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Bupropion: not recommended,
especially during breastfeeding

Bupropion passes into breast milk and exposes the breastfed baby to the risk of convulsions. One more reason not to use this drug, which is intended to help people quit smoking.

Bupropion alias amfebutamone is an amphetamine sold in France to help smokers quit, and in other countries as an antidepressant. Bupropion has a negative benefit-harm balance. It can cause a number of adverse effects, some of which are specific to amphetamines, in particular convulsions, neuropsychiatric disorders (psychosis, etc.), hypersensitive reactions (urticaria, etc.), cardiovascular accidents (heart attack or stroke), and even acute pancreatic disorder.

One infant was exposed to bupropion through breastfeeding. The child’s mother was in good health and breastfed the child for 6 months without any difficulty, then began to take bupropion as an antidepressant. On the fourth day, the baby suffered convulsions. There has been no recurrence since the mother stopped taking bupropion.

It is not breastfeeding that should be discouraged while taking bupropion, but the opposite: no bupropion, particularly when breastfeeding.

©Prescrire May 2005

Source: "Bupropion : convulsions chez un nourrisson exposé par l’allaitement" Rev Prescrire 2005 ; 25 (261) : 351.

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