Supplements and Bupropion.
Bupropion, sold under the brand names Zyban, Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin XL, Wellbutrin SR, is an antidepressant: depending on the agent, it acts on serotonin, noradrenaline, or both.
Bupropion sits in the BNF "other antidepressants" group. The group includes the SNRIs (venlafaxine, duloxetine), the atypicals (mirtazapine, agomelatine, vortioxetine), and the older tetracyclics. The clinical class matters more than the BNF group, because the supplement profile differs sharply across it. SNRIs share the SSRI serotonergic concerns. Mirtazapine sits closer to the sedating, appetite-stimulating profile. Agomelatine is heavily liver-metabolised with mandatory LFT monitoring. Where these antidepressants share a supplement surface, it is St John's Wort (hard exclude across the class), 5-HTP (hard exclude on serotonergic grounds), rhodiola, and any supplement with significant sedating or activating effect depending on the agent. Discontinuation profiles differ too. Venlafaxine has the heaviest withdrawal syndrome of common antidepressants. Agomelatine probably the lightest.
Below are the 2 documented pairs we have explicitly assessed against Bupropion in the Distil database: 1 red and 1 amber. The pairs cluster around 2 mechanisms: Additive serotonergic activity and Additive seizure risk (lowered threshold). Every call is cited to either a clinical reference (PMID) or the British National Formulary. Anything not on this list is either still to be assessed or beyond our database scope. The checker beneath surfaces assessments by supplement, and the missing-item form at the bottom of the page routes any uncatalogued supplement into our next curation pass.
Documented interactions
Last reviewed 13 September 2026. Each interaction below lists the evidence its assessment drew on: some rest on studies of the exact pair, others on mechanism evidence, where a citation may support one part of the reasoning rather than the exact combination. The evidence line on each entry says which.
Additive serotonergic activity
Red Does 5-HTP interact with ?
5-HTP is turned into serotonin in the body, and bupropion is a medicine UK prescribing guidance lists as raising the risk of serotonin syndrome with tryptophan, the substance 5-HTP is made from, so taking the two together can cause serotonin syndrome (agitation, sweating, tremor, a racing heart, confusion). Do not take 5-HTP with bupropion; if you already take both, tell the prescriber who manages your bupropion, and do not stop bupropion on your own.
Evidence: Limited human data, from small studies or case reports, alongside a known mechanism.
Reviewer-flagged: awaiting clinical-reviewer sign-off.
Additive seizure risk (lowered threshold)
Amber Does Ginkgo Biloba interact with ?
Bupropion lowers the seizure threshold, more so at higher doses, and ginkgo seeds contain a natural compound that can trigger seizures. Combining them may add to the seizure risk, especially if you have had seizures, an eating disorder, or take other medicines that also lower the threshold. If you take bupropion, it is safer to discuss ginkgo with your prescriber before starting it.
Evidence: Limited human data, from small studies or case reports, alongside a known mechanism.
Reviewer-flagged: awaiting clinical-reviewer sign-off.
What this list does not say. Pairs not flagged here are not implicitly safe. They are either not yet in our database, or fall outside our inclusion scope (food-supplement interactions only; for drug-drug interactions, the BNF is authoritative). Use the checker below to surface any supplement, and submit a missing item if you take something we have not catalogued.
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How we grade severity, choose what's in scope, and what we exclude.
Every call on this page is reasoned. We publish the full rubric for severity tiers, the medication inclusion logic, the evidence grades we accept, and what we deliberately leave out. About three thousand words. Worth reading once if you use this tool more than occasionally.
Read the full methodologyA full supplement review, built around you, not a generic stack.
The free checker answers one interaction question at a time. A Distil report reviews the bigger picture: your goals, diet, medications, current supplements and any blood results you provide, then shows what appears worth keeping, changing, adding or leaving out.
- what your diet already covers, so you are not adding a capsule for something food is already handling
- which evidence-graded compounds are worth considering for your goals, and which were considered but left out
- what to keep, change or stop from what you already take, plus the order to introduce anything new
- how your medications and complete supplement stack fit together, with daily timing and a clear point for reassessment
The interaction check is one section of the full report. You also get the reasoning behind each recommendation and the evidence references used.
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If a supplement or medication you take isn't in our autocomplete, tell us. We go through what people flag every week and add what's missing.