In the glow of early weight loss success, you may wonder if you can stop taking your medication. After all, you’ve lost some weight so… game over? Maybe not. You may find that it may be difficult to maintain your goal weight without the continued support of your medication—which can bring its own challenges.
A conversation with your provider to determine the right strategy for you and your goals is always best. Your healthcare provider will work with you to determine when to start, stop, or change your CONTRAVE dose, based on your weight goals and other health factors.
What is the long-term dosing for CONTRAVE?
When you begin taking CONTRAVE, you will start with just one pill taken in the morning. Eventually, you'll work towards the full dose of CONTRAVE. The CONTRAVE Medication Guide refers to this as the dose you take starting in week 4 onward—2 pills, twice daily. (However, if you have certain kidney or liver problems, your final dose may be lower.)
(Remember, always take CONTRAVE as instructed by your healthcare provider, and do not stop taking your CONTRAVE unless otherwise told by your provider.)
Of course, people respond to medications differently. Your health provider should tell you to stop taking CONTRAVE if you have not lost a certain amount of weight after 16 weeks of treatment.
Commitment Brings Success
Prescription weight loss medications are not designed to be a quick fix that you can start and stop whenever you want. This is why developing sustainable healthy habits that work for your new, healthier lifestyle is so important.
Sometimes, the hardest part of continuing treatment long-term is moving past the stigma of being on medication for the foreseeable future. Modern science considers obesity and similar weight-related medical issues as a chronic medical condition that requires long-term therapy, similar to treating high blood pressure, asthma, or anxiety.
When we reframe our thinking to match that, we can better accept that not all bodies are the same—and that’s okay.
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