Contrave (bupropion/naltrexone) is a combination product used to promote and maintain weight loss in obese adults or overweight adults who have weight related medical problems. Contrave is the most popular opioid antagonist/atypical antidepressant combinations. There are currently no generic alternatives to Contrave.
GoodRx has partnered with Inside Rx and Orexigen Therapeutics to reduce the price for this prescription. Check our savings tips for co-pay cards, assistance programs, and other ways to reduce your cost. Contrave is covered by some Medicare and insurance plans.
Naltrexone and Bupropion Side Effects
What should I watch for?
This medicine is intended to be used in addition to a healthy diet and appropriate exercise. The best results are achieved this way. Do not increase or in any way change your dose without consulting your doctor or health care professional. Do not take this medicine with other prescription or over-the-counter weight loss products without consulting your doctor or health care professional. Your doctor should tell you to stop taking this medicine if you do not lose a certain amount of weight within the first 12 weeks of treatment.
Visit your doctor or health care professional for regular checkups. Your doctor may order blood tests or other tests to see how you are doing.
This medicine may affect blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes, check with your doctor or health care professional before you change your diet or the dose of your diabetic medicine.
Patients and their families should watch out for new or worsening depression or thoughts of suicide. Also watch out for sudden changes in feelings such as feeling anxious, agitated, panicky, irritable, hostile, aggressive, impulsive, severely restless, overly excited and hyperactive, or not being able to sleep. If this happens, especially at the beginning of treatment or after a change in dose, call your health care professional.
Avoid alcoholic drinks while taking this medicine. Drinking large amounts of alcoholic beverages, using sleeping or anxiety medicines, or quickly stopping the use of these agents while taking this medicine may increase your risk for a seizure.
Side Effects to watch for
Side effects that you should report to your doctor or health care professional as soon as possible:
- allergic reactions like skin rash, itching or hives, swelling of the face, lips, or tongue
- breathing problems
- changes in vision
- confusion
- elevated mood, decreased need for sleep, racing thoughts, impulsive behavior
- fast or irregular heartbeat
- hallucinations, loss of contact with reality
- increased blood pressure
- redness, blistering, peeling or loosening of the skin, including inside the mouth
- seizures
- signs and symptoms of liver injury like dark yellow or brown urine; general ill feeling or flu-like symptoms; light-colored stools; loss of appetite; nausea; right upper belly pain; unusually weak or tired; yellowing of the eyes or skin
- suicidal thoughts or other mood changes
- vomiting
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your doctor or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome):
- constipation
- headache
- loss of appetite
- indigestion, stomach upset
- tremors
What may interact with this drug?
Do not take this medicine with any of the following medications:
- any prescription or street opioid drug like codeine, heroin, methadone
- linezolid
- MAOIs like Carbex, Eldepryl, Marplan, Nardil, and Parnate
- methylene blue (injected into a vein)
- other medicines that contain bupropion like Zyban or Wellbutrin
This medicine may also interact with the following medications:
- alcohol
- certain medicines for anxiety or sleep
- certain medicines for blood pressure like metoprolol, propranolol
- certain medicines for depression or psychotic disturbances
- certain medicines for HIV or AIDS like efavirenz, lopinavir, nelfinavir, ritonavir
- certain medicines for irregular heart beat like propafenone, flecainide
- certain medicines for Parkinson's disease like amantadine, levodopa
- certain medicines for seizures like carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital
- cimetidine
- clopidogrel
- cyclophosphamide
- digoxin
- disulfiram
- furazolidone
- isoniazid
- nicotine
- orphenadrine
- procarbazine
- steroid medicines like prednisone or cortisone
- stimulant medicines for attention disorders, weight loss, or to stay awake
- tamoxifen
- theophylline
- thioridazine
- thiotepa
- ticlopidine
- tramadol
- warfarin
