What it is
Contrave is a tablet combining two older medicines, naltrexone and bupropion, which together act on the parts of the brain that control hunger and food cravings. If you have read about Contrave online, you are reading about the American product, and any website offering to ship Contrave to an EU address is not operating within EU medicines law.How it works
Naltrexone and bupropion act together on the brain areas that control hunger and food cravings. Naltrexone blocks the mu-opioid receptor; bupropion acts on the dopamine transporter and the noradrenaline transporter.What the studies reported
The pivotal trial is COR-I, published in The Lancet and registered on ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT00532779. All participants also followed a reduced-calorie diet and exercise programme, and a large proportion of people randomised did not complete the 56-week trial, which makes the average figures harder to interpret. Because naltrexone blocks the mu-opioid receptor, this combination is not taken with opioid pain medicines — the naltrexone would block the pain relief.What has been reported
Because naltrexone blocks the mu-opioid receptor, Contrave-equivalent medicines are not combined with opioid medicines.
Common questions
Is there any way to get Contrave in the EU?
Is there any way to get Contrave in the EU?
No. There is no medicine called Contrave on sale in the European Union.
The identical combination of naltrexone and bupropion is authorised in
the EU under the brand name Mysimba, and any website offering to ship
Contrave to an EU address is not operating within EU medicines law.
How does Mysimba compare to Contrave?
How does Mysimba compare to Contrave?
Mysimba contains exactly the same active ingredients — naltrexone and
bupropion — at the same doses as the US product Contrave. It is the
EU-authorised version, assessed by the European Medicines Agency for
weight management.
Can I take Mysimba if I am already on an antidepressant?
Can I take Mysimba if I am already on an antidepressant?
Bupropion acts on the dopamine transporter and the noradrenaline
transporter. Anyone currently taking an antidepressant or other medicine
that acts on the central nervous system should discuss this with the
reviewing doctor, who checks all current medication before prescribing.
What happens if I stop taking naltrexone/bupropion?
What happens if I stop taking naltrexone/bupropion?
The COR-I trial did not follow weight after treatment stopped. As with
other weight-management medicines, weight that was lost may be regained
if the dietary and exercise changes made alongside treatment are not
sustained.
What can I take instead?
A licensed doctor decides case by case — we never prescribe without evaluation. Options a doctor may consider for weight management:Semaglutide (Wegovy / Ozempic)
Weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist. A doctor may prescribe it if your BMI and history match the indications. Requires follow-up.
Tirzepatide (Mounjaro)
Dual GLP-1/GIP agonist. Assessed by the doctor based on comorbidities and BMI.
Liraglutide (Saxenda)
Daily GLP-1 agonist. Indicated in selected patients with elevated BMI after medical evaluation.
Orlistat 120mg
A fat-absorption inhibitor. Approved in the EU with published peer-reviewed trial results; a non-GLP-1 alternative a doctor may consider.
How Hi-Doctor handles it
We don’t prescribe Contrave today, but our doctors can review your case and propose an equivalent weight-management treatment with EU authorisation — starting with Mysimba, the EU-authorised version of the same combination. See how it works for the consultation process, and pricing for the consultation fee — medication is paid separately, at a pharmacy of your choice. For other options, see Orlistat and the full treatment areas Hi-Doctor covers.Start a consultation
Weight-loss consultation
Answer the weight-loss questionnaire and a registered doctor reviews it.
They decide whether treatment is appropriate, which one, and at what dose —
and declining is a normal outcome. See what it costs
and how the review works.