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Contrave vs. Wegovy

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

Wegovy (semaglutide) is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. It comes in prefilled pens you use to inject the medication under the skin once a week. Wegovy (semaglutide) also comes as tablets that are swallowed once a day. This medication is approved for weight loss in some people. It can help lower the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death due to heart problems in adults with a larger body size and heart disease. The pens are also approved for certain adults with a liver problem called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). The medication works best when taken with a lower-calorie diet and regular exercise. Side effects include nausea, diarrhea, and stomach pain.

Injectable pens:

• Weight loss and long-term weight management in:

  • People ages 12 years and older who are considered obese
  • Adults considered overweight with at least one weight-related condition (e.g., high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol)

• Lowering the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death due to heart problems in adults with a larger body size and heart disease

• Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) in adults with moderate-to-advanced liver scarring, but not cirrhosis

Tablets:

• Weight loss and long-term weight management in adults who are considered obese or overweight with at least one weight-related condition
• Lowering the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death due to heart problems in adults with a larger body size and heart disease

• Nausea (44%)
• Diarrhea (30%)
• Vomiting (24%)
• Constipation (24%)
• Stomach pain (20%)
• Headache (14%)
• Tiredness (11%)

• Possible risk for thyroid cancer
• Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
• Gallbladder problems
• Low blood sugar
• Kidney damage
• Allergic reactions
• Eye problems in people with Type 2 diabetes (diabetic retinopathy)
• Faster heart rate
• Lung problems during general anesthesia or deep sedation