Does Bupropion Interact With Alcoholic Beverages?

Brief Answer:
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Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX

You wrote that you are on 450 mg/day but please provide the name of the medication, thanks.

Also, when did you start this medication, and what other meds do you take?

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Brief Answer:
Information

Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX

I looked up drug-drug interactions between alcohol and bupropion. There aren't specific pharmacological interactions that were described, but the manufacturer of bupropion recommends avoiding alcohol.

Here is a statement for professional information regarding the combination:

"GENERALLY AVOID: Excessive use or abrupt discontinuation of alcohol after chronic ingestion may precipitate seizures in patients receiving bupropion. Additionally, there have been rare post-marketing reports of adverse neuropsychiatric events or reduced alcohol tolerance in patients who drank alcohol during treatment with bupropion. According to one forensic report, a patient died after taking large doses of both bupropion and alcohol. It is uncertain whether a drug interaction was involved. Single-dose studies in healthy volunteers given bupropion and alcohol failed to demonstrate either a significant pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic interaction.MANAGEMENT: The manufacturer recommends that alcohol consumption be minimized or avoided during bupropion treatment. The use of bupropion is contraindicated in patients undergoing abrupt discontinuation of alcohol."

It may be that the combination of medications plus alcohol precipitated your symptoms. However, if this is entirely new to you, you should go in promptly to be checked and make sure the dizziness and nausea is not due to other (more significant)problems such as a neurological or cardiac event.

I hope this information helps.

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