Itching From Contrave

I have been taking Contrave for three weeks and have developed itching on the insides of my hands and the bottoms of my feet. Has anyone else experienced this?

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Hello, Arlie! How are you?

Do you have a rash, or just the itching?

Contrave has been known to cause a rash as a side effect, as listed by the FDA. You may also experience nausea, dizziness, headache and insomnia.

Are you on any other medications? The itching could be due to a circulation problem.

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No rash. No other meds. Nothing new besides the Contrave.

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There's a chance that it's affecting your circulation, which can cause itching.

Have you had it checked out by your doctor, yet?

Has it improved, at all?

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I have cut the dosage in half (one pill in the morning and one in the evening) and no longer have the itching problem that I had while taking the higher dosage.

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I'm glad you're doing better. :-)

Please keep me updated!

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I too just started with the itch under my feet and hands. However today I have been itching everywhere. I am currently on 2 in the am and 1 in the pm. Thinking about going back to 1 and 1. Has anyone else experienced the all over itching?

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Yes, the itch spread and I had the itching at the same point in the medicine process. I did go back to one and one, and the itching, for the most part, went away. I am now wondering if the cause of the itching, since there is no rash, is that this drug dries out your system to such a great extent, that the skin is so dry, thus the itching (although hand lotion did nothing to stop the itch).

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Hi, I am currently going through a case of really bad itching. I am on my third week of contrave, 2 in the am 1 in the pm. I am itching every where from hands to the feet, head, neck, etc. How long after going back to 1 am 1 pm did the itching go away? My iching is so bad that was thinking about stopping it altogether but it has been helping me so much that I do not want to stop.

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It took a day or two to somewhat subside and a few weeks to totally go away.

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I also started the 2:1 this passed Friday 8/21 and on 8/24 woke up with bad itching back of neck and ears. Got so bad by 8/25 and 8/26 my hands swelled up and burned when touched, my right eye was alos swollen. I went to dr on 8/25 and he had me stop the Contrave and prescribed me with steroids, but i still have the itching everywhere. I did not want to stop it because it is working 9#'s down since 8/7. he did state i could start all over once the rash/itching has subsided. should i just go back to the 1:1?

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I have been on Contrave for 3 months. It made it itch uncontrollably. It always happen around 10pm or so. I tried just taking one pill a day, but nothing changed, the itching got so bad that I stopped talking Contrave. Note: I did lose 15 pounds

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I took contrave and within 1 week, i was itching on feet and hands and then everywhere, also lymph nodes start to swell. stopped it and reaction is still going strong after a month and a half that i quit. went to ER twice and to several doctors. seems that this is a severe allergic reaction. been on prednisone twice and had to go to an allergist and put on 2 different meds and this may not go away. also, i have Sarcoidosis and it flared it up after being in remmission for 2 years and 3 months. i am very upset about this, this is defeating its purpose. being on prednisone has increased my weight. this is really upsetting.

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Been on Contrave for 1 month & I ITCH BADLY!!! Thinking about asking my doc to just prescribe the Wellbutrin and calling it a day

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Holy Moses! 2 days into week three, I woke up with hives all over, itching palms ,ears and worst of all the bottoms of my feet! I fully blamed new fabric softener but after 3 more days, I'm finally conceding that it's the Contrave. I'm going to stop it until it goes away and then try again, stopping at 1 twice daily, to see if that will keep it at bay. Yikes! This is miserable!!

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Just after I increased dosage to 2 twice a day, I got hives. Had no idea what caused it. They went away after a few days, then I got strange intense itching on my palms & soles of my feet. I found these threads relating it to Contrave & that solved the mystery. I was able to control the itching with Zyrtec. I stopped the Contrave a few weeks ago (after losing no weight in ~2 1/2 months of taking it). But my feet still sometimes itch if I don't take the Zyrtec.

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I have been on Contrave for 5 weeks and am currently doing the 2:2. I have been itching everywhere from inside my hands down to my thighs. I feel better now knowing that I am not alone. It seemed to happen overnight. I, too, thought it was my fabric softener or possibly even the brand of soap before realizing that Contrave is the culprit of my now extremely dry skin. I bought lotion specifically for dry skin - exzema. It hasn't worked. May try Zyrtec to see if that helps.

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Yes I have been itching not knowing what is going on. Now I know. My scalp, ears, hands, back and breast. It started after I started taking 2 and 2. I am going to cut back to 1 and 1 to see if it helps.

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Hello have you noticed a difference? Are you still experiencing the itching? Happened to me just after I started the twice a day dosage. Thanks

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Yep. Been on it a month and have itching all over.

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I stopped about 2 weeks ago after taking it 7 days and it took me a week and half to stop itching. I'm wondering if I start again will it happen again.

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Re: Tori (# 59)

My only relief was Benedryl, but who wants to be on different Medications?!

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Re: Plumlbs (# 53)

Yes, I thought I had bed bugs or an autoimmune disease. I stopped Contrave as the side effects were not worth the intense scratching.

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Re: Mandi (# 14)

Sooo miserable!

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Re: Jessica (# 8)

I stopped it over a week ago and am still itching. I've never experienced this before. I am afraid to start the medicine again.

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The itching is awful. I stopped taking and still itchy. Going to doctor today to get prednisone. How long will it take for this to go away. Scratching big marks in my sleep

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Re: Amy (# 56)

I took Contrave a few years ago. The insanely intense itching of my feet and palms of my hands was it for me. I gave it up. No rash just pure misery from the itch. My body said stop, so I did.

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Re: Chris (# 43)

Hi. I'm taking the two drugs separately & am having the same problem. I can say for certain the itching is due to the Naltrexone.

From the start, I was prescribed 1 wellbutrin SR a day. For Naltrexone, in weeks 1-2 I took a quarter of a tab per day. On week 3, I increased to half a tab per day & this is when the itchy hands & feet began. I'm also noticing some hives and hand/foot swelling as well in week 3.

Antihistamine & heavy creams helped with the itching but I'm going to drop back down to the lower dosage of Naltrexone. Hopefully the lower Naltrexone dose will still be effective for weight loss bc I didn't experience any side effects in the first 2 wks.

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Yes! I am on my third week and my feet are extremely itchy. I have looked to see if this is a side effect, but not found anything.

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Re: Plumlbs (# 53)

Just an update. It seems some people have itchiness with no severe allergic reaction so I guess it just becomes a situation where you decide if you can stand that side effect and it is worth it for the weight loss benefit. My severe allergic reaction resulting in significant hair loss did resolve. Hair loss stopped after three months and regrowth has started.

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Re: Alicat (# 17)

I am relieved to hear that the itchyness I am experiencing currently is most likely linked to Contrave. I just started the 2:2 phase and have been woken up in the middle of the night with uncontolable itchyness! The itchyness is the worst in the night, I cannot sleep. It is present in the day too. This is a brand new symptom.
Contrave has been working for me; I have lost 12 lbs. I hope the itchyness passes. It is unbearable. I thought I had bed bugs!! I have been losing my mind! Thank you all for sharing.

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