Stopping Contrave Prior To Surgery? How Long???

I've been on Contrave for 6 months with some slight success. I've lost about 6 lbs, but I also have not gained any weight, which is at least a step in the right direction. I don't follow all the rules and don't exercise enough.

I was initially scheduled to have ENT surgery for a severe sinus infection in 2 days (Wednesday). Surgery has now been moved to 8 days (following Tuesday).

My GP told me today that I should off Contrave for 2 weeks prior to surgery because of the naltrexone, because it might interfere with anesthesia. I've looked online and cannot find any mention this. She also told be that because the naltrexone dose (8mg) is so I need to check with the anesthesiologist to be sure. I called the surgeon's office and his nurse called the anesthesiologist who said 7 days. When I first started taking Contrave, I thought I might be needing a surgery, so asked my GP's NP and she told me that because the half life of naltrexone (4 hours) is so short that I would need to stop it 72 hours prior to surgery. I went to the Contrave website and called the number for comments and questions and didn't get much help there other than to tell me what the half life of naltrexone and bupropion she could not find information on surgery in the literature.

I just want a straight answer. My surgeon's nurse and I decided it would be best to put the surgery off a week even though I am currently miserable with a severe sinus infection that has gone on 9 weeks and 4 different antibiotics. I'm wondering about balancing between the dangers of letting this infection go on another week and possible interaction between naltrexone and anesthesia.

Does anyone out there know the correct answer to this delima?

REPLY

REPORT

With regards to Contrave (bupropion + naltrexone) interacting with anesthesia, (not knowing which anesthetic they might give you) I looked up a commonly used drug to induce anesthesia by the name of Propofol and in my research the "bupropion" does reportedly interact with the benzyl alcohol [1.5mgs per mL] that is one of several inactive ingredients present in the formula (posted below).

Source: umm.edu (University of Maryland Medical Center / drug interaction tool)

Inactive ingredients:
Soybean oil 100 mg in 1 ml
Glycerin 22.5 mg in 1 ml
Egg phospholipids 12 mg in 1 ml
Benzyl alcohol 1.5 mg in 1 ml
Sodium benzoate 0.7 mg in 1 ml
Sodium hydroxide

National Drug Code(s):
52584-699 & 0409-4699

Apparently the combination of the two taken together could increase your risk of seizures among a number of other undesirable side effects. I don't know how much alcohol it takes to trigger the onset of such symptoms but wouldn't want to chance it either.

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Hi
I started taking Contrave June of 2018. I lost 42 lbs by Nov. Then all of the sudden it just stopped working!??? I stopped taking it for a couple months now and want to restart it because im hoping it will do the trick again. Side note: a few years back I took Bupropion for aniexty and depression..it work for weight loss also...but it stopped work again after 6 months. What the heck? So can I restart it? Anyone??

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Re: Gladys (# 2)

Bupropion is one of the ingredients in Contrave so you have been taking it all along. If you meet the requirements there is no reason you could not go back on Contrave which is a combo of Bupropion and Naltrexone or go back in just the Bupropion

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Re: Gladys (# 2)

try Saxenda it amazing! So easy and no side effects after a month or so and even then its just nausea so just take something

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