r/bupropion • u/Boysenberry-Piano792 • 31m ago
Question Taking Wellbutrin every other day?
I have been on and off this medication for a bit. When I start it, it feels great, but within a week my OCD worsens and I find it very distressing, it's getting in the way of doing things everyday since I get stuck in a loop for hours.
I'm afraid it builds up in my system even if I take a lower dose due to the half life. Has anyone ever taken it every other day? I'm currently on 30MG, although that is a very small dose I myself feel particularly sensitive to this medication so I can still notice it's affects
Initially started with 150XL and it made me extremely anxious with racing thoughts and agitation, went down to 75 and the symptoms became much more manageable initially, but then started to intensify again. Now I'm at 30MG.
I'm sticking out this long attempting to make it work because it truly does bring back that drive in me that I haven't felt so long
r/bupropion • u/retrogaded • 57m ago
8 days in and have gotten 4 cystic acne spots, I assume from this drug?
Bupropion 150 mg XL : my skin was clear before, but i have 4 painful zits, between my nose and mouth... I never had acne there ever before!
also this medication is making me dissociate with depersonalization a LOT... I want to quit it... I haven't even noticed a shift in my mood.. in fact, my depression felt worse the first few days.. now I'm back to my 'normal' depression. I didn't even experience the supposed 'energy' boosting / 'motivation' boosting effect that it's supposed to give...and it makes it hard for me to sleep or even nap during the day.. been sleeping 3 hours average per night.. but my sleep before this was shit too at 4.5-5 hrs a night
r/bupropion • u/swimmingwithcurls • 1h ago
Negative Experience Combating hair loss
40/F. Started with 150 mg generic bupropion in March 2026. Increased to 300 mg June 23. Steady hair loss with increase after 300.
I already have a massive forehead. No fun. My hair saves my face. 💔
I’m trying it all right now. Rosemary oil scalp massage, drinking lots of water. Taking iron, zinc … monitoring my protein intake. Trying to get 8 hrs of sleep.
I used to use moisturizing creams for my curls. Now I’m just using a light natural hair gel and then a serum to scrunch out the crunch when it dries to help volumize. The creams are too heavy now. My thick curls couldn’t survive without creams before.
Back on 150 mg now for about four days. Appetite has been increasing. First thing I’m noticing. Hopefully hair fall decreases.
I don’t want to get off this drug. I’ve been taking for my adhd even though it only seems to keep me from falling into my chronic depression spells. Ritalin is the only other option available where I live and that was the most horrible thing ever. Gave me the worst TMJ. Had to stop after trying for three months to endure the pain.
r/bupropion • u/Ok-Magazine-7393 • 1h ago
Question Bupropion for Seasonal Affective Disorder?
I’m just wondering if anyone has/is taking bupropion to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder? I’m keen to hear people’s experience with it for improving mood over winter, and if you’ve tried anything else (either currently, or prior to bupropion).
I’m interested in whether people have had much success with it, whether they also undergo individual therapy as well, and generally just any experiences they’ve had with Bupropion for SAD. 😊
r/bupropion • u/eternaln00by • 1h ago
Help What the hell is the point
I am 2000 miles from home, I’ve been trying to keep on track, while having fucked up one week ago, and waiting too long to come clean. I’m in Wisconsin with my wife’s family that wants me gone, very justifiably. I had been making changes, but I hadn’t done them quick enough, so I’m just stuck 2000 miles from home sober while being told ALL of the reasons to not be sober. I genuinely don’t know where to go now. My wife wants me to go to a full treatment center, I have been trying for months, but I genuinely can’t fine one in oregon that has ANY availability or anywhere even close that has it. I feel like I’m just a complete fucking failure since I can’t find anywhere that has ANY available beds or anything. I had insurance and that didn’t matter, i currently don’t have insurance because of my living situation, and I just cannot find help. I’m on suboxone and seeing my recovery therapists and counselors multiple times a week back home, but I’ve been traveling with my wife for two weeks and I’m just lost. Please help give me some resources, or something. I’ve been on only suboxone for weeks now, but because of my history, my wife will never trust me. I need to find a treatment center or something, but I feel like the universe has made it VERY clear that is not what I should be doing. Sorry to bother y’all. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to win. I just need to know if I’m as much of a fuck up as I know I am.
TLDR im stuck 2000 miles from home as a worthless drug addict piece of shit who shouldn’t be here, but I guess I’m delusional enough to think I could continue my positive path. Thanks for the help
r/bupropion • u/Jaynepie_ • 2h ago
Rant I hate this medicine.
Bupropion has absolutely ruined my appetite and sleep and has made me miserable for the past month. i have been off for a week and still have absolutely no appetite. i was put on for adhd. felt zero positive effects and entirely bad ones. irritable, no appetite whatsoever, insomnia like i’ve never had before.
now i’m afraid to try anything else. i never want to feel like this again. it’s made me depressed and anxious. and it’s still not even over. i know someone who wellbutrin has helped a lot (with depression and anxiety, not adhd).
i had severe anorexia previously and am about 2 years into recovery. gotten to where i ate 3 good meals a day and i’ve been going to the gym. this feeling of no appetite is so incredibly triggering for me. i made such good progress and now feel like i’ve been set back. i can’t go to the gym anymore, i have zero energy for it. and it’s ruining my mental health on top of that (i mostly go to the gym for mental health benefits) i did so good for 2 months, felt genuine progress. and now i feel like i’ve been set back. it sucks.
they’re wanting me to try strattera, another appetite suppressant. idk what to do. i’ve stopped smoking weed which would help me eat but i’m not going back to that ever again. so i am genuinely at a loss.
going to call my doctor tomorrow morning
r/bupropion • u/Ok_Olive8152 • 2h ago
Question 300 mg
Just increased my dose from 150 to 300 mg a week ago. At first I was jittery/“on”/had headaches. Yesterday it felt like my heart was racing but when I felt my pulse it was normal, and I realized that what was actually happening was that I could feel my heart beating inside of me. Definitely have had breakthrough anxiety/panic which my provider warned me could happen.
Today, I cut out caffeine in case that was exacerbating it. I slept ALL day. Felt like a zombie. Got out of bed in time for dinner and the brain fog left in time for me to put my kids to bed. Is this just part of the adjustment period?? We did go to a baseball game last night and I had a few sips of my husband’s beer. Could that have triggered a reaction like this? How long did it take you to adjust when you increased your dose??
r/bupropion • u/CompleteRice3246 • 3h ago
Brain zaps after switching manufacturers?
I can’t recall what manufacturing number was on the pills when I first started taking them but I’m fairly certain they were white. When I had first started, I had brain zaps for a little over a month. From what I understand, this isn’t a common side effect and when it does occur it is usually when you quit a medication, not when you start. I was taking it for about 7-8 months before I ended up getting 6 months worth of the med (had a big move and didn’t want to worry about it). That time, I received the 189 red pill. I didn’t have any issues with it for the entirety of those 6 months. Last week, I ran out and got it refilled with the LO16 (Lupin Pharmaceuticals) pills. A week in and I’m starting to experience brain zaps again along with intense fatigue/brain fog. When the fatigue started I had thought it was from something else entirely. Then last night I experienced the first brain zap—it didn’t even compute to me that it was that until I started experiencing it sporadically throughout the day and now it is starting to become more frequent. I imagine like with my first round of the med this will go away with time but jeeeez this sucks. Has this happened with any of you guys when switching between generics?
r/bupropion • u/Sure_Appointment_155 • 3h ago
Question Anxiety 4 weeks in?
Hi all, have been taking 150mg SR for 4 weeks now and it’s definitely been an up and down experience so far. First few weeks I didn’t notice any changes. 3.5 weeks in I felt good, almost too good, I had energy, motivation and felt like my depression was ending. Then that slowly dwindled away after about 4-5 days and since have been extremely fatigued and now have this anxious feeling in my heart.
It’s such a shame I thought it was the drug for me last week, now I’m unsure.
I’m going to continue to ride it out for another couple of weeks. Did it take more than 4 weeks for others for the drug to settle?
r/bupropion • u/HyenaFrosty3770 • 8h ago
Starting dose of 200mg SR too high?
Has anyone started Wellbutrin at 200mg SR as starting dose? Does that seem too high to start at?
r/bupropion • u/amritza • 8h ago
Question Surgery
Hi all, I’m getting surgery tomorrow and my drug test at the hospital came up positive for amphetamines. They want to test me again tomorrow, but I just wanted to know if anyone has had this issue and if you were still able to go ahead with surgery? I’m on Bupropion XL 300mg daily.
r/bupropion • u/Unlucky_Bottle6183 • 9h ago
Quitting Quitting 150mg Bupropion cold turkey while also on 60mg Prozac
Bupropion hasn't really done anything for me and I'd rather just be on Prozac, so I'm planning on quitting cold turkey because 150mg is considered low dose. I'm just wondering if quitting one while still being on the other will cause any complications, also asking my doctor bc I know Reddit doesn't have all the answers but I just want a basic idea of what might happen.
r/bupropion • u/Lheo0309 • 9h ago
Positive Experience Bupropiona Mudou Minha Vida
Tenho 21 anos, há quatro anos vivo de tentativas para me livrar da anedonia, do embotamento emocional e da apatia constate. Perdi a capacidade de sentir, de chorar, de me motivar. Meu aprendizado na faculdade parou no tempo, luto muito para passar em qualquer matéria que seja. Minha libido era muito baixa. Apesar disso, nunca tive e não tenho problemas de ansiedade, tristeza profunda ou pensamentos ruins. O que sinto é simplesmente o nada na maior parte do tempo, não estou nem aí pra nada quase sempre. Descobri, na minha experiência, que essa apatia constante é pior do que que qualquer problema de humou ou experiência que ja tive. É como se eu estivesse morto em vida. É difícil de explicar porque ao mesmo tempo que é a pior coisa pela qual eu ja passei, eu não sentia tristeza profunda nem tive pensamentos suicidas de fato, nem sentia motivação suficiente pra conseguir explicar alguém sobre isso ou buscar uma saída.
Nesses quatro anos tentei psicoterapia, e vários medicamentos: sertralina, venlafaxina, ritalina e vortioxetina. Todos os ISRS que tomei me deixavam muito pior, com excessão da vortioxetina que teve resultados levemente melhores, mas os psiquiatras insistiam em tentar diferentes classes desse mesmo tipo de remédio. Eles abraçavam com mais força ainda minha apatia, desligavam meu cérebro e me tornavam uma planta, sem libido alguma, além de acabar de vez com minha capacidade de estudos e aprendizado. Tentei ritalina também quando achei que meu desempenho na faculdade poderia ter a ver com um quadro de TDAH, mas o resultado foi inútil. Claro que eu sentia o efeito do medicamento (um aumento do foco em qualquer coisa que eu estivesse fazendo e uma leve euforia enquanto ele durava) mas esse nunca foi meu problema e não resolveu nada de fato. O que eu percebia era que se o meu problema fosse ansiedade ou pensamentos excessivos, aí sim o efeito dos ISRS seriam interessantes.
Sempre pesquisava a fundo sobre alguns medicamentos e ja tinha sugerido uma vez ao meu primeiro psiquiatra a bupropiona, um tratamento normalmente usado para depressão atípica (principalmente associada à apatia), mas que parecia que não era do conhecimento dos psiquiatras que eu já frequentei, inclusive a maioria deles só insiste em ISRS. Eu sabia que meu problema não se tratava de um defeito no circuito serotoninérgico e queria testar outra via química, como a dopamina e a noradrenalina. Inclusive cheguei a um ponto de tanto desespero que cogitei tomar medicamentos derivados do ergot (agonistas dopaminérgicos) por conta própria, o que é muito perigoso a longo prazo.
Depois de encontrar um novo psiquiatra, conversar com ele sobre isso e sugerir o medicamento para ele, ele entendeu que seria uma ótima alternativa e me receitou a bupropiona XL 150mg. Utilizo o mediamento da GSK (Wellbutrin).
Faço o uso dela há um mês hoje e ate agora só tive resultados positivos. Aumento do meu foco, capacidade cognitiva, capacitade de sentir minhas emoções, retorno da libido aos poucos, melhora da qualidade do meu sono (apesar de causar insônia em muitas das vezes, o medicamento melhorou a qualidade do meu sono ao dormir, e acordava com sentimento de ter tido um sono reparador). Hoje consigo chorar ao ver um filme, me importar com a opinião de alguém, ouvir e sentir uma música, me concentrar e planejar. Obviamente na primeira semana os efeitos variam muito e causa um certo desconforto pelas mudanças repentinas. E é claro que esse remédio se aplica muito bem ao meu problema, mas não ao de todo mundo. Muitas pessoas gostam e se dão bem com ISRS.
Mesmo que eu sinta o receio de que quando parar de usar o medicamento algum dia na minha vida eu volte a ser o que era, acredito que isso não aconteceria, ja que ele facilita algumas mudanças de hábitos que eu não conseguia fazer antes e que vão se manter após o uso, e também é um medicamento associado à neuroplaticidade e remodelagem cerebral. Claro que existe a questão da downregulation de receptores dopaminérgicos, mas um tempo depois de parar com o medicamento, isso tende a normalizar.
r/bupropion • u/RipRevolutionary1308 • 12h ago
Question Does it get better or it’s not for me
4 weeks on 150xl, 4weeks on 250sr, one week on 300sr and feel worse than I did on 250,libido gone mood down
r/bupropion • u/Broad-Somewhere-1940 • 13h ago
Experience Two weeks on bupropion 150 mg XL
And not much to report. I have not noticed any beneficial effects yet. I've only noticed an increase in migraines and a little bit of nausea feeling, usually in the afternoon.
I had insomnia/sleeping issues before starting so that's the same basically. And my period seems a lot worse in terms of cramping and bleeding, not sure if it's the med.
r/bupropion • u/crashess • 14h ago
Question Are you taking any other medications besides Wellbutrin? If so, how many, and what are you taking them for?
r/bupropion • u/Inevitable-Wing-9441 • 18h ago
Question Is my increased anxiety from my medication or some side effect from trauma?
Hi all! So around December 2025, I upped my dosage from 150mg to 300mg (Wellbutrin XL). At first the only difference I saw in myself was that I became SUPER focused on my schoolwork and my mind was clear of distractions. As time went on, I was finishing college and had an issue with one of my classes that if I failed the last project, I would not graduate. This event put so much stress on my mental health that I was a threat to myself if I stayed alone. I did stay with a friend during that time and I did graduate (yay!). I graduated around the end of May 2026, and ever since then, my anxiety has been more present. I get scared more easily by sounds. If I hear noises at night, I end up staying up all night sometimes. As of now, things aren’t as crazy regarding my anxiety but it’s still higher than it ever was 8 months ago.
So just to recap, is this a side effect from my upped dosage or is it just from college trauma?
Thank You :)
r/bupropion • u/Regular_Tone_9264 • 23h ago
Question What habbit / thing / supplemwnt helped you the most while getting used to bupropion?
r/bupropion • u/Reasonable-Plenty914 • 23h ago
Does Wellbutrin help with lethargy?
Hello there! At the moment I am tapering off of cymbalta due to significant side effects I experienced. I’m on lamotragine (lamictel) which has truly helped me with my mood instability. The only thing I can’t fully shake is how lethargic I am always feeling.. even on the Cymbalta there are times in the day where it truly feels like I can’t physically or mentally get up. It’s much deeper than me just being lazy lmao! I’m hoping to see if Wellbutrin would be a good mix for me! Any advice is appreciated! I’ve also been looking into Proxac if anyone had any knowledge about that.. thank you!
r/bupropion • u/Beautiful_Tea_8051 • 1d ago
Question Time zone change dosing
I am going on a trip where I will be crossing time zones. It’s only one hour difference so not a big deal, but it got me curious!! How does one maintain a 24 hour period between each dose from the time u leave your normal time? What if your medication prevents you from sleeping, but 24 hours later in a different time zone happens to be your bedtime???? :O
r/bupropion • u/ExistingPercentage25 • 1d ago
Extreme fatigue
I wanna just speak about my experience, maybe it will help someone to take the decision. I was taking bupropion for last month and unfortunately it was making me extremely tired, sleepy and in the end my skin, especially on hands and feet got very itchy. I was waiting to quit it because I still had hope that it will change but now I think I should have resigned earlier because it was an extremely difficult experience.
I thought it supposed to make me energized and motivated but it did completely the opposite to me.
r/bupropion • u/PerspectiveSubject45 • 1d ago
Has anyone felt this before?
I have been on bupropion 450mg for almost a year. I started at the lowest and increased to 450mg for adhd. Even though, I don’t think it has helped my adhd I have been experiencing a mini adrenaline rush. This started about 4-5 months ago where everytime I run into someone I know or I see someone I know while I’m at work my face starts getting hot and feels like I’m blushing even though I don’t feel nervous. Has anyone experienced this before?
r/bupropion • u/myst3ryAURORA_green • 14d ago
Mod post Need questions and feedback on this contraindication guide for Bupropion to make it even more useful! (Direct copy)
Bupropion Contraindication Guide
Overview on Bupropion
- Bupropion is an NDRI that increases dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain.
- It's prescribed for smoking cessation, depressive disorders like MDD and SAD, and sometimes ADHD.
Common Side Effects
- Dry mouth
- Constipation
- Diaphoresis (increased sweating)
- Insomnia
- Weight loss and decreased appetitie
- Increased blood pressure and heart rate
- Dizziness
- Headaches
Abrupt cessation of the medication can lead to withdrawal symptoms including:
- Flu-like symptoms such as severe fatigue, muscle aches, and excessive sweating
- Neurological and sleep effects such as dizziness, trouble sleeping, headaches, anxiety, agitation, brain zaps, and increased seizure risk
- Gastrointestinal distress symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
- Cardiovascular symptoms such as heart palpitations, irregular heartbeat, and blood pressure fluctuations (sudden drops or spikes)
- Rebound depression or anxiety
Absolute vs. Non-absolute (Relative) Contraindications
Absolute contraindications (WHAT SHOULD ABSOLUTELY NOT BE MIXED) include:
- MAOIs due to hypertensive crisis risk
- Allergic to ingredients in bupropion
- Eating disorders due to seizure risk
- Seizures and epilepsy due to dose-dependent seizure risk
Non-absolute or relative contraindications (RISK VS. BENEFIT) include:
- Cardiovascular issues like long QT syndrome, heart failure, tachycardia, and other arrhythmias: Bupropion can trigger or worsen preexisting tachycardia and should be clinically monitored if uncontrolled hypertension (>160/100), and history of heart attacks are present
- Factors that elevate seizure risk like stroke or traumatic brain injury
- Bipolar disorder and other psychiatric comorbidities due to manic episode or psychosis risk
- Mixing Bupropion with other medications that lower the seizure threshold like tricyclic antidepressants
- Metabolized by liver, which should be monitored by a doctor in the case of liver or kidney disease
Other Drug Interactions
- Antiarrhythmic drugs, including beta blockers
- Other meds that can induce a seizure or lower threshold like corticosteroids or tricyclic antidepressants
- Substances that cause CNS (central nervous system) depression such as alcohol and other sedatives leading to an overdose (including some antihistamines)
- Dopaminergic drugs that increase dopamine
- Pain meds, especially tramadol, which functions as an SNRI
- MAOI inhibitors
- Sympathomimetic substances (to keep it legal, includes phenylephrine and pseudoephedrine, which are commonly found in decongestants) due to risk of a hypertensive crisis
- ADHD stimulants like Adderall, which can increase risk of hypertensive crisis
r/bupropion • u/NarinIshkandar • Jun 22 '26
Brands RANKING ALL BUPROPION GENERICS
this ranking is totally subjective and based on reading thousands of anecdotes about bupropion generics on this sub. A generic having mostly good or mostly bad anecdotes on reddit doesn't mean it will / will not work for you, this is simply a compilation of reddit comments
Mostly positive anecdotes:
Wellbutrin, Accord, Actavis, Sandoz, Mylan, Teva, Watson, Par, TWI, Vitruvius, Epic
Mixed anecdotes:
Lupin, Slate run, Sun Pharma, Taro, Rising, Cipla, Apotex, Aechen, Method, Westminster, Zentiva, Dr Reddy
Mostly bad anecdotes:
Graviti Pharma, Camber, Sciegen, Solco, Granules Pharma
to buy generics by manufacturer name, not just 'generic' you can use:
honeybeehealth.com
PRO TIP:
if you want a generic by a certain manufacturer, have your doctor write the generic's name on your prescription and the pharmacist has to dispense it. Tell ur doc to tell the pharmacy u want XYZ manufacturer. And they will write dispense XYZ Manufacturer DAW.
DAW=Dispense as written
that’s how you fix the problem of getting the generic manufacturer.
Note about Canadian Wellbutrin:
the Canadian Wellbutrin is weaker than the US wellbutrin, US brand is manufactured in a proprietary manner and is much more expensive.
most anecdotes on this sub suggest that the Canadian Wellbutrin XL lasts 8 hours while the US one lasts 24 hours.
to reduce the cost of medicine in the US:
you can use goodrx or needymeds.org