Can you drink coffee while taking Wellbutrin? 

Can you drink coffee while taking Wellbutrin? 

Yes, you can drink coffee while taking Wellbutrin. A little caffeine to help wake you up in the morning won’t harm you or interfere with your antidepressant. 

However, the safety of consuming coffee with Wellbutrin changes if you take too much of it. Caffeine and Wellbutrin do have a mild interaction, which is negligible if you stick to just a cup or two of coffee. 

Not taking them at the same time also helps and reduces the chances of a possible interaction even more. However, if you drink too much coffee while taking Wellbutrin, you can experience disturbing side effects. 

What are the side effects of drinking too much coffee while taking Wellbutrin? 

The excessive consumption of caffeine, while you’re being treated with Wellbutrin, can cause a number of disturbing side effects or exacerbate the side effects caused by Wellbutrin. These include (1):

  • Anxiety 
  • Nervousness 
  • Mood disturbances
  • Irritability 
  • Restlessness 
  • Insomnia
  • High blood pressure 
  • Tremors
  • Seizures 
  • Dizziness 

These side effects can vary from person to person, and depend on the amount of caffeine consumed and for how long you’ve been using these two together. The most concerning side effect of taking too much caffeine with Wellbutrin is seizures

Wellbutrin can trigger seizures, even in healthy individuals. However, this side effect is rare and is not reported on lower doses – but combining it with caffeine can increase the electrical activity in your brain which can trigger seizures. 

Wellbutrin can also cause some gastrointestinal side effects, like heartburn or acid reflux – which may become more pronounced if the drug is excessively consumed with caffeine. 

Make sure you limit your caffeine consumption while you are being treated with Wellbutrin. If you’re concerned about any of the side effects, reach out to your healthcare provider. 

What to do if you feel unwell after drinking coffee while taking Wellbutrin? 

If you feel unusual after having coffee, reach out to your doctor. It’s highly unlikely for a person to feel unusual after having just a cup of coffee while taking Wellbutrin, but if you are for some reason, you should seek medical attention.

If you find yourself anxious after drinking coffee, you can make a lighter cup next time by adding a smaller amount of coffee. Adjusting the quantity of coffee and the timing at which you drink it can help prevent even the mildest interaction between caffeine and Wellbutrin. 

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References

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MedlinePlus. Alprazolam [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US); [updated 2022 Apr 15; cited 2023 Feb 23]. Available from: https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a601054.html.

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