Available by prescription, bupropion is a drug that is approved to treat depression. This portion of the eMedTV library provides detailed information about bupropion dosing guidelines, strengths, and possible side effects.
Common bupropion side effects can include nausea, dizziness, and weight loss. Besides common side effects, this eMedTV page also lists rare side effects (such as acne) and serious problems to report to your doctor (like suicidal thoughts or behavior).
Weight loss is a possible side effect of bupropion. This eMedTV segment explores bupropion and weight loss in more detail, discussing how commonly weight loss occurs in people taking bupropion and the factors that may contribute to this weight loss.
What is bupropion used for? Bupropion is used for the treatment of depression in adults. As this eMedTV segment explains, "off-label" bupropion uses may include helping people stop smoking and treating ADHD and seasonal affective disorder.
For the treatment of depression, the recommended starting bupropion dose is 100 mg twice daily. This eMedTV segment lists some of the factors that can affect bupropion dosing (such as your age), as well as some general tips on taking the drug.
This eMedTV page describes how drug interactions with bupropion can cause high blood pressure or raise your risk of seizures, among other things. A few of the drugs that can potentially interact with bupropion include alcohol, MAOIs, and steroids.
Among the precautions and warnings with bupropion listed on this eMedTV page are possible drug interactions, the safety of taking bupropion while pregnant, and the risk of liver damage or suicidal thoughts or behavior in some people taking this drug.
This eMedTV Web page explains that you should let your doctor know (prior to taking bupropion) if you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant. A woman may take bupropion during pregnancy if its benefits outweigh the risks to her unborn child.
This eMedTV page explains that since bupropion and alcohol act on similar chemicals in the brain, mixing the two could potentially increase the effects of alcohol. This page covers precautions to take if you decide to drink alcohol while on bupropion.
