Wellbutrin is the general brand for Bupropion sold among other names. Earlier it was Amfebutamone. Wellbutrin - an atypical antidepressant treats medical conditions like major depressive disorder, seasonal affective disorder, and helps with smoking cessation. FDA approves Wellbutrin for only these medical purposes.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder. ADHD is characterized by hyperactivity, persistent patterns of inattention, and impulsivity. These behaviors can directly affect various aspects of your or your child’s life. This will include activities in school for children, office activities for adults, and regular social relationships. The symptoms of ADHD often begin in childhood. However, this condition - ADHD can well penetrate into your adulthood.
Diagnosis of ADHD
Healthcare providers follow a few steps as part of diagnosis for ADHD. This includes the presence and absence of certain symptoms. Caregivers utilize the criteria as mentioned / listed in the DSM-5-TR.
ADHD diagnosis for your child will take place if the entire criterion that follows hold true:
If caregivers find that, your child has at least six symptoms that belong to one specific group (impulsivity/ inattention or hyperactivity). Six symptoms from each group (for a total of twelve or more).
If these symptoms are before age 12. If symptoms occur in at least two settings (at home and at school).
Symptoms disrupt your child’s life quality, daily activity, and friendships, and that any other medical condition is not the cause for these symptoms.
No lab test (like a blood or urine test) can diagnose ADHD. Instead, healthcare providers perform an ADHD assessment. This involves interacting with you, your child, and others — like friends, family members, and teachers. This will allow healthcare providers to assess the child’s behavior much better.
Healthcare providers perform diagnosis in three steps:
- Identify behavioral clusters related to attention and activity
- Rule out other alternative causes of these behaviors that include anxiety or depression
- Confirm if any co-occurring condition prevails in your child like any other mental health conditions. These include oppositional defiant disorder, any other neurodevelopmental disorders like autism or a learning disability. Therefore, your caregiver may suggest additional assessments to diagnose or rule out conditions like these.
Wellbutrin for ADHD
To treat or control ADHD, you can take Wellbutrin. However, FDA does not approve this drug for this treatment. Your healthcare provider might prescribe this medication for you only as an off-label drug. By doing so, you can manage some traits of this condition ADHD or treat co-occurring depression.
In addition, you should avoid taking Wellbutrin to treat ADHD if you have a seizure or eating disorder, or angle-closure glaucoma. Chances are that Wellbutrin may increase the risk of mixed, manic, or hypomanic mood episodes in patients suffering from bipolar disorder. For patients with kidney or liver problems, caregivers only prescribe a reduced / limited dose of the drug.
Patients who took Wellbutrin for ADHD found that their symptoms seem tom improve without exposure to the stimulants' adverse effects. Wellbutrin provides a dual-action treatment for ADHD. However, compared to stimulants, Wellbutrin may take a longer time to cure ADHD.
Wellbutrin mechanism of action for ADHD
Wellbutrin, as we all know is a Norepinephrine and Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitor (NDRI). Wellbutrin decreases the reabsorption i.e. reuptake of the neurotransmitters namely norepinephrine and dopamine in your brain, resulting in increasing their concentration. It helps improve your concentration and focus as it keeps the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine available to the brain’s neurons for a long span of time. This helps the neurotransmitters to send alerts / messages to other nerves. This helps people with ADHD and is more advantageous for them as it reduces the severity of symptoms. In addition, Wellbutrin works differently than several other types of antidepressants, as Wellbutrin does not influence serotonin.
How effective is Wellbutrin for ADHD?
Research is still ongoing regarding Wellbutrin's effectiveness in treating ADHD. However, few results were generally positive and proved that the drug was effective against ADHD. One particular review of the research study found that Wellbutrin highlighted potential benefits for treating ADHD in adults. In another study, results showed that Wellbutrin decreased ADHD severity much better than a placebo.
A few other clinical trials revealed that individuals who took Wellbutrin to treat Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder found that they gained 50% improvement when compared to those who never took any treatment.
Moreover, few other studies even showed some promising outcomes that Wellbutrin works well for some individuals as a good stimulant too. This is one of the primary reasons many clinicians / caregivers administer Wellbutrin off-label for treating ADHD.
Wellbutrin Dosages for ADHD
To treat Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, your caregiver might prescribe dosage strengths between 150 mg and 450 mg per day that can prove helpful. Moreover, several clinical trials / researches suggest and recommend the same dosage strengths. A dosage level of 150 mg per day is the typical daily dose. Healthcare providers generally prescribe a low dose initially as the starting dose. Your caregiver will then gradually increase the dose over time until the drug reaches its maximum efficacy.
The sustained-release formulation and extended-release formulation Wellbutrin dose differs as per requirement. A sustained-release formulation dose is 150 mg you can take once or twice daily. The extended-release formulation dose you can take a 300 mg dose once daily. However, Wellbutrin single dose of immediate-release or sustained-release should not exceed 150 mg. Wellbutrin maximum daily dose is however limited to only 450 mg daily.
Comparing the pros and cons of Wellbutrin in treating ADHD
Caregivers usually prefer stimulant medications and consider it as the first-line treatment for ADHD. However, Wellbutrin has its own advantages. Wellbutrin does not possess any risk of drug dependency or misuse and abuse, unlike stimulants. Moreover, Wellbutrin will have an increased effect when taken alongside other stimulant medications.
Even patients with some comorbid mental health disorders benefit from using Wellbutrin. As per an estimate, nearly 18.6% of adults with ADHD also have depression, and 47.1% also have anxiety. Therefore, Wellbutrin – an antidepressant can assist in treatment and minimize the symptoms of any co-existing conditions as well.
Wellbutrin has the potential of being a safer alternative compared to the stimulant. This is mainly for treating medical conditions like sleep disorders, history of dependency, or any other mood-related disorders.
On the downside, Wellbutrin may not be as effective as stimulant medications. It also takes longer durations to produce and deliver best results. It also depends on who takes the medication and their current health condition.
Before taking Wellbutrin or having plans to take this med, you need to consult your healthcare provider to discuss the effects and safety of this drug.