> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hi-doctor.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Contrave

> Why Contrave isn't prescribed in the EU, what the identical EU-authorised medicine is called instead, and what the COR-I trial reported.

Contrave is the United States brand name for a weight-management tablet that combines naltrexone and bupropion. There is no medicine called Contrave on sale in the European Union, so Hi-Doctor does not prescribe it — but the identical combination is authorised in the EU under a different brand name.

## 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.

<Warning>
  Contrave has no EU marketing authorisation for weight management, so it cannot be prescribed or dispensed here for that purpose. The identical combination of naltrexone and bupropion **is** authorised in the EU — under the brand name **Mysimba**. See the [Mysimba](/library/medicines/mysimba) page.
</Warning>

## 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

| Reaction     | Naltrexone/bupropion (pooled trials) | Placebo |
| ------------ | ------------------------------------ | ------- |
| Nausea       | 31.8%                                | 6.7%    |
| Constipation | 18.1%                                | 7.2%    |

<Note>
  Because naltrexone blocks the mu-opioid receptor, Contrave-equivalent medicines are not combined with opioid medicines.
</Note>

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="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.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="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.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="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.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="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.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## 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:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Semaglutide (Wegovy / Ozempic)" icon="syringe">
    Weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist. A doctor may prescribe it if your BMI and history match the indications. Requires follow-up.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Tirzepatide (Mounjaro)" icon="syringe">
    Dual GLP-1/GIP agonist. Assessed by the doctor based on comorbidities and BMI.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Liraglutide (Saxenda)" icon="syringe">
    Daily GLP-1 agonist. Indicated in selected patients with elevated BMI after medical evaluation.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Orlistat 120mg" icon="pills">
    A fat-absorption inhibitor. Approved in the EU with published peer-reviewed trial results; a non-GLP-1 alternative a doctor may consider.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## 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](/library/medicines/mysimba), the EU-authorised version of the same combination. See [how it works](/essentials/how-it-works) for the consultation process, and [pricing](/essentials/pricing) for the consultation fee — medication is paid separately, at a pharmacy of your choice. For other options, see [Orlistat](/library/medicines/orlistat) and the full [treatment areas](/essentials/treatments) Hi-Doctor covers.

## Start a consultation

<Card title="Weight-loss consultation" icon="stethoscope" href="https://hi-doctor.ai/consultation/weight-loss/1">
  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](/essentials/pricing)
  and [how the review works](/essentials/how-it-works).
</Card>

<Warning>
  This page is reference information, not medical advice and not a prescription.
  Whether a medicine is appropriate for you is decided by a registered doctor
  after reviewing your consultation.
</Warning>