Product Description:

• Contrave® contains 2 active substances: naltrexone hydrochloride and bupropion hydrochloride and is used in obese or overweight adults to manage weight together with a reduced calorie diet and physical exercise. This medicine works on areas on the brain involved in the control of food intake and energy expenditure.


• Contrave® is approved for use in patients with an initial body mass index of 30 or greater; it can also be given to those with a body mass index between 27 and 30 if they have additional weightrelated conditions such as controlled high blood pressure (hypertension), type 2 diabetes or high levels of lipid (fat) in the blood.

How to use:

• The tablets are taken orally. The tablets should be swallowed whole with some water. The tablets should preferably be taken with food. The tablets should not be cut, chewed, or crushed.

• Upon initiating treatment, the dose should be escalated over a 4week period as follows:

Week 1: One tablet in the morning

Week 2: One tablet in the morning and one tablet in the evening

Week 3: Two tablets in the morning and one tablet in the evening

Week 4 and onwards: Two tablets in the morning and two tablets in the evening

• The need for continued treatment should be evaluated after 16 weeks and reevaluated annually.


• If a dose is missed, patients should not take an additional dose, but take the prescribed next dose at the usual time.

Do not take Contrave®:

• If you are allergic to naltrexone, to bupropion or to any of the other ingredients of this medicine;
• If you have an abnormally high blood pressure (hypertension) that is not controlled using a medicinal product;
• If you have a condition that causes fits (seizures) or if you have a history of fits;
• If you have a brain tumour;
• If you are usually a heavy drinker and you have just stopped drinking alcohol, or are going to stop while you are taking Contrave®;
• If you have recently stopped taking sedatives or medicines to treat anxiety (especially benzodiazepines), or if you are going to stop them while you are taking Contrave;
• If you have or have had a bipolar disorder (extreme mood swings);
• If you are using any other medicines which contain bupropion or naltrexone;
• If you have an eating disorder or had one in the past (for example, bulimia or anorexia nervosa);
• If you are currently dependent on chronic opiates or opiate agonists (for example methadone), or you are going through acute withdrawal (cold turkey);
• If you are taking medicines for depression or Parkinson’s disease called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) or have taken them in the last 14 days;
• If you have severe liver disease;
• If you have end-stage kidney disease.

Older People

• Use caution when taking Contrave®, if you are 65 years or older. Contrave® is not recommended if you are over 75 years.

Children and adolescents

• No studies have been conducted in children and adolescents under the age of 18. Therefore Contrave®

Do not take Contrave® with:

• Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (medicines to treat depression or Parkinson’s disease) such as phenelzine, selegiline, or rasagiline. You must stop taking these medicines for at least 14 days before starting Contrave®.
• Opiates and opiatecontaining medicines for example to treat cough and cold (such as mixtures containing dextromethorphan or codeine), opiate addiction (such as methadone), pain (for example, morphine and codeine), diarrhoea (for example, paregoric). You must have stopped taking any opiate medicines at least 710 days before starting Contrave. Your doctor may carry out a blood test to ensure that your body has cleared these medicines before starting your treatment. Naltrexone blocks the effects of opiates; if you take higher doses of opiates to overcome these effects of naltrexone, you may suffer from an acute opiate intoxication which may be life threatening. After you stop treatment with Contrave® you may be more sensitive to low doses of opiates.

Ingredients:

• Contrave® contains 2 active substances: naltrexone hydrochloride and bupropion hydrochloride and is used in obese or overweight adults to manage weight together with a reduced calorie diet and physical exercise. This medicine works on areas on the brain involved in the control of food intake and energy expenditure.