Wegovy and Contrave: Is It Safe? Label, Studies
No study covers both; ask your prescriber before combining two weight loss medicines.
- Verdict
- Ask your prescriber first
- Label names it
- No
- General caution
- Pills absorbed more slowly
Check a GLP-1 interaction
Wegovy details at a glance
Its half-life is about 1 week: after 7 d, half is gone, and about 3% remains after five half-lives (35 d).
In STEP 1, the 68-week result was 14.9% of body weight, compared with 2.4% on placebo.
Monthly prices in US dollars include the list price and self-pay offers, with each figure taken from the maker's price page.
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed), healthsystemtracker.org, prnewswire.com 1 2.
The verdict on Wegovy and Contrave
Ask your prescriber first
Word for word from the drug interactions section of the Wegovy label:
“WEGOVY causes a delay of gastric emptying and thereby has the potential to impact the absorption of concomitantly administered oral medications. In clinical pharmacology trials”
Source: FDA DailyMed label.
What the Wegovy label says
The Wegovy label does not name Contrave (naltrexone and bupropion). These same points still apply to it.
| Named in the label | The risk | What the label tells doctors |
|---|---|---|
| Oral medicines | Pills absorbed differently | It slows stomach emptying, and that can change the way other pills are absorbed. |
Information source: Wegovy label (DailyMed).
What the studies show
- Drug Interactions, Label section:
- Label interaction involving oral medicines
- ingredients listed: naltrexone and bupropion:
- hypoglycemia and weight loss when used with insulin:
Source: FDA DailyMed label.
The practical rule
- Only combine them if your prescriber plans to. Also inform your prescriber about all other medicines you take.
- Tell whoever prescribes your GLP-1 about every pill you take, including this one.
- Ask your pharmacist if a steady blood level is needed for any of your pills. A check may be needed when you start or increase the dose.
Source: FDA DailyMed label.
Contrave with other GLP-1s
None of the 10 GLP-1 labels names Contrave (naltrexone and bupropion) in its drug interaction section. Since each label carries the same general warning about swallowed pills, the answer stays the same for the entire class.
Source: FDA DailyMed label.