Contrave.... anyone?
karirenae
Posts: 106 Member
Anyone have success on Contrave? My Dr. tried to prescribe me Vyvanse for severe binge eating disorder, but my insurance denied it 
So we figured maybe Contrave would be a good alternative and it's affordable. Just wanted to see if anyone has had success@
So we figured maybe Contrave would be a good alternative and it's affordable. Just wanted to see if anyone has had success@ 2
Replies
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I’d rather spend my money on finding a solution to your BED, not masking it20
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pinggolfer96 wrote: »I’d rather spend my money on finding a solution to your BED, not masking it
Would you say that to someone with clinical depression? They are not mutually exclusive she can do both at the same time.
OP I hope someone here can give you the insight you are looking for. Good Luck17 -
Grimmerick wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »I’d rather spend my money on finding a solution to your BED, not masking it
Would you say that to someone with clinical depression? They are not mutually exclusive she can do both at the same time.
OP I hope someone here can give you the insight you are looking for. Good Luck
where does the person say they have clinical depression? she said BED which is Binge eating disorder7 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »Grimmerick wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »I’d rather spend my money on finding a solution to your BED, not masking it
Would you say that to someone with clinical depression? They are not mutually exclusive she can do both at the same time.
OP I hope someone here can give you the insight you are looking for. Good Luck
where does the person say they have clinical depression? she said BED which is Binge eating disorder
Yes ma'am I am aware she said BED and not clinical depression, I think you read me wrong
My point was you wouldn't tell someone with clinical depression (which medication can help and sometimes is the only thing that can ) to go out and get some yoga and sunshine or just counseling. They think BED can be caused or exacerbated by an imbalance. Counseling, sunshine and yoga or whatever else isn't going to fix that imbalance. She can take the medication to assist her while getting a better solution to her BED. 13 -
Grimmerick wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »Grimmerick wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »I’d rather spend my money on finding a solution to your BED, not masking it
Would you say that to someone with clinical depression? They are not mutually exclusive she can do both at the same time.
OP I hope someone here can give you the insight you are looking for. Good Luck
where does the person say they have clinical depression? she said BED which is Binge eating disorder
Yes ma'am I am aware she said BED and not clinical depression, I think you read me wrong My point was you wouldn't tell someone with clinical depression (which medication can help and sometimes is the only thing that can ) to go out and get some yoga and sunshine or just counseling. They think BED can be caused or exacerbated by an imbalance. Counseling, sunshine and yoga isn't going to fix that imbalance. She can take the medication to assist her while getting a better solution to her BED.
and the person above just said to find a solution to her BED and not to mask it with a weight loss drug. contrave isnt for BED its for weight loss. and to help with cravings while the vyvanase is for BED and other issues. while I agree you cant cure depression with sunshine,counseling and yoga (although for some it may help). But she needs to seek help with the BED before taking a weight loss drug first and thats what I think pinggolfer96 was saying. I also dont know if the OP is obese or not but contrave is used for Chronic Weight Management in Obese Adults.
also if insurance wont cover a medication a dr can contact the insurance to let them know that its medically necessary or they can find a alternative that may be covered by insurance. I dont even know why he would prescribe a weight loss drug in place of one that treats something entirely different. Maybe I just dont understand why he/she would.4 -
OP call different pharmacies and see what the price is and see if any of them have drug savings cards to save on scripts. also call walmart and see what they charge out of pocket. you may also be able to contact the drug company and see if they can help with getting you your medication. some drug companies do this.
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CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »Grimmerick wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »Grimmerick wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »I’d rather spend my money on finding a solution to your BED, not masking it
Would you say that to someone with clinical depression? They are not mutually exclusive she can do both at the same time.
OP I hope someone here can give you the insight you are looking for. Good Luck
where does the person say they have clinical depression? she said BED which is Binge eating disorder
Yes ma'am I am aware she said BED and not clinical depression, I think you read me wrong My point was you wouldn't tell someone with clinical depression (which medication can help and sometimes is the only thing that can ) to go out and get some yoga and sunshine or just counseling. They think BED can be caused or exacerbated by an imbalance. Counseling, sunshine and yoga isn't going to fix that imbalance. She can take the medication to assist her while getting a better solution to her BED.
and the person above just said to find a solution to her BED and not to mask it with a weight loss drug. contrave isnt for BED its for weight loss. and to help with cravings while the vyvanase is for BED and other issues. while I agree you cant cure depression with sunshine,counseling and yoga (although for some it may help). But she needs to seek help with the BED before taking a weight loss drug first and thats what I think pinggolfer96 was saying. I also dont know if the OP is obese or not but contrave is used for Chronic Weight Management in Obese Adults.
also if insurance wont cover a medication a dr can contact the insurance to let them know that its medically necessary or they can find a alternative that may be covered by insurance. I dont even know why he would prescribe a weight loss drug in place of one that treats something entirely different. Maybe I just dont understand why he/she would.
Thank you! Lol. I was like when did depression come into here? Lol. They’re trying to sound like I said the wrong thing and they’re correct, when how does reliance on a pill solve anything....??16 -
My sister was on it for a few months. She lost about 15 lbs while on it (she is over 200 lbs). She DID count her calories here and start walking more. She had to go off of it when the Dr. thought it was not effective anymore and she gained the weight back plus some!2
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pinggolfer96 wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »Grimmerick wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »Grimmerick wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »I’d rather spend my money on finding a solution to your BED, not masking it
Would you say that to someone with clinical depression? They are not mutually exclusive she can do both at the same time.
OP I hope someone here can give you the insight you are looking for. Good Luck
where does the person say they have clinical depression? she said BED which is Binge eating disorder
Yes ma'am I am aware she said BED and not clinical depression, I think you read me wrong My point was you wouldn't tell someone with clinical depression (which medication can help and sometimes is the only thing that can ) to go out and get some yoga and sunshine or just counseling. They think BED can be caused or exacerbated by an imbalance. Counseling, sunshine and yoga isn't going to fix that imbalance. She can take the medication to assist her while getting a better solution to her BED.
and the person above just said to find a solution to her BED and not to mask it with a weight loss drug. contrave isnt for BED its for weight loss. and to help with cravings while the vyvanase is for BED and other issues. while I agree you cant cure depression with sunshine,counseling and yoga (although for some it may help). But she needs to seek help with the BED before taking a weight loss drug first and thats what I think pinggolfer96 was saying. I also dont know if the OP is obese or not but contrave is used for Chronic Weight Management in Obese Adults.
also if insurance wont cover a medication a dr can contact the insurance to let them know that its medically necessary or they can find a alternative that may be covered by insurance. I dont even know why he would prescribe a weight loss drug in place of one that treats something entirely different. Maybe I just dont understand why he/she would.
Thank you! Lol. I was like when did depression come into here? Lol. They’re trying to sound like I said the wrong thing and they’re correct, when how does reliance on a pill solve anything....??
now if it were depression and you need meds thats one thing. or if her BED can be controlled with medication and seeing a therapist or what have you that ok too. some people of course cant do the no pill thing. but using a weight loss pill to control something its not mean for to me would be like a placebo, a possible dangerous one at that. sometimes you have to rely on a pill if its for the health issue at hand.5 -
My sister was on it for a few months. She lost about 15 lbs while on it (she is over 200 lbs). She DID count her calories here and start walking more. She had to go off of it when the Dr. thought it was not effective anymore and she gained the weight back plus some!
With that information, I wonder if it would actually do any good in the long run? If you're only able to control your eating disorder with a pill that will stop being effective, won't you then be right back where you started? Have you discussed this kind of possibility with your doctor? Does the doctor have a plan to get to the root of the problem?1 -
pinggolfer96 wrote: »I’d rather spend my money on finding a solution to your BED, not masking it
Often times some prescription help for a short period of time can help in curing severe cases of BED. They can give you some peace of mind and a little push to get the ball rolling, much like antidepressants make doing therapy work feasable in cases of severe depression. Is it a permanent fix? No. But if OP needs a little helping hand with portion control while they wade through the emotional waters of their food addiction on their way to recovery, what is wrong with that?6 -
OP, my doctor wanted to put me on Vyvanse for BED as well. But it was too expensive for me. Currently I've been on a low dose of methylphenidate that seems helpful with my eating as well as other issues related to my mental illness. It is super cheap. I've heard people have had some success with Strattera as well. The medication is a supplement to my therapy program and has helped me stop gaining while I do some CBT work.5
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doittoitgirl wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »I’d rather spend my money on finding a solution to your BED, not masking it
Often times some prescription help for a short period of time can help in curing severe cases of BED. They can give you some peace of mind and a little push to get the ball rolling, much like antidepressants make doing therapy work feasable in cases of severe depression. Is it a permanent fix? No. But if OP needs a little helping hand with portion control while they wade through the emotional waters of their food addiction on their way to recovery, what is wrong with that?
the thing is the pill the dr put her on is for weight loss ONLY, its not used for BED. its used for weight loss and reduce hunger/cravings which may or may not help. But BED is still an eating disorder and OP should get with her team(drs who deal with eatign disorders) if she has one,and go from there.
the vyvanse is used for BED,the contrave is not. There are other meds out there used for BED and many of them are also used for ADD/ADHD. since we dont know if OP needs to lose weight or not is another unknown. contrave says not to use in anorexia or bulimia(not sure if thats part of the posters BED or not). since it usually has an underlying factor that cause it as mentioned here https://bedaonline.com/understanding-binge-eating-disorder/binge-eating-disorder-causes/ its best to figure out the root cause and figure out how to remedy that first.
it also states reading forward that either in-patient or out patient therapy is needed in which meds may or may not be prescribed. we dont know if the poster has done that or not, wit so little info provided its hard to say what will work. that should be left up to the drs and op's medical team. In my honest opinion though I dont think a weight loss drug should have been prescribed at all when its not used to treat or control eating disorders.
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doittoitgirl wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »I’d rather spend my money on finding a solution to your BED, not masking it
Often times some prescription help for a short period of time can help in curing severe cases of BED. They can give you some peace of mind and a little push to get the ball rolling, much like antidepressants make doing therapy work feasable in cases of severe depression. Is it a permanent fix? No. But if OP needs a little helping hand with portion control while they wade through the emotional waters of their food addiction on their way to recovery, what is wrong with that?
BED also doesnt always mean an addiction to food. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3671377/
its caused or can be caused by several underlying issues such as depression.sexual abuse, and other things(link above).3 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »doittoitgirl wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »I’d rather spend my money on finding a solution to your BED, not masking it
Often times some prescription help for a short period of time can help in curing severe cases of BED. They can give you some peace of mind and a little push to get the ball rolling, much like antidepressants make doing therapy work feasable in cases of severe depression. Is it a permanent fix? No. But if OP needs a little helping hand with portion control while they wade through the emotional waters of their food addiction on their way to recovery, what is wrong with that?
BED also doesnt always mean an addiction to food. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3671377/
its caused or can be caused by several underlying issues such as depression.sexual abuse, and other things(link above).
I mentioned in my second post that I Have BED. I also encouraged the use of medications with accompanying talk therapy. OP is having an issue with insurance coverage for medications. Just because it hasn't been tested exclusively for assistance with BED doesn't mean it is completely off the table. My doc wanted to put me on Vyvanse but it was too cost prohibitive so we trailed other stimulants to help while I do my counseling. And though the stimulant I'm on hasn't been tested explicitly for BED it is very helpful. I guess my mistake was in assuming that OPs prescribing doctor properly weighed the pros and cons of a substitute for Vyvanse? True, we don't have all the details. But I'd like to make the assumption that the doctor didn't just give it to OP for no good reason.2 -
doittoitgirl wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »doittoitgirl wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »I’d rather spend my money on finding a solution to your BED, not masking it
Often times some prescription help for a short period of time can help in curing severe cases of BED. They can give you some peace of mind and a little push to get the ball rolling, much like antidepressants make doing therapy work feasable in cases of severe depression. Is it a permanent fix? No. But if OP needs a little helping hand with portion control while they wade through the emotional waters of their food addiction on their way to recovery, what is wrong with that?
BED also doesnt always mean an addiction to food. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3671377/
its caused or can be caused by several underlying issues such as depression.sexual abuse, and other things(link above).
I mentioned in my second post that I Have BED. I also encouraged the use of medications with accompanying talk therapy. OP is having an issue with insurance coverage for medications. Just because it hasn't been tested exclusively for assistance with BED doesn't mean it is completely off the table. My doc wanted to put me on Vyvanse but it was too cost prohibitive so we trailed other stimulants to help while I do my counseling. And though the stimulant I'm on hasn't been tested explicitly for BED it is very helpful. I guess my mistake was in assuming that OPs prescribing doctor properly weighed the pros and cons of a substitute for Vyvanse? True, we don't have all the details. But I'd like to make the assumption that the doctor didn't just give it to OP for no good reason.
I hadnt seen your second post prior to typing and posting . usually a stimulant will say (from research I did earlier) if its used to treat BED or not. a few are. but eveything I have read about contrave says NOT to take it if you have an eating disorder and BED is considered an eating disorder, strattera is an ADD/ADHD drug and yes it states it can be used for BED. my son was on strattera for his ADHD/ODD when he was a kid and lost too much weight being on it and they had to change it,but thats another post. as for being expensive vyvanase has a patient program to where you can apply to get it cheaper -https://www.shireregistration.com/Vyvanse Savings Link?s=d360b53e-33c4-436d-a119-4477d1cd8bd0&mid=V012962&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=2014_b_dtc_vyvbrand_adhd_sitelink-branded&utm_term=sitelink&utm_content=vyvanse+savings+offer_&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0bGlwcux2wIVEp7ACh056A8rEAAYASABEgLNV_D_BwE
and it states either ADHD or moderate to severe BED as one of the requirements to sign up.1 -
pinggolfer96 wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »Grimmerick wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »Grimmerick wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »I’d rather spend my money on finding a solution to your BED, not masking it
Would you say that to someone with clinical depression? They are not mutually exclusive she can do both at the same time.
OP I hope someone here can give you the insight you are looking for. Good Luck
where does the person say they have clinical depression? she said BED which is Binge eating disorder
Yes ma'am I am aware she said BED and not clinical depression, I think you read me wrong My point was you wouldn't tell someone with clinical depression (which medication can help and sometimes is the only thing that can ) to go out and get some yoga and sunshine or just counseling. They think BED can be caused or exacerbated by an imbalance. Counseling, sunshine and yoga isn't going to fix that imbalance. She can take the medication to assist her while getting a better solution to her BED.
and the person above just said to find a solution to her BED and not to mask it with a weight loss drug. contrave isnt for BED its for weight loss. and to help with cravings while the vyvanase is for BED and other issues. while I agree you cant cure depression with sunshine,counseling and yoga (although for some it may help). But she needs to seek help with the BED before taking a weight loss drug first and thats what I think pinggolfer96 was saying. I also dont know if the OP is obese or not but contrave is used for Chronic Weight Management in Obese Adults.
also if insurance wont cover a medication a dr can contact the insurance to let them know that its medically necessary or they can find a alternative that may be covered by insurance. I dont even know why he would prescribe a weight loss drug in place of one that treats something entirely different. Maybe I just dont understand why he/she would.
Thank you! Lol. I was like when did depression come into here? Lol. They’re trying to sound like I said the wrong thing and they’re correct, when how does reliance on a pill solve anything....??
It's called an analogy.
And reliance on a pill can solve quite a lot of things. Ask anyone with a treatable chronic illness.8 -
doittoitgirl wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »doittoitgirl wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »I’d rather spend my money on finding a solution to your BED, not masking it
Often times some prescription help for a short period of time can help in curing severe cases of BED. They can give you some peace of mind and a little push to get the ball rolling, much like antidepressants make doing therapy work feasable in cases of severe depression. Is it a permanent fix? No. But if OP needs a little helping hand with portion control while they wade through the emotional waters of their food addiction on their way to recovery, what is wrong with that?
BED also doesnt always mean an addiction to food. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3671377/
its caused or can be caused by several underlying issues such as depression.sexual abuse, and other things(link above).
I mentioned in my second post that I Have BED. I also encouraged the use of medications with accompanying talk therapy. OP is having an issue with insurance coverage for medications. Just because it hasn't been tested exclusively for assistance with BED doesn't mean it is completely off the table. My doc wanted to put me on Vyvanse but it was too cost prohibitive so we trailed other stimulants to help while I do my counseling. And though the stimulant I'm on hasn't been tested explicitly for BED it is very helpful. I guess my mistake was in assuming that OPs prescribing doctor properly weighed the pros and cons of a substitute for Vyvanse? True, we don't have all the details. But I'd like to make the assumption that the doctor didn't just give it to OP for no good reason.
Drs can sometimes prescribe meds incorrectly,not saying this was the issue. I have had that happen to me and Im lucky the last one didnt kill me it was for COPD(I dont have copd I have asthma) and it slowed my heart rate down really slow. I told the dr its not used for asthma especially if its well controlled on a corticosteroid like Im on now. she didnt listen.But I had to try it before the insurance would cover another medication.insurance sucks well most do.also they arent supposed to use certain drugs if it hasnt been tested for that "illness". if in the US the FDA is very strict on using a medication for use aside from what the intended uses are. Thats why there are contraindications and warnings. If it were me I would ask for something that is used to treat my condition. The dr can conntact the insurance company and let them know its medically necessary and they may cover it.1 -
Just wanted to add that drs, especially more progressive pdocs, are willing to prescribe for off-label uses or uses that have only the beginnings of research behind it. Does this make sense? Idk too early in the am.2
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Ive been on contrave for about 3 weeks and have lost about 13 lbs. Its not a miracle pill or anything, you still have to put in the work and develop good eating habits.
I still have cravings for different foods, but it seems more manageable. I used to drink 2-3 diet cokes a day, and tried quitting many times. After I started contrave I haven't had a single soda. It also seemed to curve salt cravings (fries, pickles, etc)
If it helps you thats great, but its not going to solve all your problems in the long term. I would still highly recommend.3 -
roberto99577 wrote: »Ive been on contrave for about 3 weeks and have lost about 13 lbs. Its not a miracle pill or anything, you still have to put in the work and develop good eating habits.
I still have cravings for different foods, but it seems more manageable. I used to drink 2-3 diet cokes a day, and tried quitting many times. After I started contrave I haven't had a single soda. It also seemed to curve salt cravings (fries, pickles, etc)
If it helps you thats great, but its not going to solve all your problems in the long term. I would still highly recommend.
I'm on my fourth week on Contrave, and my experience is the same - I've lost nearly 12 pounds and I'm easily avoiding junk food. And alcohol, which is a HUGE bonus for me and my fatty liver. I had difficulty with portion control in the first couple of weeks, but the uncomfortably stuffed feeling I get after eating too much has trained me to slow down and make better choices.
I used to eat large meals, then go back for seconds, then have a snack, and another snack, and another, etc. I never hit a point where my body and brain said "Enough." I never felt satisfied at the end of a meal. For the first time in my life, I finally do.
I agree, Contrave isn't for everyone. But for me, it's perfect. The naltrexone controls my craving for alcohol (saving me at least 200-300 calories daily), and the bupropion (the antidepressant I was already taking) controls my depression. I'm hoping that by the time I lose enough weight to stop taking the Contrave, the good habits I've been following will stick.5 -
My doctor put me on Bupropion and Naltrexone separately to save money. She wanted the Naltrexone compounded so I had to wait for it, but told me to go ahead and start on the Bupropion. It worked for me immediately, before I even got the Naltrexone! In fact, compounded, the price of the Naltrexone really didn't make it cheaper than Contrave, and since it was working, I didn't fill that prescription. Eventually, it didn't seem to be working as well, so we added the N with me cutting it. I developed sciatic nerve pain that went away when I quit the N and came back when I restarted, so I am back to taking just B. As of today, November 1, 2018, I have lost 96# since July 6, 2017. I still have to work at this, but I was always able to do that until the cravings sabotaged me. It was like a wall slammed down and kept me from thinking about what I planned, until after the binge was over and then I just felt defeated. That doesn't happen anymore. So even if I want something I shouldn't have, I have found that walking away from it works. I have not cut anything out of my diet, just cut back and focus on stopping when I feel satisfied. I still have about 47 pounds to lose, unless I decide I'm fine before that, or decide to go a little further when I get there. My goal is 160 which at my height is moderate. It's been over 40 years since I've been there, so we'll see what I think of it!4
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My doctor put me on Bupropion and Naltrexone separately to save money. She wanted the Naltrexone compounded so I had to wait for it, but told me to go ahead and start on the Bupropion. It worked for me immediately, before I even got the Naltrexone! In fact, compounded, the price of the Naltrexone really didn't make it cheaper than Contrave, and since it was working, I didn't fill that prescription. Eventually, it didn't seem to be working as well, so we added the N with me cutting it. I developed sciatic nerve pain that went away when I quit the N and came back when I restarted, so I am back to taking just B. As of today, November 1, 2018, I have lost 96# since July 6, 2017. I still have to work at this, but I was always able to do that until the cravings sabotaged me. It was like a wall slammed down and kept me from thinking about what I planned, until after the binge was over and then I just felt defeated. That doesn't happen anymore. So even if I want something I shouldn't have, I have found that walking away from it works. I have not cut anything out of my diet, just cut back and focus on stopping when I feel satisfied. I still have about 47 pounds to lose, unless I decide I'm fine before that, or decide to go a little further when I get there. My goal is 160 which at my height is moderate. It's been over 40 years since I've been there, so we'll see what I think of it!
I know this is rather old but you may still see it
You don't need to pay to have Naltrexone compounded to meet your specific needs
You can take one pill (50mg) and mix it (glass container) with 50mg of water. Let it dissolve throughly, then use a small syringe each time to draw out the amount you take.0
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