Bupropion(Wellbutrin)

Antidepressant (norepinephrine/dopamine reuptake inhibitor and releaser)

Dosing

slowly (raise by 75mg/wk) if anxious or bipolar. Never go above 450mg/d (seizures). Give in morning. At 300mg, IR is tid, SR is bid, XL is qam. If using for antidep augmentation, works best with escitalopram/citalopram. Avoid Aplenzin (has bromides in it, expensive, and no advantage to it).

Management

Warn of seizures if doubles up on dose. Tremor, headache, dry mouth anxiety. It can cause a little insomnia but actually deepens sleep quality (take in morning)

Treats anxious depression as well as an SSRI although does not treat anxiety disorders. Treats ADHD. Safest antidepressant in bipolar. Varenicline is more effective for smoking cessation but can be combined with bupropion.

EMR Text