Jill Health Weight Loss
Program:
Your Contrave Prescription
We’re glad you’re here.
We want to thank you for choosing Jill Health. This webpage overviews the most important information about your Contrave prescription:
Continue scrolling or click on the above links to navigate to the specific section.
Here’s a quick breakdown of your medication:
Contrave is a pill you take twice daily that regulates appetite and decreases hunger signals. It regulates your hypothalamus and mesolimbic reward system to keep your appetite stable and manageable. This means you don’t have to deal with a ton of hunger pangs undermining your weight loss efforts.
The longer you keep at it, the more success you’ll see.
In order to see results, it’s important to take it around the same time everyday. When you combine Contrave with dietary and exercise changes, you’ll find successful weight loss even quicker. Soon, you’ll be hitting your goals with no fear of falling back into old habits. Consistency is always the key.
For some, 30 minutes a month isn’t enough time to tackle your nutrition, movement and mental health questions. Click here to book extra time with a Registered Dietitian, Registered Kinesiologist, Psychotherapist or Social Worker.
Week 1 – Take 1 pill in the morning.
Week 2 – Take 1 pill in the morning, and 1 in the evening.
Week 3 – Take 2 pills in the morning, and 1 in the evening.
Week 4 – Take 2 pills in the morning, and 2 in the evening.
If you miss a dose, simply take the next dose as scheduled.
Take only your prescribed dose. If you think you’ve taken more, contact your doctor or a hospital immediately, even with no symptoms.
Do not take this medication with a high fat meal: think oily or very greasy foods.
Take the pills whole: do not cut, chew, or crush them.
Avoid drinking a lot of alcohol. If you drink frequently, speak with a doctor or our medical team on how to safely proceed.
We’ve curated daily vitamin & supplement packs: add them onto your treatments for an extra boost, or take them on their own.
Remember, this medication is just for you.
While rare (only 5% of patients get them), the most common adverse reactions include: nausea, constipation, headache, vomiting, dizziness, insomnia, dry mouth, and diarrhea. If you experience unusual changes in mood or develop a seizure disorder, stop taking the medication immediately and contact a health care professional.
Contrave is not approved for use in the treatment of major depressive disorder or other psychiatric disorders. Contrave contains bupropion, the same active ingredient as some other antidepressant medications (including, but not limited to, Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL, and Aplenzin). Antidepressants increased the risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior in children, adolescents, and young adults in short-term trials. These trials did not show an increase in the risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior with antidepressant use in subjects over age 24; there was a reduction in risk with antidepressant use in subjects aged 65 and older. In patients of all ages who are started on Contrave, monitor closely for worsening, and for the emergence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Advise families and caregivers of the need for close observation and communication with the prescriber. Contrave is not approved for use in pediatric patients.
Hypersensitivity (known previous physical sensitivity) to bupropion, naltrexone, or any other component of the formulation; concomitant use of other bupropion-containing products (eg, including [but not limited to] Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL, Aplenzin, Zyban); chronic opioid, opiate agonist (eg, methadone) or partial agonist (eg, buprenorphine) use; acute opioid withdrawal; uncontrolled hypertension; seizure disorder or a history of seizures; bulimia or anorexia nervosa; patients undergoing abrupt discontinuation of alcohol, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and antiseizure drugs; concomitant use of MAOIs (concurrently or within 14 days of discontinuing the MAOI or naltrexone/bupropion); initiation of naltrexone/bupropion in a patient receiving linezolid or IV methylene blue.
Drug interactions: This medication may interact with antidepressants, antipsychotics or anti-anxiety medications. If you are not sure if your medications will interact, please email us at pharmacy@jill.health
Join a live group session to talk about medication side effects and how to manage them with our Pharmacist Sarah.
How do I get my prescription?
With your consent, the prescription will be sent to our partner pharmacy— ScaleRx. They will then have it delivered to your home for free. They ship across Canada to all regions except for: New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Prince Edward Island, Nunavut, and Yukon. Once your order has been processed, you’ll be provided with a tracking number and can expect your delivery within 2-5 days. You can also pick up the prescription directly from them, at Unit 400-2620 Bristol Cir, Oakville, ON L6H 6Z7.
Alternatively, we can send the prescription to a pharmacy of your choosing.
How to get a refill:
You will be auto-refilled every 1-3 months as long as you remain on the program.
How do we connect if there’s any problems?
If you have questions about your prescription or dosage, you can contact the ScaleRx pharmacists at pharmacy@jill.health.
For other medical questions, like side effects, log into your account and head to the Medical Chat tab.
Follow up:
During month 1-3:
Every 3 months thereafter:
Can I drink alcohol while on this medication?
If you are going to be having more than a drink or 2 in one day, it is recommended to skip your dose for that day as alcohol also decreases your blood sugar along with the medication, and increases risk of lactic acidosis
Avoid drinking a lot of alcohol. If you drink frequently, speak with a doctor or our medical team on how to safely proceed.
What if I get sick with a flu or flu like symptoms while on treatment?
If you are sick, with cold, flu, or covid like symptoms, please skip your dose until you are feeling better. If you’re off for more than 3 days drop down 2 dose levels and increase back up to where you were over the next few days/week.
What are some signs of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) ?
Signs of a low blood sugar are trembling or shaking hands, palpitations, sweating, anxiety, hunger, nausea and tingling, difficulty concentrating, confusion, weakness, blurry vision, headache and dizziness.
You have a functional pancreas and should be quickly able to adjust your blood sugars however if you notice a few of these symptoms eat a small snack with at least 15g of carbs ( for example, 1 small apple, 1/2 a banana, 1 slice of toast, 1/2 cup of orange juice) and it should resolve in 15-20min. It is recommended to drop down a level of dosing if this happens more than once.
What are some signs of lactic acidosis?
Lactic acidosis is a serious condition that may rarely occur when taking Metformin. It can cause symptoms like feeling tired or sick, having trouble breathing, and abdominal pain. If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s important to seek medical attention right away.
Do I need to exercise?
Continue eating healthy and maintain your exercise routine. If you haven’t started some form of exercise, this is very helpful for helping maintain your weight loss.
For general questions, you can reach us at: hello@jill.health or by chatting with us on our website.
If you have questions about your prescription or dosage, you can contact the ScaleRx pharmacists at pharmacy@jillhealth.ca or by phone at 905-291-7970.
For other medical questions, like side effects, log into your account and head to the Medical Chat tab.
Hear from real Jill Health members who are hitting their weight loss goals through our Program.
Questions? Contact us anytime on the site chat or at hello@jill.health
Jill Health is not a pharmacy or a drug manufacturer.
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