Sertraline vs Bupropion: side effects in FDA adverse event reports
At a glance
| Sertraline | Bupropion | |
|---|---|---|
| Drug class | – | – |
| Brand names | – | – |
| FAERS reports | 117,789 | 98,116 |
| Serious | 64% | 51% |
| Death outcome | 8,815 | 4,722 |
| Boxed warning | Yes SUICIDAL THOUGHTS AND BEHAVIORS Antidepressants increased the risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior in pediatric and young adult patients in short-term studies | Yes SUICIDAL THOUGHTS AND BEHAVIORS; AND NEUROPSYCHIATRIC REACTIONS See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning. • Increased risk of suicidal thinki |
Signals both drugs share
| Reaction | Sertraline | Bupropion | Label screen (A / B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major depression | 306 · PRR 7.7 | 276 · PRR 8.3 | Likely indication confounding / Labeled (related wording) |
| Hallucinations, mixed | 233 · PRR 10.4 | 203 · PRR 10.8 | Labeled (related wording) / Labeled (related wording) |
| Diabetic neuropathy | 206 · PRR 7.6 | 208 · PRR 9.3 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Psychiatric decompensation | 92 · PRR 8.8 | 85 · PRR 9.7 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
Labeled signals distinctive to Sertraline
- Serotonin syndrome — n=941, PRR 9.2 Labeled — boxed warning
- Psychiatric symptom — n=319, PRR 8.0 Labeled (related wording)
- Tension — n=291, PRR 8.9 Labeled adverse reaction
- Bruxism — n=246, PRR 8.5 Labeled adverse reaction
- Neuritis — n=94, PRR 11.5 Labeled adverse reaction
- Bipolar i disorder — n=90, PRR 7.6 Labeled (related wording)
- Pulmonary vasculitis — n=84, PRR 33.5 Labeled (related wording)
Labeled signals distinctive to Bupropion
- Depressive symptom — n=140, PRR 8.8 Labeled (related wording)
- Hostility — n=131, PRR 11.4 Labeled adverse reaction
- Libido increased — n=113, PRR 12.5 Labeled (related wording)
Common questions
Which has more reported side effects, Sertraline or Bupropion?
Sertraline has 117,789 FAERS reports and Bupropion 98,116. More reports does not mean more dangerous: volume follows how widely and how long a drug has been used, prescription vs over-the-counter status, and publicity. The seriousness share (64% vs 51%) is a better like-for-like signal of the kind of problems reported.
Which side effects do Sertraline and Bupropion share?
Both drugs carry disproportionality signals for major depression, hallucinations, mixed, diabetic neuropathy, psychiatric decompensation. Shared signals often reflect a shared drug class or the condition both are used for.
Is Sertraline or Bupropion safer?
FAERS cannot answer that: it has no denominator and no comparator. Use this page to see which risks are already on each label and which signals are unlabeled, then check the prescribing information and your clinician for your situation.
Sources: openFDA FAERS pair statistics (OpenPV build 2026-09-14), FDA labels via openFDA, openFDA count queries for seriousness and deaths. Pair chosen because it is a commonly searched comparison. Generated 2026-10-08.