What is the difference between Wellbutrin and its generic Bupropion?

20 Aug 2009

There is no difference in the medicine content between Wellbutrin (bupropion) and a generic bupropion.

All these medicines are regulated and made under strict guidelines so both Wellbutrin and a generic brand will contain the same amount of bupropion.

Different brands may use different excipients to make up the tablet and sometimes individuals may feel differences in outcome mostly because of the different excipients used.

People prefer the original brand because they are used to it (but even the original brand can cause side effects in some people). They are usually on it for a long time before the patent expires and then the generics come out.

http://www.drugs.com/wellbutrin.html

17 Feb 2010

There are minor differences in formulation between some generics and their brand name counterparts. The FDA regulations ensure that these will not be significant to the majority of users, but allergies to different inactive ingredients or different time release mechanisms can have a significant effect on some users. Often (as is the case with bupropion) there are multiple generics, and if one doesn't perform as well for you, another might.