Is Bupropion (Wellbutrin) safe during pregnancy?
What the FDA-approved label for Bupropion (Wellbutrin) actually states in its Pregnancy Risk Summary — not a secondhand verdict. The decision is one to make with your prescriber.
What the label’s pregnancy summary says
The label reports that epidemiological data on first-trimester exposure have not identified an increased risk of congenital malformations overall (international Pregnancy Registry, 675 exposures, and a retrospective cohort of 1,213 exposures). The registry suggested a possible increase in cardiac malformations, but no increased risk for cardiovascular malformations overall has been observed. A National Pregnancy Registry for Antidepressants exists (1-844-405-6185). The label notes risks to the mother from untreated depression and that women who discontinued antidepressants were more likely to relapse. It advises weighing the risks of untreated depression against treatment; discuss any decision with your prescriber.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bupropion safe to take during pregnancy?
The label's §8.1 does not report a clear risk for Bupropion (summary above), which is reassuring but is not the same as a guarantee of safety — no drug is studied in pregnancy the way it is in other adults. Use it in pregnancy only after discussing it with your prescriber. The one universal rule: do not start or stop a medication in pregnancy without medical advice — an untreated condition can carry its own risk to a pregnancy.
What does the FDA label say about Bupropion in pregnancy?
The summary above is transcribed from the label's Pregnancy Risk Summary (§8.1). Since 2015 FDA labels replaced the old A/B/C/D/X letter categories with a narrative that describes what human and animal data actually show, which is what you are reading here — not a single letter grade.
Is Bupropion safe while breastfeeding?
That is a separate question the label answers in a different section (§8.2, Lactation), and it does not always match the pregnancy verdict. This page covers pregnancy only. For breastfeeding, ask your prescriber or pharmacist, or check the NIH LactMed database, which summarizes the drug-in-breast-milk evidence.
The questions people actually ask about bupropion in pregnancy
Answered by MotherToBaby, the fact sheets written by the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists and published through the NIH. Quoted in full — we do not condense them.
I take bupropion. Can it make it harder for me to get pregnant?
Studies have not been done to see if taking bupropion can make it harder to get pregnant. Two cases of irregular menstrual cycles (periods) have been reported with bupropion use. However, these case reports did not mention fertility problems (trouble getting pregnant).
Does taking bupropion increase the chance of miscarriage?
Miscarriage is common and can occur in any pregnancy for many different reasons. Studies have not found a higher chance of miscarriage among women who were pregnant and taking bupropion compared to the background chance of miscarriage in the general population.
Does taking bupropion increase the chance of birth defects?
Every pregnancy starts out with a 3-5% chance of having a birth defect. This is called the background risk. Most of the available data about the use of bupropion in pregnancy does not suggest an increased chance of birth defects. Two studies have suggested a possible link between bupropion use in the first trimester and an increased chance of heart defects. However, these studies had limitations that make it hard to know if other factors might have caused the increase in heart defects. Overall, it is considered unlikely that using bupropion during pregnancy would increase the chance of birth defects above the background risk.
Does taking bupropion in pregnancy increase the chance of other pregnancy-related problems?
It is not known if bupropion can cause other pregnancy related problems such as preterm delivery (birth before week 37). In a small study of 30 women who were given bupropion during pregnancy for 12 weeks to help them quit smoking, no differences were seen in birth weight, length, head circumference, or Apgar score (grading system in newborns to define their wellbeing).
I need to take bupropion throughout my entire pregnancy. Will it cause withdrawal symptoms in my baby after birth?
The use of some antidepressants during pregnancy can cause temporary symptoms in newborns soon after birth. These symptoms are sometimes referred to as withdrawal. These symptoms can include irritability, jitteriness, trouble sleeping, or trouble eating. Not all babies exposed to antidepressants will have these symptoms. One study has suggested that the chance of these symptoms in newborns may be lower with bupropion than with some other antidepressants. It is important that your healthcare providers know you are taking bupropion so that if symptoms occur your baby can get the care that is best for them.
Does taking bupropion in pregnancy affect future behavior or learning for the child?
It is not known if bupropion increases the chance for behavior or learning issues for the child. One study suggested an association between exposure to bupropion during pregnancy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, there are many factors that contribute to ADHD. That makes it hard to know if it is the medication or other factors that can increase the chance of ADHD.
If a man takes bupropion, could it affect fertility or increase the chance of birth defects?
Studies have not been done to see if bupropion could affect a man’s fertility (ability to get a woman pregnant) or increase the chance of birth defects above the background risk. In general, exposures that men have are unlikely to increase risks to a pregnancy. For more information, please see the MotherToBaby fact sheet Paternal Exposures at https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/paternal-exposures-pregnancy/ .
Quoted from MotherToBaby Fact Sheets — Bupropion, published July 2023. MotherToBaby states its fact sheets should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare providers.
Breastfeeding is a separate question — what LactMed says about bupropion
More guides for Bupropion
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The pregnancy information is transcribed from the drug’s FDA-approved label (§8.1) and mirrors what the label states — “insufficient data” is never rounded up to “safe.” This is general reference information, not medical advice. Whether to take any medication in pregnancy is a decision for you and your prescriber; do not start or stop a drug on your own, because an untreated condition can also carry risk.