Pamelor vs. Wellbutrin

• Are Wellbutrin and Pamelor the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Pamelor?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Wellbutrin?
• What Is Pamelor?
• What Is Wellbutrin?
• What Drugs Interact with Pamelor?
• What Drugs Interact with Wellbutrin?
• How Should Pamelor Be Taken?
• How Should Wellbutrin Be Taken?

Pamelor (nortriptyline HCl) and Wellbutrin (bupropion) are antidepressants used to treat depression.

Wellbutrin is also used to treat seasonal affective disorder.

Pamelor and Wellbutrin are different types of antidepressants Pamelor is a tricyclic antidepressant and Wellbutrin is an aminoketone antidepressant.

Side effects of Pamelor and Wellbutrin that are similar include vision problems or blurred vision, dry mouth, constipation, weight gain or loss, dizziness, nausea, unpleasant/strange taste in the mouth, ringing in your ears, or decreased sex drive.

Side effects of Pamelor that are different from Wellbutrin include fast heart rate, urinary retention, tingly feeling, weakness, lack of coordination, breast swelling (in men or women), impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm.

Side effects of Wellbutrin that are different from Pamelor include agitation, insomnia, headache, vomiting, stomach pain, sore throat, muscle pain, itching or skin rash, increased sweating, increased urination, tremor, changes in appetite, joint aches, diarrhea, and seizures (especially at higher doses).

Both Pamelor and Wellbutrin may interact with alcohol, narcotics, other antidepressants, other medicines to treat a psychiatric disorder, bladder or urinary medicines, bronchodilators, antihistamines, medicines to treat Parkinson's disease, medicines for motion sickness, ulcer or irritable bowel medications, diet pills, or stimulants.

Pamelor may also interact with other drugs that make you sleepy or slow your breathing (sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, or medicines for anxiety or seizures), bupropion, cimetidine, reserpine, St. John's wort, terbinafine, medications to treat excess stomach acid, decongestants, or heart rhythm medications.

Wellbutrin may also interact with medications used to prevent blood clots, heart or blood pressure medications, HIV or AIDS medications, seizure medications, antibiotics, asthma medications, birth control pills or hormone replacement estrogens, ADHD medications, insulin or oral diabetes medication, medicines for nausea/vomiting, medications to treat or prevent malaria, medication for restless leg syndrome, medication for pituitary gland tumor, medicines used to prevent organ transplant rejection, numbing medicines, steroids, street drugs such as "speed" or cocaine, or theophylline.

Do not stop using Pamelor suddenly, or you could have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

Common side effects of Pamelor include:

• fast heart rate,
• blurred vision,
• urinary retention,
• dry mouth,
• constipation,
• weight gain or loss,
• dizziness upon standing (orthostatic hypotension),
• tingly feeling,
• weakness,
• lack of coordination,
• unpleasant taste,
• nausea,
• ringing in your ears,
• breast swelling (in men or women),
• decreased sex drive,
• impotence, or
• difficulty having an orgasm.

Common side effects of Wellbutrin include:

• agitation,
• dry mouth,
• insomnia,
• headache,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• constipation,
• stomach pain,
• dizziness,
• ringing in the ears,
• vision problems or blurred vision,
• loss of interest in sex,
• sore throat,
• muscle pain,
• itching or skin rash,
• increased sweating,
• increased urination,
• tremor,
• changes in appetite,
• weight loss or gain,
• joint aches,
• strange taste in the mouth,
• diarrhea, and
• seizures (especially at higher doses).

Pamelor (nortriptyline HCl) is an antidepressant that is used to treat mental/mood problems such as depression.

Wellbutrin is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with a certain type of depression called major depressive disorder.

Pamelor may interact with narcotic pain medicines.

Pamelor may also interact with other drugs that make you sleepy or slow your breathing (sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, or medicines for anxiety, depression, or seizures), bupropion, cimetidine, reserpine, St. John's wort, terbinafine, other antidepressant or medication to treat mental illness, bladder or urinary medicines, bronchodilators, cold or allergy medicines that contain an antihistamine, medications for Parkinson's disease; medications to treat excess stomach acid, stomach ulcer, motion sickness, or irritable bowel syndrome; decongestants, diet pills, stimulants, or heart rhythm medications.

Do not stop using Pamelor suddenly, or you could have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

Wellbutrin may interact with insulin, blood thinners, and asthma medications. Wellbutrin may also interact with many medications including heart or blood pressure medications, HIV or AIDS medications, seizure medications, other antidepressants, medicines to treat a psychiatric disorder, antibiotics, antihistamines that make you sleepy, bronchodilators, birth control pills or hormone replacement estrogens, bladder or urinary medications, diet pills, stimulants, ADHD medications, oral diabetes medication, medicines for nausea/vomiting/motion sickness, medications to treat or prevent malaria, medicines to treat Parkinson's disease, medication for restless leg syndrome, medication for pituitary gland tumor, medicines used to prevent organ transplant rejection, narcotics, numbing medicines, steroids, theophylline, or ulcer or irritable bowel medications.

Pamelor is administered orally in the form of capsules or liquid. Lower than usual dosages are recommended for elderly patients and adolescents.

• Take Wellbutrin exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider. Do not change your dose or stop taking Wellbutrin without talking with your healthcare provider first.
• Swallow Wellbutrin tablets whole. Do not chew, cut, or crush Wellbutrin tablets.
• Take Wellbutrin at the same time each day.
• Take your doses of Wellbutrin at least 6 hours apart.
• You may take Wellbutrin with or without food.
• If you miss a dose, do not take an extra dose to make up for the dose you missed. Wait and take your next dose at the regular time. This is very important. Too much Wellbutrin can increase your chance of having a seizure.
• If you take too much Wellbutrin, or overdose, call your local emergency room or poison control center right away.
• Do not take any other medicines while taking Wellbutrin unless your healthcare provider has told you it is okay.
• If you are taking Wellbutrin for the treatment of major depressive disorder, it may take several weeks for you to feel that Wellbutrin is working. Once you feel better, it is important to keep taking Wellbutrin exactly as directed by your healthcare provider. Call your healthcare provider if you do not feel Wellbutrin is working for you.