Wellbutrin XL Ghost Tablets In The Stool

Seeing "ghost" tablets (i.e. intact tablets) in the stool is a fairly common occurrence for many different medications but can certainly be alarming. Ghost tablets are simply the intact remnants of a pill or tablet that have made it through your digestive tract. They often look just like a pill you have taken but hollowed out as the drug has been released while it goes through your digestive system.

Some drugs may also appear as a wet, powdery mass in your stool as well. This too, is simply what is left of the pill or tablet after the medication has been released and moved through your digestive tract. 

Wellbutrin XL Tablets In The Stool

Wellbutrin XL (bupropion extended-release) is well known to leave ghost tablets in the stool. In fact, the prescribing information for Wellbutrin XL warns of this possibility:

"The insoluble shell of the extended-release tablet may remain intact during gastrointestinal transit and is eliminated in the feces."

Wellbutrin XL Release Mechanism

Wellbutrin XL uses a diffusion-style release mechanism. These tablets have multiple layers of coating, with the inner coating containing the active drug (i.e. bupropion) and the outer coating controlling the release of the drug.

After taking by mouth, the drug is diffused over time through small openings in an outer membrane. After all of the inner contents of the tablet have been released, an empty shell of the original tablet remains and is eliminated from the body. The remaining tablet is simply the unabsorbed/undigested portion of your medication.

It is important to remember that if you see a ghost tablet, it doesn’t mean your medication isn't working or being absorbed. A common analogy regarding ghost tablets is to think of them like sponges that have been wrung out. The medicine has been released as it moves through your digestive tract but the tablet, like a sponge, stays intact.

Other Drugs That Leave 'Ghost Tablets'

In addition to Wellbutrin XL, below are some other medications that can leave ghost tablets in the stool:

•  Adalat CC

• Asacol

• Cardura XL

• Concerta

• Ditropan XL

• Dynacirc

• Exalgo

• Fortamet

• Glucophage XR

• Glucotrol XL

• Glumetza

• OxyContin

• Pristiq

• Procardia XL

• Sudafed 24 Hour

• Tegretol XR