Wanting To Quit Taking Contrave (Page 6)
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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 just got off of Contrave yesterday in fact. At first it helped slow down my eating but yes I had the cramps/gassy. Now after5 1/2 months and just losing 10 pounds and when Doctor heard how much I paid he said get off of them. Not worth it. So tonight I am cramping terribly and wonder if it is from stopping cold turkey but I wouldn't think if I was going to have withdrawals it wouldn't be this soon. Any ideas???

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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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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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I took Contrave for 2 months. I titrated to 2 in the morning, but didn't need the 2 in the evening because it had suppressed my appetite so much that I didn't want to eat. At my 30-day follow up my doctor told me that dosage was ok if it's working for me. My first week was horrible with nausea & diarrhea. I found that taking it after breakfast helped with the nausea. The 2nd week was constipation, so I tried to increase my fluids. I quit, unintentionally, at around 10 weeks. I would forget to take it before leaving work, but noticed that I still wasn't feeling hungry. I wasn't motivated to restart primarily because of the slow rate of weight loss... 6lbs in the first week and that was it! I haven't experienced any other side effects, but at $95/month I can put that toward a gym membership.

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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 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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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 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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There is no harm in weaning off the same way you weaned on. One of the ingredients in Contrave can cause a seizure if you stop taking it suddenly. Better safe than sorry. I lost 40 pounds and have plateaud. I'm weaning off now and will wait about a month for it to clear my system and then I will do another round. Best of luck.

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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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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 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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Yes, stay on it, if you afford to.I have been taking Contravene for over 1 year, lost 55 lbs, and I am able to keep it off.

One side effect, hot flashes, followed by a fleeting feeling of panic. I am going through major life changes, so perhaps this contributes, it does subside, but it's not a pleasant sensation.

A few positives? Here we go:

No urge to drink or eat excessively
NO HANGOVERS!! ??
Feel a bit more positive overall
Keeping weight off

So, it's worth it.

Best of luck to all

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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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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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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;

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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I have been on Contrave for 1 year and have hit the plateau point as well. I've spoken to Takeda pharmacists on 3 occasions re: discontinuing the med. My prescribing physician and I don't feel that it is helping to control my appetite at all any more and I am discontinuing the drug currently. We've also discussed the possibility of revisiting the medication in a few months time (or possibly starting Belviq / Lorcaserin by Arena pharmaceuticals).


Actually, I plateaued about 5 months ago and only because I have been on 400 mg of Bupropion in the past, he prescribed an additional 75 mg of Bupropion as a supplement to the recommended daily dose of Contrave to see if it would help (it hasn't).

The weaning-on process that Contrave users follow (per Takeda pharmaceuticals) is recommended due to the medication's most common side-effect: nausea. Many new Contrave users experience moderate to heavy nausea and dizziness in the first weeks of use; which is lessened considerably when one weans onto the drug.

Starting at 1 tablet in the morning on week 1 , by the 4th week of use the patient is taking the full recommended dose (2 morning + 2 night = 4 tablets p/ day).


Per Takeda pharmacists: it is unnecessary to wean-off of Contrave as the nausea associated with starting the medication is not an issue when discontinuing the drug. The only reason patients wean-on in the first place is to lessen the nausea. Both Takeda pharmacists and my Dr. have said it is perfectly fine to discontinue the med all at once. I personally feel more comfortable weaning-off vs. 'Cold Turkey' but I'm just reporting what they told me.

- Just a side-note: I personally felt extremely nauseated in the 3rd week of starting Contrave (2 morning + 1 night) and because of this remained at 2 morning + 1 night for an additional 2 weeks; finally graduating to the full dose of 2 morning + 2 night at which time I was acclimated well enough to the med and didn't feel queezy.

I had gained approximately 35 lbs. over the 2 years prior to taking Contrave and lost 30 lbs. in the first 4 - 5 months of being on the medication. The most dramatic weight loss taking place in the first 3 months (losing approximately 23 lbs.)

I never felt it was helping with cravings past the 4 - 5 months point and as a matter of fact, I would awake in the middle of the night absolutely famished (and would often times get up and start preparing a whole meal at 2:30 am) which I had never done before taking Contrave. I believe this must have something to do with drug being time-released. 2:30 am must have been the exact point in time that it wore off - (just a guess) and / or my body had simply become immune to the benefits of Contrave into month 5 - 6.


By month 8 I had gained back 11 lbs. and continued on with the Contrave even though I felt no benefit at all. By month 11 - 12 I had gained back another 8 lbs.


The reason it's best to discontinue the med vs. continue to take it (with no benefit) is because it's too taxing on the liver to do so. Also, if you read the prescribing information you'll see that it recommends that a patient discontinue Contrave if they haven't lost at least 10 - 15 lbs. in the first 3 months.

While the prescribing info doesn't really touch on discontinuing the drug, I consulted the Takeda pharmacists about it. I asked them if one is supposed to just continue the med indefinitely (explaining that I had definitely hit a plateau and was not getting any benefit at all). They said no... that a patient will build a tolerance to the Bupropion as well as Naltrexone and it's best to discontinue vs. just remaining on the med.

Takeda also reiterated what my Dr. said - that discontinuing the med which was no longer effective and 're-visiting' in a few months would be best.

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I've been on contrave for 9 months now and I have lost 52 pounds,if u eat right exercise ,and drink plenty of water u will lose,I lost it slow but my Dr. said that was best.the only problem I have is constipation , but my Dr.put me on metformin to help with that,I have never takin anything that has done as good as contrave??

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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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