Budeprion and pharmacy

I've been on Wellbutrin XL 300mg for quite some time now...coming up on 2 years, I think? I think I took the brand name drug at first, but for most of the time, I've taken the generic BUPROPRION--different generics from different companies, even. But this last refill, the pharmacy had switched to BUDEPRION for the generic. Bupropion and Budeprion are NOT the same!

Today is my second day on Budeprion and I feel like crap. Jittery, shaky, diarrhea, peeing constantly ("polyuria"), heart racing, nausea, nausea while hungry, hot-and-cold, and now worn out from a day of all that! My psychiatrist is on maternity leave but I've got a call in to her office to get it switched back to brand-name. Thankfully I'm in grad school, and under my student health insurance, the copay is the same for brand or generic.

Why Budeprion is considered a generic of Wellbutrin, I don't know. Wellbutrin is bupropion. This Budeprion stuff is a different chemical composition and is absorbed by/released into the body an entirely different way, from what I've been reading. When is the FDA going to get its act together???

I have taken wellbutrin, had no side effects, the pharmacy gave me Budeprion, I have heart palpations, and my blood pressure went up over the top. I will not take it again. I am glad I found this website. Has anyone else had their blood pressure rise

After a four month break from Wellbutrin, I asked my doctor to put me back on due to depression and difficulty with some new chaos in my life. Before I picked up my new prescription, I took what was left of my last wellburtin prescription. My new prescription was budeprion XL...just figured it was a generic but the same med.I have been a wreck for the 10 days or so since I have been taking the budeprion. Crying often through out the day, worrying and obsessing more then ever about the issues that are depressing me. Feeling frantic and confused. I just called my pharmacy and was told that if there is a generic available it is given automatically unless the doctor specifies only a name brand. I will be on the phone with my doctor first thing tomorrow. This is far worse than without any drug. Thank goodness I thought to google "wellbutrin vs budeprion" and came across this site.

I, Too, Took Wellbutrin last year and it did me good--was even helping me quit smoking (it is same drug as Zyban). Then I discontinued for awhile and this year I started back. drugstore gave me generic budeprion. I didn't think anything about it since all my other drugs are generic, too.
I AM SO GLAD I FOUND THESE POSTINGS!!!!!
I have been crying at any little thing--even dog food commercials. i have been drooling at times. My back hurts worse.I have fallen several times.I told my Dr and he said that my depression was just getting worse and upped the dosage on another couple of antidepressants I take. No help.
My bet is that some pharmacy-dude is making a killing on this new generic which he probably sells in cahoots with the FDA. I don't trust the gov't. I used to work for them before I retired on disability.
I know how they work behind the scenes. They cover stuff up so well, you could never prove anything like this.
ANYWAY, thanks to all who posted. I checked and I can get Wellbutrin for only $5 more...
My best to all and good luck!!!

The last time I went in to get my Welbutrin XL prescription filled they charged me extra (a lot) because now there is "a generic" available. I paid it because my doctor had told me that he has had complaints about the generic. The lady at the pharmacy said that my doctor has to write the prescription that I cannot have it substituted in order for me to not pay extra. I plan to do just that after reading all of your experiences.... Maybe those of you on the generic or switched can ask your doctor to specify it on the Rx. - happy on Welbutrin XL

I am so glad I stumbled upon this forum, I though I was losing my mind! I have successfully been on Wellbutrin for a couple of years now, and the last time I got it refilled the pharmacy gave me the Budeprion. Within a couple of days I noticed that I had difficulty swallowing, was more irritable than usual, wanted to cry all the time and I do not cry, get dizzy, feel very spaced out and cannot concentrate, and have had severe stomach aches and headaches. At first I did not attribute it to the generic form and thought I had the flu or something, but after these symptoms have not gone away for over a month, I am convinced these are side effects from the generic form.

I don't have the regular Wellbutrin to compare it to, but my boyfriend and my mom both take pills that say BUPROPION on the bottle and we have all thought it was weird that mine is called Budeprion so I decided to look up the difference today. This is really disturbing. I haven't experienced anything as severe as what's posted here, but I do have some really annoying side effects- the worst is really extreme and disturbing tremors (shaky hands, legs, voice, trouble holding utensils or putting strain on any muscle.) I also have really bad dry mouth, dizziness, nausea and fatigue. I am wondering if I would have them if I were taking name brand or a different generic. I am definitely asking for a different generic just to see what happens the next time that I get my prescription refilled, but what sucks is that I just got it refilled two days ago so I have to wait a whole month. Wish I'd researched it sooner! This is really weird and seems like it should definitely be taken care of. I'm surprised that there is a website with THIS many almost identical stories and yet nothing has been done about this drug yet. Surely just as many people and probably many more have TOLD the FDA about this stuff so it's pretty unsettling that it's still out there and the pharmacy gave it to me without even telling me it's different from wellbutrin and other generics.

My insurance changed and i was substited budeprion for the other generic for Wellbutrin which was buproprion. The first thing I noticed is that I was extremely irratable and downright mean to people. I never used to be like that while on Wellbutrin. I cried easily and this new pill just did not help me like the old original. But the most annoying side effect I have noticed is that it has given me an awful odor. It took me awhile to put two and two together but I noticed the budeprion has an awful smell in the bottle as soon as I took the lid off. Then I noticed my urine had a horrible strong smell which I associated with the same smell as the pill. Now I also am afraid it is being excreted thru perspiration as well. I am certainly not going to continue to take this budeprion if it is making me smell bad! Has anyone else noticed this side effect?

I started taking Wellbutrin XL for anxiety. My doctor told me that this medication will calm down the anxiety and even just put me in a better mood. (i think i was also slightly depressed) but i was affraid to admit it to myself. I took the Wellbutrin for about year and it worked wonders. I was happier, no anxiety, and i just had energy without having to drink a pot of coffee. These last two months my insurance switched to Budeprion SR and it has been hell. I never put two and two together about the generic...since i work in a pharmacy i assumed it was equivalent. IT IS NOT. My fiancee almost left me! The FDA needs to pull this med.

I recently went to my physician because I have been sooo irritable. I cry about things that I wouldn't normally, too. I've been taking Wellbutrin XL for many years and Lamictal as a mood stabilizer. I've only noticed these changes since my insurance company changed policies and had my Wellbutrin XL filled with the generic Budeprion SR. My doctor also told me they were not the same and she had many patients experience the irritability. After reading up on it, I read that studies have been done that PROVE the generic releases a lot more of the medication in a shorter period of time...not as spread out like it should be like the brand name. My insurance company is currently charging me $60 mo. for generic and $140+ for Wellbutrin XL. The full price is $190+ monthly. Another interesting piece of info I read is the FDA only requires a generic to prove itself as equivalent by testing 20+ out of 30+ people before being allowed to be considered the same as opposed to the hundreds and hundreds of people a brand name drug has to do studies on to prove itself safe and effective to be put on the market. My aunt has experienced the same, only she went into a severe depression. Both of us have recently been experiencing headaches that last days. I am going back to the brand name...$140+ or not. My benefits coordinator told me to appeal it with my insurance company with the help of my doctor. I can't believe the FDA has not done anything about this yet. Personally, I don't think any form of Budeprion should be on the market.