Compare
Contrave vs. Ozempic

Contrave is a combination medication that helps with weight loss for certain adults. It's taken along with a balanced diet and exercise plan. Contrave is a tablet with two active ingredients that help regulate your appetite. They are naltrexone (an opioid antagonist) and bupropion (a dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor). Your dosage will slowly increase over the first 3 weeks. Then, you take the maintenance dose of two tablets by mouth twice a day. Some side effects are nausea, constipation, and headache. But it can also have serious risks, like unusual changes in behavior. Contrave is brand name only; there isn't a generic version available yet.

• Long-term weight management in certain adults
  • Adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or greater
  • Adults with a BMI of 27 kg/m2 or greater and a weight-related condition (e.g., high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol)

• Nausea (33%)
• Constipation (19%)
• Headache (18%)
• Vomiting (11%)
• Dizziness (10%)
• Trouble sleeping (9%)
• Dry mouth (8%)
• Diarrhea (7%)

• Risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior
• Possible changes in thoughts, behavior, and mood
• Seizures
• Don't take Contrave with opioid medications
• Higher blood pressure and faster heart rate
• Liver problems
• Mania (extreme enthusiasm or excitement)
• Worsening of glaucoma in certain people
• Potential risk of low blood sugar in people taking certain medications for Type 2 diabetes

Ozempic (semaglutide) is a GLP-1 agonist used with diet and exercise to help adults manage Type 2 diabetes. It can also lower the risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart-related death in some people with Type 2 diabetes. It comes as a once-weekly injection under the skin and as a tablet taken by mouth once a day. The injection is also approved to help slow worsening kidney problems in people with Type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Injection:

• Type 2 diabetes
• Lower the risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart-related death in adults with Type 2 diabetes and heart disease
• Lower the risk of worsening kidney problems and heart-related death in adults with Type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD)

Tablets:

• Type 2 diabetes
• Lower the risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart-related death in adults with Type 2 diabetes at high risk for these events

• Nausea (16-20%)
• Diarrhea (9%)
• Vomiting (5-9%)
• Stomach pain (6-7%)
• Constipation (3-5%)

Note: Side effects listed above are for Ozempic (semaglutide) injection

• Risk of thyroid tumors
• Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
• Eye problems
• Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) when taken with certain diabetes medications
• Kidney damage
• Severe stomach problems
• Severe allergic reactions
• Gallbladder problems
• Lung problems during anesthesia or deep sedation