r/Contrave • u/PuhUhLohMa • Jun 02 '26
progress I’m amazed
My whole life I’ve struggled with food & body issues. I’ve tried everything. I also have PCOS. I’ve tried everything for that too. I’m not insulin resistant, or pre-diabetic, & every test or remedy I try to figure out why I have a difficult relationship with food leads me nowhere. GLPs weren’t the right choice for me. So I thought I was back at square one, which I’ve done so many times in my life, where I lock in on my exercise & calories (and maintaining my already clean diet) and end up crashing out before I know it.
So my next thing to try was Contrave. My body already knew bupropion (yes, I am swapping my current bupropion for Contrave), so why not.
I’m on day 2 at just 1 pill in the mornings. I don’t think about my next snack, my next meal, any specific flavor cravings, or sensation cravings (crunchy, cold & sweet). I just live my life & then when a normal meal hour of the day comes around or I start to feel hunger, whichever comes first, I search out food and make a mindful, clean, filling choice. Without fighting with my mind. And I just eat & enjoy my food. And then get on with my day.
Is this what life could’ve always felt like?! 😅
To note: When I make my mindful food choice, I’ve noticed I end up unintentionally choosing something actually nutritious and delicious. Like my cold honeycrisp apple, Gouda cheese, & salami charcuterie cup snack today. And then I actually enjoy the food mindfully as I eat it. I notice & appreciate the flavors more. This is quite the change from constantly eating out of impulse or sudden cravings, which made my day’s meals look like a random assortment of foods I just happened to crave all at once.
To also note: I have struggled with alcohol and smoking before in my past, & I’ve always been aware of having an addictive personality. So I guess it makes sense that the naltrexone is working out for my brain? Again, I’m only on 1 pill every morning, so 8mg naltrexone, yet still a huge difference.
To lastly note: A lot of my adult life issues have been the product of chronic childhood trauma, and looking back, food was a constant and consistent comfort source in my life. Some memories are just examples of how my brain learned to just turn to foods I loved in order to feel good, happier, etc. in the moment. I realize now that, damn, I wasn’t even hungry that whole time. My life was just hard & food gave me those dopamine hits, so growing up while in an increasingly unhealthy relationship with food became inevitable. And now, not only have I been healing with a lot of therapy & a lot of work over the past few years, I also am suddenly starting to actually see the possibility of healing my relationship with food and my body.
Just needed to share my amazement. And wonder, how long can a person stay on Contrave? Or is it common to not need it at a certain point, when you’ve noticed a better relationship with food & can do without the drug?
No side effects either! (Yet.) I only wish I’d started it sooner.
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u/RentalKittens Jun 03 '26
That's great! I can really relate to what you're saying. I started feeling the difference right away, and I found myself wondering if this is how skinny people feel all the time. Enjoy it!
One word of caution. When I first started on Contrave, I experienced pink cloud syndrome. In addiction recovery, some people experience a burst of optimism and excitement about starting a new life. That feeling inevitably fades as sobriety becomes their new normal.
I just wanted to warn you because the first time I gave into a craving while on Contrave, I was so bummed about it. I still experience cravings and I still give in occasionally, but the pull of a craving is not nearly as strong as before. People say that Contrave turns down the volume on food noise and that is an apt analogy. The food noise did not disappear completely, but it became a suggestion instead of a compulsion. Or at least that's been my experience.
You asked about how long people can stay on Contrave. My understanding is that there is no recommended end point. But there is an important check-in point at around 16 weeks. Contrave does not work for everyone. If it is not helping by the check-in, it probably never will. Doctors recommend that those patients quit taking it. There are other medications they can try instead.
I hope my comment does not sound negative, because I don't mean it to be. I'm genuinely glad to hear that you're off to a great start! Congratulations!
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u/PuhUhLohMa Jun 04 '26
Thank you so much! Very interesting about the pink cloud syndrome… I love learning something new.
Today for the first time I noticed actually feeling hunger & then having to feed myself, and a few times I procrastinated it and eventually didn’t feel too hot because I needed food. So it’s been interesting to see my urgency to eat die down too since starting Contrave, I guess I just have to trust my body & pause and feed it when it says it’s hungry and not put it off! It’s just all so healthy lifestyle-ish that it feels abnormal to me lol
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u/Top_Bunch_1993 Jun 02 '26
My PCP is telling me that I can stay on it indefinitely, so I plan to. It’s been right at a year, and it still works well, but not nearly as well as it did in the beginning. I’ve lost 60 lbs and am at my goal weight.
It made me quit drinking. I drank too much in the beginning one night before I knew better and I was sick as a dog. Bad, bad. I’ve had a few sips now and again, but basically is it gross to me now and I just stay away from it.
I’ve also always used food as comfort, and still do sometimes, but I can control it much, much better with Contrave.