Bupropion (Systemic)

Brand Names : Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR, Zyban, amfebutamone

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For bupropion, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to bupropion. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy - Studies have not been done in pregnant women. However, bupropion has not been reported to cause birth defects or other problems in animal studies.

Breast-feeding - Bupropion passes into breast milk. Because it may cause unwanted effects in nursing babies, use of bupropion is not recommended during breast-feeding.

Children - This medicine has been tested in a very small number of patients 6 to 16 years of age and has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems in children than it does in adults. More testing is needed to decide whether bupropion is safe and effective for use in children.

Older adults - This medicine has been tested in a limited number of patients 60 years of age and older and has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking bupropion, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Alcohol or
• Antipsychotics (medicine for mental illness) or
• Corticosteriods(cortisone-like medicine) or
• Fluoxetine (e.g., Prozac) or
• Lithium (e.g., Lithane) or
• Maprotiline (e.g., Ludiomil) or
• Theophylline (e.g., Somophyllin-T) or
• Trazodone (e.g., Desyrel) or
• Tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline [e.g., Elavil], amoxapine [e.g., Asendin], clomipramine [e.g., Anafranil], desipramine [e.g., Pertofrane], doxepin [e.g., Sinequan], imipramine [e.g., Tofranil], nortriptyline [e.g., Aventyl], protriptyline [e.g., Vivactil], trimipramine [e.g., Surmontil]) or
• Ritonavir (e.g., Norvir) - Using these medicines with bupropion may increase the risk of seizures

• Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor activity (isocarboxazid [e.g., Marplan], phenelzine [e.g., Nardil], procarbazine [e.g., Matulane], selegiline [e.g., Eldepryl], tranylcypromine [e.g., Parnate]) - Do not take bupropion while you are taking or within 14 days of taking an MAO inhibitor or you may increase the chance of serious side effects; at least 14 days should be allowed between stopping treatment with an MAO inhibitor and starting treatment with bupropion

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of bupropion. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Anorexia nervosa, or history of or
• Brain tumor or
• Bulimia, or history of or
• Drug abuse or
• Head injury, history of or
• Mental retardation or
• Seizure disorders - The risk of seizures may be increased when bupropion is taken by patients with these conditions

• Bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness) or
• Other nervous, mental, or emotional conditions or
• High blood pressure - Bupropion may make the condition worse

• Heart disease - Higher blood levels of bupropion may result, increasing the chance of side effects, or blood pressure may be increased

• Kidney disease or
• Liver disease - Higher blood levels of bupropion may result, increasing the chance of side effects