Contrave and Dizziness: What Users Say (Page 5)

• WYL...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 13, 2021

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I lasted one day on Contrave. I waited until the weekend to start taking this medication. I felt horrible, dizzy, and slept most of Saturday. Didn't take it on Sunday and still felt dizzy, no energy, just a sick feeling. Lasted into Monday and some of Tuesday. I would rather deal with my weight than feel like garbage trying to lose weight. I don't think my doctor listened to me anyway because I don't have food cravings. I don't eat large quantities, I'm just having trouble losing weight with diet and exercise. I'm thinking a lot has to do with menopause. So, I'll just keep researching until I find something more natural and safer for my body to take. I'm grateful I had the coupon, so I'm only out $114."

• ade...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 14, 2015

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I need to lose 20 pounds, and it is not coming off with diet and exercise. Doctor prescribed Contrave. I read many reviews before taking and was hopeful that I would not have side effects. I have taken Wellbutrin 150 XL with no problem. Before taking my first tablet, I had a breakfast of Greek yogurt and strawberries followed by 2 cups of black coffee and 8 oz of water. I took the tablet at 9 am. By 10 am, I had a strong pressure headache, felt dizzy, and was unable to concentrate. By 11 am, feeling nauseous. Tried sipping water and a few crackers, but by 11:30 am, I was vomiting violently and was unable to leave the bathroom for the next 3 hours. Fierce stomach cramps started around noon, followed by diarrhea. Headache worsened. Sleepless night. Yikes."

• Anonymous
• January 18, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I have been taking Contrave for 4 months now. Only side effect at first was dizziness but went away after the 2nd week. I snack less, eat half the serving sizes I used to, and find myself craving less carbs. So far, I have lost 37 lbs, and I'm very happy. I wish my insurance would've helped with the cost, but the manufacturer coupon does help drastically!"

• ell...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 17, 2017

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I took one starter dose of Contrave a few days ago. I had researched and read hundreds of reviews before taking it, and none of them prepared me for how horrible I have felt for the past few days. I made sure to eat before I took it, as advised by my doctor and pharmacist. About 30 minutes after taking it, I started feeling the dizziness and nausea. The side effects worsened throughout the day, and I thought I was going to throw up several times. The nausea was worse than my worst hangover. The migraine and dizziness were also worse than any flu or anything I'd ever had before. I will never take that again. True, I hardly have eaten anything for the last 3 days, but not worth the side effects or the $90 I paid to take one pill."

• Rdr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 4, 2019

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I took one pill of Contrave in the evening, hoping to mitigate any side effects while at work, but that didn't happen. All was well until 7:00 AM the next morning when I broke out in a hot sweat and became so dizzy and nauseated that I thought I would pass out. My hands and face went numb, and my head began to hurt, and I got diarrhea, so I went home, took Dramamine for the nausea, and clonidine for the extremely high blood pressure it had given me. My normal BP on my meds is 107/69... 2 hrs after the clonidine, it was still 155/97. I have had a migraine for 3 days now... after just one pill. If you are prone to med sensitivities, high BP, or migraines, you may want to wait for a day off to try this med for the first time! And I hope you have a back-up emergency pill just in case. In case it matters. I can't take Trokendi either because of it causing high BP and numbness to extremities. Many of the same side effects."

• Anonymous
• April 23, 2015

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "One week on Contrave. First few days were awful, with dizziness, vomiting, nausea. This seems to have passed. I thought it was helping with food addiction, however, I binge-ate last night and tonight. Today, I started taking two pills a day, so I will see how it goes. I'm hoping it doesn't affect my ability to sleep, but I'm worried about that as I'm usually crashed by 10 pm, and I'm wide awake at the moment. I may have lost a few pounds initially, I think, due to the upset stomach, but after the two-night binge, it's back on. Please, others share your experiences..."

• HaT...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 11, 2017

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "Ok. I've never posted before about my weight or really anything. So here goes. I'm 5'1", 192 lb, 35 yr old, female. Was on phentermine for the last 2 years, taking for 3 months, then 1 month off regimen, lost 10 lbs. So doc suggested Contrave. April 11, 2017. Took it @ 6 am with my losartan & migraine meds. By 8 am, felt a bit woozy, so ate a granola bar & drank some water. By 9:30, took the day off, felt like I was going to fall down. Came home, laid down, can't sleep, ate a bit, and laid down. Feeling kinda dizzy, had a super headache, but thankfully it went away. I'll keep posting to keep people informed of side effects or good stuff in general."

• not...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 24, 2015

"I have been on Contrave for about 3 weeks. I am still unable to take the full dose (4 pills a day), but I am seeing wonderful results. I have hypothyroidism, and it has been really difficult for me to get rid of the weight. My doctor decided to put me on this medication, and I have mixed emotions about it. I have felt foggy and dizzy, and some days I am moody. I find that small things bug me. That is starting to go away. I only take 2 in the morning and one in the evening. So far, I have lost 10 lbs. It is like every morning I get on the scale and another pound is gone. I can't eat as much because it will upset my stomach. Other than the side effect for the first 2 weeks, things seem to be working for me. Also, it is helping me not to smoke."

• Tia...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 24, 2022

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I am starting my fifth week on Contrave and have only lost 4 pounds. I only take 3 pills a day because I wanted to give myself time to get used to the dosage. I have some dizziness and feeling jittery, but the worst side effect is abdominal pain and low blood sugar. If I don’t eat small meals every few hours, I feel like I’m going to pass out. Have others had these side effects? I tried Ozempic and it worked better on curbing my appetite and cravings, but the side effects were so terrible that my doctor wouldn’t renew my prescription. Contrave will cost me about $340 Canadian, so if I don’t see results soon, I’ll have to quit."

• Oki...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 29, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I have been on Contrave for 7 1/2 weeks, and I have lost 14 lbs without adding any extra exercise or significant changes to what I eat. I am eating smaller portions and not snacking. I noticed my cravings subside in just the first few days. My biggest struggle was eating habits-eating when watching TV, etc., even when I wasn't really hungry. I have experienced some side effects-I started with headaches, then they stopped after week 2. By week 6, I started to experience nausea, dizziness, and constipation (which can be controlled by watching what you eat). So I decided to cut back to only 3 tablets a day. I am still losing weight, and that is my motivation to keep this going."

• scc...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 25, 2015

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "Wow. It is so nice to know that others are not seeing any difference with Contrave. I went through the headaches and dizziness, but no weight loss or appetite decrease. I am in the middle of week four. Hope to see a difference soon. I'm happy for those who are seeing the weight loss. I'm not going to give up, but this is week 5."

• da ...
• October 26, 2015

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I've been on Contrave for almost 4 months, lost 23 lbs. Doctor wants me to lose at least 40 - my goal 45. Up until 2 weeks ago, only side effects: dry mouth, constipation, and craving for chocolate, which I never had before. Those effects went away. Now I'm experiencing nausea, dizziness, and tiredness. It could be the possibility of not drinking as much water as I did during the warmer months. I'm going to see if it makes any difference. I thought maybe decreasing the dosage may help. Then I saw someone write about Bonine and how that helped."

• CBa...
• July 5, 2019

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "On day three, I experienced debilitating dizziness, extreme nausea, and violent vomiting. I had to call a family member to pick me up from work and drive me home. I switched the schedule and took 1 pill at night for two weeks. This helped decrease the side effects very little, and I still missed 3 days of work in two weeks due to the side effects. I continued taking the medication because I wanted to be successful. By week four, I had additional side effects of dry mouth, constipation, and I felt very foggy. By week six, I had lost 3 pounds and decided to stop taking Contrave due to the side effects. I didn’t even taper off, I just got so sick and tired of the side effects I just stopped taking the medication abruptly. It took about 2 weeks before feeling normal again. I was supposed to only have a three-month supply, but the medication was “conveniently” automatically reordered. Now I have a 2 1/2 month supply (that cost a lot of money) going to waste!! Not recommended."

• Hor...
• February 16, 2017

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I had such high hopes for this to help me control my cravings, etc. I did lots of research and talked at length with my doctor about side effects (lingering minor headaches, nausea). Took one pill in the AM Saturday, had marked dizziness, nausea, and headache (borderline migraine). Made it through the day. Took one pill in the AM Sunday, and about two hours later it triggered the worst migraine I have ever had. It was excruciating! The next day (Monday) I didn't take any and went to Urgent Care, where I was given fluids and meds for migraine pain and nausea. It's now Thursday of the same week, four days off the meds, and I'm finally beginning to feel normal. While Contrave may work for some, it will absolutely not work for me."

• Kay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 30, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I am on my 5th day of Contrave, and the dizziness/nausea has just started, along with weird rashes on my hands. I am hoping that I can bear through this. After reading all other posts, it seems to be a normal thing and can go away after time. I found that drinking plenty of water and taking Gravol can help keep it minimal so I can at least still go to work. Haven't lost any weight yet, just feeling awful. Female: 34 yrs, 5'3", 240 lbs - Nov 2018."

• Tin...
• May 23, 2017

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I am trying to lose 35 pounds, and I go to the gym 3 times a week. Cravings have never been my problem, and I consider myself a healthy eater. I wanted to take Contrave to give my metabolism a boost because I am going through menopause and can't seem to exercise the weight off. I took my first and last pill of Contrave. My side effects: the onset of extreme fatigue was sudden while I was driving. Later on in the day, I started sweating profusely and became extremely dizzy to where I couldn't pick my head up. I never took a 2nd pill, and it took 3 days for the symptoms to subside and felt normal again."

• Eli...
• September 21, 2017

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I am a healthy 45 years old, and I have about 25 pounds to lose. I started Contrave a week ago. I usually don't react to drugs with side effects, but with this one, I have had pretty much all of them. Pretty bad nausea and headache the whole time, and dry mouth, but I am sleeping well with just 1 pill in the morning. The worst thing is about 2-3 hours after taking the pill, I get very spacey, tingly all over my body, dizzy, and can't concentrate. I have not weighed myself yet, but I feel it is working, so I'm going to try and push through another week with the dose of 2x per day. Though it is very hard working full time... hope it gets better like some of you suggest below!"

• Lyn...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 12, 2017

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "Started April 5th. Took around 8 a.m., and by 10:30, I had to stop work because I was extremely dizzy, nauseous, and wow, so tired. Didn't take it again for 2 days, then tried again, this time I now take it at 3 a.m., go back to sleep so I sleep through the side effects. 3 days of doing this, and so far, so good. I do need an extra coffee through the day, though, to keep awake. Have lost 2 lbs in a week. Kind of scared going to 2 pills, may wait another week."

• ab7...
• June 8, 2017

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I am 45 yrs old and started Contrave in November 2016. I have lost 25 lbs, which has been a wonderful and slow weight loss, but in the past month I have been experiencing severe heart flutters and dizzy spells. I had an EKG during one of these spells, and it came back abnormal, so now I am seeing a cardiologist. Nothing else has changed in my life, and my PCP and cardiologist are aware that I am on Contrave and have not suggested I stop the drug. I have been to the ER once for an episode, and all labs came back great. I had another large episode last night, so I am going to stop the Contrave for two weeks until I have to follow up with my cardiologist again to see if this makes a difference."

• Pam...
• March 20, 2017

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I started on Contrave this past Friday 3/17. I felt sleepy all day and had a slight headache. I had read someone else did the same, but thereafter, she was okay while continuing Contrave. So I went on to day 2, but I was like a zombie, just wanted to sit and stare, dizzy. I haven't felt that bad in a while. I decided I can't handle this, so I stopped. I will say, I wasn't the least bit hungry. I called my pharmacy today for a refund. They referred me to the Contrave Hotline. I paid $92.00 that could have gone on other bills, to be told I can't get a refund. I am very disappointed in this program and wish I had never tried it."

• jay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 10, 2015

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I'm on my 3rd day with Contrave. I noticed some dizziness, hot flashes (which I didn't know was a side effect). I can't really tell if my appetite is suppressed since most of my prior overeating has been stress-related. So I'm figuring out the difference between real hunger & stress hunger. I previously took Adipex for 9 months and lost 40 lb before it quit working. Then, I gained 21 lb back when stress levels skyrocketed on my job. They're still high, but I really hope Contrave works. I'm hoping to lose 30 pounds. Nothing yet, but it's early in the game."

• Mis...
• July 27, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I started out taking one pill a day. Appetite was suppressed, and mood was better. Week two, I started getting hot flashes and then cold sweats occasionally, a little jittery. Was able to make healthy food choices. Walked on the treadmill 30 minutes a day. The third week, when I went up to two in the morning and one at night, I thought I was going to die. I have never had such violent vomiting. (And I’ve had gallstones.) I was vomiting blood, dizzy, couldn’t keep anything down. Diarrhea. Horrible headache. I thought I had food poisoning. Tonight, even though I went back down to one pill twice a day, I am having severe depression, self-loathing. Smelled cigarette smoke all day and couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. It’s 3 am, and I can’t sleep. The only weight I have lost is the two pounds I lost from vomiting all day. This is crazy. I don’t really know where to go from here. I’m afraid to quit cold turkey."

• Flo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 14, 2015

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "So I've been on Contrave for 2 weeks now. I did feel sick for the first week, I was nauseous and dizzy. My doctor had warned me and recommended that I take one pill for the first two weeks, which I did, and my body is adapting. I took 2 for the first time today. So let's see how that goes. But I have to say I am less hungry. I feel like it helps me stay on a diet. I'm not hungry all the time anymore. I haven't weighed myself yet, but I feel like I'm losing weight. I'm excited to get my scale and stay on track."

• rhf...
• September 14, 2015

"I was taking the phen phen when my doctor said that he would rather me try Contrave. I will say it's not the doctor's fault, all of the side effects and issues were listed on the brochure. I took the pill for 2 weeks with no help from the pill. I ended up in the doctor's office and a trip to the E.R. due to itchy joints, face swelling, headaches, dizziness, and after taking steroids and Benadryl for 2 weeks, I am still having headaches, itching, and chest tightening. I wanted to let all know because I am one not to have reactions to pills or foods, but with this one, I did. From what I have been told, if you are going to have the reaction, it is about 2 weeks into taking the medicine. Benadryl is needed if these reactions start up."

• MJ9...
• October 13, 2017

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I was diagnosed with PCOS, making it extremely difficult for me to lose weight, which is why my doctor prescribed me Contrave. I’m now on my third week of Contrave and taking 3 pills a day. The first week was pretty difficult with side effects, I felt nauseous and dizzy constantly. The second week I also experienced nausea and dizziness, but it was slightly better. Now in the third week, I’m not feeling any side effects of the medicine. Thus far, I’ve lost 4 lbs, which for someone with PCOS is pretty good, I think. I’m doing Weight Watchers simultaneously, which has been super easy. Contrave enables you to stop eating when you’re full and doesn’t give you cravings for bad food, which has been great for me."