I am supposed to be starting out at 100 mg for first few days and increase to 200 mg if well tolerated. I ended up breaking the pills in half and only taking 50 mg for first two days because I am terrified of having a seizure. I am already feeling side effects on this low dose, jittery, tremors, restlessness but feel tired at the same time. Is this normal? Also, is anyone taking this as a migraine preventive? That is why I am taking it as well as being depressed.
Has anybody experienced seizures with bupropion (wellbutrin)?
Question posted by arcahigas on 6 Dec 2013
Last updated on 20 March 2024 (9 weeks ago) by Kkbaum
35 Answers
Kkbaum
20 March 2024
Hi. Personally, I loved being on Wellbutrin until I randomly had a grand Mal seizure and lost my pulse. My family thought they had lost me. It was so out of the blue. I have been on several antidepressants but then I tried Wellbutrin and I loved it to so much. The only possible sign I had of a seizure coming was an intense wave of anxiety. Then the next moment I have paramedics around me and I don’t remember anything. I would definitely avoid this medication especially if you like to drink and have long nights occasionally. I haven’t had a seizure again, know on wood! Good luck:)
Emmakg
20 June 2021
Yes. I had a seizure on it. Taking 300mg along w 20mg lexapro. I was drinking pretty heavily and the next day i had a seizure at the beach. As long as you are taking care of yourself you will be fine. If you wanna drink just have ONE. The jitteriness and ringing of ears is completely normal too.
Moobiek
15 Feb 2020
I had a grand mal seizure at 13 years old on Wellbutrin. It was the first medication I had ever taken and I’m definitely lucky to be alive. I have no memory of anything, but my parents found me convulsing and foaming out the mouth and when I stopped they said I was hardly breathing and my lips had no color.
I personally would say the risk isn’t worth it. Plus with the added constant worry, is it even doing much good at that point?
stp7859
10 Oct 2019
I didn't experience seizures until I suffered a cardiac arrest and the doctors took me off my medications!! I was on Wellbutrin XL for years and they took me off suddenly while I was in a coma! This of course was the WRONG thing to do and they should have found out this information first to avoid my seizures!! It is almost a year ago now that I had my cardiac arrest and they took me off of my Wellbutrin XL and I am happy to say that I I have not had any seizures since. I have not gone back on Wellbutrin XL. Good luck to you.
phoeniciannick
26 Aug 2019
I am 39 years old and have ADHD along with other depression, ocd, etc. and recently saw a psychiatrist and I was just prescribed Bupropion 150mg on August 13th and began taking it August 15th. I was already taking Adderall 10mg 3x per day. I took 150 mg of Bupropion in the morning and 150 mg around lunch. On August 23rd I had the first seizure I've ever had in my life. I was sitting at a table with a friend and out of nowhere this extreme sense of panic/fear overcame me, it felt like is started in my chest and then went up into my head, both of my forearms tingled dramatically for a couple of seconds, and my heart rate skyrocketed, after that I just felt extremely nervous and had to go outside. After a few minutes I calmed down and went back inside. As soon as I went back inside the panicky feeling returned and my heart rate went back up. I went back outside and and it took quite a bit longer to settle down.
Since then I have had milder episodes on 8/24 and today 8/26 where I get extremely fearful/nervous out of nowhere and my heart rate goes way up. I stopped taking the Bupropion on 8/24 and haven't taken it since and will never take it again. I'm hoping this is only temporary. All that I read said seizures were very rare. Considering I've never had one before this and it only took 8 days on Bupropion for it to happen makes me doubt very much that it is rare. This may be unique to me but it is very disconcerting. I had given up on pharmaceuticals for years and decided to try again but I will likely never return. I know they can be very helpful but I've had too many bad experiences. This one being the scariest. Not cool.
ama1001
18 Oct 2018
I am supposed to be started on it too but after reading the comments, I am going to stick to Depression :)
Joash
20 July 2018
STAY AWAY Wellbutrin has turned my life upside down my wife was taking the max dose recommended by her health care provider and had a seizure 6 months ago. she had her license taken for 3 months and was told they had no idea why she had a seizure and wrote it off as no big deal.
6 months later 20 days ago today she had a repeat occurrence and is in a vegetated state in ICU do to the fall she ended up with TBI. this drug should be removed from the market I am a father of two and this is the hardest thing I ever faced in my life the manufactures of this drug and doctors that prescribe it should be put in jail.
WildcatVet
23 May 2018
The incidence is very rare, but very real if you're in this very small percentage of users:
"Grand mal seizures have been reported in 0.4% of patients undergoing bupropion therapy at dosages up to 450 mg daily. The incidence of seizures increases dramatically at higher dosages. The seizure rate in patients taking sustained-release bupropion up to a dosage of 300 mg/day (e.g. for smoking cessation) has been approximated at 0.1%.
The risk of seizure appears to be dose-related.
Other risk factors are related to patient factors e.g., severe head injury, arteriovenous malformation, CNS tumor or CNS infection, or severe stroke, concomitant medications that lower the seizure threshold (e.g., other bupropion products, antipsychotics, tricyclic antidepressants, theophylline, and systemic corticosteroids), metabolic disorders, illicit drug use, abuse or misuse of prescription drugs such as CNS stimulants, diabetes mellitus treated with oral hypoglycemics or insulin, treatment with anorectic drugs, and excessive use of alcohol, benzodiazepines, sedative/hypnotics, or opiates."
Linda122347
23 May 2018
Yes, I had a gran mal seizure. At the time I was at work and it was witnessed
by another nurse that I was working with at the time. I had NEVER had a seizure in my life and have not since. I personally had no idea what happened to me at the time. I just woke up on the floor. The ER doctor took me off Wellbutren immediately. I have never had one again but I'll tell you it was the scariest thing I've ever gone through
MM83
16 April 2018
I would imagine that you've been able to figure out a bit more if you can tolerate it, since it's been a few months. But to help - I've never had such a rough time with a medication. Took it for a few weeks and wound up with 2 grand mal seizures (one for ~4min apparently). I got super lucky - I wasn't driving, my boyfriend had come home early and heard me fall off a chair in the basement and calling 911. I was immediately take off and haven't had any follow-up episodes, and while I've had side effects from other medications... there's been absolutely nothing like this... this has been a HUGE drama.
Obviously no two experiences are really alike and you can't tell how something will impact you exactly until you've tried it - but this was a really extreme reaction, and I wouldn't want anyone else to experience it.
Good luck!
Johntechwriter
23 Dec 2017
I've taken Wellbutrin at various times in my life, including right now, and I wonder if anyone else has experienced what I have: at 200 mg per day I've been experiencing "brain flashes," like little electric shocks in my brain. They last only a fraction of a second but I can experience several in a minute and they are distressing.
I am wondering if these brain flashes are a precursor to an epileptic seizure. I've never had one of those but recall as a teenager one time I was a passenger in a car on a sunny late afternoon. The shadows from the nearby poplar trees stretched across the road. As the car drove through them there was a strobe effect -- white and black alternating rapidly. I felt a very strange sensation, something like an extended brain flash, coming over me, but it receded as soon as the shadows stopped.
From what I'm reading here today, that's it for me and Wellbutrin. My thanks to Drugs.com! Has anyone else here experienced "brain flashes"?
Bearsmom45
20 Sep 2017
Yes I did... it was the big one. It happened at a doctors appointment that I was supposed to drive to but last minute changed my mind. ER doctor asked what I was on and I told him I recently started Wellbutrin and he shook his head and said ok..well you need to stop it immediately. So I did and have been fine since.
Watchmedobetter
19 Sep 2017
I try my best to be a pretty healthy person, no known diseases, young, active, and eat healthy but have chronic depression and anxiety so I tried a low dose of Wellbutrin twice 2 years ago. I took it for two months and then had a seizure. I didn't realize it was the medication at the time. I went through so many tests and even had an at home EEG to make sure everything was normal. All tests came back fine meaning I was healthy and the seizure shouldn't have occurred. Well I then had another seizure from the medication 6 months later. I immediately stopped taking it. I don't want to frighten people since I know this works for some people but I would like to note that seizures are extremely dangerous. Sure 4 out of 1,000 may seem like a small statistic. Yet, I had it twice, as a healthy young adult. Both of mine happened while strapped into the passenger seat of a car.
I couldn't imagine the possibility if I were the one driving and all the lives that could be at risk just from taking this dumb medication. I haven't had any seizures since I stopped taking it.
Missys455
20 Sep 2017
What was your dosage?
Watchmedobetter
20 Sep 2017
I really wish I could say but I don't remember because it's been a while and am not in contact with the psychiatrist that prescribed it anymore. I only remember that it was a low dose nothing near 450 mg and I am a small person as well.
Alleykat80
4 Sep 2017
Yes. I had one 7/31/17 - exactly 2 weeks after my dose was increased from 300mg XL to 450mg XL. It was a pretty bad grand mal. Luckily I work in the medical field and my co-worker who is also a nurse practitioner was there to help me. I am back down to the 150mg. I need to check with my doctor to make sure I can stay on 150mg or if she wants me to come off of it altogether. Originally, I wanted to come off of it but I think the 150mg is safe. The only reason I increased it was because I was finishing up grad school and was so incredibly stressed and constantly tearful, it seemed like the right thing to do. I planned on going back to 300mg after school ended. I can't drive for 6 months and have thousands of dollars in medical bills over my head. Be careful.
Jaimienow
12 July 2017
Well I just noticed the date I hope you are doing well. Came to this site because I want to know why Wellbutrin started give me seizures in first place now I have them bout 4 to 5 times a week my body never stop tremors and restlessness my memory is gone I forgot I had a son who does that I hope you did not take
Watchmedobetter
19 Sep 2017
I came to this site wanting to know why it caused seizures for me, luckily mine stopped after stopping the medication. Im so sorry you're having so many seizures and memory loss:(. You should look into CBD oil or if possible, for you, medicinal marijuana. So many studies that it works wonders for those who have seizures you should research it!
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wellbutrin, seizures, migraine prevention, bupropion
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