Also indexed as: Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR, Zyban
Bupropion is used to treat people with
depression and to aid in smoking cessation treatment.
Summary of
Interactions with Vitamins, Herbs, and Foods
In some cases, an herb or supplement may appear in more than one category, which may seem
contradictory. For clarification, read the full article for details about the summarized
interactions.
 May Be Beneficial: Supportive
interaction—Taking these supplements may support or otherwise help your medication
work better. |
Yohimbine*
|
Avoid: Adverse interaction—Avoid these supplements when taking this
medication because taking them together may cause undesirable or dangerous results. |
Alcohol
|
| Depletion or interference |
None known
|
| Side effect reduction/prevention |
None known
|
| Reduced drug
absorption/bioavailability |
None known
|
An asterisk (*) next to an item in the summary indicates that the
interaction is supported only by weak, fragmentary, and/or contradictory scientific
evidence.
Interactions with Herbs
Yohimbine
A 50-year-old woman who was unresponsive to traditional antidepressant therapy was reported to
have a marked and persistent improvement in mood when yohimbine was added to her bupropion
therapy.1 Further research is necessary to determine the significance of this
finding.
Interactions with Foods and Other Compounds
Alcohol
Unlike most other antidepressant drugs, there is no evidence that alcohol causes significant
changes in blood levels of bupropion.2 However, people taking bupropion who are
also attempting to discontinue chronic alcohol consumption have been reported to sometimes
experience convulsions.3
References:1. Pollack MH, Hamerness P. Adjunctive yohimbine for treatment in
refractory depression. Biol Psychiatry 1993;33:220–1.
2. Posner J, Bye A, Jeal S, et al. Alcohol and bupropion pharmacokinetics
in healthy male volunteers. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1984;26:627–30.
3. Storrow AB. Bupropion overdose and seizure. Am J Emerg Med
1994;12:183–4.