Wellbutrin is an antidepressant medication.Wellbutrin is used to treat major depressive disorder and seasonal affective disorder.
How to use Wellbutrin XL?
Take Wellbutrin exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take it in larger doses or for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.
Wellbutrin can be taken with or without food.
Do not crush, chew, or break the extended-release tablet (Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL, Zyban SR). Swallow the pill whole. It is specially made to release medicine slowly in the body. Breaking the pill would cause too much of the drug to be released at one time.
If you take Zyban to help you stop smoking, you may continue to smoke for about 1 week after you start the medicine. Set a date to quit smoking during the second week of Zyban treatment. By that time you will have enough of the medicine in your blood stream to help you quit smoking. Talk to your doctor if you are having trouble quitting after you have used Zyban for at least 7 weeks.
Your doctor may prescribe nicotine patches or gum to help support your smoking cessation treatment. Be sure you read all directions and safety information for the nicotine product. Using nicotine with Zyban may raise your blood pressure and your doctor may want to check your blood pressure regularly. Do not smoke at any time if you are using a nicotine product along with Zyban. Too much nicotine can cause serious side effects.
Do not stop taking Wellbutrin without first talking to your doctor. You may have unpleasant side effects if you stop taking Wellbutrin suddenly.
If you use the Wellbutrin extended-release tablet, the tablet shell may pass into your stools (bowel movements). This is normal and does not mean that you are not receiving enough of the medicine.
Store Wellbutrin at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
Before taking Wellbutrin XL
Do not take Wellbutrin if you have taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) in the last 14 days. You should not take Wellbutrin if you have:
epilepsy or a seizure disorder;
an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia;
if you are using a second form of bupropion; or
if you have suddenly stopped using alcohol or sedatives (such as Valium).
Wellbutrin may cause seizures, especially in people with certain medical conditions or when using certain drugs. Tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions and the drugs you use.
Before taking Wellbutrin, tell your doctor if you have:
heart disease or high blood pressure;
head injury, brain or spinal cord tumor;
kidney disease;
liver disease (especially cirrhosis);
bipolar disorder (manic depression);
diabetes for which you use insulin or take oral medication;
if you currently use steroids, theophylline (Theo-Dur, Slo-Bid, Bronkodyl Theolair, Respbid), or medicine to treat depression or mental illness; or
if you recently used alcohol, sedatives (such as Valium), narcotic pain medicines, diet pills, or street drugs such as "speed" or cocaine.