Naltrexone for Weight Loss
Contrave is a drug for weight loss with a complex active substance "bupropion + naltrexone". Contrave is used as part of therapy which involves reducing caloric intake and increasing physical activity. Both active substances are psychotropic drugs intended to affect the central nervous system in order to alleviate the psychological condition of the patient who has switched to another food system and changed his way of life.
Contrave is approved by the FDA for use in the US in September 2014.
Contrave is just a drug; not a dietary supplement for weight loss, which are sold in a variety in pharmacies and via the Internet.
Unlike the dietary supplements for weight loss of unknown origin, which has nowhere and never been tested on effectiveness and safety for health, Contrave has passed all necessary clinical trials; the fact of its registration indicates that it does have a therapeutic effect.
Contrave is a combined drug that includes an antidepressant called bupropion and naltrexone, commonly used for the treatment of opiate addiction.
Clinical trials, during which the drug was administered to patients in different doses, showed that the use of Contrave provided a reduction in body weight by values between 4.9 and 6.1 kg as compared with the original.
Composition of Contrave
In the US, dosage form of Contrave is registered as prolonged-action tablets. One tablet contains:
• active ingredients:
- Naltrexone hydrochloride — 8 mg
- Bupropion hydrochloride — 90 mg
• auxiliary substances: microcrystalline cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, lactose anhydrous, L-cysteine hydrochloride, crospovidone, magnesium stearate, hypromellose, edetate disodium, lactose monohydrate, colloidal silicon dioxide, Opadry II blue and FD&C blue No. 2 aluminum lake.
Naltrexone is an antagonist of opiate receptors used for the treatment of the drug and alcohol dependence.
Bupropion is an antidepressant also used to treat the nicotine addiction.
Complex substance "bupropion + naltrexone" is considered by WHO for assigning to it, in 2016, the ATX code (deadline is 1.02.2015). The inclusion in the group "A08 Preparations for the treatment of obesity (excluding dietary products)" and a new separate code A08AA62 are being planned.
Indications for using Contrave
Contrave is indicated for the treatment of obesity in adults with the following body mass index (BMI = body weight in kg / (height in m)2):
- for patients without concomitant diseases with BMI of at least 30 kg / m2.
- for patients with BMI of greater than 27 kg / m2 having at least one concomitant disease, such as hypertension, type two diabetes or elevated cholesterol.
Instructions for using Contrave
In case you are new to CONTRAVE, it is important to gradually increase the dose to help you adapt to the drug. During the first week, start with one morning pill, and then gradually increase the dose up to two tablets twice a day by the fourth week. Make sure you take CONTRAVE exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Refer to the CONTRAVE dosing chart to help you stay on the right track, and be aware that some people, such as those with kidney or liver failure or those who take other medicines, may need a different dosing scheme.
The use of Contrave in pregnancy, breast-feeding and in children
When administered to pregnant women, Contrave has a risk category for the fetus under the FDA "X" (there are abnormalities in the development of the fetus or there is risk of the adverse effects of this drug on the human fetus and thus, the risk to the fetus from this drug exceeds possible benefits for the pregnant woman).
Contrave is not recommended for breastfeeding mothers, as its components penetrate into the mother's milk.
Contrave is not approved for use in children under 18 years of age.
General information
The most common side effects of Contrave are as follows: nausea, dizziness, constipation, insomnia, headache, dry mouth, vomiting, diarrhea.
The developer company of Contrave is Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. (USA). The distributor company is Takeda Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
During treatment by Contrave, it is necessary to exclude or restrict the intake of alcohol.