Mysimba Review – Naltrexone (90mg) Bupropion (78mg) – Sold as Contrave

Last updated on May 23rd, 2018

Mysimba is a prescription weight loss medication developed in the US my Orexigen Therapeutics. It provides a combination of Buprion and Naltrexone and has been distributed in the US under the Contrave brand name since 2014. Mysimba was not approved for use in the UK until 2017.

Although it is good that doctors in the UK now have another weight loss drug at their disposal, potential Mysimba users need to be aware the medication is capable of causing side effects and does not compare well to some non-prescription alternatives that are safer to use and have a better reputation for delivering results.

A combination of scientific data (collected from clinical trials) and customer feedback suggests the medication is only effective for 50% to 60% of users.

What is Mysimba and How Does it Work? 

Mysimba is an appetite suppressant. Appetite suppressants help people to lose weight by controlling the hunger urges that are normally experienced when the switch is made to a low-calorie diet.

The appetite can be suppressed in a number of different ways. Some supplements achieve this by creating a feeling of satiety in the stomach. Mysimba does so by causing chemical changes that effect the brain and lessen the desire for food.

Key Ingredients and Blend Potential

Each Mysimba tablet provides

• Naltrexone (90mg)
• Bupropion (78mg)

Both drugs are prescribed, individually, as treatments for certain medical conditions. Bupropion is commonly used as an antidepressant and smoking cessation aid. Naltrexone is an an anti-addiction medication.

Scientists noticed people who were using Bupropion as an antidepressant often lost weight.

They have speculated that this because the drug boosts dopamine levels in the brain and makes the body use more energy and burn extra calories.

Naltrexone appears to assist this process and can further support the weight loss process by making sweet foods seem less palatable.

[info]Usage Instructions – The tablets should be taken with water and swallowed whole, preferably with food.

The treatment begins with a dose of one tablet per day and is gradually escalated, over a four-week period.

• Week 1: One tablet in the morning
• Week 2: One tablet in the morning and another in the evening
• Week 3: Two tablets in the morning. One tablet in the evening.
• Week 4 onwards: Two tablets every morning. Two tablets in the evening[/info]

Clinical Trials

Four clinical trial have been conducted on Mysimba. After 16 weeks, 50.8% of users attained weight loss of 5% or more. After a year the average weight loss was 10%.

MySimba Customer Feedback

We were unable to find any customer feedback for Mysimba, but Drugs.com has plenty of feedback for Contrave. It’s the same medication sold under a different brand name, so it provides a good insight into how the medication is likely to perform.

Contrave customer reviews suggest Mysimba may only be beneficial for around 60% of users.

A few average comments read:

[plain]”I didn’t start losing weight with contrave until I began with the full dose. Now I’m dropping around 6 pounds a week. I have not experienced any side effects and feel more energized and focused.” [/plain]

[plain]”This weight loss drug appeared to work for me, but I had to stop because of all the terrible side effects. It gave me a bad head, made me sweat like a pig, and made me so irritable I could not stand having my family around me.”[/plain]

[plain]”I began using Contrave on April 10th, 2016, and 4 months later I had lost 62 pounds. I was exercising as well and eating right too, but I was doing these things before and never lost any weight until my doctor prescribed Contrave.”[/plain]

[plain]”Dieting is easier now because I am no longer pestered by hunger pangs. I’ve lost 6lbs, but the side effects mean I am going to have to stop. I feel sick a lot, get banging headaches, and have fallen victim to constipation.”[/plain]

MySimba Side Effects

Mysimba can cause unfavourable reactions when it is used alongside some other medications. It is also unsuitable for people who are suffering from certain medical conditions, such as uncontrolled hypertension.

The most commonly reported side effects are headaches, nausea abdominal pain, restlessness, joint pain, and dizziness. A few rarer side effects include suicidal thoughts, liver damage, and manic episodes. In clinical studies, 23.8% of the participants reported adverse effects and discontinued using it.

Purchasing Options & Considerations

Mysimba is a prescription-only medication. You will only be able to obtain it if your GP prescribes it and many people who are overweight may not be eligible for a prescription.

Doctors in the UK are only allowed to prescribe weight management drugs to people who are so obese they have a BMI of 30 or more. To be eligible for a Mysimba prescription, patients will also need to suffer from a medical condition that may be made worse by the fact that they have become so overweight.

The Bottom Line

Mysimba appears to have value as a weight loss aid, but customer reviews and scientific data suggest it does not work for all and the potential for side effects may be quite high.

Suppressing the appetite is only one of several ways to lose weight. Many of the best diet supplements are designed to provide appetite suppression, enhance the body’s natural fat burning abilities, and provide additional support to dieters in other ways.

This is achieved without the risk of side effects and such supplements generally come with a money back guarantee. Customers who present a Mysimba prescription to their local pharmacist are not offered such a financial safety net.

If the medication fails to work for them, or they have to stop taking it due to side effects, their money is gone. Bearing this in mind, that old adage “doctor knows best” does not appear to be a universal truth.

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