What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Bupropion and phenelzine
Bupropion's FDA label of June 21, 2024 names phenelzine in its drug interactions section, and phenelzine's label names bupropion too. The bupropion label: “Studies in animals demonstrate that the acute toxicity of bupropion is enhanced by the MAOI phenelzine.”
Check it at the source: the bupropion FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 21, 2024); the phenelzine FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 6, 2025, Parke-Davis Div of Pfizer Inc).
What does the bupropion label say about phenelzine?
Bupropion label, drug interactionsStudies in animals demonstrate that the acute toxicity of bupropion is enhanced by the MAO inhibitor phenelzine.
Source: FDA drug label (Bupropion Hcl Er (Xl), NDA022497), Lifestar Pharma LLC, effective February 4, 2026 (SPL set df959e1b-3f6d-42cf-8521-fe03b5a4ceb8), via openFDA
Source: FDA drug label (BUPROPION HYDROCHLORIDE), Epic Pharma LLC, effective June 21, 2024 (SPL set 9fb44e96-6160-4a4a-90cb-91764c0dcd89), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the phenelzine label say about bupropion?
Phenelzine label, contraindicationsThe concurrent administration of an MAO inhibitor and bupropion hydrochloride (Wellbutrin®) is contraindicated.
Source: FDA drug label (Nardil), Parke-Davis Div of Pfizer Inc, effective June 6, 2025 (SPL set 513a41d0-37d4-4355-8a6d-a2c643bce6fa), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
These are the labels' own sentences. PlainMeds does not grade interactions; a pharmacist or prescriber can say what they mean for one person's medicines.
Both medicines on the record
| Bupropion | Phenelzine | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Depression, Quitting smoking | n/a |
| Boxed warning | Yes | Yes |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $0.0785 per tablet 150 mg tablet | $0.586 per tablet 15 mg tablet |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
Source: FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026 and the FDA Drug Shortage Database (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Check more medicines together
- up to five at once