Bupropion Dosing

The recommended starting bupropion dose for treating depression is 100 mg twice a day. Your healthcare provider should increase your bupropion dosage slowly. In order to reduce the risk of seizures, you should not take more than 450 mg total per day. Your age, other medical conditions you may have, and other drugs you may be taking are a few of the factors that can affect bupropion dosing. Bupropion will not work if you take it in a way other than how your healthcare provider prescribed it.

Bupropion Dosing: An Introduction

The dose of bupropion hydrochloride (Wellbutrin®) your healthcare provider prescribes will vary depending on a number of factors, including:
 
  • Your age
  • Other medical conditions you may have
  • Other medications you may be currently taking.
     
As always, do not adjust your bupropion dose unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.
 
The information in this article refers specifically to short-acting, immediate-release bupropion, not the longer-acting forms (Aplenzin™, Budeprion XL®, Budeprion™ SR, Buproban®, Forfivo™ XL, Wellbutrin SR®, Wellbutrin XL®, Zyban®).
 

Bupropion Dosing for Depression

The recommended starting bupropion dose for treating
 depression is bupropion 100 mg twice daily. After three days, your healthcare provider may increase your dose to bupropion 100 mg three times daily. To help avoid bupropion seizures, each individual dose should not exceed 150 mg, and you should not take more than 450 mg total per day. Also, your healthcare provider should increase your dose slowly.
 
For people with liver problems (such as liver failure or cirrhosis), the maximum bupropion dose is bupropion 75 mg once daily.
 
Bupropion Dosing Article Continues on Next Page >
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD
 
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