Bad Reaction
Bupropion & Cannabis
Citation:   Elrae. "Bad Reaction: An Experience with Bupropion & Cannabis (exp107645)". Erowid.org. Mar 24, 2017. erowid.org/exp/107645

 
DOSE:
300 mg oral Pharms - Bupropion (daily)
    smoked Cannabis  
BODY WEIGHT: 124 lb
I had been taking Bupropion SR, 200mg a day for months and very recently increased my dose to 300mg a day with the permission of my doctor, for Major Depressive Disorder. This medication builds up in your system over time, so my body had a good amount of the drug built up.

I was at my boyfriend's house. He had work the next morning, and knowing that bupropion gives me insomnia, I went ahead and took a hit of the weed he offered to maybe help me sleep. I already knew that I react badly to sativa strains, so I asked if he knew what type of bud it was. He had no clue, so I just assumed it to be a hybrid and hoped for the best.

About five minutes after smoking, I realized it was one hardcore sativa and started to worry. I had aural and visual hallucinations. I heard voices all around me, some telling me to do really bad things to myself. I don't have a history of hearing any type of voices. Also, my eyes couldn't stop darting back and forth to different objects in the room, and every time I focused on one object (doesn't matter what, a plastic bag, t-shirt, anything), my mind would somehow connect it to something triggering for me.

I started breathing heavily and crying a little to myself. Anytime my boyfriend asked if I was ok, I suddenly snapped back to normal and laughed at him and said I'm fine when really I wasn't. I guess I didn't want him to worry. Then, I felt a panic attack slowly grow on me. My boyfriend eventually noticed something was really going on here. He had asked me earlier if I felt anything from the weed, because he couldn't. That told me this was an abnormal reaction, because my tolerance was pretty high before my dosage increase on bupropion.

After a minute of my breathing getting heavier, he asked if I wanted something to eat or if I wanted him to drive me home. Bupropion makes me not want to eat anything so I said no, and the last thing I wanted was to be totally alone. I asked to cuddle with him and we did, but I felt like nothing could totally comfort me. I was experiencing the most intense panic attack I've had at this point.
I was experiencing the most intense panic attack I've had at this point.
I was crying hysterically over nothing I can remember now. Every five minutes or so, I would catch about 45 seconds of breathing normally and calming down after realizing I wasn't alone so it was ok. But the panic would always come back at the same intensity. Eventually I got sleepy from crying so hard. I felt really exhausted and we started to fall asleep. Every time I felt like I was about to actually fall into a deep sleep, my body would jolt awake and I'd gasp for air, thinking I was falling. That happened about three times until I fell asleep.

The next morning, I felt really exhausted as if I partied too hard the night before. He dropped me off at my place before he headed to work. 30 minutes later I started to feel a mini panic attack coming on for no reason. It was manageable though. I didn't go back to feeling normal until the next morning.

This experience left me more afraid to touch weed than I had ever been while on my lower bupropion dose. Wellbutrin/bupropion intensifies the effects of any substance, it makes me feel wasted faster when drinking (but you are not supposed to drink on bupropion!), and weed always seems more potent than it has been in the past. I suggest if you are going to smoke weed while on this medication, do not do it alone. Have someone you really trust by your side to at least bring a little comfort while you ride it out.

Exp Year: 2015ExpID: 107645
Gender: Female 
Age at time of experience: 18
Published: Mar 24, 2017Views: 3,660
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Pharms - Bupropion (87), Cannabis (1) : Combinations (3), Depression (15), Difficult Experiences (5), Small Group (2-9) (17)

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