# Bupropion

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/bupropion/

8 people recommended Bupropion in Hacker News comments, 4 had mixed feelings and 3 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 3 of 12 months, in 4 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

These are opinions from Hacker News comments, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor.

**Verdict:** Antidepressant some say worked when others failed and has fewer side effects than SSRIs. Critics often report raised anxiety, weight loss, and a long side-effect list.

Summary written by Claude from 15 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- Worked when other treatments did not (4 comments in the sample): "Wellburtin was finally the one that worked, and oh man what a difference." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46813850)) "actual treatment (dextroamphetamine + bupropion) changed my life" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50020003)) "the thing that helped me out of clinical depression" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46709541))
- Fewer side effects than SSRIs (3 comments in the sample): "It has fewer side effects vs. SSRIs, can be safely used as a long term medication" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49475529)) "my reading has always been that bupronion has less scary side effects" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49475793)) "I usually recommend that one over SSRIs due to my experiences." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49480597))

## What people warn about

- Raised anxiety in some users (3 comments in the sample): "magically fixed by bupropion while it spikes anxiety in others" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46559959)) "buprioprion can dramatically raise anxiety levels" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49475674)) "whatever benefits it had for the depression were directly counteracted by the return of acute anxiety" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49477007))
- Worsened depression or borderline symptoms (2 comments in the sample): "Worse depression and even more peculiar I picked up smoking again." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49476145)) "I think it caused my BorderlinePD to get much worse" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49475662))

## Other antidepressants people recommend

- [Prozac](https://hackerapproved.com/p/prozac/): 10 recommend, 2 mixed, 28 criticize
- [Ketamine](https://hackerapproved.com/p/ketamine/): 8 recommend, 4 mixed, 5 criticize
- [Lexapro](https://hackerapproved.com/p/lexapro/): 8 recommend, 0 mixed, 3 criticize
- [Wellbutrin](https://hackerapproved.com/p/wellbutrin/): 6 recommend, 0 mixed, 2 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Bupropion", https://hackerapproved.com/p/bupropion/ (8 recommend, 4 mixed, 3 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.