagnosed bipolar disorder). The medicine may also cause high blood pressure, fast, irregular heartbeats, seizures, acute angle-closure glaucoma, and death.
Precautions
Tell your health care provider about your medical history. You should not take bupropion if you have any of these conditions:
- Anorexia
- Bulimia
- Seizure disorder
- Severe head injury
- Withdrawal from benzodiazepine or alcohol intoxication
You should not take bupropion under these circumstances either:
- If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant
- If you’ve taken an MAOI (monoamine oxidase inhibitor), such as Nardil®, Parnate®, or Marplan® in the past 14 days
Tell your health care provider right away if you experience:
- Anxiety
- Buzzing or ringing in ears
- Chest discomfort
- Confusion or trouble concentrating
- Depression
- Dry mouth
- Fainting
- Hallucinations
- Headaches
- Hyperventilation
- Impulsivity
- Irregular heartbeats
- Irritability
- Lightheadedness
- Mood or mental changes
- Restlessness
- Seizures
- Shaking
- Skin hives, rashes or itching
- Suicidal thoughts
- Sweating
- Trouble sleeping
- Unusual tiredness
- Vision changes or eye pain
Stop using this medication and get medical help right away if you have any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat; problems breathing or swallowing; severe rash or itching; fainting or feeling dizzy; or very rapid heartbeat.
Interactions
Some medications and other substances can interact with bupropion, including:
- Alcohol
- MAOIs (like isocarboxazid, linezolid, phenelzine, selegiline, or tranylcypromine)
- Drugs that increase dopamine levels in your system (like levodopa and amantadine)
- Drugs that affect the central nervous system (like antihistamines or medicine for allergies or colds, sedatives, tranquilizers, or sleeping medication)
- Drugs for depression or anxiety
- Antipsychotics
- Theophylline
- Systemic corticosteroids
- Prescription pain medicine or narcotics
- Medicine for attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Medicine for seizures or barbiturates
- Muscle relaxants
- Anesthetics, including some dental anesthetics
Avoid drinking alcohol while taking bupropion.
If you take diabetes medications, please discuss with your prescribing clinician before taking bupropion since your diabetes medications may need to be adjusted as you lose weight.
