Bupropion Hcl Coupons & Prices

A bupropion HCl coupon from Rx.com can lower what you pay at the pharmacy counter for bupropion hydrochloride immediate-release tablets, the generic version of the antidepressant once sold as Wellbutrin. Bupropion IR is already an inexpensive generic, but the cash price still swings a lot from one pharmacy to the next, even between stores on the same street, so it pays to compare before you fill. Rx.com compares cash prices across more than 60,000 pharmacies nationwide and shows you a free discount coupon you can use whether or not you have insurance. Enter your ZIP code above to see today's price for your strength and quantity near you.

What is bupropion HCl and how does it work?

Bupropion hydrochloride is an atypical antidepressant in the aminoketone class. It is a norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI), which means it works differently from the more familiar SSRIs, SNRIs, tricyclics, and MAOIs. The immediate-release (IR) tablet is FDA-approved to treat major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults. It is not approved for use in children.

Bupropion HCl comes in several dosage forms, and they are not interchangeable. The immediate-release tablet is taken more than once a day; the sustained-release (SR) tablet lasts about 12 hours; the extended-release (XL) tablet lasts about 24 hours. The brand Wellbutrin (immediate-release) is largely discontinued in the U.S., so the IR tablets on pharmacy shelves are generics. Related brands cover other forms: Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL and Forfivo XL, and Zyban, which is a bupropion SR product approved as a smoking-cessation aid. Aplenzin is a different salt entirely (bupropion hydrobromide). Make sure the prescription you price matches the form your prescriber wrote.

What bupropion HCl costs without insurance, and how to pay less

Bupropion HCl immediate-release tablets are available as an FDA-approved generic, which is the single biggest reason the cash price is usually modest compared with brand-name antidepressants. There is no manufacturer savings card for plain generic bupropion IR, and you do not need one. What you do need is a price comparison, because pharmacy cash prices for the same generic tablet are set independently by each chain and can differ several times over between a grocery-store pharmacy, a big chain, and an independent down the block.

A few practical ways to keep the cost down:

• Compare before you fill. Enter your ZIP above to see today's price at pharmacies near you, then take the lowest.
• Use a discount coupon even with insurance. The coupon cash price is sometimes lower than a plan copay. You can use whichever is cheaper, but not both on the same fill.
• Ask about a 90-day supply. For a long-term medication, a larger fill often costs less per tablet.
• Price the exact strength and form. IR, SR, and XL are priced differently, and so are different tablet strengths. Do not swap forms to chase a price without asking your prescriber.

Bupropion alternatives and related medications

If bupropion IR is not the right fit, or if the dosing schedule is inconvenient, your prescriber has options. The other bupropion forms are the closest relatives: bupropion HCl ER (SR) is a 12-hour tablet, bupropion HCl ER (XL) is a once-daily tablet that is also approved to prevent seasonal affective disorder, and bupropion HCl ER for smoking cessation is the Zyban-type product. Never take two bupropion-containing products at the same time, including Contrave (naltrexone/bupropion), because the seizure risk adds up.

Antidepressants in other classes are also commonly prescribed for depression, and they have their own tradeoffs in side effects and cost. Widely used generic options include the SSRIs sertraline, fluoxetine, and escitalopram, and the SNRIs venlafaxine and duloxetine. Only your prescriber can decide which medication suits your history. Never stop or switch an antidepressant on your own.

Bupropion HCl safety: what to know before you fill

Boxed warning - suicidal thoughts and behaviors. In short-term studies, antidepressants increased the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior in children, adolescents, and young adults. Anyone starting bupropion should be watched closely for worsening depression, unusual changes in behavior, or new suicidal thoughts, especially during the first few months and after any dose change. Bupropion is not approved for pediatric use. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 in the U.S. right away.

Bupropion's signature hazard is seizure risk, which rises with the dose. That is why immediate-release dosing is capped (typically no more than 150 mg per dose and 450 mg per day, with doses spaced at least 6 hours apart) and why bupropion is contraindicated in people with a seizure disorder, a current or past diagnosis of bulimia or anorexia nervosa, or who are abruptly stopping alcohol, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, or antiseizure drugs. It must not be used with an MAOI or within 14 days of stopping one (including linezolid or IV methylene blue), or by anyone with a known hypersensitivity to bupropion. Other label warnings include neuropsychiatric reactions and behavior changes, high blood pressure (which can be marked, especially when combined with nicotine replacement), activation of mania or hypomania in people with bipolar disorder, psychosis, angle-closure glaucoma, and rare but severe hypersensitivity or serum-sickness-like reactions, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Common side effects are dry mouth, insomnia, headache, nausea, constipation, dizziness, agitation, tremor, sweating, and weight loss. Bupropion is a strong CYP2D6 inhibitor and interacts with many drugs, including other antidepressants, tamoxifen, metoprolol, and antipsychotics, and it can cause a false-positive urine amphetamine screen. This page is general information, not medical advice; give your full medication list to your prescriber and pharmacist and follow their guidance.