Wellbutrin Side Effects

Wellbutrin is used to treat major depression. you might be surprised to know that some Wellbutrin side effects are actually being used to treat certain conditions as well. The research is still very new but it does look promising. Wellbutrin has been shown to improve the symptoms of hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in younger women. The research is very new and still needs to be expanded on but researchers found that the sustained release Wellbutrin preparation boosted sex drive among women with this condition.

One major difference between Wellbutrin and other anti-depressants is that it can cause seizures in people who are using it for the first time. The risk of seizures does depend on the dose you are getting so your doctor will most likely start you on a lower dose and then gradually increase it till you you are getting the desired effect.

Something else to note is that the active ingredient in Wellbutrin - bupropion - is also the same active ingredient in Zyban, a medication used to helping smoking cessation.

Most Common Wellbutrin Side Effects

• Agitation
• Constipation
• Dry mouth
• Headache/migraine
• Insomnia
• Nausea/vomiting
• Tremor

Frequent Side Effects of Wellbutrin

• Agitation
• Akathisia - restlessness or an inability to sit still or remain still; a feeling of inner restlessness
• Akinesia/bradykinesia - inability to move or to control movement
• Anorexia - loss of appetite
• Anxiety
• Appetite increase
• Arthritis
• Ataxia/incoordination
• Auditory disturbance - hearing disturbance
• Blurred vision
• Bronchitis
• Bruxism - involuntary clenching or grinding of the teeth
• Cardiac arrhythmias - abnormal heart rhythms
• Chest pain
• Confusion
• Constipation
• Cutaneous temperature disturbance
• Decrease in sexual function
• Decreased libido
• Delusions
• Depersonalization
• Depression
• Diarrhea
• Disturbed concentration
• Dizziness
• Dry mouth
• Dry skin
• Dysarthria - difficulty in forming, speaking or articulating words
• Dyskinesia - involuntary and uncontrollable muscle movements
• Dyspepsia - indigestion
• Dysphagia - difficulty swallowing
• Dysphoria - general feeling of distress, discontentment, or low mood
• Dystonia - abnormal muscle tone; involuntary, slow, twisting muscle movements
• Edema - swelling due to fluid retention
• Euphoria
• Excessive sweating
• Fatigue
• Fever/chills
• Flu-like symptoms
• Formal thought disorder
• Frigidity
• Gum irritation
• Gustatory disturbance - taste disturbance
• Gynecomastia - breast enlargement, especially in men
• Hair loss
• Hallucinations
• Headache/migraine
• Hostility
• Hypertension - high blood pressure
• Hypotension - low blood pressure
• Impaired sleep quality
• Impotence
• Increased libido
• Increased salivary flow
• Insomnia
• Liver damage/jaundice
• Mania/hypomania
• Memory impairment
• Menstrual complaints
• Mood instability
• Muscle spasms
• Mydriasis - dilation of the pupils (dilated pupils)
• Myoclonus - jerking spasms or involuntary movements of muscles
• Nausea/vomiting
• Nocturia - frequent urination at night
• Non-specific pain
• Oral edema - swelling in the mouth due to fluid retention
• Palpitations
• Paranoia
• Pruritus - itching
• Pseudoparkinsonism
• Psychosis
• Rash
• Sedation
• Seizure
• Sensory disturbance
• Shortness of breath
• Stomatitis - inflammation of the mucous membranes in the mouth
• Syncope - fainting
• Tachycardia - rapid heart rate
• Thirst disturbance
• Toothache
• Tremor
• Upper respiratory complaints
• Urinary frequency
• Urinary retention
• Vertigo
• Visual disturbance
• Weight gain
• Weight loss

Rare Wellbutrin Side Effects

• Abnormal neurological exam
• Acne
• Anemia
• Aphasia - loss of the ability to use or understand language
• Body odor
• Changes in hair color
• Changes in hormone levels
• Colitis - inflammation/infection of the colon
• Cystitis - a type of urinary tract infection
• Diplopia - double vision
• Disorders of breathing rate and rhythm
• Dyspareunia - painful or difficult sexual intercourse
• Dysuria - painful urination
• Electroencephalogram (EEG) abnormality
• Enuresis - bed-wetting
• Epistaxis - nosebleeds
• Flushing
• Gastrointestinal bleeding
• Glossitis - inflammation of the tongue
• Glycosuria - sugar in the urine
• Hirsutism - excessive hair growth or excessive hairiness
• Impaired attention
• Infection
• Intestinal perforation
• Lymphadenopathy - swollen glands (i.e. lymph nodes)
• Menopause
• Musculoskeletal chest pain
• Myocardial infarction
• Ovarian disorder
• Painful ejaculation
• Painful erection
• Pallor - pale skin color
• Pancytopenia - abnormally low levels of all types of blood cells
• Pelvic infection
• Phlebitis - inflammation of a vein
• Pneumonia
• Pulmonary embolism
• Rectal complaints
• Retarded ejaculation
• Sciatica
• Stomach ulcer
• Suicidal ideation
• Surgically related pain
• Testicular swelling
• Urinary incontinence
• Urinary tract infection
• Vaginal irritation

Post-Marketing Wellbutrin Side Effects

The following Wellbutrin side effects were reported after Wellbutrin was approved and being used by the general population. You should note though that these particular Wellbutrin side effects were reported voluntarily by folks in the general population so there is therefore no way to determine how often they occur or if there is even really a true connection between them and Wellbutrin. They are as follows:

• Aggression
• Angioedema
• Arthralgia - joint pain
• Coma
• Completed suicide
• Delirium
• Dream abnormalities
• Ecchymosis - purple or blue-black skin discoloration caused by bruising
• Esophagitis - inflammation of the esophagus
• Exfoliative dermatitis - reddening and scaling of the skin
• Fever with rash and other symptoms suggestive of delayed hypersensitivity
• Hepatitis
• Hyperglycemia - high blood sugar level
• Hypertension - high blood pressure
• Hypoglycemia - low blood sugar level
• Increased intraocular pressure - increased pressure in the eye
• Leukocytosis - high white blood cell count
• Leukopenia - low white blood cell count
• Liver damage
• Muscle rigidity/fever/rhabdomyolysis
• Muscle weakness
• Myalgia - muscle pain
• Orthostatic hypotension - drop in blood pressure, especially when standing from a sitting or lying down position
• Paranoid ideation
• Paresthesia - numbness/tingling feeling; "pins and needles" sensation
• Restlessness
• Stevens-Johnson syndrome
• Suicide attempt
• Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion
• Third degree heart block - a type of heart disorder
• Thrombocytopenia - low platelet count
• Tinnitus - ringing in the ears
• Unmasking of tardive dyskinesia
• Urticaria - hives

Sickness is a sort of early old age;
it teaches us a diffidence in our earthly state.
Alexander Pope

Drug Manufacturer Information

SmithKline Beecham
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
1-888-825-5249

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May 21, 2010