Contrave and Upset Stomach: What Users Say

• Cha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 20, 2022

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I'm literally only on my second day of taking Contrave and have just experienced the worst nausea, sweating, stomach cramps, and dizziness. Has anyone else experienced this, and if so, how long did it last for? Thanks!"

• BON...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 27, 2021

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I am now fighting for my life after taking Contrave for weight loss for 1 week and 5 days ago. The instruction says limit drinking, I had 1 shot of skinny vodka with mango juice, and within half an hour, my right foot got numb, heart palpitation, feeling of vomiting, and I fainted. I stopped drinking and continued the meds, the same symptoms occurred 3 days later but worse. My blood pressure was 179/111, my husband called 911 and rushed me to the ER, advised me to discontinue Contrave, but they did not know, nor did I, that you cannot stop cold turkey. So, 3 days later, I was back in the ER. CT scan, blood clot test, heart test were done, all negative, they realized I was going through horrible withdrawal. Today is day 10 since I stopped the medication, and I was so bad last night from the same symptoms. It wakes me up with stomach cramps, leg numbness, heart palpitations, high BP. I had no med issues prior."

• Mar...
• October 22, 2019

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I am a 34-year-old female, 183 lbs and a BMI of 28. I wonder if my doc should have even prescribed this to me... I used this drug for 3 days and had a horrible experience. My side effects were stomach cramping, severe headache, and violent vomiting. The brain fog many speak of turned into severe headaches and nausea turned into violent bouts of vomiting. To the point that I thought I would have to be admitted to the hospital. Also, I was unaware this contains an opiate blocker, naltrexone, and the ingredient bupropion, used to treat depression, the neurological effects were also quite concerning. I had spasms in my muscles and joints, like small surges of electric shock. I had a really scary experience and do not recommend this to anyone unless they have done thorough research on how the ingredients can affect them. I have been off of this drug for 2 days and still feel unwell."

• Ren...
• July 2, 2019

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I am in my mid-40s and am 5'5''. 3.5 months ago, I was 182 lbs (size 14). Today, I am 153 lbs and still losing (size 10). That is a loss of 29 lbs in 3.5 months, thanks to Contrave. Long story short, my doc suggested I try it. Some annoying occasional symptoms came and passed (headaches, stomach aches, not getting into deep sleep) but the main ones are this weird stretching/shaking symptom and clenching my jaw while I sleep. Once I was on week 3, I think is when I really began to realize this was going to work. I had TOTALLY lost the desire to snack between meals. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm still hungry for meals, I have not lost my appetite, BUT my craving for food outside my planned meals was GONE. And it still is. Fortunately, I haven't had any emotional or psychological side effects like some have. I no longer snore or hide behind baggy clothes or run out of breath climbing stairs. Best of luck to you if you decide to try Contrave. I hope it works for you as well as it has for me!"

• Gra...
• June 1, 2019

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "Summary: this medication does work, but the side effects are absolutely brutal. There is nothing I want to do less than eat. Five hours after taking the medicine for the first time, I'm feeling extremely ill. I've gone from a healthy and productive individual to experiencing the worst lightheadedness of my life, along with nausea, headaches, dizziness, and stomach aches. This is the first and last day I'll be taking this medication. I can barely stand for more than a minute before everything gets fuzzy and I feel lightheaded. I am confident that if I were at work, where I have to stand, I would have passed out within the first 10 minutes of my shift. Right now, I feel fully incapacitated and confined to bed until I can get this medication out of my system. I'll update here how long it takes to get the medication out of my system for anyone in the same boat. I'm 5'5 and 180 lbs for reference."

• My ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 20, 2019

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "It has been almost 5 months. At first, I was sick with a headache and cotton mouth. I did not have a stomach ache unless I ate too much. Started at 184 lb, now 171 lb. I still eat and crave sugar, which has been my downfall, but meals are down for sure. Still have the headaches that can be brutal and memory fog, this I know is meds and one of the side effects listed. I found the 2 pills in the am and 2 pills PM was too much, so to alleviate side effects, I take one at around 7 am, another around 10 am, and one in the evening about 6. Helps a lot. I get weird dreams, but doesn’t bother me, actually curious about what it will be next. I don’t think this is a good long-term drug. If you go off it, I think the weight will creep back, and my insurance has paid for the first 6 months, then must be approved again - so expensive! Good luck, everyone."

• Dem...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 10, 2019

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I am in the emergency room right now from taking this medicine. I had a reaction to it. I am experiencing nausea, stomach ache, jitters, feeling of anxiousness. I regurgitated and my hands were shaking. Think twice before taking."

• Ras...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 6, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "Started the 3rd week of Contrave yesterday, was initially down 2 lbs and then 3 down but back to only 2 lbs. Got a cold last week, so have not been eating as much, but still nothing major. Started back to the gym also. First week, tired, slightly dizzy, but that was it. Second week, forgot one night and took the pill after dinner (about 30 minutes later), and my stomach was upset all night, but no vomiting or diarrhea, which would have helped! Third week, took two pills in the AM and several hours later, extremely dizzy and funny headaches. Same thing today, and still nothing major. I am not really seeing any major change in appetite at all. I don't really feel like this pill is working, which is sad because my insurance did not cover it, and I had to pay $99.00 for these things."

• 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."

• Wei...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 11, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I started my pills on 06/07/2018. After reading all the side effects, I was a little scared. I weigh 183 lb at the start and have not reweighed yet. I want to get down to 127 lb (I am not tall!) The only side effects I have now are dry mouth, a little shaking, and stomach cramps a little. I’m only on one pill a day. I start taking two pills starting Saturday. I do workout, only walking on the treadmill. I have a Fitbit watch that I have friends on, I do challenges during the week."

• BJS...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 28, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I am coming up on one month of using this medication. The first week or so, I had a headache, but it was mild, and drinking lots of water relieved it. The first day or so after I started, and each time I increased a dose, I had most of the other listed symptoms (nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhea, constipation), but they went away in 24 to 48 hours. I started at 193 lb and lost 13 lb. I am a 57-year-old female. I am following Weight Watchers and am finally seeing success because my appetite is very low and my cravings are gone. I walk for an hour each day and sometimes do other exercise as well. Sometimes I think I would like something I used to crave, and then realize I am thinking about it out of habit and don't actually crave it at all. I feel really hopeful about this. Just really expensive for me, as insurance doesn't cover it."

• Mel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 22, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "The first month on Contrave, I lost 7 pounds, I probably could have lost more, but I did cheat a lot. My stomach does get upset sometimes, but overall, no bad experiences. I am starting my second month now, I only take one pill a day."

• ALa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 18, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I started Contrave 4 days ago. Day 1 was okay, I felt slightly dizzy. On Day 2, I had the worst stomachache in my life, and I vomited 7 times. Day 3, I had the same pain and vomited at least 12 times. Today, I feel no side effects because I did not take it. The doctor asked me to stop the medicine and suggested trying Belviq."

• Sic...
• March 13, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I am on week 3, and I have lost 5 lb, but my stomach is so upset. I am going back to week 2 dose."

• Jac...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 6, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "So I have been taking these for 1 and a half months, 4 pills a day. The Good: I have to force myself to eat or I can go all day without eating. I have lost 20 lbs. Contrave has helped curb my alcohol addiction, which is helping with the weight loss. I have no trouble sleeping. The Bad: I've had to throw up a couple of times. I've had a few tummy aches, a little constipation, I have had a few headaches, but nothing too bad. Once I went up to 4 pills a day, I've noticed that I am a little jittery, more depressed, anxious, and for the last few days my chest has been hurting and I got a couple of sharp pains in my heart. So I'm dropping down to 3 pills a day. I don't want to stop taking the pills because they do work. If I don't feel any better, I will drop to 2 pills a day. I feel like I'm dehydrated all day! But this has made me have to drink a lot more water, which is also helping with the weight loss. I am really happy that I'm sleeping well during the night, I do get tired still during the day and have been taking naps."

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 4, 2018

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I've been on Contrave for 3 weeks now (5'7", 238 lbs, 42" waist). I haven't been too religious about it; missed a couple of days, but I haven't had any nausea or stomach aches. I did have dry mouth at night a few times (which I'm glad I noticed on this board because I thought I might have severe diabetes). So far, the drug seems to work well. I don't have any cravings, but I'm realizing that my eating habits are more psychological than physical. I paid $282 for it at Walmart, but after noticing on this board that I can get a discount, even better!"

• mo2...
• November 6, 2017

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "Nausea, dizziness, blurred vision, stomach ache are some of the side effects I felt after only taking 1 pill. That was two days ago, and I still feel off! Would not recommend if you have a low tolerance to medicine, I would rather be fat."

• How...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 16, 2017

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "Day 1, fine until evening, felt incredibly out of it and no filter (said what was on my mind without thinking twice at work, lol). I didn't sleep well that night. Next day, better mood-wise, didn't sleep much that night again. Next day started off in a great mood, then no filter midday, didn't sleep well again. Next day, headache all day, pretty intense, could be dehydrated though. Need to start taking the second one earlier so I can sleep better. Day 5 today, head achy, I felt full after eating a normal amount of food (instead of eating way more than needed) and stopped eating, this is good. It's also new to me. I hope it lasts. I've been tired this week, but I also haven't been sleeping well. Some constipation and there were some slight stomach issues."

• Jul...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 6, 2017

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I am a 38-year-old female with PCOS. Having PCOS has always made losing weight difficult but doable. However, since my last pregnancy with twins, it has been 10x harder. My starting weight is 198.8 as of this morning before breakfast. I am 5'5'' tall. My doctor has me taking one pill once a day for week 1, one pill twice a day week 2, three pills daily-2 morning, 1 night for week 3, and 4 pills daily as 2 morning, 2 night for week 4. I don't take any other medication. I took my first pill this morning after eating breakfast. A couple of minor stomach cramps and a little jittery (getting close to my normal lunchtime), but no other side effects as of now. I will check back in weekly with updates."

• Cur...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 5, 2017

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I just finished my first week of Contrave with metformin, and I have lost 11 lbs already. With PCOS, this is the first time I've seen weight loss like this. I do have some upset tummy and nausea, and I have to force myself to eat because I am not hungry at all anymore. I am really hopeful. Down from 276 to 165. I haven't added exercise yet and am really hopeful. Will update."

• 3Xb...
• May 23, 2017

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I started taking Contrave a week ago and now I'm up to two pills a day. Week one was awful, with stomach cramping, flu-like symptoms, constipated, but also have this weird mucus discharge from the bowel that I've never experienced before, and no one else on this thread has mentioned it. At times, this is awful as it's bloody mucus, and I feel so constipated, I don't have a bowel movement, but the mucus comes out. My doctor says this is normal and listed as a side effect, however, I don't see it listed, and no one is talking about it. Is it just too embarrassing? I'm going to stick with it at least this month since it cost so much to try it. No weight loss, I do feel more energetic, and I feel as if I think about food more now that I'm on it."

• Cca...
• May 3, 2017

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I am only on my 3rd day of Contrave, but since I was already taking half of the med, I was able to start at week 2. First evening, right away I noticed no desire to eat, no preference for food. I've been eating only because my stomach growls, and I am eating very little. I only had an upset stomach. My situation is a special circumstance. I am not overweight. I cannot exercise due to a chronic pain condition. And that is why I have to stop. As noted, the naltrexone's primary use is to block opioid receptors to help people with addiction. It's blocking my pain meds, so I'm in excruciating pain. Contrave seems to work, but kind of scary if something happens and you need pain meds at a hospital, Contrave blocks a lot of the pain med relief for me."

• Wan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 19, 2017

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "Update, I have been on Contrave for a full 3 weeks now. So far, I have lost 10 lbs! I am going to start taking 2 pills in the morning and also at night. I still have some stomach cramping sometimes, but I have to remember to drink lots of water to calm that down, it makes me feel better. I do have some insomnia, but not in an exhausted kind of way. I am still able to continue with my busy career. I have also experienced constipation, but I've started taking in more fiber to combat that issue. So far, I continue to feel full, and food continues to be blah. I'm still eating healthy, I did try carbs twice, but it was hardly anything. At Easter, I did have a few pieces of candy but was able to stop after a few pieces. Will continue to update."

• Jul...
• April 15, 2017

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I am just on my second day. I took a Contrave ER yesterday and this morning. So far, the only side effects I have noticed are a little brain fogginess in the morning (I am drinking an extra cup of coffee to combat that) and a little more thirst, which I am sure is a good thing if you are trying to lose weight. I was a little put off by Contrave ER when I read some of the side effects that some people have had (nausea, sweating, gastric disturbances, feeling jittery), but as of yet, and I know it's early, I haven't experienced anything like that. I also noticed I felt fuller sooner when I ate my breakfast this morning. So all in all, I would give it a thumbs up."

• Hoc...
• April 13, 2017

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "This is day three for me taking Contrave. I was really excited to start the med because I knew it was closely related to Wellbutrin. Years ago, I took Wellbutrin to stop smoking, and it worked great. So, day 1, I weighed 197 lb, and I'm 5'3. Felt kind of fuzzy, and in the later afternoon, a bit nauseous. Day 2, after sleeping great, woke up and took morning med, and shortly later, felt nauseous, but not bad enough to quit. Absolutely no appetite, had cereal and a beef stick for lunch. Evening dinner was half of a small steak and green beans. Woke up with stomach cramps and diarrhea, had 3 bouts. I attribute it to the high-fatty foods I ate. Weigh in again on 4/24/17. Dr. gave me a free month supply, so I will try it before I buy it."