Last Updated on September 19, 2026 by
Alternative to Meds Editorial Team
Medically Reviewed by ATMC Clinical Review Team
Table of Contents:
- Video: Bupropion (Wellbutrin) Withdrawal, Tapering
- About Bupropion: The Side Effects of Stimulating Neurochemicals
- About Bupropion Withdrawal Symptoms
- How Can Bupropion Withdrawal Symptoms Be Reduced?
- Treating Depression Disorders Without Prescription Medication
- Bupropion Success Story
- Notes on Green Psychiatry
- ATMC Inpatient Programs are Holistic – Find Out More
Please remember it is not recommended to abruptly stop taking bupropion, especially if it has been taken for long periods. And always seek medical oversight before undertaking such a task. The more help you have at your side, the more predictable and smoother the journey back to wellness.
Don’t give up. There ARE solutions for you!
About Bupropion: The Side Effects of Stimulating Neurochemicals
While no drug can create neurochemicals, introducing bupropion into the body affects how these molecules are distributed along the vast territory of the central nervous system.
So it is understandable that a drug that interposes itself in the mix can result in a significant number of reactions, which we can categorize as bupropion side effects. They are observably direct effects, but we will use the terminology that is consensus-based.
Bupropion side effects can include:
- Suicidality
- Seizures
- Mania
- Hypomania (shorter, milder duration of manic symptoms)
- Psychosis
- Hallucinations
- Homicidal ideation
- Paranoia
- Delusions
- Aggressiveness
- Hostility
- Agitation
- Panic
- Elevated blood pressure
- Depression
- Eye/vision problems
- Extreme allergic (anaphylactic) reactions such as Stevens-Johnson Syndrome
- Chest pain
- Nausea
- Migraine
- Edema
- Rashes
Since bupropion side effects can disrupt life, a person may wish to discontinue the drug. Bupropion withdrawal effects are discussed below.
About Bupropion Withdrawal Symptoms
Dopamine is the “reward chemical” that is associated with feelings of pleasure, accomplishment, satisfaction, interest, engagement, and others. A plunge in dopamine would look like a reversal of these feelings.
Norepinephrine is a stimulant (adrenaline) whose function is alertness, readiness, energy, and action, and is associated with the “fight or flight” reaction to outside stimuli. After norepinephrine stores have been depleted, there can be a mirror image effect that takes on opposite features.
In general, after a drug like bupropion exhausts natural stores of dopamine and norepinephrine, a person can experience a significant plunge in these neurochemicals, at least until these natural chemicals are allowed to be restored, which is covered further down in this article.
Until this is rectified, various manifestations can occur, such as the ones listed below.
Bupropion withdrawal symptoms can include:
- Body aches, muscle aches, aching joints
- Headache, migraine
- Overall weakness, fatigue
- Blurred vision
- Abdominal pain
- Cardiac events
- Gastrointestinal issues (anorexia, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, constipation)
- Difficulty swallowing
- Respiratory issues, cough, sore throat, sinusitis
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Agitation
- Dizziness
- Hives, itching, rash
- Fever, flushing
- Tinnitus
- Strange taste in the mouth
- Vaginal hemorrhage
- Urinary infections
- Tremor
- Twitches
Note: These may not be all the possible withdrawal symptoms; however, these are the ones that were found in clinical trials involving bupropion withdrawal under medical observation. 1,10-12
How Can Bupropion Withdrawals Be Reduced?
There is not a “one-size-fits-all approach to how dosage should be reduced, but it is best to start with small cuts and wait for symptoms to subside, perhaps a week or two, before reducing dosage further. It is also advised to work with a knowledgeable and somewhat sympathetic prescriber so that adjustments can be monitored closely and you feel confident with instructions and are not rushed, or left on your own to figure it out.
Apart from the overall strategy of slow reduction over adequate recovery time, ATMC has designed protocols that can soften the harshness of bupropion withdrawal that may arise.
Strategies that can help support and soften bupropion withdrawals can include:
- Correct the diet and use supplementation to support neurotransmitter rehabilitation
- Cleansing the body of accumulations of toxins
- Comfort therapies such as therapeutic massage, acupuncture
- Personal counseling
- IV therapy and nebulized glutathione for nutritional support
- Get active with exercise, such as yoga and Qigong, to help the body recover naturally
Many holistic drug-free treatments can significantly ease the discomfort of bupropion withdrawal symptoms. Learn more about our services and treatment program here.
Treating Depression Disorders Without Prescription Drugs
Many of the treatments used in coming off medications have dual effectiveness through bupropion withdrawal, but may also benefit by reducing the original symptoms that preceded starting on a prescription drug for depression.
Nutrition, exercise, counseling, restructuring an unsatisfactory lifestyle, correcting thyroid issues, and cleansing the body of neurotoxins are just some ways that depression can be addressed effectively. First, one should spend time exploring the root causes of the condition. Using a logical approach, including lab testing, can help light the path to real recovery.13,14
This is ATMC’s area of expertise. You can find out more about these types of effective and proven safe treatments on our medication alternatives pages.
ATMC Graduate Bupropion Success Story
I was lost in my life’s journey, looking for a brightness all over during my last 4 years.
I’d become a zombie, I’d become the shadow of myself, I’d become my own sadness and pain and fears. I could not be myself anymore so I subconsciously decided to slowly die.
I began taking prescription medications when, one day in the spring of 2016, all of a sudden, I could not get off of my sofa! I stayed there for almost a month. I wasn’t able to feel anything besides sadness and desperation; and as the days, months and subsequent years passed, hopelessness becomes my closest companion.
My will power was lost at this point and my life was no longer in my possession. The medicines possessed me. I felt I was living in shadow and darkness.
My life before sobriety was not a life. It was a slow, perpetual sentence to death. It was on a warm, Caribbean island on a Christmas Eve, that my guardian angels decided to give me the best gift ever. Somehow, my desperation and hopelessness guided me toward my computer that day, looking for a new door, a new light, someone to help me. I made a silent cry for help as my fingers while typed on my computer, “holistic rehab for addiction.” And up came the name of the Alternative to Meds Center in Sedona, Arizona.
I instantly loved the picture of the location. I knew from the very beginning I was looking for a place in the mountains, a place specializing in medication tapering, alternative therapies and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, a place that emphasized supplementation and a good diet. And ATMC was it.
On the 1st of January, 2019, I started my year with a new project: Taking my life back!
My first 2 weeks were a nightmare. My body was in pain. My mind was still trying to control the situation. But then around week 3, everything switched. I started to feel! I felt the good, I felt the bad; crying, laughing, being angry, being grateful.
I was going to go for only a month, because I felt I was already leaving my two daughters, my job, my husband and my other responsibilities for too long. I actually didn’t realize that the real work wouldn’t start until near the end of the first month. So I decided to stay longer, and I’m totally happy that I did so.
I was tremendously lucky to find a nice group of strong, struggling humans at ATMC who shared the journey with me. We created clear boundaries and strong bonds while there at ATMC. We shared tears, anxiety, depression, experiences, homesickness, cravings, love stories and photos. At the end of our stays, we would share songs, presents, hugs, tears and words of hope.
Today is my first day after leaving ATMC, day one. And I have to say, I’m totally excited, and scared at same time! At ATMC I learned to take one step at a time, to be patient with myself, to create boundaries and to advocate for myself. I also learned that sometimes it is okay to pause our lives from everything, and from all of the people that really care for me. They will always be there. And most importantly, I will be finally and completely be 100% there for them! More than anything else, self-love is what I learned during my stay at ATMC. ~ ATMC Graduate
Notes on Green (Holistic) Psychiatry
More and more physicians and even psychiatrists are turning to drug-free protocols for mental health treatments. Following in the footsteps of orthomolecular and natural mental health researchers, such as Linus Pauling (two-time Nobel Prize winner). Abram Hoffer, and others, ATMC was one of the first voices advocating that safer protocols can make significant improvements in mental health without relying on prescription drugs as the only answer.7-9
Learn More About the Holistic Programs At ATMC
If you are struggling with continuing to take prescription medication that just isn’t working as you had hoped, please get in touch with us for a private consultation and explore other treatment options that may be a better fit for your immediate and long-term goals.
You can contact us here or speak with a qualified consultant by calling us anytime. Our team will be happy to spend time with you in your search for help with bupropion withdrawal and other questions you may have on your journey to better mental health and less reliance on prescription medications for relief.
for Bupropion Withdrawal Symptoms – Best Ways to Cope
Sources:
1. FDA label Bupropion hydrochloride (revised 2023) [cited 2025 Aug 30]
2. NAMI Bupropion (Wellbutrin) reviewed Dec. 2024 [cited 2025 Aug 30]
3. Stahl SM, Pradko JF, Haight BR, Modell JG, Rockett CB, Learned-Coughlin S. A Review of the Neuropharmacology of Bupropion, a Dual Norepinephrine and Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitor. Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry. 2004;6(4):159-166. doi: 10.4088/pcc.v06n0403. PMID: 15361919; PMCID: PMC514842. [cited 2025 Aug 30]
4. Huecker MR, Smiley A, Saadabadi A. Bupropion. [Updated 2024 Sep 2]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470212/ [cited 2025 Aug 30]
5. Smith MD, Maani CV. Norepinephrine. [Updated 2024 Dec 11]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537259/ [cited 2025 Aug 30]
6. Sonne J, Goyal A, Lopez-Ojeda W. Dopamine. [Updated 2023 Jul 3]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/books/NBK535451/ [cited 2025 Aug 30]
7. Orthomolecular Medicine official website [cited 2025 Aug 31]
8. Pauling, L. Orthomolecular Psychiatry- Varying the concentrations of substances normally present in the human body … .Science160, (1968).DOI: Science Journal [cited 2025 Aug 30]
9. Xue C, Zhang X, Cai W. Prediction of Drug-Drug Interactions with Bupropion and Its Metabolites as CYP2D6 Inhibitors Using a Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Model. Pharmaceutics. 2017 Dec 21;10(1):1. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics10010001. PMID: 29267251; PMCID: PMC5874814. [cited 2025 Aug 30]
10. Berigan TR, Harazin JS. Bupropion-Associated Withdrawal Symptoms: A Case Report. Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry. 1999;1(2):50-51. doi:10.4088/pcc.v01n0205 [cited 2025 Aug 30]
11. Berigan TR. Bupropion-Associated Withdrawal Symptoms Revisited: A Case Report. Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry. 2002;4(2):78. doi:10.4088/pcc.v04n0208a [cited 2025 Aug 30]
12. Hill S, Sikand H, Lee J. A case report of seizure induced by bupropion nasal insufflation. Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry. 2007;9(1):67-69. doi:10.4088/pcc.v09n0114a [cited 2025 Aug 30]
13. Grajek M, Krupa-Kotara K, Białek-Dratwa A, Sobczyk K, Grot M, Kowalski O, Staśkiewicz W. Nutrition and mental health: A review of current knowledge about the impact of diet on mental health. Front Nutr. 2022 Aug 22;9:943998. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.943998. PMID: 36071944; PMCID: PMC9441951. [cited 2025 Aug 30]
14. Deslandes A, Moraes H, Ferreira C, Veiga H, Silveira H, Mouta R, Pompeu FA, Coutinho ES, Laks J. Exercise and mental health: many reasons to move. Neuropsychobiology. 2009;59(4):191-8. doi: 10.1159/000223730. Epub 2009 Jun 10. PMID: 19521110. [cited 2025 Aug 30]
Originally Published September 10, 2025 by Diane Ridaeus
ATMC Clinical Review Team
The ATMC Clinical Review Team includes licensed physicians and experienced healthcare professionals dedicated to ensuring the accuracy, quality, and integrity of our medical content. The team reviews articles for clinical accuracy, evidence-based guidance, and relevance while supporting Alternative to Meds Center’s whole-person approach to mental health, recovery, and long-term wellness.
Diane is an avid supporter and researcher of natural mental health strategies. Diane received her medical writing and science communication certification through Stanford University and has published over 3 million words on the topics of holistic health, addiction, recovery, and alternative medicine. She has proudly worked with the Alternative to Meds Center since its inception and is grateful for the opportunity to help the founding members develop this world-class center that has helped so many thousands regain natural mental health.