The most common side effects in people given Contrave (bupropion SR (Wellbutrin) plus naltrexone SR) were:

• Nausea reported by 34% of patients vs 11% in the placebo group


• Headache reported by 24% of patients vs 18%


• Constipation reported by 24% of patients vs 5%


• Dizziness reported by 15% of patients vs 5%


• Insomnia reported by 9% of patients vs 6%


• Dry mouth reported by 8% of patients vs 3%


• Anxiety reported by 5% of patients vs 4%


• Tremor reported by 6% of patients vs 1%


• Abdominal pain reported by 6% of patients vs 2%


• Ringing in the ears (tinnitus) reported by 5% of patients vs 1%

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People given Empatic, a combination of 120 mg of sustained-release Zonegran (zonisamide) plus 360 mg of sustained-release Wellbutrin SR (bupropion), lost an average of 12.1 percent of body weight after eleven months according to a press release from Orexigen Therapeutics, the company developing the drug. Read the entire article | Email this article

People given Empatic, a combination of 360 mg of sustained-release Zonegran (zonisamide) plus 360 mg of sustained-release Wellbutrin SR (bupropion), lost an average of 14 percent of body weight after eleven months according to a press release from Orexigen Therapeutics, the company developing the drug. Read the entire article | Email this article

A drug called Empatic, which is simply a combination of sustained-release Zonegran (zonisamide) plus sustained-release Wellbutrin SR (bupropion), with a minimal amount of diet and exercise caused a weight loss of 5-10 percent after six months for people who completed the study compared to one percent for those given a placebo according to a press release from Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc, the company who is developing the drug. Read the entire article | Email this article

A drug called Empatic, which is simply a combination of sustained-release Zonegran (zonisamide) plus sustained-release Wellbutrin SR (bupropion), with a minimal amount of diet and exercise caused a weight loss of 11-15 percent after eleven months for people who completed the study compared to one percent for those given a placebo according to a press release from Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc, the company who is developing the drug. Read the entire article | Email this article

A drug called Empatic, which is simply a combination of sustained-release Zonegran (zonisamide) plus sustained-release Wellbutrin SR (bupropion), with a minimal amount of diet and exercise caused a weight loss of 5-10 percent after six months and 11-15 percent after 11 months for people who completed the study compared to one percent for those given a placebo according to a press release from Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc, the company who is developing the drug.

The number of people who dropped out of the study due to adverse effects varied from 9-21 percent depending on the dose of each drug.

No one given the highest dose of the drugs dropped out of the study in the last 5 months due to side effects according to a press release from the company.
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Among patients who completed the six month study, those given Contrave, a drug combination of Wellbutrin (bupropion) and naltrexone, lost an average of 6.8 percent of their body weight in six months compared to 3.8 percent for those given Wellbutrin (bupropion) alone, 2.2 percent for for those given naltrexone alone, and 1 percent for patients given a placebo according a paper by Frank Greenway and George Bray (2007). (The placebo group was discontinued after four months.) Read the entire article | Email this article

Among patients who finished the study, those given Contrave, with higher than 300 mg doses of Wellbutrin (bupropion) and one of three different doses of naltrexone -- I assume less than 50 mg used in the previous study in order to try and reduce nausea -- lost an average of 7 percent to 7.6 percent after six months compared to 1.1 percent for those given a placebo. After nine months, the average weight loss for those still in the study was 8 percent to 9.3 percent. Read the entire article | Email this article

People given a drug called Excalia, which is a combination of two drugs, 300 mg of Wellbutrin SR (bupropion sustained-release) plus 400 mg of Zonegran (zonisamide immediate-release), and who completed the study, lost an average of 9.2 percent of their body weight after six months compared to 6.6 percent for those given only Zonegran SR (zonisamide), 3.4 percent for those given only Wellbutrin SR (bupropion), and 0.4 percent for those given a placebo. After eleven months, those who continued taking Excalia had lost an average of 12 percent of their body weight. Read the entire article | Email this article

Wellbutrin (bupropion) causes an average weight loss of 6.1 pounds more than placebo after six months according to a analysis by the RAND Corporation. Read the entire article | Email this article

The combination of phentermine and Wellbutrin SR (bupropion) does not appear any more effective than phentermine alone according to a study funded by Glaxo Wellcome, the makers of Wellbutrin. Read the entire article | Email this article

Jerry Darm, M.D. is a physician in the Portland, Oregon area who has used the combination of phentermine and Wellbutrin for weight loss. Larry Hobbs spoke to Dr. Darm by phone. Read the entire article | Email this article

Women given Wellbutrin SR (bupropion sustained-release) lost an average of 9.7 pounds in six months compared to 3.7 pounds for women given a placebo according to a recent study. Read the entire article | Email this article

Wellbutrin SR (bupropion), a drug approved as an antidepressant and to help patients stop smoking, may also help with weight loss. Read the entire article | Email this article

Depression and obesity may be related according to a new paper by researchers from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Cincinnati, Ohio. In the case of atypical depression, a combination of Effexor (venlafaxine) and Wellbutrin (bupropion) may be effective for improving mood and help to reduce appetite and weight gain associated with type of depression according to two professors of psychiatry from University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Read the entire article | Email this article

Wellbutrin and Zyban (bupropion), the antidepressant and antismoking drug that has also been shown to cause weight loss, is "almost identical in [chemical] structure to [the diet pill Tenuate] diethylpropion" according a letter to the editor in the British Medical Journal. Read the entire article | Email this article