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Contrave vs. Saxenda

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

Saxenda (generic name liraglutide) is a once-daily injection given under the skin that's used for weight loss. It's approved for certain adults and children ages 12 years and up. And it works best when used along with a balanced diet and exercise. This prescription weight loss medication is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist. It works by slowing down your gut and making you feel less hungry. Saxenda (liraglutide) comes as a prefilled pen you use to inject your dose. Some common side effects include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

• Weight loss and long-term weight management in:
  • People ages 12 years and older with a body weight greater than 132 lbs and obesity
  • Adults who are considered overweight with at least one weight-related condition (e.g., high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol)

Adults:

• Nausea (39%)
• Diarrhea (21%)
• Constipation (19%)
• Vomiting (16%)
• Injection site reaction (e.g., redness, itching, rash; 14%)
• Headache (14%)
• Low blood sugar in people with Type 2 diabetes (13%)
• Indigestion (10%)

Children 12 years and up:

• Nausea (42%)
• Vomiting (34%)
• Diarrhea (22%)
• Low blood sugar (15%)
• Stomach inflammation (13%)
• Dizziness (10%)

• Possible risk for thyroid cancer
• Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
• Gallbladder problems
• Low blood sugar
• Faster heart rate
• Severe stomach side effects
• Kidney problems due to dehydration
• Allergic reactions
• Lung problems during anesthesia or deep sedation