I have been cutting bupropion XL 300MG tablets in half for a month and have not noticed that half is

It’s not quite an answer, but I would love to have the answer to that question if someone could please give me an answer that would be awesome. Thank you.

Time-release, delayed-release and extended-release medication, often indicated by an “XR” next to the name, should never be crushed or broken either. “When you cut a long-acting pill, you can end up making the dose come out much higher and faster, which can be dangerous,” explains Dr. Maria Torroella Carney, chief of the division of geriatric and palliative medicine and Northwell Health.

Not really an answer but a comment that reading cutting pills of an extended release type should not be done always puzzled me . How would XL solid tablets work other than having the active drug distributed evenly throughout a slow dissolving base thereby releasing the drug as the pill is dissolved/digested? IF that is the case, and maybe it's not, how would cutting the pill harm the absorption curve unless somehow the pill was made with more of the active drug in the center portion or that the cutting would make the dissolving occur faster. Of course I guess the cut pill would absorb faster just because of its' smaller size but with half the drug. So now I'm thinking that cutting a 10mg XL pill in half making a 5mg pill would absorb faster than a manufactured 5mg XL pill but that cutting the 10mg in half would not be too harmful.

I just spoke with my Pharm D. about this. The active ingredient in Bupropion xl is mixed with the binding agent throughout the entire tablet. It is not just the casing. Therefore, it is fine to split this specific extended release tab to achieve a lower dose.
I was having issues with my recent refill (generic) and the timing of the release being off. My thought is that it was a bad lot. I was taking the whole 300 XL at 7am, then by 12:00 noon it felt like I got hit by the Bupropion truck... lol. It was releasing all at once, leaving me with some crazy anxiety and panic attacks out of the blue. I am not prone to these, and through process of elimination, can only attribute it to these specific meds and their release timing. I have decided to get off the Welbutrin train and switch to Lexipro. Since I have a ton of 300mg XL tablets, I wanted to just split them to start tapering.
Looks like im good to go.
Hope this answers any questions and provides some clarity about cutting these tablets.

For those on the XL forms of Wellbutrin or bupropion hcl, wouldn't it make sense to titrate the med by changing the total dosage by increasing or decreasing the dosage by a complete tab to every other day. Given the steady state levels achieved and the XL's half life and method of metabolism, if increasing from 150 mg to 300mg total daily dosage, take 1 - 150mg tab daily and an additional one only every OTHER day for 1 week ( or longer if very sensitive to side effects)and, if tolerated, move to 2 tabs daily (300mg total)?. Conversely, if downward titration is desired from 2-150mg tabs daily to 1 daily AND 1 every other day for length of stabilization, then 1-150mg tab daily, and finally, a reduction to 1-150mg tab every other day until desired effect for maintenance?

Yes, it seems as though you need to take the lower dose strength. Tell your doctor so he can prescribe you the next lower XL, 150 XL. You really not suppose to break any extended release tablets in half. Good Luck to ya! I take the 200 XR bupropion dose. Keep us posted.

Hi, carorose! If a half works for you so much the better but as everyone has said - don't break the tabs you have. Let your prescribing physician know how you are doing and ask for a lower dose script. Best wishes,

Breaking in half any meds that are extended release may cause an overdose. It must be taken whole!

Time release medication: extended-release (ER, XR, XL).

Do not crush, chew, or break an extended-release bupropion tablet. Swallow it whole. Breaking the pill may cause too much of the drug to be released at one time, which could increase side effects including seizures.

All the best,