PlainPill

Amphetamine vs Bupropion for mood

Short answer: For mood, more users report improvement with Bupropion — 70% of 172 reports, versus 48% of 132 for Amphetamine.

Amphetamine has 258 meta-analyses and 521 randomized trials on PubMed; Bupropion has 411 and 617.

Based on 878 reports about Amphetamine and 444 about Bupropion. Not medical advice.

Amphetamine
Medication
Bupropion
Medication
Users say it helped35%helped606 reports · high confidence41%helped271 reports · high confidence
Verdict
Mixed
Mixed
ResearchAResearch: StrongAResearch: Strong
Meta-analyses / RCTs258 / 521411 / 617
Mainly used for
Focus
% reporting improvement
85% (428)71% (62)
Mood
% reporting improvement
48% (132)70% (172)
Energy
% reporting improvement
75% (146)81% (57)
Anxiety
% reporting improvement
38% (56)15% (34)
Sleep
% reporting improvement
9% (35)38% (8)
Common side effectstolerance, anxiety, insomnia, jitterinessanxiety, insomnia, irritability, tinnitus
Typical dose reportedNot listedNot listed
Amphetamine
Latest review conclusion

Overall, despite a class effect of improving clinical response relative to placebo, there were few differences among the individual ADHD pharmacotherapies, and most studies were at risk of at least one important source of bias. Furthermore, the certainty of the evidence was very low to low for all outcomes, and there was limited reporting of long-term adverse events. As such, the choice between ADHD pharmacotherapies may depend on individual patient considerations, and future studies should assess the long-term effects of individual pharmacotherapies on patient-important outcomes, including qu

PLoS One, 2020 ↗
What a user said
“Unfortunately the only thing that's ever works for me was using adderall. I didn't feel hungry until 3 pm and it was perfect.”
Full Amphetamine profile →
Bupropion
Latest review conclusion

Our findings represent the most comprehensive available evidence base to inform patients, families, clinicians, guideline developers, and policymakers on the choice of ADHD medications across age groups. Taking into account both efficacy and safety, evidence from this meta-analysis supports methylphenidate in children and adolescents, and amphetamines in adults, as preferred first-choice medications for the short-term treatment of ADHD. New research should be funded urgently to assess long-term effects of these drugs.

Lancet Psychiatry, 2018 ↗
What a user said
“It really helped. I went from being suicidal to having hope and motivation within 3 days of starting the medication.”
Full Bupropion profile →

Related comparisons

Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate