Does Wellbutrin make your heart pound?
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 make your heart pound?
Wellbutrin does not commonly make your heart pound and is considered to have a low risk of cardiovascular adverse events. However, some people may experience mild palpitations, especially those who are new to Wellbutrin or antidepressants in general.
Medications affect people differently. If you’re a normal healthy individual with no history of cardiac illness, and you’re new to Wellbutrin – this side effect shouldn’t be a concerning one.
Since Wellbutrin increases the amount of excitatory neurotransmitters in your brain, this may increase your heart muscle contraction as your body tries to adjust to the medication.
You may begin to feel better within a few days. However, I can’t say the same for people who have a history of cardiac illness and they should report this to their doctor right away.
What does research suggest?
Research studies generally indicate that Wellbutrin is not a cardiotoxic antidepressant and has a wider safety margin when it comes to cardiovascular side effects.
One research study found that while Bupropion (the active ingredient present in Wellbutrin) caused a slight increase in blood pressure, it did not lead to significant heart rhythm problems or exacerbate existing heart arrhythmias. (1)
The study suggested that Bupropion may be a suitable treatment option for depressed patients with preexisting cardiovascular conditions, but more research with larger sample sizes and longer treatment durations is necessary to validate these findings.
Another research study compared Bupropion to placebo and Amitriptyline (a tricyclic antidepressant) in various patient groups, including those without cardiovascular disease, elderly patients, and patients with cardiovascular disease. (2)
The study suggested that Bupropion did not increase heart rate or cause delays in cardiac conduction, unlike Amitriptyline. It also did not adversely affect blood pressure, including in patients with orthostatic hypotension.
Patients with cardiovascular disease showed no significant changes in heart rate or blood pressure when treated with Bupropion, and their incidence of cardiovascular complaints was similar to disease-free individuals.
Additionally, even in cases of large Bupropion overdoses, no distinct cardiovascular abnormalities were observed. These findings suggest that bupropion is a safer option than amitriptyline and other tricyclics for cardiac patients.
In some rare cases, Wellbutrin may cause hypoglycemia – which can lead to symptoms like increased heart rate, sweating, shaking, nervousness, etc.
What to do if Wellbutrin makes your heart pound?
Talk to your healthcare provider if Wellbutrin makes your heart pound. If you’re a cardiac patient or have a history of hypertension, your doctor may ask you for some tests to monitor your cardiac parameters.
If Wellbutrin is affecting your cardiac functions, your doctor will most likely taper you off this antidepressant and switch you to a safer one. However, if you’re a healthy individual, your doctor may try dose reduction at first to help your body adjust to the medication.
If that works and you feel better within a few weeks, your treatment with Wellbutrin continues. However, if you don’t feel well on this antidepressant, then your doctor will switch you to another one.
Make sure you don’t make any changes to your prescription without consulting your doctor first.
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References
1.-
Roose SP, Dalack GW, Glassman AH, Woodring S, Walsh BT, Giardina EG. Cardiovascular effects of bupropion in depressed patients with heart disease. Am J Psychiatry. 1991 Apr;148(4):512-6. doi: 10.1176/ajp.148.4.512. PMID: 1900980. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1900980/
2.-
Wenger TL, Stern WC. The cardiovascular profile of bupropion. J Clin Psychiatry. 1983 May;44(5 Pt 2):176-82. PMID: 6406453. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6406453/
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