Wanting To Quit Taking Contrave (Page 3) (Top voted first)

I need to know how to stop taking contrave. Can I just quit cold turkey or do I wean off? If I wean off how do I do it?

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I checked with my doctor about weaning off for a while, and he said to just titrate down just like I titrated up when i started taking it. He also said I can go back on it if I need to and do just start like before a titrate up.

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I stayed on Contrave for 4 months and lost 32 pounds. I did have the nausea in the beginning and generally felt "rough" but that improved and the weight started coming off. I did notice that when I ate certain foods I had the stomach cramps (more processed or fatty food). I was so excited about the weight loss and was feeling MUCH better because my weight was dropping...but then the side effects started creeping in, the longer I was on it. I wasn't taken any other drugs to interact and I wasn't drinking any alcohol. I had motion sickness a LOT. Normally I can read in the car or on a plane (I travel with my job), but I couldn't even stand to move my head around on a plane after a while...and on a boat well, just hang me over the side cause I was going to toss. I started having eye pain where it hurt to look at my monitor. I thought I was having hot flashes and hormone issues causing me to not sleep solid. The motion sickness got so bad I started to wean down the same way I slowly started (dropping one pill a week)...as I weaned off ALL those symptoms went away...so no hormone problems, just contrave. I did give it some time and started back on one pill a day since I still had some weight I wanted to lose, but the side effects started as soon as started this time (flushing, not sleeping, motion sickness, eye pain). I will take a little more time off to let it get out of my body all the way and then will go back! I have drug panel to do for work so I was not happy to see it can cause a false reading! :/

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I starred Contrave and got up to the 3 tabs/day. I'm starting to wean myself off. Horrible taste in my mouth, sweating and bad constipation. My appetite hasn't changed, I didn't have an appetite issue or binging problems. My thyroid slowed its function along with starting menopause so I can't lose anything more than 20#. Can't wait to get rid of this taste in my mouth.

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I have been on contrive for about 2 months. I just started having heart palpatations last 2 weeks. Will these subside? I have had my blood checked and EKG done and all were fine.

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I am at the same point you are and having the exact same side effects. It is horrible. I would rather eat salad for the rest of my life than feel this sick every day. Throwing them away!

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I have been on Contrave for 2 years. I didn't feel very good at first but I was dedicated to losing weight. I lost 35 lbs in the first year and one half. I have stayed at 35 lbs and I'm happy with that. I am stopping now because the subsidy given to me by the drug company has gone down and I can't pay $92.00 a month.

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Kathy, I didn't really do anything extreme. They suppress your appetite so you eat less and of course your body burns fat for energy. I would walk the dogs in the morning about a mile or so and then tried to get on the treadmill for another mile or so. I didn't really watch calories. I just watched portions and tried to make healthy choices, but I'd be lying if I said that I didn't eat pasta and pizza now and then. I think I may have lost more if I had really done a better job with my food choices. I noticed that the appetite suppression started to fade after about 3 or 4 months. That's when I noticed that my weight loss had slowed down. After that I still lost about another 10 pounds. But, since my goal weight is still about 30-35 pounds away I decided to wean off, give my body a break and start back up after the new year.

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I just started my second week of two pills
Thursday would be two weeks.
I've seen a difference with my mood which is great but headache
Face hot flashes and anxiousness comes and goes and twitches. Crazy stuff kinda scary.
I think I'd rather be chubby and have my wits
I called my doc and she said for me to stop
And cold turkey until I see her
Maybe because I have only been taken it 2 weeks
Whatever I'm not like if the side effects
Good luck to all

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Hi. I was not and am not way overweight and I’ve been taking contrave for over 1 year and love it. I felt side effects for the first 4-5 days but once I was taking 2 in the morning and 2 at night it was great. I lost 10 or so pounds but more than anything its the thoughts that have changed – I’m not thinking about food All Day Long. When I forget and miss the 2 in the afternoon I can feel it and can sit down and binge watch netflix and eat ice cream

What it has done overall is allow me to want to eat healthy foods and not crave sugar. If I have something with sugar I’m just ‘not that into it’ so even if i try and eat a bunch it doesnt give me the high.

I’d love to hear of anyone else who has used it long term – I’d also like to know if anyone out there has taken 6 per day and if the effects are different. Thanks!

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I just started taking it a week & a half ago, was hoping for a boost in weight loss.. it's been awful!! My stomach is ALWAYS hurting, I would be hungry but unable to eat, and when I do eat most of it comes back up bc I'm so nauseous! I hate it :'( I took my last one yesterday, nothe taking anymore, still puking, still can't eat, wondering how long the effects will last?! I have been working out on top of taking it & well, not being able to eat now, just finished my workout 30 min ago & threw up allllllllll the water I drank & now my whole body is shaking... I do NOT recommend taking Contrave, I wouldnt wish this pain on my worst enemy!

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Same - this medication is horrid - I am only on one pill and I can't do it - I'm miserable - this has to be the worst medication the FDA had approved for weight loss in a long time

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I too have had a bad response to Contrave. I am currently trying to wean off and am experiencing terrible nausea. When I went to the dose of 2in the morning, I felt as if my jaw was clenching and I was totally unable to function. I had a hard time formulating my thoughts. I spent close to a hundred dollars on this medication to help with weight loss & have in fact gained a couple of pounds.Wish I had never heard of this drug.

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I've been on Contrave for nine months, 25 pounds down. I've had extreem thinning of my hair. Have you had any issues?

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Yes. I too quit losing after about 25 pounds. Stopped for 3 months and gained 6 pounds back. Went back on and lost those pounds. I have experienced severe hair lose may or may not be associated with Contrave. Stopping taking, but didn't let hair grow back, so back on Contrave. No constipation, but I take 2,000 ml of metformin daily that causes severe diaherea so they balance. What I have notice is that Contrave helps you lose about 15 percent of body weight. Hence why different total weight loss for different folks. I started at 182 and need to get to 108. Good news is about 30 percent body fat lost. I now must change something else dramatic to get past this pivot point. This week's goal is to hold current weight and drink more water. Simple goals with my super stressful life.

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Re: Crystal (# 4)

2.5 pounds in 5 months? That's crazy. You have to supplement the meds with diet and exercise. I've been on it 5 months and have lost 63 pounds. There's a weight percentage you're required to meet after the first 3 months to be eligible to continue taking it. Your doctor should've taken you off of it.

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Re: Mechalle (# 110)

I tapered myself off the Contrave just as I had tapered myself on it in the beginning. I have never felt this bad on any medication I've ever taken and I've had chemo. I felt horrible. I had every side effect. But everyone's body is different. My body just responded so badly.

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Re: Heather (# 9)

I have found the same result. Taking it for 6 months. Worked ok at first. Only side effect for me was constipation. But have noticed now that it doesn’t seem to work as well. Lost a total of 24 lbs but gains some back now. Not sure it’s worth the high cost anymore

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Re: V (# 21)

I’ve been taking Contrave for almost 1 year. I lost 30 lbs and unfortunately I’m having chest pain. I went to the ER and to the cardiologist they said is an atypical pain, not related to the heart, but I’m scared. I learned this could be a side effect of the drug. I’m stopping cold turkey. It seems not be a contraindication to do it.

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Re: Heather (# 2)

I have been taking Contrave for a few weeks and just started the 2 in the morning and 1 at night. I'm having the same symptoms you are having. I'm having involuntary movement of my hands, head and other areas of the body. I felt fine until I started taking the dose at night. I also plan to stop taking it. I've not had any decrease in my appetite either. I'm also feeling anxious in my chest and hard to focus at times. I had horrible panic/anxiety attacks in the past and these feelings I'm having now is what it felt like when an attack came on. I would rather weigh 300 pounds as I did in the past than to ever have another panic attack.

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Re: Heather (# 2)

I have been researching how to stop Contrave too but couldn’t find the answer so I will tell u, I was up to taking 2 in am and 1 in pm, was on my 3rd week & had only lost 3 lbs but my cravings had all stopped but yesterday morning I had a real funny feeling in my heart after taking my morning dosage, it felt like I had chill bumps in my heart like I was on a roller coaster going downhill & my hands started moving involuntarily so I decided no more and was going to quit cold turkey, I didn’t take my pm dosage, I had been taking pm dosage around 2 pm, I got home from work at 6 pm and I was easily agitated, miserable, felt real weird like I was withdrawing from opiates which I have not taken in 10 years. I ate, I got something to drink, felt horrible, I had to go ahead and take the pm dosage just to stop the withdrawals and am going to slowly wean myself off and flush the rest down the toilet so nobody else gets them, it scared me. I liked them at first but it is weird, I’ve never felt so weird in all my life. Don’t take it, do yourself a favor if you have not started Contrave and don’t get any. They don’t give you energy like adipex, they make you feel like you’re on a weird drug with bad side effects. I won’t be ordering anymore. The answer is WEAN off, slowly. Be careful while doing so. They’re dangerous. I hope I have not ruint my heart.

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