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WELLBUTRIN SR SIDE EFFECTS

  • Generic Name: bupropion hydrochloride sustained-release
  • Brand Name: Wellbutrin SR
Last updated on MDtodate: 10/8/2022

SIDE EFFECTS

The following adverse reactions are discussed in greater detail in other sections of the labeling:

  • Suicidal thoughts and behaviors in adolescents and young adults
  • Neuropsychiatric symptoms and suicide risk in smoking cessation treatment
  • Seizure
  • Hypertension
  • Activation of mania or hypomania
  • Psychosis and other neuropsychiatric reactions
  • Angle-closure glaucoma
  • Hypersensitivity reactions

Clinical Trials Experience

Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared with rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in clinical practice.

Adverse Reactions Leading To Discontinuation Of Treatment

In placebo-controlled clinical trials, 4%, 9%, and 11% of the placebo, 300-mg-per-day, and 400-mg per- day groups, respectively, discontinued treatment due to adverse reactions. The specific adverse reactions leading to discontinuation in at least 1% of the 300-mg-per-day or 400-mg-per-day groups and at a rate at least twice the placebo rate are listed in Table 1.

Table 1: Treatment Discontinuations Due to Adverse Reactions in Placebo-Controlled Trials

Adverse Reaction Placebo
(n = 385)
WELLBUTRIN SR 300 mg/day
(n=376)
WELLBUTRIN SR 400 mg/day
(n = 114)
Rash 0.0% 2.4% 0.9%
Nausea 0.3% 0.8% 1.8%
Agitation 0.3% 0.3% 1.8%
Migraine 0.3% 0.0% 1.8%

 

Commonly Observed Adverse Reactions

Adverse reactions from Table 3 occurring in at least 5% of subjects treated with WELLBUTRIN SR and at a rate at least twice the placebo rate are listed below for the 300- and 400-mg-per-day dose groups.

WELLBUTRIN SR 300 mg per day: Anorexia, dry mouth, rash, sweating, tinnitus, and tremor.

WELLBUTRIN SR 400 mg per day: Abdominal pain, agitation, anxiety, dizziness, dry mouth, insomnia, myalgia, nausea, palpitation, pharyngitis, sweating, tinnitus, and urinary frequency.

Adverse reactions reported in placebo-controlled trials are presented in Table 2. Reported adverse reactions were classified using a COSTART-based Dictionary.

Table 2: Adverse Reactions Reported by at Least 1% of Subjects and at a Greater Frequency than Placebo in Controlled Clinical Trials

Body System/ Adverse Reaction WELLBUTRIN SR 300 mg/day
(n=376)
WELLBUTRIN SR 400 mg/day
(n = 114)
Placebo
(n = 385)
Body (General)
  Headache 26% 25% 23%
  Infection 8% 9% 6%
  Abdominal pain 3% 9% 2%
  Asthenia 2% 4% 2%
  Chest pain 3% 4% 1%
  Pain 2% 3% 2%
  Fever 1% 2%
Cardiovascular
  Palpitation 2% 6% 2%
  Flushing 1% 4%
  Migraine 1% 4% 1%
  Hot flashes 1% 3% 1%
Digestive
  Dry mouth 17% 24% 7%
  Nausea 13% 18% 8%
  Constipation 10% 5% 7%
  Diarrhea 5% 7% 6%
  Anorexia 5% 3% 2%
  Vomiting 4% 2% 2%
  Dysphagia 0% 2% 0%
Musculoskeletal
  Myalgia 2% 6% 3%
  Arthralgia 1% 4% 1%
  Arthritis 0% 2% 0%
  Twitch 1% 2%
Nervous system
  Insomnia 11% 16% 6%
  Dizziness 7% 11% 5%
  Agitation 3% 9% 2%
  Anxiety 5% 6% 3%
  Tremor 6% 3% 1%
  Nervousness 5% 3% 3%
  Somnolence 2% 3% 2%
  Irritability 3% 2% 2%
  Memory decreased 3% 1%
  Paresthesia 1% 2% 1%
  Central nervous system stimulation 2% 1% 1%
Respiratory
  Pharyngitis 3% 11% 2%
  Sinusitis 3% 1% 2%
  Increased cough 1% 2% 1%
Skin
   Sweating 6% 5% 2%
  Rash 5% 4% 1%
  Pruritus 2% 4% 2%
  Urticaria 2% 1% 0%
Special senses
  Tinnitus 6% 6% 2%
  Taste perversion 2% 4%
  Blurred vision or diplopia 3% 2% 2%
Urogenital
   Urinary frequency 2% 5% 2%
  Urinary urgency 2% 0%
  Vaginal hemorrhagea 0% 2%
  Urinary tract infection 1% 0%
aIncidence based on the number of female subjects.
— Hyphen denotes adverse events occurring in greater than 0 but less than 0.5% of subjects.

 

Other Adverse Reactions Observed During The Clinical Development Of Bupropion

In addition to the adverse reactions noted above, the following adverse reactions have been reported in clinical trials with the sustained-release formulation of bupropion in depressed subjects and in nondepressed smokers, as well as in clinical trials with the immediate-release formulation of bupropion.

Adverse reaction frequencies represent the proportion of subjects who experienced a treatment-emergent adverse reaction on at least one occasion in placebo-controlled trials for depression (n = 987) or smoking cessation (n = 1,013), or subjects who experienced an adverse reaction requiring discontinuation of treatment in an open-label surveillance trial with WELLBUTRIN SR (n = 3,100). All treatment-emergent adverse reactions are included except those listed in Table 3, those listed in other safety-related sections of the prescribing information, those subsumed under COSTART terms that are either overly general or excessively specific so as to be uninformative, those not reasonably associated with the use of the drug, and those that were not serious and occurred in fewer than 2 subjects.

Adverse reactions are further categorized by body system and listed in order of decreasing frequency according to the following definitions of frequency: Frequent adverse reactions are defined as those occurring in at least 1/100 subjects. Infrequent adverse reactions are those occurring in 1/100 to 1/1,000 subjects, while rare events are those occurring in less than 1/1,000 subjects.

Body (General): Infrequent were chills, facial edema, and photosensitivity. Rare was malaise.

Cardiovascular: Infrequent were postural hypotension, stroke, tachycardia, and vasodilation. Rare were syncope and myocardial infarction.

Digestive: Infrequent were abnormal liver function, bruxism, gastric reflux, gingivitis, increased salivation, jaundice, mouth ulcers, stomatitis, and thirst. Rare was edema of tongue.

Hemic and Lymphatic: Infrequent was ecchymosis.

Metabolic and Nutritional: Infrequent were edema and peripheral edema.

Musculoskeletal: Infrequent were leg cramps.

Nervous System: Infrequent were abnormal coordination, decreased libido, depersonalization, dysphoria, emotional lability, hostility, hyperkinesia, hypertonia, hypesthesia, suicidal ideation, and vertigo. Rare were amnesia, ataxia, derealization, and hypomania.

Respiratory: Rare was bronchospasm.

Special Senses: Infrequent were accommodation abnormality and dry eye.

Urogenital: Infrequent were impotence, polyuria, and prostate disorder.

Changes In Body Weight

In placebo-controlled trials, subjects experienced weight gain or weight loss as shown in Table 3.

Table 3: Incidence of Weight Gain and Weight Los s ( ≥ 5 lbs ) in Placebo-Controlled Trials

Weight Change WELLBUTRIN SR 300 mg/day
(n=339)
WELLBUTRIN SR 400 mg/day
(n = 112)
Placebo
(n=347)
Gained > 5 lbs 3% 2% 4%
Lost > 5 lbs 14% 19% 6%

 

In clinical trials conducted with the immediate-release formulation of bupropion, 35% of subjects receiving tricyclic antidepressants gained weight, compared with 9% of subjects treated with the immediate-release formulation of bupropion. If weight loss is a major presenting sign of a patient’s depressive illness, the anorectic and/or weight-reducing potential of WELLBUTRIN SR should be considered.

Postmarketing Experience

The following adverse reactions have been identified during post-approval use of WELLBUTRIN SR and are not described elsewhere in the label. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure.

Body (General)

Arthralgia, myalgia, and fever with rash and other symptoms suggestive of delayed hypersensitivity. These symptoms may resemble serum sickness.

Cardiovascular

Complete atrioventricular block, extrasystoles, hypotension, hypertension (in some cases severe), phlebitis, and pulmonary embolism.

Digestive

Colitis, esophagitis, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, gum hemorrhage, hepatitis, intestinal perforation, pancreatitis, and stomach ulcer.

Endocrine

Hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, and syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone.

Hemic and Lymphatic

Anemia, leukocytosis, leukopenia, lymphadenopathy, pancytopenia, and thrombocytopenia. Altered PT and/or INR, infrequently associated with hemorrhagic or thrombotic complications, were observed when bupropion was coadministered with warfarin.

Metabolic and Nutritional

Glycosuria.

Musculoskeletal

Muscle rigidity/fever/rhabdomyolysis and muscle weakness.

Nervous System

Abnormal electroencephalogram (EEG), aggression, akinesia, aphasia, coma, completed suicide, delirium, delusions, dysarthria, euphoria, extrapyramidal syndrome (dyskinesia, dystonia, hypokinesia, parkinsonism), hallucinations, increased libido, manic reaction, neuralgia, neuropathy, paranoid ideation, restlessness, suicide attempt, and unmasking tardive dyskinesia.

Respiratory

Pneumonia.

Skin

Alopecia, angioedema, exfoliative dermatitis, hirsutism, and Stevens-Johnson syndrome.

Special Senses

Deafness, increased intraocular pressure, and mydriasis.

Urogenital

Abnormal ejaculation, cystitis, dyspareunia, dysuria, gynecomastia, menopause, painful erection, salpingitis, urinary incontinence, urinary retention, and vaginitis.

 

SRC: NLM .

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