Last updated on July 9th, 2018

Contrave is a weight loss tablet manufactured in the US by Orexigen.

Unlike most of the products evaluated on this site, Contrave is not a supplement.

It is a medication and it is only available to dieters who have obtained the necessary prescription, so in many ways it could be compared to Phentermine.

Like Phentermine, Contrave is only deemed suitable for patients who are seriously obese and are suffering from medical conditions that are related to, or aggravated by their extra poundage.

Claims: May help some obese patients who have weight related medical problems

Positives: FDA approved

Negatives: New to the market and does not come without risks. Not available to all and only by prescription

How the Formulation Works

Content

Again, it is hard not to make comparisons between Contrave and Phentermine because both are designed to provide appetite suppression and neither one provides any other weight loss benefits such as fat burning or carb blocking.

When it comes to losing weight it’s all a matter of calories.

Get to many and you gain weight. Receive too few and the body is forced to begin burning body fat, but cutting down on calories by cutting down of food is not much fun.

The hunger pangs can be unbearable, but a good appetite suppressant can take all of that away and help dieters attain their desired goals.

Unlike some other weight loss options, Contrave has been clinically tested and is proven to be effective.

It use as a prescription medication has also been sanctioned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but the FDA has not approved Contrave for use as a sole weight loss provider.

The tablets must be used as part of weight management routine that includes healthy eating and increased levels of exercise.

Key Ingredients

A few binders and fillers are necessary to hold the tablets together, but the main ingredients are Bupropion Hydrochloride and Naltrexone Hydrochloride.

Bupropion Hydrochloride: A drug that stimulates areas of the brain. It is usually used to treat depression, but tests carried out at in the US (Duke University Medical Centre, Durham) show Bupropion Hydrochloride can also assist weight loss. Human test subjects achieved an average weight loss of 12.9%. [source]
Naltrexone Hydrochloride: A drug that is primarily used to help people who are battling alcohol or opioid addictions, Naltrexone Hydrochloride is not generally associated with weight loss. [source]

Supporting Information

The weight loss providing abilities of Contrave have been proven by two clinical trials. The volunteers who took part in both these trials consisted of overweight individuals and all of them suffered from one or more health problems. This is good because the physical condition of the test subjects was a match for the kind of users who will be prescribed the tablets. In both trials the group that received Contrave lost considerably more weight than the placebo group.

Study no. 1 — Contrave group 5.4% weight loss v 1.3% (placebo group).
Study no. 2 — Contrave group 8.1% weight loss v 4.9% (placebo group).

Usage Instructions

Patients are required to start with a dosage of 1 tablet a day and then work their way up to 4 tablets a day.

Week 1 — 1 tablet each morning.
Week 2 — 1 table each morning + 1 tablet each evening.
Week 3 — 2 tablets each morning + 1 tablet each evening.
Week 4 — 2 tablets each morning + 2 tablets each evening.

The prescribing doctor will advise, but tablets must be used in conjunction with exercise and a healthy diet, and Orixigen warn against eating high fat meals because this increases the possibility of seizures.

Potential Contrave Side Effects

Bupropion hydrochloride can trigger a negative state of mind and, to Orexigen’s credit; their website displays a warning about this that is so in your face it would be very hard to miss:

“CONTRAVE can cause serious side effects of suicidal thoughts or actions.”

The site also provides a lengthy list of other possible side effects, including:

Rashes
Swollen glands
Eye problems
Stomach and/or intestinal problems
Headaches
Nausea
Difficulty sleeping
Seizures
Raised blood pressure
Chest pains
Changes to the heart rate
Liver damage
Hepatitis
Manic episodes

Contrave Testimonials & Feedback

Customer feedback indicates Contrave may work better for some users than others.

“I’ve been using Contrave for nearly 8 weeks, but I can’t see much difference so it’s a waste of time as far as I’m concerned. I’ll give it another 8 weeks and see what happens, but I’m feeling very disheartened at the moment. “

“3 weeks of dizziness and nausea. I don’t think I’ll be able to continue taking these for too much longer, they make me feel too ill.”

“I’m on day 12 and can already notice a big difference in my eating habits. Chocolate has lost its appeal. Cakes have lost their appeal. Hallelujah, finally an appetite suppressant that works. “

“I’ve been doing this for 3 weeks now and am as happy as Larry. I’ve lost 15lbs. That’s 5lbs for each week and I’ve not experienced any side effects at all.”

Availability – Can I Buy Contrave

Contrave cannot be legally obtained without a doctor’s prescription.

Non Prescription Alternative

Contrave has been likened to Phentermine, another prescription only diet pill – one product that has been incredibly popular over the last few years is PhenQ.

PhenQ is billed as a Phentermine alternative – it has a similar methodology (appetite suppressant) and can also act as a fat burner. PhenQ is available to buy direct from its own official website and does not require a prescription.

Read about PhenQ here

Contrave – prescription diet pill with Bupropion HCI and Naltrexone HCI