Contrave and Nausea: What Users Say (Page 5)

• CKa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 6, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "Disappointed. Really helps block cravings out, but the side effects are horrible. Severe dizziness, headaches, fogginess, fatigue, nausea, hot flashes, diarrhea. I think I had every side effect. I was only on it for three days. Was told to stop taking it immediately."

• Kel...
• September 5, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "UPDATE: It is now 9/5, and I've been on Contrave for almost 2 weeks and have just started the 2 pills a day. I do now feel the nausea sometimes, usually right after I take the pill if it's on an empty stomach. I take my first pill at 7 am and my second pill at 6 pm. I'm usually not hungry for a big breakfast, so I have a coffee and banana. Lunch is usually around 12 pm, and I'll have a hot pocket and maybe an orange, but I'm usually feeling full after I eat the hot pocket. I still don't get those afternoon hunger pangs. I would definitely make sure that everyone stays hydrated because, in at least my experience, drinking a ton of water keeps me from experiencing the constipation symptoms. I haven't experienced the trouble sleeping, but I do take my pills early (6 pm dose, and I usually go to bed around 11). When I started Contrave, I was 239 lbs, and now weighing in this morning, I am 236 lb. I am 5'5. *I started on Contrave on Monday, August 27th, 2018. *Good luck to all my fellow Contravers on here!"

• Sus...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 4, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I felt off balance, sweaty, nervous, ill or sick to my stomach, and it did nothing to get my eating under control or my cravings. I wasted a lot of money for nothing. Grrr. I do not believe now that there is a medication that can help you lose weight. Pull your will out of the closet and count calories, that is free. I am having trouble with my will right now, but I will have to somehow do it if I want to get my weight under control again. Age makes it harder, but Contrave is not the answer, and I do not believe it can be good for you by the way it makes you feel. I took it for 6 weeks and felt bad the whole time."

• Bri...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 31, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I did fine with 1 pill in the AM and 1 in PM, but became extremely ill after increasing to 2 in the AM. The doctor told me to continue another week, but I continued to vomit and have dry heaves. So they told me to just do 1 twice a day. I continued on this for about 6 months and suffered from horrible headaches, constant nausea, lethargy, night sweats, hot flashes, depression, constipation, and the only food I could stomach was French fries and Sprite. I lost about 7 pounds the entire time I used it. I weaned myself off and feel like myself again. Of course, I’ve gained 10 pounds in the 2 months I’ve been off. Not worth the cost or the horrible way I felt while taking it. On a side note, my doctor told me it was safe and I could take it the rest of my life, I do not agree at all. It is a horrible medication."

• DLB...
• August 19, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I made it through the first week! Starting my week at the new dose of twice a day! Working well for me. First couple of days I had a little nausea, but I made it through. It gets better. I have lost 5 pounds."

• Cry...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 13, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I am only one week in so far. I am so glad I read the reviews here because I would have thought all of my nausea was abnormal. Day three and four were the worst by far. I am feeling much better today. No nausea at all. I did notice that when I eat anything that has a lot of carbs, I feel sick. I had pancakes, and I was really sick afterward. The last couple of days, I made sure to lay off the carbs, and I feel better. I have to say that really helps curb the urge to snack. Today at work, there are the usual candy bars and chocolate there to tempt me, but also someone brought in cookies. No temptation at all. I am eating my yogurt."

• LJa...
• August 7, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I have been on Contrave for 20 weeks and lost 40 lb. The first month was hard. I had nausea and occasional vomiting. I had headaches, and some dizziness. After a month and starting the full dose, I began to notice a difference. The nausea became less, along with the headaches and dizziness. This medication helps curb my appetite and cravings. I eat half as much because I feel fuller faster. I haven't exercised, and I don't follow a certain diet. I hate exercise, and I hate counting calories, LOL. I don't have sugar cravings. I also take Prozac for depression. The Contrave, along with the Prozac, has helped my depression tremendously. I feel great. I feel a motivation that I have not felt in a very long time. I love the fact that this is a medication that you can take longer than most other diet meds. If you can make it through the first month, the medication truly helps."

• Lal...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 6, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I was losing weight, but today, I have decided to stop taking Contrave. I wouldn't be able to eat anything at all. I felt like puking whenever I tried to eat something. Weeks without eating, just drinking. My eyesight went from perfect to blurry. I now need glasses, I never needed them in my life until taking Contrave. All of a sudden, I have this pain on my side, I'm constipated. I have this bad taste in my mouth 24/7. I thought at first it was something I ate, but it wasn't that. I brushed my teeth, and a while later I felt the same taste, so there I go brushing my teeth again. I feel like this all day long. It's horrible. It really isn't worth it."

• SKa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 6, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I just started on my 4th week of taking Contrave. This drug was recommended by my therapist due to being a compulsive eater and the mild antidepressant benefit. I was already on a low-cal, low-carb meal plan and doing food journaling, but wasn’t losing weight because of the stress eating. The first week was a learning experience. The first and second day I learned that if you eat something fatty, then you will get sick no matter what time you took the pills. Your body will reject fatty foods. I think that is why people suffered from headaches and nausea. I have not had a problem since I cut out those foods. If I ate too much or ate even though my brain said not to, then I would feel like I was having a panic attack. I do have a very active job and I sometimes walk. I lost nothing the first week, and over the last two weeks, I lost 6 pounds. My goal is to lose 50 pounds."

• Cat...
• August 5, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I’ve been taking Contrave for 5 months. I had minor headaches, nausea, but never threw up in the first two weeks. I was more focused on work and not snacking. Laser focused. This is not a pill that will cause you to lose weight by itself. This is a medication that helps prevent your food addiction and helps you consciously eat. In addition to my daily dosage, I work out 2-3 times a week, and I’ve joined Weight Watchers. In the past five months, I’ve lost 23 pounds. My heart rate has been higher than prior to taking Contrave, but only by a bit. Losing that weight has taken a lot of work and I’m still struggling with cravings around that time of month. But you will find it easier to stay away. For me, I’ve gained energy from my weight loss, not from a pill. I’ve noticed that I’m less creative and more direct. Things don’t bother me as much. But this pill hasn’t changed my personality. Try to stick with it for at least three months to fully assess if this is a product for you."

• DLB...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 4, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "Today was my first day! I took my first pill at 5:00 am and have not had any side effects till 6:00 pm this evening. I am extremely nauseous, stomach hurts, with a lot of diarrhea! I’m so disappointed! I don’t think I will be able to take this medicine."

• Cry...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 1, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I started Contrave 6/24/18, and I have only gained weight. I have a little more self-control, but nothing is happening for me. I started at 202 lbs and now weigh 207 lbs. If you follow the dosage your doctor prescribes, it will get better. I only had side effects one day, and I was just nauseous. Is something wrong with me? How does it work for others and not me? I want to give up. It is my fault though. No exercise and still eat more than I should."

• Bob...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 25, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "Only took one pill and had the worst two days ever. Had a horrific headache (still a residual one 2 days later). Felt very nauseous, shaky, and unable to sleep. Stomach hurt. Definitely not worth feeling like this. I’m hoping today I will feel much better. Waste of $253."

• Tyb...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 25, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I started Contrave in March and have lost 30 lbs. without exercise. My Dr. had me start taking it in the evening to bypass some side effects. Due to the cost, I decided to go off cold turkey. Then, after seeing my dr., I decided to keep taking it. I started back with taking 2 twice a day. I was so nauseous. That was no fault of the medicine. I was at fault. I should have started with taking 1 and built up to the full dose. I would highly recommend it and don’t let the negative reviews scare you. Most people only write reviews when they are unhappy. For that reason, I wanted to write a good one. I’ve justified the cost by reminding myself that I would have spent more on buying snacks and sodas. If you decide to start taking it, be sure to go to the Contrave website and print the savings card. It should only cost you $99 a month. Remember, not everyone has a bad experience with it, so give it a try and be patient. I didn’t lose right away. It takes time but is so worth it. Good luck."

• Tri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 17, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I started Contrave 6/2/18. The first week, I experienced headache and nausea. On weeks two and three, less appetite and dry mouth, which was okay because it helped me drink more water. Now I am on day 2 of week three, 2 am and 1 pm. It is now 17 July, and when I take the pill, I feel like something is stuck in my chest, but I haven’t gained or lost any weight. I hope week 4 brings great things."

• Bab...
• July 13, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I started taking this medication on Wednesday, and I have been sick with nausea ever since. I have no hunger and have to force myself to eat a banana or something. How long does the nausea normally last because I’ve thought about stopping it?"

• Nic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 11, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I've used this for 8 weeks and gone down about 25 lbs (11 kg) together with increased exercise. So far, I have managed to stay away from all sweets, haven't eaten anything else other than 3 meals per day of normal food, and had no cravings for alcohol (another positive effect). There's no way I could have stayed away from overeating/unhealthy food for this long without Contrave, so it's very effective in my opinion. It does reduce hunger a bit, but the greatest effect is the disappeared food cravings. The side effects were very mild (occasional mild nausea, which went away quickly) and only happened the weeks when I started or increased dosage. I haven't felt any side effects in several weeks now, been taking 4 pills/day for 5 weeks. The only thing I'm worried about is the decreasing effect of Contrave, lately, I haven't felt it suppress my appetite as much as in the beginning."

• Ska...
• July 8, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I have hypothyroidism and absolutely nothing I tried resulted in significant weight loss after my third baby was born. I began Contrave in mid-January 2018 and have lost 30 lbs. as of June 2018. I have also been doing intermittent fasting. The first six weeks on Contrave were tough because of the side effects of dry mouth and nausea, but so worth sticking with for me."

• Sha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 1, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "OMG, this medicine made me very nauseated. I was miserable!! I just couldn’t continue. I took the medicine for a week. I stopped, and I have been really dizzy. I loved phentermine, but this experience was horrible."

• Amb...
• June 28, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "Female in her 30s, down 15 lbs from intermittent fasting & ketogenic diet. 50 lbs to go, wanted to help regulate cravings. I started out taking one in the morning, the first two days were great, it was easy to follow my diet. But days 3-5, I was a little nauseous & extremely fatigued/dizzy. It was so debilitating I went off it. I read that if you just keep with it you get used to it, but every time I’d try to take it I was instantly fatigued to the point of sleeping all day. My stomach was constantly sour, queasy, & it gave me mild diarrhea if you eat carbs and are not working out. If you can deal with being out of commission while your body adapts to the medication & are desperate to lose weight, I actually would recommend it. It’s not the healthiest option, but losing weight is worth a few months of medication if it gets you started. But if you already have a routine and don’t eat carbs, I wouldn’t suggest this, it set me back."

• Amb...
• June 28, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "Female in her 30s, down 15 lbs from intermittent fasting & ketogenic diet. 50 lbs to go, wanted to help regulate cravings. I started out taking one in the morning, the first two days were great, it was easy to follow my diet. But days 3-5, I was a little nauseous & extremely fatigued/dizzy. It was so debilitating I went off it. I read that if you just keep with it you get used to it, but every time I’d try to take it I was instantly fatigued to the point of sleeping all day. My stomach was constantly sour, queasy, & it gave me mild diarrhea if you eat carbs and are not working out. If you can deal with being out of commission while your body adapts to the medication & are desperate to lose weight, I actually would recommend it. It’s not the healthiest option, but losing weight is worth a few months of medication if it gets you started. But if you already have a routine and don’t eat carbs, I wouldn’t suggest this, it set me back."

• cDQ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 27, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I have been on Contrave for 3 weeks. I am taking 2 in the morning and 1 at night. My worst side effect is dizziness. I have had nausea and headaches. The first week I lost 3 lbs. 0 since then. I have cut down on what I eat and am on low carb. I’m going to try changing when I take the pills and see if that helps with the side effects. Praying this works. Sick of being fat!"

• Fla...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 20, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I’ve been on Contrave for 24 days and have lost 5 lbs. The first week I lost 5 lbs, but I was also doing boiled eggs for breakfast and a fit smoothie for lunch and a regular dinner, so that was probably water weight. My appetite suppressed for the first week, but not after that. I keep going up and down a lb and haven’t lost any weight the past 2.5 weeks. I’ve had all the side effects, but they seem to have subsided now. Started taking Dramamine for the nausea after I threw up one day. One of the major side effects is the way it affected my period. I’m on Minastrin and don’t really get a period. I started spotting within a week and then got my full-blown period while I was still taking birth control. The bleeding is super heavy and I’m passing clots. I really hope this stops and doesn’t happen every month or I will have to stop taking the med. Is anyone else having this issue or had it, and did it get better? I want to try it for at least 2 months and see how it works."

• Sex...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 15, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I'm a 45-year-old woman. I weighed 241 lb three weeks ago when I started taking Contrave. Today I weighed in at 228! That's 13 lbs in about 3 weeks. I walk every day, though. I have a step counter app, my goal each day is at least 6,000 steps. I usually average about 8,000 daily. I also stopped drinking soda, which was horrible!!! I used to drink 1-2 two-liters daily. I also eliminated carbs and sugar out of my diet, or I try really hard. The only side effect I had was extreme nausea daily. It's slowly going away when I take it, I'm at 2 pills twice daily. So it's working for me. It's a totally life-changing experience to lose weight!"

• Cha...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 13, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I started taking the drug about a year ago. I was miserable because my weight was steadily increasing (about 15 pounds overweight and counting) due to menopause and an inability to control food cravings (especially sweets). My doctor put me on this drug to help control the cravings and weight gain. I was miserable the first few weeks after starting the drug - nausea, dizziness, severe headaches, and constipation - but all of the side effects (except constipation) eventually went away. I lost 10 pounds within the first month, which was great. However, after a while, I stopped taking the pills regularly due to the terrible constipation. When I did take them, I decreased the dosage to half (2 pills a day) and had less of an issue. Unfortunately, though, my cravings have returned and I have gained back 5 pounds. I am not sure taking the full dosage is worth it considering the discomfort. I'm not sure what I am going to do at this point."