Integrative Health Consultant and Educator
Integrative Health Consultant and Educator

Taking Wellbutrin and Effexor Together

Question: A friend has been on Effexor XR for a few years now, but the doctor wants her to get on Welbutrin to help her stop smoking. Can she take both Welbutrin and Effexor XR together if she cuts the Effexor XR to 75 from 150, and will this give her the desired effect of both?

— Jeremy W.
Answer: Effexor XR and Wellbutrin XL or SR are usually tolerated well taken together. She may not need to decrease her dose of Effexor XR.
It is better to take Wellbutrin in the am and Effexor at suppertime or 6pm to avoid both peaking at the same time. She might want to at least monitor her BP, especially if she takes both in the am.

This combination is especially good for managing sexual side effects, delayed/absent orgasm and/or libido.
Wellbutrin may also help with possible weight gain on Effexor XR (or any SSRI/SNRI). For decreased craving for cigarettes, she will probably need 300 mg Wellbutrin and possibly 450 mg/day. The XL form is safer and better tolerated, but the SR form is in generic, and therefore, sometimes necessitated by cost issues.


This article originally appeared in the Q&A section 04/01/2005. Revised 01/22/2006.

FAQs: Comparing Meds

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