Does Wellbutrin cause kidney stones?
By
Dr Natalia Marceli Stephanes (PhD)
Author bio
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes PhD is a Pharmacist with expertise in Drugs Administration and Toxicity; Discovery of New Drugs; Cancer Treatment; Biochemical Analyzes and Hematological Analyzes. She writes and reviews content on these topics.
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes’ Highlights:
- Pharmacist at the Department of Health of Santa Catarina State, Brazil
- PhD with a focus on oncology treatment
- Years of experience in commercial pharmacy
- Bachelor, Master and PhD degrees in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina
Professional Experience:
From her undergraduate studies to her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Pharmacy, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes has participated in numerous scientific studies in the field of oncology and onco-hematology at the University Hospital of the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Her research has focused on understanding the molecular and biochemical bases of malignant neoplasms and investigating safer and more effective therapeutic alternatives.
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes has also served as an assistant professor of haematology for undergraduate students at the Federal University of Santa Catarina. Additionally, she held the position of professor of Hospital Pharmacy at the Qualificar Technical School in Brazil, where she developed instructional materials for use in the Pharmacy Postgraduate Program at the Leonardo Da Vinci University Center.
In addition to her academic experiences, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes possesses a strong expertise in commercial pharmacy, with in-depth knowledge of medications, their routes of administration, desired effects, adverse effects, and toxicity.
Currently, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes works as a Pharmacist at the Health Department of Santa Catarina State, where her role entails providing pharmaceutical scientific consulting services to judges.
Education:
- 2016 Bachelor in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
- 2018 Master in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
- 2023 PhD in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
The main publications of Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes are:
Falchetti M ; Delgobo M, Zancanaro H, Almeida K, Das Neves RN, Dos Santos B, Stefanes NM, et al. Bishop Omics-based identification of an NRF2-related auranofin resistance signature in cancer: Insights into drug repurposing. Comput. Biol. Med [Internet]. 2023; 152:106347.
Feuser PM, Matos dos Santos PC, Cordeiro AP, Stefanes NM, Walter LO, Maioral MF, Santos-Silva MC, et al. Antineoplastic activity of free 4-nitrochalcone and encapsulated in poly(thioether-ester) nanoparticles obtained by thiol-ene polymerization in two human leukemia cell lines (Jurkat and K562). J Drug Deliv Sci Technol [Internet]. 2022; 67:102924.
Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Walter LO, Perondi DM, Efe FL, Souza LFS, Sens L, et al. Synthesis of chalcones derived from 1-naphthylacetophenone and evaluation of their cytotoxic and apoptotic effects in acute leukemia cell lines. Bioorg. Chem [Internet]. 2021; 116:105315.
Duarte BF, Vieira DSC, Lisboa ML, Stefanes NM, Grando LJ, Santos-Silva MC. Características clínico-epidemiológicas de pacientes portadores de carcinoma de células escamosas de boca. Arquivos Catarinenses de Medicina. 2021; 50(2): 232–245.
Machado V, Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Santos-Silva MC, Biavatti MW. Anti-leukemic activity of semisynthetic derivatives of Lupeol. Nat. Prod. Res. 2021; 35(22):4494-4501.
Bigolin A, Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Mascarello A, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Nunes RJ, Yunes RA, et al. A novel sulfonamide derivative as a strong and selective apoptotic agent against hematological malignancies. Chem. Pap. 2020; 74:2965–2976.
Bigolin A, Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Zatelli GA, Philippus AC, Falkenberg MB, Santos-Silva MC. Cytotoxic mechanisms of primin, a natural quinone isolated from Eugenia hiemalis, on hematological cancer cell lines. Anticancer Drugs. 2020; 31(7):709-717.
Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Neufeldt PD, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Nunes RJ, Santos-Silva MC. Aldehyde biphenyl chalcones induce immunogenic apoptotic-like cell death and are promising new safe compounds against a wide range of hematologic cancers. Future Med. Chem. 2020; 12(8):673–688.
Perondi DM, Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Maioral MF, Sens L, Pacheco LA, Cury NM, et al. A novel thiosemicarbazone as a promising effective and selective compound for acute leukemia. Anticancer Drugs. 2019; 30(8):p 828-837.
Rengifo AFC, Stefanes NM, Toigo J, Mendes C, Argenta DF, Dotto MER, Santos-Silva MC, et al. PEO-chitosan nanofibers containing carboxymethyl-hexanoyl chitosan/dodecyl sulfate nanoparticles loaded with pyrazoline for skin cancer treatment. Eur. Polym. J. 2019; 119:335-343.
Rengifo AFC, Stefanes NM, Toigo J, Mendes C, Santos-Silva MC, Nunes RJ, Parize AL, et al. A new and efficient carboxymethyl-hexanoyl chitosan/dodecyl sulfate nanocarrier for a pyrazoline with antileukemic activity. Mater. Sci. Eng. C [Internet]. 2019; 105:110051.
Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Bigolin A, Zatelli GA, Philippus AC, Falkenberg MB, Santos-Silva MC. Miconidine acetate, a new selective and cytotoxic compound with synergic potential, induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in leukemia cells. Invest. New Drugs. 2019; 37:912–922.
Srefanes NM, Toigo J, Maioral MF, Jacques AV, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Perondi DM, Ribeiro AAB, et al. Synthesis of novel pyrazoline derivatives and the evaluation of death mechanisms involved in their antileukemic activity. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2019; 27(2):375-382.
Maioral MF, Bodack CN, Stefanes NM, Bigolin A, Mascarello A, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Yunes RA, et al. Cytotoxic effect of a novel naphthylchalcone against multiple cancer cells focusing on hematologic malignancies. Biochim. 2017; 140:48-57.
You can view some of Dr Natália’s work below and links to her professional profile below.
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Natalia-Stephanes
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliamarceli/
Does Wellbutrin cause kidney stones?
No, Wellbutrin does not generally cause kidney stones. This antidepressant is not nephrotoxic and it affects your kidneys just as much as other medications do.
Every medication is a chemical, which is excreted primarily via your kidneys. Another organ primarily involved in drug metabolism is the liver.
So, these two organs are always at risk of the negative effects of the medications, which mainly depend on the dosage strength and overall duration of your treatment.
Wellbutrin does not necessarily trigger the formation of a kidney stone, but long-term use of this antidepressant may put you at risk since your kidneys are working hard for years to excrete the drug out and the chemicals may also cause some damage in long-term users.
Make sure you reach out to your healthcare provider if you think Wellbutrin is causing damage to your kidneys or if you’re generally at high risk of developing a kidney stone.
Research studies on Wellbutrin and kidney functions
There is limited research on the harmful effects of Wellbutrin on kidney functions and the incidence of kidney stones is extremely low.
However, studies have indicated that since Wellbutrin is primarily excreted out of the body via urine, long-term use of this medication can affect your kidneys because of years and years of load on the organs (1).
Generally, Wellbutrin is not known to cause stone formation in the kidneys as a side effect. It is also important to note that some people may develop kidney stones while taking Wellbutrin, but they could have other factors leading to it and the antidepressant may not be the culprit.
Can Wellbutrin exacerbate your already existing kidney disease?
Talk to your healthcare provider if you already have kidney disease before taking Wellbutrin. People with renal impairment shouldn’t take standard Wellbutrin doses like healthy individuals do (2).
This is because Wellbutrin is excreted out of your body via urine, and if your kidneys are not working as well as they should, your body will fail to eliminate Wellbutrin at the required rate.
This can result in the accumulation of Wellbutrin in your body, as a high concentration of the active drug will remain available for a long time and will cause more pronounced side effects. This is why people with renal impairment should use Wellbutrin with caution.
Most doctors adjust the dose and frequency of Wellbutrin administration in patients with renal impairment so that the drug won’t accumulate in high amounts.
The kidney functions and serum drug concentration are also monitored from time to time to ensure the safety and efficacy of your current dose.
Final words
Although Wellbutrin does not cause kidney stones, some people may experience unusual side effects as each individual is different and can respond differently to antidepressants.
Make sure you closely monitor your side effects and report them to your doctor. It’s not recommended to make any changes to your prescription on your own. If your doctor believes that Wellbutrin is impairing your kidney functions, he/she will safely taper you off and switch you to another medication.
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References
1.-
Turpeinen M, Koivuviita N, Tolonen A, Reponen P, Lundgren S, Miettunen J, Metsärinne K, Rane A, Pelkonen O, Laine K. Effect of renal impairment on the pharmacokinetics of bupropion and its metabolites. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2007 Aug;64(2):165-73. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.2007.02866.x. Epub 2007 Mar 1. PMID: 17335546; PMCID: PMC2000634. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2000634/
2.-
Food and Drug Administration. Full prescribing information: WELLBUTRIN® (bupropion hydrochloride) Tablets [Internet]. Silver Spring, MD: Food and Drug Administration; 2010 Jul [cited 2023 Feb 28]. Available from: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2010/018644s038,020358s045lbl.pdf
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