Contrave, anybody have experience with this DRUG?

[BayouSwitch]

Contrave, is supposed to help decrease cravings etc. Does anybody here have experience taking this Rx and if so, what are your thought?

Thanks.

 

[LindaDarnell]

So when my sleeve was no longer helping me loose weight, I took it in a desperate move. In a month and a half i lost over 20 pounds which was success. But! Going into the 2nd month was hell!the entire time i was on it, i batttled nausea but then the second month started with extremely high bp and a dangerously fast heartrate. I had to stop it asap!! I have several friends that took it, and know of many more through an online support group. The results are basically only half the people i know could actually tolerate it. Those that can do extremely well! It does dramatically cut ur cravings and binges. I was very hopeful, and didnt think i would experience side effects bc i was already taking Wellbutrin. But i guess the combo drug was too powerful for my system. Ill say that i also took Belviq and the other new one (cant remember the name) and of the 3, contrave was the only one that worked, but it was also the only one i had side effects with,and the only one that sent me to the hospital.

So just be very careful if u do decide to use it. And monitor ur bp closely. Iit rises...stop the med immediately

 

[KathrynK]

I once calculated the cost per pound lost of these drugs at the end of 12 months. They are so expensive, and not always covered, and they aren't going to give you a maintained 50 pound weight loss once you stop taking them. If you don't have insurance, they are more than $1,000 per year, and they might help you lose 5% of body weight (the FDA definition of success). So, if you are 200 pounds, 5% is 10 pounds, or $100 per pound. Then, those lost pounds were rapidly regained when you stopped taking the drug. Further, you have risks to your heart. If they were miracle cures, no one would chose surgery. They aren't. Not that I don't want drug companies to keep looking, but the ones on the market aren't worth taking.

 

[Meep]

Contrave is an opiate blocker combined with Wellbutrin, which is an anti-depressant that is atypical and acts like a stimulant even though it's not a stimulant. It can help, I guess? The doctors can also prescribe them separately as generics for far cheaper, but that's not frequently done. They are super cheap as generics and far more expensive because Contrave is a brand.

I think that therapy is more effective than Contrave. Vyvanse works well for binge eating disorder weight loss because BED is a compulsive and impulsive disorder, and stimulants stop this behavior by regulating dopamine. This is why they work for ADHD (interestingly, bulimia is correlated with comorbid diagnoses of ADHD, but BED is still not as often studied). It's not actually because it suppresses appetite.

I guess what I'm saying is... It Depends? I think therapy works best of all, particularly CBT or DBT. Cravings can be biological or psychological, and are typically a combination of both. It's good to rule out behavior and habit before medications are used.

Everyone is different, though, and there's no way to reliably predict whether it will work or not.

Frankly, I'd just eat a ketogenic diet first, as it naturally suppresses appetite after a few weeks, even for people without WLS. High fat and protein provide natural appetite suppression. Carbs cause appetite to shoot up way high, because insulin is an appetite stimulant.

 

[BayouSwitch]

So when my sleeve was no longer helping me loose weight, I took it in a desperate move. In a month and a half i lost over 20 pounds which was success. But! Going into the 2nd month was hell!the entire time i was on it, i batttled nausea but then the second month started with extremely high bp and a dangerously fast heartrate. I had to stop it asap!! I have several friends that took it, and know of many more through an online support group. The results are basically only half the people i know could actually tolerate it. Those that can do extremely well! It does dramatically cut ur cravings and binges. I was very hopeful, and didnt think i would experience side effects bc i was already taking Wellbutrin. But i guess the combo drug was too powerful for my system. Ill say that i also took Belviq and the other new one (cant remember the name) and of the 3, contrave was the only one that worked, but it was also the only one i had side effects with,and the only one that sent me to the hospital.

So just be very careful if u do decide to use it. And monitor ur bp closely. Iit rises...stop the med immediately

Thank you for your feedback.

 

[BayouSwitch]

I once calculated the cost per pound lost of these drugs at the end of 12 months. They are so expensive, and not always covered, and they aren't going to give you a maintained 50 pound weight loss once you stop taking them. If you don't have insurance, they are more than $1,000 per year, and they might help you lose 5% of body weight (the FDA definition of success). So, if you are 200 pounds, 5% is 10 pounds, or $100 per pound. Then, those lost pounds were rapidly regained when you stopped taking the drug. Further, you have risks to your heart. If they were miracle cures, no one would chose surgery. They aren't. Not that I don't want drug companies to keep looking, but the ones on the market aren't worth taking.

Thanks for your input.

 

[BayouSwitch]

Contrave is an opiate blocker combined with Wellbutrin, which is an anti-depressant that is atypical and acts like a stimulant even though it's not a stimulant. It can help, I guess? The doctors can also prescribe them separately as generics for far cheaper, but that's not frequently done. They are super cheap as generics and far more expensive because Contrave is a brand.

I think that therapy is more effective than Contrave. Vyvanse works well for binge eating disorder weight loss because BED is a compulsive and impulsive disorder, and stimulants stop this behavior by regulating dopamine. This is why they work for ADHD (interestingly, bulimia is correlated with comorbid diagnoses of ADHD, but BED is still not as often studied). It's not actually because it suppresses appetite.

I guess what I'm saying is... It Depends? I think therapy works best of all, particularly CBT or DBT. Cravings can be biological or psychological, and are typically a combination of both. It's good to rule out behavior and habit before medications are used.

Everyone is different, though, and there's no way to reliably predict whether it will work or not.

Frankly, I'd just eat a ketogenic diet first, as it naturally suppresses appetite after a few weeks, even for people without WLS. High fat and protein provide natural appetite suppression. Carbs cause appetite to shoot up way high, because insulin is an appetite stimulant.

Thank you.

 

[BayouSwitch]

I haven't yet decided if I'm going to try it but if I do I will be sure to monitor my BP closely. I have kept off 150 pounds for over 10 years but this last year or so I have crept up about 15 pounds. I find that I binge on sweets when I'm stressed or anxious. My dietary habits haven't changed that much over the years but obviously something has changed. Probably just "THE CHANGE" and all the fun that brings to an adult woman's life.

 

[KathrynK]

Be careful. The FDA just cited Contrave's manufacturer for misrepresenting and minimizing the drug's risks in a TV advertisement. (I didn't know it was potentially lifethreating and had the suicial thoughts and neuropsychiatric conditions warnings.)

From www.fda.gov - Today, 2:34 PM
False or Misleading Risk Presentation

"Promotional materials misbrand a drug if they are false or misleading with respect to risk.
The TV ad is misleading because it includes efficacy claims for Contrave, but fails to include important risk information associated with the drug. For example, the TV ad includes the statement “Do not take with opioids,” but fails to include any of the other conditions for which Contrave is contraindicated. Additionally, the TV ad includes the statement, “CONTRAVE may increase suicidal thoughts or actions in some children, teens, and young adults within the first few months,” but fails to disclose any information about neuropsychiatric reactions also discussed in the BOXED WARNING section of the PI for Contrave. We note that the TV ad includes the statements, “CONTRAVE is not for everyone” and “Other side effects may occur.” However, this does not mitigate the omission of these important risks from the TV ad. By omitting serious risks associated with Contrave, the TV ad misleadingly suggests that Contrave is safer than has been demonstrated.

The TV ad is also misleading because it communicates important risk information in the visual portion of the TV ad only, i.e., as SUPERs, and presents unrelated risk information in competing audio messages. For example, the TV ad discloses important risk information regarding the warning and precaution for the potential risk of hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes only as a SUPER, although, television advertisements shall include information relating to the major side effects and contraindications of the advertised drugs in the audio or audio and visual parts of the presentation. 21 CFR 202.1(e)(1). Additionally, the TV ad discloses important risk information about the contraindication for concomitant opioid use in the audio portion of the proposed TV ad simultaneously with a SUPER containing unrelated risk information about the most common adverse reactions. The overall effect of disclosing important risk information in SUPERs only, along with the simultaneous presentation of SUPERs and competing audio messages, undermines the communication of important risk information and thereby misleadingly minimizes the risks associated with the use.

The TV ad is also misleading because it communicates important risk information in the visual portion of the TV ad only. The presentation in the video is especially problematic from a public health perspective given the serious and potentially life-threatening risks associated with the drug."

 

[JPreiss]

I took Contrave for maybe 2 months? Don't remember. I didn't have any problems whatsoever with side effects, but also no benefits whatsoever with taking the drug. Seriously, didn't make an iota of difference for me. And needless to say didn't lose any weight.

 

[BayouSwitch]

Well, here's my update. I did decide to go ahead and try Contrave. This is currently Day 4 for me. So far, no major side effects. Some very mild nausea and mild sleepiness. I will admit to showing less interest in foods/snacks. I know it is very early but I will continue unless I experience something that I can't handle. I did warn my husband to look for warning signs if my behavior changes or becomes troubling in any way.

I, at times, can be very stressed and binge on sweets mostly chocolate. I will go out of my way to get candy when I'm feeling very stressed. Today is a bit of a test because things not going very well here at work. Yes, I do want the chocolate but am less willing to go out of my way to get it or plan to get it. So, for me this is a small victory.

also, monitoring my BP which has been good. Hope all will continue to be well next week when I step up the dose.

 

[LindaDarnell]

I implore you to please monitor ur BP ..almost daily if you can. Stop by ur local CVS and use their machine. You may not have obvious signs that ur bp is elevated until u start experiencing other problems.

As I said before, contrave works really well for some people. I hope you are one of the lucky ducks.

 

[KathrynK]

Please be cautious driving, because the FDA has received several reports of loss of consciousness by people on Contrave and is contemplating a regulatory change.

http://www.rightinginjustice.com/ne...nked-to-cases-of-loss-of-consciousness-abuse/

 

[BayouSwitch]

Well, it's been 9 days and I'm now on the 2x a day dose. I feel pretty good and have only had very minor nausea about an hour after taking each dose. So far, I'm down 2 maybe 3 pounds. I really do feel like I'm craving sweets less. I feel like I don't obsess about something sweet and how I can get it.

 

[LindaDarnell]

Well, it's been 9 days and I'm now on the 2x a day dose. I feel pretty good and have only had very minor nausea about an hour after taking each dose. So far, I'm down 2 maybe 3 pounds. I really do feel like I'm craving sweets less. I feel like I don't obsess about something sweet and how I can get it.

Ginger tea helped me with the nausea. I'm glad to hear ur doing good on it so far. Just watch ur bp!