Wellbutrin®

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Wellbutrin®

Wellbutrin® is used for two types of treatments. It is prescribed for:

• Depression — Wellbutrin® works in the brain to treat depression. It is similar to but not the same as a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI).
• Smoking Cessation (Zyban) — This form of Wellbutrin® was found to decrease cravings and withdrawal effects in cigarette smokers.

The drug also is used to treat seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that repeatedly occurs on an annual basis, often in winter.

Generic Forms of Wellbutrin®

The generic name for Wellbutrin® is bupropion. Bupropion, or Wellbutrin®, was first approved in December 1985 as a "new molecular entity." It is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline.

Wellbutrin®Side Effects

Serious side effects of Wellbutrin® can include:

• Seizures or convulsions (alcohol increases the chances of having this side effect)
• Skin peeling, red rash, or severe blistering
• General feeling of being sick, fever, swollen glands, joint pain
• Confusion or trouble concentrating
• Hallucinations, strange thoughts or behavior
• Thoughts of suicide

Less severe side effects include:

• Migraines or headaches
• Problems sleeping
• Nausea, vomiting, constipation, dry mouth
• Dizziness or tremors
• Changes in appetite, increase or decrease in weight
• Mild itching or rash
• Increased sweating
• Loss of interest in sex

Wellbutrin® and the Risk of Birth Defects

A study was presented at the 49th meeting of the Teratology Society in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, last spring and also was published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology indicating a relationship between mothers who took Wellbutrin® early in their pregnancy and babies born with congenital heart defects.

The research was a retrospective case-control study of birth defects risk factors. The study included 6,853 infants with major heart defects compared to 5,869 control infants, born between 1997 and 2004. The results showed that mothers of newborns with left flow tract heart defects were more likely to have reported taking bupropion during early pregnancy.

"The magnitude of risk was small," however, the article reported, "and further studies are needed."

Wellbutrin® is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) category C pregnancy medication. This means that animal studies have shown a risk to the fetus, but there are no adequate or controlled clinical studies in pregnant women to show adverse effects to the human fetus.

Contact a Wellbutrin®Side Effects Attorney

If you have been harmed by taking Wellbutrin or you were taking the medication and had an infant born with a heart defect, you should contact a Wellbutrin® side effects attorney to find out if you qualify for compensation. Contact our Wellbutrin® lawyers today.