My Experience on DIY Contrave (bupropion + naltroxene) - Tips, Full Breakdown of Journey (3 months)
I started DIY Generic Contrave in the middle of March. Down 6 lbs (I currently weigh 149 lbs). I am 42 years-old, and 5'2".
Here's some bullet points about my experience and tips to make your journey better:
- My PCP prescribed me 150mg Bupropion SR pills and 50mg Naltroxene pills separately (generic version, aka, "DIY Contrave"). My dosing is one 150mg Bupropion SR + 25mg Naltroxene in the AM, and one 150mg Bupropion SR and one 12.5mg Naltroxene in the PM.
- The adjustment period of Contrave was a little rough - I didn't experience nausea at all because my PCP had me on a well-planned titration schedule that eased me into it (however, if you haven't eaten in many hours and take Contrave, you will feel nauseous. As long as you have eaten in the last 3 hours, you should be good to take it without food). But in the first 3-4 weeks of taking Contrave, I experienced a lot of fatigue, tiredness, headaches, depressive thoughts, and noticed my heart rate was slightly faster on my Apple Watch. But after those 3-4 weeks, ALL of those side effects were COMPLETELY GONE, including the depressive thoughts and higher heart rate. I also couldn't even drink coffee in the first 3-4 weeks because it made me feel "speedy," but now, I can.
- You shouldn't be taking your two Bupropion SR doses less than 8 hours apart or you risk your chance for a seizure (this is an actual FDA warning of the drug, so take it seriously). I did it once by accident and felt really weird - do NOT recommend. Also, not a good idea to drink alcohol while taking any drug with Naltroxene, because it intensifies the alcohol effects. Also, do NOT take your Contrave with a really fatty meal 3 hours before or 3 hours after taking it, because it will intensify the effects of the Bupropion which increases your chance for a seizure. A fatty meal is described as eating something 40g of fat or more (which most people don't normally eat in one sitting).
- Time your dosages around your wake time, and also when you are the hungriest in the day. I am the most hungry 2pm - 6pm, those are my "dangerous" hours. It takes 2-3 hours for Contrave to fully kick-in; I take my first dose at 1:00 PM, and my second dose at 9:00 PM. It doesn't interfere with my sleep (but everyone is different). I take a 5mg Melatonin every night by default and I pass out just fine.
- This is NOT a GLP-1; you are still going to feel physical hunger on Contrave. The DIFFERENCE of Contrave is that when you eat, you get full faster. You will notice that you don't finish your plate or go for seconds anymore. This drug doesn't correct snacking, because snacking here and there is such a small portion, but on most days, I don't even feel like snacking outside of meals.
- I didn't feel like Contrave worked fully until 2 months in, which is when I felt the full effectiveness of it curbing my appetite and satiation. Before that, I felt like it sometimes worked and sometimes didn't.
- If it's a week before your period (the luteal phase), Contrave won't curb your pre-period hunger pangs I'm afraid! Also, if you slept less than 6 hours, Contrave won't work, because little sleep increases the hunger hormone Ghrelin that makes you eat more, and Contrave cannot overcome this (most weight loss drugs cannot overcome hunger from lack of sleep, except for GLP-1s).
- The weight loss on Contrave is slow, which I like and prefer. I pair it with a physical activity that I like, for me that's a stationary bike everyday for 30-45 minutes while watching a good show on my HBO or Netflix apps. I plan to do weights once I drop 20 lbs.
- Taking Contrave at the same times every day will make it work even better.
- If you take a stimulant ADHD drug (I take Concerta ER), ask your prescribing doctor how to space it out with your Contrave. My psychiatrist MD prescribes and monitors my Concerta; when I told her my PCP is prescribing me Contrave, she instructed me to take my Concerta first thing in the morning, and wait at least 1.5 - 2 hours before taking Contrave. This ensures both drugs are effective and not making yourself feel "speedy." Taking both ADHD stimulant and Contrave in the same day is perfectly safe provided you don't have blood pressure issues and your PCP says it's okay for you to.
- Contrave will also slow digestion and cause constipation. You will notice you have bowel movements only every 2-3 days, and stools may be harder. Doesn’t seem to matter if you drink more water and eat more fiber. The only thing that helped me tremendously with this is taking Miralax everyday - works like gold.