Clinicians have been using Wellbutrin to treat ADHD for at least three decades. Although the details still remain murky, Wellbutrin acts primarily as a norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitor. In humans, the norepinephrine effect appears to be more potent than the dopamine effect.

Several studies, albeit with small numbers of patients, have shown Wellbutrin to be effective in reducing ADHD symptoms in children, adolescents, and adults. Wellbutrin helps at least as much as does Strattera (atomoxetine) and in several studies appears to be as effective as Ritalin (methylphenidate). Wellbutrin may be particularly attractive for those who want to avoid stimulant medications, and the potential for addiction.

Confusion exists among most doctors, pharmacists and patients about the differences between the three formulations of bupropion (immediate release IR, sustained release SR, and extended release ER or XL). Although the XL form was approved for once a day dosing, this does NOT mean that medication is released steadily throughout a 24 hour period.

References:

Bupropion for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults (2017)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...

Bupropion StatPearls
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NB....

Correlating family nurse practitioners' perspectives of adult ADD/ADHD with employed pharmacotherapy: a pilot study (2010)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20670...

A comparison of the efficacy of medications for adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder using meta-analysis of effect sizes. (2010)
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper...

15 Years of Clinical Experience With Bupropion HCl: From Bupropion to Bupropion SR to Bupropion XL (2005)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...

Bupropion Hydrochloride in Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (1996)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science...

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