Wanting To Quit Taking Contrave (Page 4) (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 started taking Contrave in December 2015 and on the fourth week I tried the 4 pills a day and immediately had dizziness and feeling bad so I stopped. After a short break I decided to give it another try (which was dumb, I should not have done) because I'm morbidly obese and I so desperately want to loose weight. The second time around I stopped increasing at the 3 pills a day (1 in the morning, 2 in the evening) and around that time I saw my doc again and he said that was fine. I did the 3 pills for a few weeks then one weekend since I didn't have to go anywhere I tried the fourth pill again. I didn't seem to have the head issues so I continued. After a week or 2 maybe I started having bad depressing persistent thoughts about death, I also noticed I would beak out in bad sweats after taking my does and that I didn't seem to be full emptying my bladder when urinating because I would stand at the toilet for a bit after I was done and then more would come out.
As of this morning I'm stopping this medication for good. I'm not taking another pill and I hope to god these depressing thoughts go away and that I have not done any long term damage.

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I have been on contrave for about 2 months have not experienced any side effects until now accept for constipation i have had that the whole time i have been on contrave the last couple of days i have been having a lot of nausea and stomach cramps it has been pretty bad i had it today driving my school bus im scared of it i need to get off of it but i do need to ween myself off of it i agree i have lost 20 pounds sence i have been on it.

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About coming off the Contrave I just called the pharmacy and they said there are no weaning off things you just stop it if you don't like it there's no side effects

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Yes. After being on contrave for several months I lost 20lbs. Now even with the contrave I am eating the same as alwsys but have gained 10 lbs back. My appetite is horrendous so it seems it is not working anymore. Talking to my doctor next visit. Anyone know if taking 6 a day will be harmful

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My husband is suffering from mildly fetty liver and he is taking udiliv 300but from three days he did not take some problem accured he got not pimples on his head neck please suggest

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I've been on Contrave since end of January & I lost 25lbs in 1month. That was the weight I gained from letting myself go. The nxt 20lbs was a lot me; paying attention to what & how much I ate. Weaning off now & in reverse am starting 1 twice /day. I'm worried& hoping I'll be able to keep up the healthy eating & portion control...Yes. I've vomited 12x's since January, but if you can put up w/the side effects & they're not too severe, I believe it's worth it. Good luck...wish me luck!

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I have been on Contrave for 11 months. Only side effect was dry mouth for the first couple months. I have lost a little over 75 lbs. i eat better, sleep better, and ferl better. There is mo magic pill, you must change you eating habits and make wiser choices.
I have hit a coulke of plateaus but you just wirk thru them. If you go off track for a day, dont swear it get back on the next day.

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Do need to be weaned off of Contrave
My doctor passed away and the doctor that took his place does not fill prescriptions for weight loss

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I've been taking contrave for a while now. I lost 35 pounds in about 6 months. I'm experiencing the same thing you are. My appetite has come back and my old habits are creeping back in. I have kept my weight off and I feel like I'm stabilized within about 3-4 pounds. I'm scared the weight will pile back on. I'm still taking contrave. Any suggestions?

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Hi Susan, I've in my third month and am also having this side effect. Even when I feel like very much have to go? I can't!

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Hi I was taking contrave for 3 months and I decided to quit taking them a week ago due to them not working for me anymore...I was wondering if anyone new if there was any side affects for stopping them cold turkey

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Hi, Vickie;

Heart palpitations in week 2 of weaning-onto Contrave are not OK.

Week 1 = 1 tablet in the morning.

Week 2 = 1 morning + 1 evening.

Week 3 = 2 morning + 1 evening

Week 4 = 2 morning + 2 evening

You can either go back to 1 Contrave in the morning (as you did on week

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Hi, Vickie;

Heart palpitations are not OK whether you're on Contrave or not - but I'm sure you know that already. I'm suprised that you were prescribed this medication because it's not recommended for those that have high blood pressure, anxiety, mania, heart palpitations, panic attacks, seizures, etc.

There's no doubt in my mind that your prescribing physician, pharmacist as well as Takeda pharmaceuticals would insist that you discontinue the medication immediately.

There is a possibility of seizures for some patients when taking Contrave so the prescribing Dr. should have looked into your medical history to determine if this med is right for you. If you have a history of any of the above, it's not worth it.

Going back to only 1 tablet p/ day (and remaining on only 1 p/ day for another week or even 2 weeks) would allow your body to acclimate to the drug over a longer period of time. If after 2 weeks of 1 in the morning you feel fine, then try 1 in the morning + 1 evening.

The reason the Contrave prescribing information includes weaning onto the med is because of the most common side-effect for new users: Nausea + dizziness.

I personally was fine until week 3 (taking 2 in the morning and 1 evening). I felt queezy, nauseous, had a constant low-grade headache and felt a little dizzy. I immediately went back to taking only 1 in the morning + 1 evening (and felt fine at that dosage).

I remained at 1 morning + 1 evening for 2 weeks and gradually worked up to the full dose over the course of 6 weeks vs. 1 month of 2 morning + 2 evening.

It's fine to take more time to wean onto the medication but there are side-effects and there are side-effects. Feeling heart palpitations, having difficulty breathing, feeling anxious, ringing in the ears, or light-headedness are all considered to be deal-breaker side-effects = discontinue use and see your Dr. ASAP.

P.S. Contrave is not recommended for smokers or those who consume caffeine. Even 1 cup of coffee could cause heart palpitations if consumed along with Contrave. If you're on ginseng, stimulating herbs, RedBull or energy drinks, herbal supplements, any other direct or indirect stimulants (other diet herbs or medications), cold + flu or allergy meds (over-the-counter or Rx) = not advisable with Contrave. So if you are on any of the above that may be causing the heart palpitations.

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Hi, Vickie;

I answered before (but it wasn't posted yet). However looking over your question I realise that I misunderstood what you said - Sorry!

I thought you said that you were having heart palpitations in your 2nd week of weaning onto Contrave - so naturally my answer included all of the typical warnings such as '...discontinue use'..., etc.

Now I see you've been on Contrave for 2 months.

Even though heart palpitations are not good (whether on a med or not) - it would be worse if you were only in week 2.

The heart palpitations may be a result of other variables such as over-the-counter or Rx meds, allergy or cold / flu meds, herbs, ginsing, tea or coffee (any / all caffeine products including chocolate), other diet herbs or remedies, RedBull or Monster-type energy drinks, any direct or indirect stimulants can / will cause heart palpitations when consumed with Contrave.

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Lauri, you are doing great how have you lost so much? I just started it 3 weeks ago, I have mixed feelings..it does help curb my appetite but also makes me feel nauseous if I don't eat. I'm suppose to start 3 pills a day tomorrow...what do you eat in a typical day?
Thanks and keep up the good work!

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I guess I'm just one of the lucky ones, I started taking Contrave in August of 5015 and to date I have lost almost 90 pounds. Now no other medication or diet plan ever worked for me, but this one did. The only side effect I had a occasional dry mouth, not pleasant but tolerable. Now I am on my last bottle as I just now need to maintain, but not sure if I reverse the process or what...

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I would like to know what current Contrave users are paying out of pocket for the drug. I was paying around $60.00 a month. I had to re enroll in October and now I have to pay $92.00 per month. This is the main reason I have going off Contrave.

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I have experienced tendinitis in both of my feet and I am wondering if this could be a side effects of Contrave. It is listed in the package insert for
Wellbutrin. Has anyone else experienced this? I stopped Contrave and it went away, started back on it and the tendinitis has come back.

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The subsidized price was $60 and went up to $92. For me, it's still an affordable option for successful weight loss. I spent 4 times that on other programs that didn't work. Also, you eat less so that could be a nice offset!? Good luck!

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I am 63 and have been on Contrave for 9 months. I have lost 40 lbs. The side affects are constant. I take 2 at night and 1 in the morning. I had constipation and so I take Miralax every day. My muscles are weak especially in my legs. I saw my doctor yesterday. We are trying to figure out the sores in my mouth that cause a lot of discomfort. They come and go. He is running tests. I pretty much decided to quit taking Contrave. At this point I am so tired of dealing with the side affects I figure any withdrawals I experience can't be worse then my side affects.

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