Delayed status epilepticus due to bupropion and lamotrigine overdose

Abstract

Bupropion is a well known atypical antidepressant marketed in the United States under the trade name Wellbutrin. In its sustained release form, it is also used for smoking cessation. It lowers seizure threshold and its potential to cause seizures has been widely publicized. Lamotrigine is a broad spectrum anticonvulsant with an extremely favorable side-effect profile and has thus rapidly become the preferred drug for a broad range of seizure types such as absence seizures, primary generalized epilepsy syndromes such as idiopathic generalized tonic-clonic seizures, juvenile myoclonic epilepsy as well as partial (focal) epilepsy. It is also used by psychiatrists as a mood stabilizer. We report a patient who presented with delayed status epilepticus following a failed suicidal attempt after overdosing on bupropion XL and lamotrigine.