Earlier this week, I told you how unscrupulous drug executives at Novo Nordisk are pushing a ‘new’ weight loss drug, called Saxenda… a drug that is exactly the same (and as dangerous) as Novo Nordisk’s side effect-ridden diabetes drug Victoza!

Today, I have this question: Would you risk suicidal thoughts, seizures, high blood pressure, increased heart rate and palpitations in exchange for losing 9 pounds?

Because that’s what the drug maker Orexigen is counting on with their “new” diet pill, called Contrave.

A double-barrel danger

Frankly, it looks like Contrave is the most dangerous way to diet there could possibly be. Yet, despite its dangers this drug was recently approved by the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Contrave is made up of two very risky medications. The first drug is called bupropion – the generic name for the antidepressant Wellbutrin.

Bupropion is also used as one of those mind-altering smoking cessation drugs for those trying to stop smoking, but under a different brand name. Like other antidepressant and antismoking drugs, bupropion can play havoc with your mind – causing “suicidal thinking and behaviour” is one way. It even has a black box warning for that, as well as for “serious neuropsychiatric events.”

Oh, and bupropion can also cause seizures.

The second drug in this contrived Contrave-combo is called naltrexone – a drug used to help people who are addicted to opioid drugs.

Aside from naltrexone’s black box warning about liver damage, it can also cause nausea, severe diarrhoea and vomiting, confusion and hallucinations.

So let’s see… For the sake of losing a few extra pounds, you will run the risk of having seizures and violent,
suicidal behaviour, nausea, severe diarrhoea, vomiting, confusion, hallucinations and liver damage.

Orexigen first submitted its application for this potentially deadly drug cocktail more than 4 years ago. Back then, the FDA turned it down – not once, but twice.

However, 4 years ago the FDA was not worried about seizures and suicides, but about the heart risk from Contrave as it can also cause an acute rise in blood pressure and a big increase in your heart rate.

Yet, this time around, the FDA approved Contrave, but only under the condition that Orexigen reports back on all these risks after the drug maker has finished its post-marketing heart-risk study… After millions of people have taken it.

And if you want to know the bottom line of how much weight people actually lost taking Contrave, here are the results from its weight loss trial:

For over a year 700 obese people did lots of exercise, ate very carefully, had professional counselling and took Contrave. They dropped an average of 20 to 25 pounds each.

Those aren’t bad results… BUT (and you know there must be a ‘but’)…

There was another group in this trial. These people took a placebo, and were also put on the same diet, exercise and counselling programme.

This group lost 11 to 16 pounds – proving that obese people aren’t just weak-willed people, but that when given the right support and guidance they can shake off the pounds…

Whatever way you look at it, with hideous weight loss drugs like Saxenda and Contrave hitting the market, I’m looking at the treadmill with a whole new set of eyes…

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Bear in mind all the material in this email alert is provided for information purposes only. We are not addressing anyone’s personal situation. Please consult with your own physician before acting on any recommendations contained herein.

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Sources:

“FDA approves Contrave weight loss drug from Orexigen and Takeda” Larry Husten, September 10, 2014, Forbes, forbes.com