Does bupropion contain wheat or gluten as an excipient?

We cross-check each bupropion product label against four data sources: DailyMed (FDA Structured Product Labels), the European Medicines Agency centrally-authorised medicines database, the Plogsted curated gluten-free drug list, and the 2024 Mangione et al. pediatric pharmacy NDC analysis. Inactive ingredients are scanned against a 146-entry red-flag dictionary covering wheat, barley, rye, malt, source-ambiguous starches, and FDA gluten-free attestation phrases. At least one manufacturer has formally attested their formulation contains no gluten. Of 12 labels we checked, 2 are confirmed by the maker and 10 show nothing flagged. Confirm the brand or generic on your bottle matches one of the attesting manufacturers below.

Can different manufacturers' generic versions of bupropion have different gluten status?

Yes. Generics in the United States must use the same active ingredient as the brand, but they are not required to use the same inactive ingredients. Two generics of bupropion from different manufacturers can use entirely different starch sources, binders, and fillers. A pharmacy may also switch which manufacturer it dispenses between fills without notifying you. Each manufacturer-specific entry below corresponds to a separately-filed product label.

DailyMed checked live · reference data updated August 19, 2026 · 12 product labels screened

Is bupropion gluten-free?

By Ned Walsch

Founder and maintainer of Gluten Screen

Updated August 20, 2026

Not clinically reviewed — verify with your pharmacist

Confirmed gluten-free by at least one manufacturer. At least one manufacturer has formally attested their formulation contains no gluten. Of 12 labels we checked, 2 are confirmed by the maker and 10 show nothing flagged. Confirm the brand or generic on your bottle matches one of the attesting manufacturers below.

Drug context

About bupropion

Bupropion is an atypical antidepressant also used for smoking cessation, sold under brand names including Wellbutrin, Zyban.

Why this matters

Different manufacturers, different ingredients

Generics of bupropion use the same active ingredient, but they aren't required to use the same inactive ingredients. Your pharmacy may switch which manufacturer they dispense between fills, sometimes without telling you. The list below shows each manufacturer's product label as a separate entry, because that's the granularity that actually matters when you're celiac.

The labels

The 12 we checked

01

Purepac manufacturer-attested gluten-free

Plogsted list · Bupropion Sustain Release (Purepac) · label dated 2017-04-28

Listed gluten-free in Plogsted Alpha List (2017-04-28)
View source label →
02

Watson manufacturer-attested gluten-free

Plogsted list · Bupropion Extended Release (Watson) · label dated 2017-04-28

Listed gluten-free in Plogsted Alpha List (2017-04-28)
View source label →
03

Axsome Therapeutics, Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · AUVELITY (DEXTROMETHORPHAN HYDROBROMIDE, BUPROPION HYDROCHLORIDE) TABLET, MULTILAYER, E… · label dated Aug 06, 2026

Inactive ingredients CARBOMER HOMOPOLYMER, UNSPECIFIED TYPE · CROSPOVIDONE · CYSTEINE HYDROCHLORIDE · FERRIC OXIDE RED · FERRIC OXIDE YELLOW · GLYCERYL MONOCAPRYLATE · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · POLYVINYL ALCOHOL, UNSPECIFIED · SILICON DIOXIDE · SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE · STEARIC ACID · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
04

Coupler LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · BUPROPION HYDROCHLORIDE TABLET, FILM COATED [COUPLER LLC] · label dated Aug 05, 2026

Inactive ingredients CROSPOVIDONE (15 MPA.S AT 5%) · D&C RED NO. 7 · FUMARIC ACID · HYDROXYPROPYL CELLULOSE (1600000 WAMW) · HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · METHYLCELLULOSE (100 MPA.S) · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · SILICON DIOXIDE · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
05

Actavis Pharma, Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · BUPROPION HYDROCHLORIDE XL (BUPROPION HYDROCHLORIDE) TABLET, FILM COATED, EXTENDED RELE… · label dated Aug 03, 2026

Inactive ingredients CELLULOSE, MICROCRYSTALLINE · ETHYLCELLULOSES · FERROSOFERRIC OXIDE · HYDROXYPROPYL CELLULOSE (1600000 WAMW) · HYPROMELLOSE 2910 (6 MPA.S) · METHACRYLIC ACID AND ETHYL ACRYLATE COPOLYMER · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SILICON DIOXIDE · STEARIC ACID · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE · TRIETHYL CITRATE
View source label →
06

Aurobindo Pharma Limited nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · BUPROPION HYDROCHLORIDE TABLET, FILM COATED, EXTENDED RELEASE [AUROBINDO PHARMA LIMITED] · label dated Aug 03, 2026

Inactive ingredients ETHYLCELLULOSE (100 MPA.S) · FERROSOFERRIC OXIDE · GLYCERYL DIBEHENATE · HYDROCHLORIC ACID · METHACRYLIC ACID AND ETHYL ACRYLATE COPOLYMER · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 1450 · POLYSORBATE 80 · POLYVINYL ALCOHOL, UNSPECIFIED · POVIDONE K90 · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SHELLAC · SILICON DIOXIDE · SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE · SODIUM STEARYL FUMARATE · SOYBEAN LECITHIN · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE · TRIETHYL CITRATE · XANTHAN GUM
View source label →
07

Upsher-Smith Laboratories, LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · BUPROPION HYDROCHLORIDE TABLET, FILM COATED, EXTENDED RELEASE [UPSHER-SMITH LABORATORIE… · label dated Jul 23, 2026

Inactive ingredients CARBOXYMETHYLCELLULOSE SODIUM, UNSPECIFIED · HYDROCHLORIC ACID · HYDROXYPROPYL CELLULOSE (1600000 WAMW) · HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · METHACRYLIC ACID AND ETHYL ACRYLATE COPOLYMER · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 8000 · POLYETHYLENE OXIDE 2000000 · POLYVINYL ACETATE · POVIDONE K30 · SILICON DIOXIDE · STEARIC ACID · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE · TRIACETIN
View source label →
08

Northwind Health Company, LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · BUPROPION HYDROCHLORIDE SR (BUPROPION HYDROCHLORIDE) TABLET, FILM COATED, EXTENDED RELE… · label dated Jul 20, 2026

Inactive ingredients ACACIA · ALCOHOL · COPOVIDONE K25-31 · CYSTEINE HYDROCHLORIDE · DEXTROSE, UNSPECIFIED FORM · FD&C BLUE NO. 2 · FD&C RED NO. 40 · HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · POLYSORBATE 80 · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SILICON DIOXIDE · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
09

Actavis Pharma, Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · BUPROPION HYDROCHLORIDE SR (BUPROPION HYDROCHLORIDE) TABLET, FILM COATED, EXTENDED RELE… · label dated Jul 20, 2026

Inactive ingredients HYDROXYPROPYL CELLULOSE (1600000 WAMW) · LACTOSE MONOHYDRATE · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · SILICON DIOXIDE · STEARIC ACID · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
10

Actavis Pharma, Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · BUPROPION HYDROCHLORIDE TABLET, EXTENDED RELEASE [ACTAVIS PHARMA, INC.] · label dated Jul 20, 2026

Inactive ingredients COPOVIDONE K25-31 · HYDROXYPROPYL CELLULOSE (1600000 WAMW) · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · METHACRYLIC ACID · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · POLYVINYL ALCOHOL, UNSPECIFIED · POVIDONE, UNSPECIFIED · SILICON DIOXIDE · SODIUM BICARBONATE · SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE · TRIETHYL CITRATE
View source label →
11

Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · BUPROPION HYDROCHLORIDE XL (BUPROPION HYDROCHLORIDE) TABLET, EXTENDED RELEASE [LUPIN PH… · label dated Jul 17, 2026

Inactive ingredients AMMONIA · CYSTEINE HYDROCHLORIDE · DIBUTYL SEBACATE · ETHYLCELLULOSES · FERROSOFERRIC OXIDE · GLYCERYL BEHENATE/EICOSADIOATE · HYDROXYPROPYL CELLULOSE, LOW SUBSTITUTED · METHACRYLIC ACID-ETHYL ACRYLATE COPOLYMER (1:1) TYPE A · POLYVINYL ALCOHOL, UNSPECIFIED · POVIDONE · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SHELLAC · SILICA DIMETHYL SILYLATE · SILICON DIOXIDE · TRIETHYL CITRATE
View source label →
12

Oceanside Pharmaceuticals nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · BUPROPION HYDROBROMIDE TABLET, EXTENDED RELEASE [OCEANSIDE PHARMACEUTICALS] · label dated Jul 13, 2026

Inactive ingredients CARNAUBA WAX · CROSPOVIDONE, UNSPECIFIED · DIBUTYL SEBACATE · ETHYLCELLULOSE, UNSPECIFIED · GLYCERYL DIBEHENATE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · POLYVINYL ALCOHOL, UNSPECIFIED
View source label →

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Background

What “gluten in a medication” actually means

Gluten enters drugs through their excipients — the inactive ingredients used to bind, coat, fill, or stabilize the dose. The main concern is wheat starch as a filler. Source-ambiguous starches (plain “starch”, pregelatinized starch, sodium starch glycolate, modified starch) get flagged for verification because their botanical origin isn't always disclosed on the label.

The 2024 Mangione et al. pediatric NDC analysis (689 NDCs across the top 100 pediatric medications) found 1.5% contained gluten outright; another 25.7% couldn't be confirmed either way. Liquid and oral-suspension formulations carry disproportionate risk because wheat starch is a common thickener. Full methodology →

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