Bupropion (Welbutrin) and Interactions with Psychoactive Substances

[Rojo]

Hello all,

I've been seeing a psychiatrist regularly and recently they put me on Bupropion, I started taking about a month or so ago and during my appointment a week or so ago, my doctor bumped up from 328mg of Bupropion HBr to 450mg of Bupropion HCl.

I'm a cautious cat, so before I engaged in any of my research, I looked in Bupropion and got as much information as I could. A lot of experience reports of Bupropion being taken in conjunction with something else vary from positive reports to trips to the ER. Of course, 98% of the reports had the subject taking massive amounts of pills recreationally (Greater than or equal to 600mg) either orally or through insuffalation. I couldn't find much data about users taking Bupropion as prescribed and interactions, complications, or potentiations caused by mixing the medicine and the psychoactive.

I hit a dead end with my findings, so I'm reaching out to the Blue Light community to ask:

Are there any people here that take bupropion daily, as prescribed, that have found interactions between the medicine and a certain drug or class of drugs?

I figure it's best to ask and get weird looks, than to make assumptions and throw myself into the hands of fate.

 

[StudebakerBronson]

I have been on 300 mg. of Bupropion for the past few months, and I haven't had any negative reactions with opiates, benzos, or weed.

However, this is not to say that you will not respond the same way. I would start with a low dose of your drug of choice, and work your way up from there.

Additionally, I remember my doctor saying that alcohol is not something you want to consume if you're on Bupropion.

 

[Rojo]

I have been on 300 mg. of Bupropion for the past few months, and I haven't had any negative reactions with opiates, benzos, or weed.

Thanks for your input. I also heard from a friend that Bupropion can potentiate amphetamines.

However, this is not to say that you will not respond the same way. I would start with a low dose of your drug of choice, and work your way up from there.

I can't agree more. I learned to pace myself after underestimating a batch of synthetic cannabinoids and eating enough to make a sandwich. That was a terrifyingly wild night.

Additionally, I remember my doctor saying that alcohol is not something you want to consume if you're on Bupropion.

I had heard that. One experience report had the subject take bupropion and drink a copious amount of alcohol, it didn't end well. Not to mention it says on the vial in bold print "DO NOT CONSUME ALCOHOL WHILE TAKING THIS DRUG. Which isn't too much a problem, I rarely drank alcohol even before starting the medicine.

 

[kokaino]

Bupropion can have a wide range of negative interactions with many psychoactive substances, including MDMA and illicit stimulants. I am not well versed in bupropion interactions, so I'll leave it to others who might know more.

But use this drug interaction checker for interactions with prescription psychoactive substances, such as amphetamines, benzodiazepines, and other psychoactive drugs.

 

[Rojo]

Bupropion can have a wide range of negative interactions with many psychoactive substances, including MDMA and illicit stimulants. I am not well versed in bupropion interactions, so I'll leave it to others who might know more.

But use this drug interaction checker.

Thank you for your input. And the link to the interaction checker.

 

[Whipped Dream]

DO NOT take DXM while on Bupropion...I learned that through experience last week. As you know, Bupropion can can panic attacks. Well, I had never experienced panic attacks while on Bupropion before, until I indulged in a low dose of DXM last week. For about 30 - 45 minutes I felt like I was gonna die...rapid heartbeat, an overwhelming sense of the world closing in on me, etc - all of the classic panic attack symptoms. It was NOT fun. Don't do it.

 

[joezraptor]

I've been on Wellbutrin for several months and I've noticed that it interacts with:
Weed: When I first started taking wellbutrin I would smoke my normal amount and get ridiculously horribly uncomfortably high and experience pretty severe twitching/shaking. This has gone away, but I still smoke less to get the same high as before and find it less pleasant.
MDMA: Completely blocks effects, makes me feel depressed and not want to talk. Luckily wellbutrin leaves your system within a week with no withdrawal symptoms, so when I'm planning to roll I stop taking wellbutrin a week before. Not necessarily recommending anyone stop taking their meds, but this works fine for me.
DXM: It's already been mentioned, but DO NOT take DXM while on wellbutrin. They both use the same enzyme in you liver making the DXM take much longer to process. I tried taking a very small dose of DXM and the results were still horrible.
Opiates: No noticeable effect
Stimulants: I did bath salts one time and noticed that it took much longer for the effects to hit me than everyone else, and also seemed much speedier. I would use caution considering wellbutrin its self is a stimulant.
Psychedelics: No noticeable effect.

 

[Oxide]

Whatever you do, don't take any tramadol while taking bupropion. I made that mistake. about 30 minutes after eating 3 tramadol, I remembered I took 150mg bupropion. 30 minutes after that, I had a grand mal seizure.

 

[bec.x]

For me..
weed: possibly increased anxiety/paranoia sometimes
amphetamines: no noticable effect
shrooms: not sure, but possibly potentiates the effects a little
mdma: no effect
alcohol: potentiates noticably

 

[Rojo]

Thank you all for your input. I'm glad to get a good cross sections of responses and experiences.

It does seem to hold up it's reputation of amplifying the effects of psychoactives.

I don't imagine I'll be mixing DXM and the bupropion, I've developed a tolerance and the very thought of having to consume it makes my stomach turn.

It doesn't seem to have effects on hallucinogens, I've found - and there are some reports of it potentiating shrooms. Though I don't know if I'll be trying any hallucinogens soon, as I'm on an antipsychotic daily as well (lurasidone).