Contrave Forums (Page 8)

Hi. I am scheduled for a surgery in 2 weeks, in which I'll be having general anesthesia. Does anybody know if the Contrave will interact with the meds they give you to put you out? I'm just getting started with this. I hate to quit, but safety first. Thanx for your replies. ## Hi Kathleen, If you have a moment, I would probably encourage you to give a quick call to the anesthesiologist and/or surgeon just to be safe. One other thing I wanted to mention is that according to the University of Maryland Medical Center (umm.edu / drug interaction tool) there are no interactions listed between Contrave and the anesthesia itself. However, alcohol appears to be an inert ingredient in one of the most commonly used intravenous anesthetic solutions known as Propofol. The bupropion in Contr...

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The pamphlet the dr gave said the cost would be about $70 per month without insurance and $45 with insurance. I work for the govt and have bcbs and CVS wanted me to pay $212 because they said I have federal insurance and couldn't use the pharmacy. What is everyone else paying and why can't I use this savings card? Why am I being penalized? When will it be available through Caremark mail ordering? What other pharmacy can I use if I can use this savings card? ## Hello, Wanda! How are you? I'm sorry about the problem that you've had. Usually, that only applies to those who receive subsidized insurance from the government, such as Medicare and that is exactly what I'm reading on the Contrave site. This does not usually apply to insurance you have, because you work for th...

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I have been taking Contrave for 3 weeks and I seem to have an increased craving for sweets. I was doing well the first two weeks and lost about 7 lbs., Now I'm wanting sweets all day, more than when I wasn''t on it. Also, my appetite doesn't seem to be very suppressed. ## According to FDA reports, most medications can cause the exact opposite of their desired effects in some people that take them. Some people taking this medication have even experienced weight gain and depression. Has there been any change? It usually takes about 4 to 5 weeks for it to reach its full level of efficacy in the body. Are you on any other medications?

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I've been taking contrave for 4 weeks now (2 pills in morning and 2 in evening) for the first 3 weeks I felt nauseous, anxiety, and heart rate was amped up but all that disappeared at week 4. I did notice a decrease in appetite week 3-4 and I'm also not munching or eating late at night but I still haven't lost any weight! Should I wait it out and see how it works? Is it too soon to tell? I was really counting on this and I feel like my hopes are shut down ## Has there been any change? It can take awhile for the medication to reach its full level of efficacy in the body, before you really know how well it will work for you. The FDA lists the typical side effects as possibly including nausea, dizziness, headache, nervousness, and insomnia. Are you also watching your diet and m...

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Has anyone had any experience with taking just half a pill in the morning to begin with? I have been reading all of the reviews of this drug so would like to know if perhaps taking half the initial dose would give the body time to adjust to it. ## Even though they say not to split the pills, my gyne told me to start with a half at night. Didn't have any issues. ## You should take the dosage your doctor has instructed you to take. Generally you are supposed to start at a lower amount, and go up gradually over a month, until reaching the known effective dosage. The FDA warns that this medication may cause side effects, such as nausea, dizziness, headache, nervousness, mood swings, and insomnia. Is there anything else I can help with?

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I called to get a price on Contrave and Walgreens said it is $267.00 without a coupon, but how much would it cost with the coupon online? ## The coupon brings it down to about $90 bucks. I went to Frys grocery store pharmacy. ## Esmi, how many tablets would you be getting filled in each prescription? You may want to see if this site's discount card can give you a decent savings. If you go to the page and then the lookup tool you should be able to enter information about your prescription and your zip code so that it can show you a list of pharmacies and the price of a refill. Hope this helps and best of luck! ## Retail pharmacy price was 260.00; not covered. Checked out Express Scripts covered it. For a 90 day supply, 12.50. If your insurance offers express script.. check it out

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I am on Vicodin for nerve pain in my neck. Dr prescribed Contrave, I asked if it was okay to take both, she said yes. I took 1 Contrave and had horrible depression/anxiety/nausea/dizziness and panic attacks. It has been 5 days and I still don't feel right. When will it leave my system? ## The Contrave contains Bupropion and Naltrexone, the latter of which neutralizes opiates and may throw you into precipitated withdrawal. Those symptoms can include what you've described, as well as fever, chills, and diarrhea. Is there anything else I can help with?

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I have been taking Contrave for 30 days. I have hurt my back. If I need opiates prescribed then how many days should I be off Contrave before the opiate can be used effectively (and not throw me into precipitated withdrawals)? ## It usually takes about 3 days, though it can vary slight from person to person, according FDA reports. However, taking it too soon with this medication would not throw you into precipitated withdrawals, it would just prevent the opiate from working. Precipitated withdrawals occur when the reverse happens... as in you are taking opiates, then suddenly take Contrave, which blocks opiates. Is there anything else I can help with?

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I am an experienced Pharmacist with friends who have died from misinformation regarding use of pills. My detox patients, Drug Counselors and inner city outpatients have shared much with me over 25 years because I do not judge. Thus knowledge from both the therapeutic as well as recreational worlds makes me a perfect nonjudgemental Bridge between those 2 different worlds. I want to help. ## What do you know about Contrave? If I need to start Opiates, how long should I be off Contrave for opiates work and not cause withdrawal feelings.

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I'm on week three of Contrave. I take 1pill in the morning with my wellbutrin and 2pills late afternoon. Yesterday I woke late so I took my morning dose late, I probably took the afternoon dose3 to 4hours later. About an hour or so later I got super nauseous and got sick! Is it possible that taking them too close together made me sick? Why is it recommended to take them 12 hours apart, is it because of the side effects are greater when you take the dosages to close together? ## Yes, that is one of the reasons, the higher the dosage taken closer together, the more severe the side effects, according to the FDA, which may also include nervousness, and insomnia. Another reason is due to the fact that all medications only last for a certain amount of time in the human body, so some must ...

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After week 4 starting on week 5, do I still take 4 pills a day for the 5th week onward? ## Yes, unless your doctor instructs otherwise. The FDA lists its typical side effects as possibly including nausea, dizziness, headache, nervousness, and insomnia. Is there anything else I can help with? Are you have good luck with it?

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This is the end of my first week with one pill per day. I just took the first evening pill. I don't understand. If one pill in the morning is working, why do I have to increase the medicine. I have RA, Sjogrens, Graves disease, fibromyalgia and am hypothyroid. I take plaquenil, nexium and synthroid. I would rather not add any more medicine to my system than necessary. ## Hello, Annie! How are you? The dosage is generally raised, because based on testing, that is the dosing regimen that was found to be safe and effective for most people. Whether or not you take more is entirely up to you, but for the best results, it's usually a good idea to follow your doctor's instructions. The FDA lists the typical side effects of Contrave as possibly including nausea, dizziness, headache,...

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My doctor started me on Contrave at the full dose of 2 pills 2 times per day. After reading the packaging I see it is recommended to start at a lower dose and increase each week. I already took 2 doses of 2 pills. Has anyone else began at the full dose? ## Hello, Bird87! How are you? Yes, that is a very high dose to start with, it's usually titrated up one pill a week until you're taking 4 a day. Jumping so high immediately could cause you to experience many more side effects, than usual. The FDA lists them as possibly including nausea, dizziness, nervousness, insomnia, anxiety and anorexia. Have you checked with your doctor about this? ## I take Fluoxetine 20 mg twice a day and my doctor has prescribed Contrave for me due to my weight issues. Are the two medicines alright to ta...

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I understand that you should NOT drink alcohol while on Contrave. My question is this - how long should I wait before starting Contrave after consuming my last alcoholic drink, which has been two days ago now. I have read of the risks of possible seizures when abruptly stopping alcohol consumption to begin Contrave, but what is considered the cutoff? Please help, thank you. ## @kcaecilie13, If it were me in this position I would probably try to evaluate the half life of the alcohol that was consumed and use that to estimate when the alcohol may be excreted - Then for good measure wait another couple hours. Two days sounds like more than enough time though depending on how much you had to drink... In my research I've read that the body can metabolize about 1/4 ounce of alcohol per ho...

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Has it been specified in quantitative measures what constitutes "High Fat Foods" (e.g., 30 g/day)? Are we talking about two sticks of butter or two French Fries? ## @Miss Brown, When I hear the words "high fat" mentioned in a clinical context, as I have in college textbooks for nutrition, anything in excess of 30g/day seems to fit that bill. However in my opinion, a high fat diet could also constitute a lower or greater number depending on whether someone is on a specialized diet. Also, according to the FDA, "high fat" is defined as 50% of calories coming from fat. For this reason, I'd probably encourage you to get in touch with a registered dietician for more specific details. I know in my own day to day life, trying to stay fit, I tend to keep my fat intake...

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I have been on fluoxetine for 2.5 years and my Dr. put me on Contrave to help me loose weight. Last week, he told me to stop Fluoxetine one day and start 1:1 Contrave the next. Yes, I've had the nausea and dizziness, but at the end of my first week on Contrave, I am down in the dumps, sleepy all the time and just don't feel like doing anything. Could this be from stopping the fluoxetine cold turkey? I don't like feeling this way, it's affecting my whole life. ## Hello, Kay! How are you? Yes, it's most likely due to some withdrawal effects, plus the side effects of starting the Contrave. The FDA lists its other typical side effects as possibly including nervousness, nausea, headache, dry mouth, dizziness and insomnia. Things should improve in a couple weeks, once your...

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I only take Lortab when I fell I need it. Can I still take Contrave? I'm 63 years old and I'm 30 lbs overweight. ## Hello, Beth! How are you? Actually, taking them together can increase the risk of seizures, according to the FDA. The FDA also warns that Lortab carries the risk of being habit forming and may cause side effects, such as nausea, dizziness, headache, dry mouth, and constipation. Is there anything else I can help with?

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I am up to my 4 week dose of Contrave and have had the side effect of constipation, but has anyone got the feeling of if you drank too much? I work through it but it's kind of strange. Also feels like I may get low blood sugar after taking. Any thoughts? I will continue despite this as the positives out weigh these. I had got up to 172. Am 164 and shooting for much lower. ## Hello, Shelly! How are you doing? I haven't taken this medication, but as listed in the side effects by the FDA, it can cause dizziness and disorientation, which may explain what you're experiencing. It can also cause some feelings of being jittery and nervous, so you may think you're having an episode of hypoglycemia. But, they should eventually improve, once your body gets used to the medication. O...

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I am on my second day of Contrave and have not noticed any change. I started the terrible headaches today and I'm not sure if I can take my Fioricet for them. Worried about an interaction. I am still very hungry and eat the same. No greasy foods just really hungry and crave sweets. How soon will it take before I see a difference or change in weight? ## Hello, Mary! How are you? Has there been any change? It usually takes awhile for most medications to reach their full level of efficacy in your body, to see if they will work for you, or not. Thus, the second day is far too soon to expect much in the way of resuls. The FDA lists its typical side effects as possibly including nausea, dizziness, headache, anorexia, nervousness, and insomnia. The best results, if it works for you, will u...

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Contrave is not covered by my insurance. I have the discount card provided by the manufacturer. Any suggestions on which pharmacy offers the best prices? ## Hi Katie, what is your current cash price and zip code? I know this site offers a free discount card which may be able to offer you a savings. There is also a lookup tool which you can use to see what the cost would be. For example, in my area 30 tablets came out to around $61. Hope this helps!

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