Talk:Bupropion

Bupropion is known to cause extremely unpleasant if not dangerous experiences when used recreationally and especially at high doses.

Please use responsible use practices such as always having a trip sitter when trying this substance.

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Summary sheet: Bupropion

Bupropion
Chemical Nomenclature
Common names	Wellbutrin, Zyban, Aplenzin, bupropion
Systematic name	(RS)-2-(tert-Butylamino)-1-(3-chlorophenyl)propan-1-one
Class Membership
Psychoactive class	Stimulant
Chemical class	Substituted cathinone
Routes of Administration
WARNING: Always start with lower doses due to differences between individual body weight, tolerance, metabolism, and personal sensitivity. See responsible use section. ⇣ Smoked Dosage Bioavailability {{{SmokedROA_Bioavailability}}} Threshold < 75 mg Light 75 - 150 mg Common 150 - 225 mg Strong 300 - 375 mg Heavy 375 > mg Duration Total x - x hours Onset 0.5 minutes Come up x minutes Peak x hours Offset x hours ⇣ Oral Dosage Threshold (These values are for immediate-release bupropion.) 75 mg Light 75 - 125 mg Common 125 - 225 mg Strong 225 - 325 mg Heavy 325 mg + Warning: Heavy risk of death by seizures Duration Total (These values are for immediate-release bupropion.) 8 - 12 hours Onset 40 - 60 minutes Peak 90 minutes Offset 5 - 8 hours After effects 1 - 2 days ⇣ Insufflated Dosage Threshold 50 mg Light 50 - 150 mg Common 150 - 300 mg Strong 300 - 900 mg Warning: Heavy risk of death by seizures Heavy 900 mg + Warning: Heavy risk of death by seizures Duration Total 20 - 180 minutes Onset 30 - 120 seconds Come up 1 - 5 minutes Peak 5 - 20 minutes Offset 10 - 60 minutes After effects 1 - 6 hours DISCLAIMER: PW's dosage information is gathered from users and resources for educational purposes only. It is not a recommendation and should be verified with other sources for accuracy.
Interactions

Bupropion, sold as Wellbutrin (in sustained-release, immediate-release, or extended-release form), Zyban, and known also as amfebutamone, is a cathinone medication used on-label for major depressive disorder and smoking cessation. Bupropion is also used off-label for seasonal affective disorder and ADHD. Bupropion is also taken recreationally for its deliriant-like and stimulant effects. It is a norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI) and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist. It may exert its deliriant-like actions through antagonism of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

History and culture

This History and culture section is a stub. As a result, it may contain incomplete or wrong information. You can help by expanding it.

Chemistry

This chemistry section is incomplete. You can help by adding to it.

Bupropion is a cathinone (aminoketone).

Pharmacology

This pharmacology section is incomplete. You can help by adding to it.

Bupropion binds to norepinephrine transporter (NET) and dopamine transporter (DAT), therefore inhibiting the reuptake of both monoamines. It also binds to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors as an antagonist. Bupropion is extensively metabolized to hydroxybupropion, threohydrobupropion, and erythrohydrobupropion. It exerts its deliriant-like actions through antagonism of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, inhibiting the action of acetylcholine. The nAChRs it antagonizes are α₃β₂, α₃β₄, α₄β₂ nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. It also, very weakly, antagonizes the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α₇. It is likely this antagonism of the nAChRs that causes bupropion to make users hallucinate and have vivid dreams.

Subjective effects

Bupropion has an effects profile similar to diphenhydramine; in low doses, it acts as a mild and usually pleasant substance, but in high doses, delirium begins to take over and make for an extremely uncomfortable experience.

This subjective effects section is a stub. As such, it is still in progress and may contain incomplete or wrong information. You can help by expanding or correcting it.

Physical effects

• Stimulation - Bupropion's NDRI activity makes it a stimulating substance.
• Spontaneous physical sensations - This effect is usually weak. It can be described as a mild and pleasant soft or sharp tingling sensation with warmth radiating from the body, according to other substances with similar pharmacology.
• Seizures - This effect becomes more likely proportional to dose.
• Increased heart rate
• Increased blood pressure
• Mydriasis
• Appetite suppression
• Nausea
• Tactile hallucinations - This effect is usually only present at high doses.
• Temperature regulation suppression

Cognitive Effects

• Delirium - This occurs at high to very high and/or unreasonable doses and is a consequence of bupropion's antagonism of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Unlike other deliriants, this effect can be very painful and hard to get away from because of bupropion's ability to keep the user awake, unlike deliriants like diphenhydramine.
• Paranoia
• Delusions - This effect is usually only present at very high doses.
• Anxiety
• Motivation enhancement - This is commonly expressed in the form of being more talkative, fidgety, or having increased interest in tasks.
• Dream potentiation - Reports list that taking bupropion can lead to wild, vivid, and realistic dreams, usually feeling linear and very immersive, almost like a fun adventure. Time also seems to have passed much more than it actually has from sleep to wake. It is also easier to recall dreams. Consequently, bupropion can also inhibit sleep, but this can be countered with melatonin safely. This effect is likely exerted by its antagonistic action on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.
• Time distortion - This is in the form of time expansion. A time period such as twenty minutes can feel as if it were up to eight hours. It happens at unreasonably high doses.
• Cognitive euphoria - This effect is usually mild.
• Dysphoria - This effect is only present at high doses, usually due to its deliriant actions.
• Novelty enhancement
• Language suppression
• Increased sense of humor
• Increased libido - Bupropion is sometimes prescribed off-label for treatment of SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction.
• Craving suppression - Bupropion reduces the enjoyment and therefore the need for nicotine. Alone or with varenicline, bupropion SR and ER can be used for treatment of tobacco addiction and dependence.

Visual effects

These effects are usually only present when taking high recreational doses.

• External hallucinations
• Shadow people
• Drifting
• Pattern recognition enhancement
• Tracers
• Acuity suppression

Auditory effects

• Auditory hallucinations
• Auditory enhancement - Sounds may be easier or more painful to hear. Usually, this isn't part of delirium necessarily, but it can be.

Experience reports

There are currently no anecdotal reports which describe the effects of this compound within our experience index. Additional experience reports can be found here:

• Erowid Experience Vaults: Bupropion

Toxicity and harm potential

This toxicity and harm potential section is a stub. As a result, it may contain incomplete or even dangerously wrong information! You can help by expanding upon or correcting it. Note: Always conduct independent research and use harm reduction practices if using this substance.

It is strongly recommended that one use harm reduction practices when using bupropion; bupropion can cause seizures and therefore should not be combined with other substances that lower the seizure threshold such as tramadol or be used during GABAergic withdrawal.

Lethal dosage

Bupropion, despite having a relatively average LD₅₀ for rats and mice, is still very dangerous in overdose due to the risk of monoamine flood, seizures, and heart attacks or strokes.

Tolerance and addiction potential

Theoretically, bupropion is addictive because of its activity as an NDRI.

Dangerous interactions

This dangerous interactions section is a stub. As such, it may contain incomplete or invalid information. You can help by expanding upon or correcting it.

Warning: Many psychoactive substances that are reasonably safe to use on their own can suddenly become dangerous and even life-threatening when combined with certain other substances. The following list provides some known dangerous interactions (although it is not guaranteed to include all of them).

Always conduct independent research (e.g. Google, DuckDuckGo, PubMed) to ensure that a combination of two or more substances is safe to consume. Some of the listed interactions have been sourced from TripSit.

• Stimulants (Amphetamine, lisdexamfetamine, methylphenidate, cocaine) - This combination can increase the chance of a heart attack, stroke, or adrenergic flood.
• Tramadol, tapentadol, or any other drug or substance that lowers the seizure threshold such as dextropropoxyphene or lithium. - This combination can increase the risk of seizures, death from seizures, or status epilepticus (seizure lasting longer than five minutes).
• Sedatives (Alprazolam, clonazolam, diazepam, opioids, phenobarbital, secobarbital, quetiapine) - Bupropion's effects are masked by sedatives such as benzodiazepines, barbiturates, alcohol, and antipsychotics. If the effects of sedatives wear off before bupropion's, bupropion's effects may seem or become more pronounced.
• Alcohol - This combination increases the risk of atypical and unpleasant or dangerous side effects such as seizures, paranoia, or depression.
• Depressive and/or manic disorders - Bupropion can increase the risk of suicide in depressed patients or users. It can also increase the risk of positive or negative mania.

Legal status

This legality section is a stub. As such, it may contain incomplete or wrong information. You can help by expanding it.

Internationally, bupropion is usually not controlled, but it is prescription-only.

See also

• Responsible use
• Substituted cathinone

External links

• Bupropion (Wikipedia)
• Bupropion (Erowid Vault)
• Bupropion (Isomer Design)