Wellbutrin

[lovingtheunloved, ASN, RN]

"Why can't you give Wellbutrin to someone with bulimia?"

Someone asked this today in lecture and the instructor said look it up in your drug book and all I could find was that it is contraindicated in patients with eating disorders. Any ideas?

[Multicollinearity, BSN, RN]

I have this vague idea in my head that it can supress appetite?

[Multicollinearity, BSN, RN]

I was wrong.

http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic255.htm

Those with bulimia have a higher risk of seizures with wellbutrin.

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

For unknown reasons, Wellbutrin seems to increase the risk of seizures in ED patients even more than it would for the average patient. Check out this link:

http://www.healthsquare.com/newrx/WEL1488.HTM

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

Oops - sorry to post on top of you, multicollinarity.

[lovingtheunloved, ASN, RN]

Sounds like a good reason not to give it to someone with an ED! Thanks folks!

[anne74]

I would have guessed the appetite suppression too - I take it, and it definitely suppresses my appetite. But yes - a history and/or high risk of seizures is a major contraindication for Wellbutrin.

A great drug, however. It's personally helped me much more than other antidepressants. And under the name Zyban, it's good for smoking cessation. I know of a lot of people who had luck with that too.

[txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN]

My doc suggested I change my meds to this because of the appitite suppression. I know several people that take this med instead of others because of the suppression.

[Multicollinearity, BSN, RN]

I think wellbutrin raises anyone's seizure threshold a bit. I remember working ER (as an admitting clerk with big ears and big peepers) and a patient came in having seizures. She had been camping with her family and forgot her regular daily xanax. But she did bring her wellbutrin camping. I guess w/the short half-life of xanax bringing on benzo w/d and taking the wellbutrin, that's why she had seizures. No prior history of seizures. So said the MD.