Wellbutrin: Patient Medical Information
Wellbutrin SR is usually used to treat depression, but it may also be used for treating nicotine addiction and for other conditions that are determined by your doctor. Wellbutrin SR belongs to the drug class of Bupropion. Bupropion is an atypical antidepressant that affects chemicals within the brain that nerves use to send messages to each other. Thus, the acting mechanism of Bupropion provides the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain.
You should take Wellbutrin SR in one, two or three daily doses. For immediate-release tablets, no single dose should exceed 150 mg and each dose should be separated by 6 hours.
The initial dose of sustained-release tablets is 150 mg daily; target dose is 150 mg twice daily; maximum dose is 200 mg twice daily.
The initial dose of extended-release tablets is 150 mg daily; target dose is 300 mg daily; maximum dose is 450 mg daily. Extended release tablets should be taken once daily.
When used for smoking cessation, bupropion is started as 150 mg once daily for three days, and then the dose is increased if the patient feels well. Wellbutrin SR is given as two daily doses. The target date for smoking cessation is normally within the first two weeks of Wellbutrin SR treatment.
Wellbutrin SR has to be taken orally with or without food. Taking it with food may help if this medicine causes stomach irritation when taken by itself. Do not crash or chew your dose, swallow whole. It may take a few weeks before you notice improvement.
If you have missed a dose of Wellbutrin SR, skip the missed dose and return to your regular schedule. You should never take a double dose at once, as it may make your condition worse or cause serious problems, in particular, seizures. It is forbidden to take more than 1 dose within 8 hours. In case of overdosing, seek medical attention immediately. Symptoms of overdose may include blurred vision, light-headedness, seizures, loss of consciousness, hallucinations.
Wellbutrin SR should be used with caution if you have heart disease, high blood pressure, history of heart attack, a history of head injury, seizures, or brain or spinal cord tumor, kidney disease, liver disease (especially cirrhosis), bipolar disorder (manic depression).
You should not take Wellbutrin if you are allergic to bupropion or to any of the ingredients of this medication, you are currently taking thioridazine (an antipsychotic medication), having abrupt withdrawal from alcohol or sedatives, taking another medication that contains bupropion, have a seizure disorder, have or have had an eating disorder (bulimia or anorexia nervosa), have taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAO inhibitor; e.g., phenelzine, tranylcypromine) within the past 2 weeks.
Side effects that may appear during the therapy are as follows: dry mouth, flushing, gas, constipation, staggers, sleepiness, increased urination, nervousness, restlessness, headache, increased sweating, appetite loss, weight changes, trouble sleeping, nausea, ringing in the ears, vomiting, weakness, stomach pain, taste changes. If anything out of the list occurs, call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.