Contrave (naltrexone/bupropion) is a prescription drug. It’s used alongside exercise and a balanced diet to help certain adults lose weight. Like other drugs, Contrave may have interactions.
Some interactions occur because one substance causes another substance to have a different effect than expected. For example, sometimes alcohol, another drug, or a supplement can affect how a drug acts in your body. Interactions can also occur if you have certain health conditions.
Keep reading to learn about Contrave’s possible interactions, including what you should not take with Contrave. And for more information about Contrave, including details about its uses, see this article.
Certain health conditions or other factors could raise your risk of harm if you take Contrave. In such cases, your doctor may not prescribe Contrave for you. These are known as contraindications. The list below includes contraindications of Contrave.
If you have high blood pressure that isn’t well managed. If you have high blood pressure that isn’t well managed, your doctor likely won’t prescribe Contrave. This is because Contrave may increase your blood pressure even more, which could be dangerous. Your doctor may prescribe a treatment other than Contrave for you.
If you have a risk of seizures. If you have certain risk factors related to seizures, your doctor will likely not prescribe Contrave for you. These factors include if you take another drug that increases your risk of seizures or if you have a seizure disorder or a condition that may cause seizures. This is because Contrave may cause seizures as the dose increases.
Your doctor may prescribe a low dose and slowly increase it, or they may recommend a treatment option other than Contrave for you.
If you have certain eating disorders. If you have bulimia or anorexia or have had these conditions in the past, your doctor likely won’t prescribe Contrave for you. These conditions can increase your risk of seizures from Contrave. Your doctor can recommend other treatment options for you.
If you have suddenly stopped drinking alcohol or taking certain medications. Your doctor likely won’t prescribe Contrave for you if you’ve recently been drinking alcohol excessively or you’ve suddenly stopped excessive drinking. They may also not prescribe Contrave if you’ve suddenly stopped taking certain medications. Examples of these medications include barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and seizure drugs.
Taking Contrave in these situations can increase your risk of seizures. Your doctor will advise you to limit or avoid drinking alcohol if you’re prescribed Contrave. Or your doctor may prescribe a treatment other than Contrave for you.
If you take other drugs that contain bupropion. Bupropion is one of the active ingredients in Contrave. (An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.) If you take other drugs that contain bupropion, your doctor likely won’t prescribe Contrave for you. Taking these medications together could increase your risk of side effects from Contrave.
Examples of other drugs that contain bupropion include:
- bupropion (Aplenzin, Forfivo XL, Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL)
- bupropion/dextromethorphan (Auvelity)
Before starting Contrave treatment, tell your doctor if you take any of these medications. They can recommend a treatment other than Contrave for you.
If you take opioids. If you take opioids, your doctor likely won’t prescribe Contrave for you. This is because naltrexone can make opioids less effective than usual. (Naltrexone is one of the active ingredients in bupropion.)
Opioids are a group of drugs used to treat severe pain. Examples of opioids include:
- oxycodone (Xtampza ER, Oxaydo, Oxycontin)
- tramadol (ConZip, Qdolo, Ultram)
- hydromorphone (Dilaudid)
- hydrocodone (Hysingla ER)
- morphine (Mitigo, MS Contin)
You may think that increasing your opioid dose may help overcome naltrexone’s opioid blockage effect. However, it will put you at risk for accidental overdose.
Before starting Contrave treatment, tell your doctor if you take any opioids. If you are taking an opioid for a short time, your doctor will halt Contrave for that period. If you are taking an opioid for chronic pain, they’ll likely prescribe a treatment other than Contrave for you.
If you take monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). If you take an MAOI or have taken one in the past 14 days, your doctor likely won’t prescribe Contrave for you. (MAOIs are used to treat depression, certain infections, and certain blood disorders.) Taking an MAOI with Contrave could raise your risk of severely high blood pressure.
Examples of MAOIs include:
- linezolid (Zyvox)
- phenelzine (Nardil)
- methylene blue (ProvayBlue)
- selegiline (Emsam)
- isocarboxazid (Marplan)
Before taking Contrave, tell your doctor if you take an MAOI. They’ll likely have you wait to start Contrave until at least 2 weeks after your last MAOI dose. Or they may prescribe a drug other than Contrave for you.
If you’ve had an allergic reaction. If you have had an allergic reaction to Contrave or any of its ingredients, your doctor likely won’t prescribe Contrave. This is because taking the drug could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask them about other treatments that may be better options for you.
Before you start taking Contrave, talk with your doctor if any of the factors above apply to you. Your doctor can determine whether Contrave is safe for you to take.
It may not be safe to drink alcohol while taking Contrave. This is because certain mental health changes have been reported in people who drank alcohol while taking bupropion (one of the active drugs in Contrave). Examples of these mental health changes include anxiety, depression, sleeping problems, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors.*
Bupropion may also make your body more sensitive to the effects of alcohol.
Due to these risks, your doctor may suggest you avoid alcohol while taking bupropion. If you have questions or concerns about avoiding alcohol while taking Contrave, talk with your doctor.
* Contrave has a
Before you start taking Contrave, tell your doctor and pharmacist about any prescription, over-the-counter, or other drugs you take. Sharing this information with them may help prevent possible interactions.
If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
The chart below lists drugs that may interact with Contrave. Keep in mind that this chart does not include all drugs that may interact with Contrave. For more information about some of these interactions, see the “Drug interactions explained” section below.
| Drug group or drug name | Drug examples | What can happen |
| other drugs that contain bupropion* | • bupropion (Aplenzin, Forfivo XL, Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL) • bupropion/dextromethorphan (Auvelity) | can increase the risk of side effects from Contrave |
| opioids* | • oxycodone (Xtampza ER, Oxaydo, Oxycontin) • tramadol (ConZip, Qdolo, Ultram) • hydromorphone (Dilaudid) • hydrocodone (Hysingla ER) • morphine (Mitigo, MS Contin) | can make opioids less effective |
| monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)* | • linezolid (Zyvox) • phenelzine (Nardil) • methylene blue (ProvayBlue) • selegiline (Emsam) • isocarboxazid (Marplan) | can increase the risk of side effects from MAOIs |
| selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) | • sertraline (Zoloft) • escitalopram (Lexapro) • paroxetine (Paxil) | can raise the risk of side effects from SSRIs |
| tricyclic antidepressants | • imipramine • amitriptyline • nortriptyline (Pamelor) | can increase the risk of side effects from Contrave |
| certain beta-blockers | • metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL) • nebivolol (Bystolic) • propranolol (Inderal, Innopran XL, others) | can increase the risk of side effects from beta-blockers |
| certain antiarrhythmics | • flecainide • propafenone | can raise the risk of side effects from antiarrhythmics |
| certain antipsychotics | • risperidone (Risperdal) • haloperidol (Haldol) • thioridazine | can increase the risk of side effects from antipsychotics |
| certain antiplatelets | • clopidogrel (Plavix) • ticlopidine | can raise the risk of side effects from Contrave |
| certain antivirals | • ritonavir (Norvir) • lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra) • efavirenz (Sustiva) | can make Contrave less effective |
| certain corticosteroids | • prednisone (Rayos) • prednisolone (Orapred ODT, Prelone) • methylprednisolone (Medrol) | can increase the risk of side effects from Contrave |
| certain seizure drugs | • carbamazepine (Epitol, Tegretol, others) • phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek) • phenobarbital | can make Contrave less effective |
| digoxin (Lanoxin) | — | can make digoxin less effective |
| theophylline (Theo-24) | — | can increase the risk of side effects from Contrave |
| levodopa (Inbrija) levodopa/carbidopa (Sinemet) | — | can increase the risk of side effects from Contrave and levodopa |
| amantadine (Gocovri) | — | can increase the risk of side effects from Contrave and amantadine |
| tamoxifen (Soltamox) | — | can make tamoxifen less effective than usual |
* To learn more about this interaction, see the “When should I avoid Contrave?” section above.
Learn more about certain drug interactions that can occur with Contrave.
Interaction with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
Taking Contrave with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can raise your risk of side effects from SSRIs.
SSRIs are a type of antidepressant. They’re used to treat conditions such as depression and anxiety.
Examples of SSRI medications include:
- sertraline (Zoloft)
- escitalopram (Lexapro)
- paroxetine (Paxil)
What could happen
Contrave may keep the body from breaking down SSRIs as it should. This can increase the amount of SSRI in your body. As a result, your risk of side effects from SSRIs may be higher.
What you can do
Before taking Contrave, tell your doctor about any SSRIs you take. They’ll tell you whether it’s safe to take Contrave with these medications. If they tell you it’s safe, your doctor may lower your SSRI dosage.
Interaction with certain beta-blockers
Taking Contrave with certain beta-blockers can raise the risk of side effects from beta-blockers.
Beta-blockers are used to treat high blood pressure.
Examples of beta-blockers include:
- metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL)
- nebivolol (Bystolic)
- propranolol (Inderal, Innopran XL, others)
What could happen
Contrave may prevent the body from breaking down beta-blockers as it should. This could increase the amount of beta-blocker in your body, which may raise your risk of side effects from the beta-blocker.
What you can do
Before starting Contrave treatment, tell your doctor if you take a beta-blocker. They can tell you whether Contrave may affect the beta-blocker. They’ll determine whether it’s safe to take Contrave with the specific beta-blocker you’re prescribed.
Interaction with amantadine
Taking Contrave with amantadine (Gocovri) can increase the risk of side effects from Contrave and amantadine.
Amantadine is used to treat symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
What could happen
Both Contrave and amantadine can increase the level of a certain chemical called dopamine in your body. Having a high level of dopamine can raise your risk of side effects from either drug. Examples of these side effects include dizziness, agitation, and restlessness.
What you can do
Before starting Contrave treatment, let your doctor know that you’re taking amantadine. They can tell you if it’s safe to take these medications together.
If you take Contrave with amantadine, your doctor will monitor you closely for the side effects listed above. Be sure to tell them if you have these side effects while taking the drugs together. Your doctor can recommend what to do if this happens.
Contrave may have other interactions. They could occur with supplements, foods, vaccines, or even lab tests. See below for details. Note that the information below does not include all other possible interactions with Contrave.
Does Contrave interact with supplements?
Before you start taking Contrave, talk with your doctor and pharmacist about any supplements, herbs, and vitamins you take. Sharing this information with them may help you avoid possible interactions.
If you have questions about interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Contrave and herbs
There are currently no reports of Contrave interacting with herbs. But this doesn’t mean that interactions with herbs won’t be recognized in the future.
For this reason, it’s still important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these products while taking Contrave.
Contrave and vitamins
There are currently no reports of Contrave interacting with vitamins. But this doesn’t mean that vitamin interactions won’t be recognized in the future.
For this reason, it’s still important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these products while taking Contrave.
Does Contrave interact with food?
It’s important to note that you should avoid taking Contrave with high fat foods. Examples of high fat foods include cheese and avocado.
If you take Contrave and eat high fat foods, the interaction could increase the level of the drug in your body. This may raise your risk of side effects from Contrave.
If you have questions about which foods to avoid with Contrave, talk with your doctor.
Does Contrave interact with vaccines?
There are currently no reports of Contrave interacting with vaccines. If you have questions about getting specific vaccines during your Contrave treatment, talk with your doctor.
Does Contrave interact with lab tests?
Bupropion (one of the active ingredients in Contrave) may interact with certain lab tests.
Specifically, bupropion may cause a false-positive result for amphetamines on a urine drug test. A false-positive means the test shows a positive result for a drug that is not actually present. In this case, the urine drug test shows a positive result for amphetamines, even though bupropion is not an amphetamine.
Before having a urine drug test for amphetamines, be sure your doctor knows you’re taking Contrave. They may give you a different type of test that isn’t affected by bupropion.
Does Contrave interact with cannabis or CBD?Cannabis (commonly called marijuana) and cannabis products, such as cannabidiol (CBD), have been specifically reported to interact with Contrave.
The exact effect of these products on Contrave may vary from person to person. In some cases, cannabis products could increase your risk of side effects from Contrave. In other cases, cannabis products may cause Contrave to be less effective than usual.
Before you start treatment with Contrave, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you use cannabis. By sharing this information with them, you may help prevent possible interactions.
Note: Cannabis is illegal at a federal level but is legal in many states to varying degrees.
Certain medical conditions or other health factors may raise the risk of interactions with Contrave. Before taking Contrave, talk with your doctor about your health history. They’ll determine whether Contrave is right for you.
Health conditions or other factors that might interact with Contrave include:
High blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure that isn’t well managed, your doctor likely won’t prescribe Contrave for you. To learn more, see the “When should I avoid Contrave?” section above.
Seizures. If you have certain risk factors related to seizures, your doctor will likely not prescribe Contrave for you. These factors include if you take another drug that increases your risk of seizures or if you have a seizure disorder or a condition that may cause seizures. This is because Contrave may cause seizures as the dose increases.
Your doctor may prescribe a low dose and slowly increase it, or they may recommend a treatment option other than Contrave for you.
Certain eating disorders. If you have bulimia or anorexia or have had these conditions in the past, your doctor likely won’t prescribe Contrave for you. These conditions can increase your risk of seizures from Contrave. Your doctor can recommend other treatment options for you.
Suddenly stop drinking alcohol or taking certain medications. Your doctor likely won’t prescribe Contrave for you if you’ve recently been drinking alcohol excessively or you’ve suddenly stopped excessive drinking. They may also not prescribe Contrave if you’ve suddenly stopped taking certain medications. Examples of these medications include barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and seizure drugs.
Taking Contrave in these situations can increase your risk of seizures. Your doctor will advise you to limit or avoid drinking alcohol if you’re prescribed Contrave. Or your doctor may prescribe a treatment other than Contrave for you.
Bipolar disorder. People with bipolar disorder may have a higher risk of certain side effects with Contrave. These include mania and hypomania. If you have bipolar disorder, talk with your doctor about your condition before starting Contrave. They can tell you whether it’s safe to take this drug.
Kidney or liver damage. Before taking Contrave, tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver damage. They may prescribe a lower dosage of Contrave than usual. Or they may prescribe a different treatment for you instead.
Closed-angle glaucoma. Before starting Contrave treatment, tell your doctor if you have closed-angle glaucoma. Contrave can increase the risk of a glaucoma attack in people who have this condition. A glaucoma attack may cause sudden blurry vision and eye pain. This condition is a medical emergency. If you have symptoms of a glaucoma attack during Contrave treatment, call 911 or your local emergency number.
Type 2 diabetes. Contrave is used to help certain adults lose weight. Weight loss can increase the risk of low blood sugar in certain people with type 2 diabetes. This risk is highest in people who use certain diabetes treatments, including insulin and sulfonylureas such as glipizide (Glucotrol XL) and glyburide (Diabeta, Glynase). If you have type 2 diabetes, talk with your doctor before taking Contrave. They may adjust your diabetes treatment plan.
Pregnancy. Your doctor is not likely to prescribe Contrave while you’re pregnant. This is because weight loss during pregnancy is not recommended. (Contrave is used to help certain adults lose weight.) If you become pregnant while taking Contrave, tell your doctor right away. They’ll likely recommend that you stop taking the drug.
Breastfeeding. Contrave may pass into breast milk, which could cause side effects in a breastfed child. Due to this risk, your doctor may recommend that you avoid breastfeeding while taking Contrave. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed, talk with your doctor about your options.
Allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Contrave or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe Contrave. This is because taking the drug could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask them about other treatments that may be better choices for you.
Find answers to some frequently asked questions about Contrave and possible interactions.
Can I take Contrave with ibuprofen?
Yes, you can take Contrave with ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin). These medications aren’t known to interact with each other.
Ibuprofen belongs to a group of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The drug is used to treat pain and swelling.
If you have questions about taking Contrave with ibuprofen, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
If I can’t use Contrave because it interacts with a drug I take, what other weight loss treatments could I try?
If you can’t take Contrave, there are several other medications that your doctor could prescribe for weight loss.
A group of diabetes drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists can be used in people with or without diabetes. These drugs include liraglutide (Saxenda) and semaglutide (Wegovy) and should be taken along with a balanced diet and exercise.
Another combination drug called phentermine/topiramate (Qsymia) is approved for weight loss in adults and in children ages 12 years and older with obesity. It’s important to note that this drug can cause harm to a fetus, so your doctor may not recommend it if you can become pregnant.
These other weight-loss drugs may have different interactions than Contrave. To learn more about their possible interactions, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Depending on your health history and other drugs you may take, your doctor will prescribe the right weight-loss treatment for you.
Taking certain steps can help you avoid interactions with Contrave. Before starting treatment, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Things to discuss with them include:
- Whether you drink alcohol or use cannabis.
- Other medications you take, as well as any vitamins, supplements, and herbs. Your doctor or pharmacist can help you fill out a
medication list . - What to do if you start taking a new drug during your Contrave treatment.
It’s also important to read Contrave’s
Taking Contrave exactly as prescribed can also help prevent interactions.
If you still have questions about Contrave and its possible interactions, talk with your doctor.
Questions you may want to ask your doctor include:
- Do other drugs used for weight loss have similar interactions?
- Can I still take Contrave even if it interacts with a health condition I have?
- Do I need to tell you if I start any new medications or supplements during my Contrave treatment?
To learn more about Contrave, see these articles:
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Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.
