title: Joint symptoms in patients on bupropion therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe joint symptoms related to bupropion therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed adverse events in bupropion-treated patients reported to the Bourgogne Drug Surveillance Center, France, between October 2001 and December 2002. Joint symptoms classified by the causality assessment as related to bupropion were identified and examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four cases were found. Three patients had semi-delayed hypersensitivity reactions resembling serum sickness, manifesting as urticaria and arthralgia with or without a fever. The remaining patient had an unusual presentation consisting in acute monoarthritis of the wrist that started a few days after bupropion initiation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypersensitivity reactions to bupropion are fairly common and include rare cases of serum sickness-like reaction. Urticaria and incapacitating arthralgia are at the forefront of the clinical picture and may require a brief period of inpatient care. Antihistamines are the treatment of choice. Other manifestations such as acute monoarthritis might occur, although this awaits confirmation as we identified a single case.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Department, General Hospital, Dijon Teaching Hospitals, 3, rue du Faubourg Raines, 21000 Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ornetti
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Disson-Dautriche
authors.forename: Géraldine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Muller
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cherasse
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tavernier
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Besancenot
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sgro
authors.forename: Jean-Francis
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Maillefert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001168:Arthritis / Q000139:chemically induced*; D016642:Bupropion / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007596:Joints; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012713:Serum Sickness / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D016642:Bupropion