Struggling with unwanted weight gain? There aren't many dieters who don't find controlling their food cravings to lose weight tough. No, you're not alone.
If you're fighting your food demons on a daily basis, know that there are so many others out there—just like you. And, on your quest for weight loss success, you've probably tried all manner of pound-shredding solutions.
Speaking of weight loss solutions, you may have heard of the fat burning Contrave® diet pill: a prescription drug that, like many weight loss supplements, promises to help stop food cravings and reduce body fat.
Sounds great, right? Well, not so fast. Before you run to your doctor to beg for a bottle, it's important you know about the Contrave® side effects you could experience. Trust us, like some other weight loss pills, they're not for everyone.
Let's take a look.
What is Contrave®? Ingredients and dosage
Contrave® is a weight loss appetite suppressant only available on prescription in the US. It contains naltrexone, a component of Contrave, known for weight loss and serious side effects also bupropion—both of which help to control addictive cravings. Some people also use Contrave® for fibromyalgia.
The technical stuff
Naltrexone is a synthetic drug that competes with opioid receptors to help individuals combat opioid, (and sometimes alcohol) addiction.
The usual dosage for this sort of treatment is about 50 milligrams of naltrexone per day. But, low dose naltrexone, at about 4.5 milligrams per day, has been shown to act as an anti-inflammatory which helps people with chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia, though some also explore Contrave for fibromyalgia relief.
Contrave® for weight loss
You're probably thinking, ‘That’s great, but what has it got to do with weight loss and losing body fat?' style="font-weight: 400;" data-mce-style="font-weight: 400;" data-mce-fragment="1">. Well, in recent times, it's become apparent that naltrexone also suppresses the appetite, even in low doses. It's been shown that this can actually cause weight loss in those taking the drug.
The other ingredient in Contrave® is bupropion, which you may have heard of for its use in treatments for depression and seasonal affective disorder. This medicine is used for other off-label reasons, too, like helping people to quit smoking, and now with Contrave® to help people lose weight.
This medicine acts on the reward center of your brain, but the exact mechanism for its role in weight loss is unknown. Regardless, weight loss does occur in patients who take this drug, resulting in a lower body fat percentage. The typical dosage for bupropion, a component of Contrave, is around 100 milligrams once or twice daily.
So, how does Contrave® help with weight loss?
Unlike some other weight loss supplements, Contrave® is thought to target the hunger center and the reward system of your brain (in other words, it stops you from getting those dreaded hunger pangs). Its effects are two-fold.
By helping to control both hunger, boost fat burning, and reward responses in your brain. Contrave® helps you to feel more in control of your cravings, which can help you eat less and really assist you in achieving your weight loss goals.
Contrave® contains about eight milligrams of naltrexone and 90 milligrams of bupropion per tablet, which is close to the anti-inflammatory low dose of naltrexone and close to the minimum dose of bupropion.
The dosage schedule for Contrave® involves taking one tablet in the morning during the first week, and a gradual increase in dosage to two tablets in the morning, plus two in the afternoon each day by week four of treatment. So, it gradually helps to support weight loss while maintaining muscle mass.
Read: The beginner's guide to weight loss supplements for more top tips and insider info to help you with those all-important fitness goals.
So, does Contrave® work?
In short, yes. On the Contrave® website, reports show that during three separate 56-week studies, people taking Contrave® lost two to four times more body fat than those performing diet and exercise alone.
With results like this, it's easy to see why using weight loss pills has become such a popular method to lower body fat in recent times. But, before you commit to this most popular of weight loss drugs, there are a few things you should know.
FYI: Like any weight loss solution, for the best results, you should always take the correct dosages of Contrave® and weave it into a balanced diet and exercise routine. You've got this.
Where to get Contrave®
Many weight loss supplements are readily available to buy online or over the counter. But, Contrave® is only available on prescription.
You can chat with a doctor online at the Contrave® website to set up a prescription. Or if you prefer, you can get your healthcare provider to prescribe it and support your weight loss goals.
Just make sure you weigh up the pros and cons of taking it before making a commitment. Which brings us to our next point.
The side effects of Contrave®
When you start any medication, especially powerful weight loss pills, you need to be aware of any side effects that may make you feel worse before you feel better. Contrave® is no exception.
What to consider before taking Contrave®
Common Contrave® side effects to watch out for include:
- Nausea
- Constipation
- Headaches
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Insomnia
- Dry mouth
- Diarrhea
While they're not life-threatening, these side effects are pretty unpleasant, to say the least. And, the last thing you want to deal with when you're juggling a million plates is feeling ill (we know you don't have time for that).
FYI: You could also experience withdrawal symptoms if you suddenly stop taking this drug, which is one good reason it's only available on prescription.
Possible drug interactions
Another reason Contrave® is only prescribed by a doctor for losing weight is due to the fact that it may interact with certain medications. If you take any of the following, be sure to mention it to your doctor before being prescribed Contrave®:
- Antidepressants
- Antipsychotics
- Beta-blockers
- Corticosteroids
- Opioid-containing medicines such as cough medicines
- MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors)
Like many drugs, you shouldn't take Contrave® if you're pregnant or breastfeeding. So, bear this in mind if you think you might have conceived recently.
Tip: Check out our Qsymia Review right here for more insider weight loss advice
A healthy diet is still important
While Contrave® and certain other weight loss supplements can give you a good old fat burning boost and help you lose excess weight, you shouldn't rely on them alone in your weight loss efforts.
Having a varied and healthy diet is crucial to losing weight the right way while helping you to shed stored body fat.
Eat well to lose fat
A proper diet should consist of fruits and vegetables, protein for essential amino acids, whole grains for fiber, and healthy fats to provide omega-3.
Monitoring your food intake is an effective way to maintain a healthy body weight, prevent additional fat storage, and keep a lean amount of muscle mass.
Eat well to stop weight gain
Other than the obvious weight loss benefits, eating lower calorie foods will help prevent further weight gain.
Eating more calories than you need will trigger fat production to start, meaning new fat cells are created. So if you want to prevent further fat production and excess weight, be mindful of the amount of food you eat.
The alternatives to Contrave® for weight loss
If the Contrave® side effects make you a little uneasy, or if the mystery surrounding its weight loss properties makes you nervous, you may be wondering whether there's a decent alternative with fewer side effects.
PhenQ is one of the best alternative weight loss supplements you might want to consider. It's an all-natural weight loss supplement that carries no side effects.
It helps you burn stored fat and shed excess body weight, suppresses your appetite and also improves your mood and energy levels, so you can feel more positive while you're eating less and exercising more.
How does PhenQ work?
The PhenQ weight loss supplement contains α-Lacys Reset®, which has been shown to accelerate the metabolism and help the body to burn fat more efficiently. As the name suggests, it helps to ‘reset' your body's fat-burning process and improves energy levels, in turn making you feel better than ever as you lose weight.
PhenQ: the extra ingredients
Capsimax powder is another ingredient in PhenQ. Made up of natural ingredients like capsicum, piperine, caffeine and niacin (vitamin B3), these compounds turn up the heat in your body, which also boosts your metabolism.
Another natural ingredient in PhenQ is Calcium carbonate. Being deficient in this nutrient is bad news for weight loss, as your body puts itself into ‘survival mode', believing there is no nutritious food available right now.
It makes sense then that supplementing with this particular nutrient rights that wrong, helping your body to realise that all is well, and it doesn't need to store any more body fat for energy. The result? It begins to burn fat freely as normal, helping you to lose weight in a controlled way.
Also found in PhenQ is chromium picolinate. This mineral is found in meats, vegetables, and whole grains, and it helps the body control blood glucose levels. Having this under control helps control your sugar cravings while losing weight.
The high fiber Nopal cactus helps promote fullness and flushes fluids from the body, while the naturally occurring amino acid L-carnitine fumarate will turn stored body fat into energy and help you to lose weight. And you guessed it; PhenQ features both of these!
The natural way to support weight loss
Compared to other weight loss supplements, when you look at the label of PhenQ, you won't see any long and confusing compound names that you need an encyclopaedia to define, unlike with Contrave, which may cause serious side effects like high blood pressure.
All of PhenQ's ingredients are naturally derived. This helps to make sure the likelihood of any nasty side effects will be kept at a minimum and you can concentrate on enjoying your weight loss journey without the worry of further health issues cropping up. As we said, you don't have time for that.
Read: Ozempic for weight loss: everything you need to know about the new weight loss drug
Are there any safety concerns with PhenQ?
PhenQ has a clean safety record with no known side effects reported to date. But, as with any new medicine you decide to take, you should always speak to your doctor first if you have any concerns. Talking through your weight loss plans with your doctor won't hurt, either.
This is especially important if you have a chronic condition or you're currently taking any other medicines to prevent possible drug interactions and complications.
For example, those with chronic kidney disease who take phosphate binders may have negative interactions with any medicine that contains calcium carbonate. Also, calcium carbonate may affect absorption if you’re taking iron supplements.
FYI: You can take PhenQ when you're on birth control, but like all weight loss pills, you should avoid it if you're pregnant or breastfeeding.
Level up your weight loss goals with PhenQ
If you want to lose weight and burn fat without suffering any harsh side effects, we recommend you stick with the all-natural approach.
After all, why take the risk of Contrave® side effects when PhenQ can help you to lose weight without risks?
Tip: Take a look at the success others have had by choosing PhenQ over Contrave®
Contrave®: the FAQs
What is Contrave®?
Contrave® is an FDA-approved weight loss pill. It's a prescription drug that helps with the fat burning process by reducing your appetite and keeping food cravings at bay.
Take Contrave® alongside a balanced diet and exercise plan and you could start to see noticeable results within around 54 days. Always talk to your doctor before taking Contrave®—if it's not suitable for any reason, you could experience some pretty unpleasant side effects.
How does Contrave® promote weight loss?
As an increasingly popular prescription pill for weight loss, Contrave® contains two drugs that are designed to reduce your appetite while controlling hunger cravings throughout the day.
Coupled with a healthy diet and exercise, Contrave® can help you stick to your food plans and work towards your weight loss goals without suffering from a constantly growling stomach.
What are the downsides of taking Contrave®?
While it's true that Contrave® is effective at helping with the fat burning process by reducing appetite, it is a prescription drug with its fair share of side effects.
Before you take it, you should be aware of the potential downsides, including serious side effects. And for your information, these include: headaches, vomitting, nausea, stomach pains, excess sweating, sleep issues, dizziness, diarrhea, and a dry mouth.
Are there any alternatives to Contrave®?
As Contrave® is a prescription drug, it's not available to everyone—and it does come with its fair share of side effects.
If you're looking for a natural diet pill that will complement a healthy diet and exercise, PhenQ is safe, tested, and will help you smash your weight loss goals the right way.
