Short answer: The Contrave label builds up over four weeks: 1 tablet in the morning in week 1, 1 morning and 1 evening in week 2, 2 morning and 1 evening in week 3, and 2 tablets twice daily from week 4 on (32 mg naltrexone/360 mg bupropion a day). Response is checked after 12 weeks on that dose, and Contrave is stopped if weight loss is under 5%.
This is what the FDA label says. Follow your prescriber. Your prescriber may use a different dose or pace than the label's standard schedule.
What Contrave is approved for: Contrave is approved, with a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity, to reduce excess body weight and keep it off long term in adults with obesity, or with overweight and at least one weight-related condition (section 1). The label says its effect on heart disease and death has not been established, and it must not be used with other bupropion products.
Source
CONTRAVE (naltrexone hydrochloride and bupropion hydrochloride) extended-release tablets, prescribing information and Medication Guide. Currax Pharmaceuticals. DailyMed, version published November 17, 2025. DailyMed setid 485ff360-32c8-11df-928b-0002a5d5c51b
Contrave is taken by mouth in the morning and evening. Tablets are not cut, chewed or crushed (section 2.1). Each extended-release tablet has 8 mg naltrexone HCl and 90 mg bupropion HCl (section 3).
In trials it was taken with meals, but the label says not to take it with a high-fat meal, because that sharply raises bupropion and naltrexone levels (section 2.1) and the seizure risk (section 5.3).
The table below is the label's schedule, from the Dosage and Administration section. Numbers are copied exactly; the section is in brackets.
| Week | Morning Dose | Evening Dose |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 1 tablet | None |
| Week 2 | 1 tablet | 1 tablet |
| Week 3 | 2 tablets | 1 tablet |
| Week 4 – Onward | 2 tablets | 2 tablets |
The full daily dose of 32 mg naltrexone HCl and 360 mg bupropion HCl (two tablets twice daily) is reached at the start of week 4. Daily doses above that are not recommended.
Response is checked after 12 weeks at the maintenance dose. If at least 5% of starting body weight has not been lost, Contrave is stopped, as the label says meaningful weight loss is unlikely with continued treatment.
To lower seizure risk, the dose is split into two daily doses, raised gradually, no more than two tablets are taken at once, and high-fat meals are avoided.
With moderate or severe kidney impairment, the maximum is two tablets a day (one morning, one evening); Contrave is not recommended in end-stage kidney disease.
With moderate liver impairment, the maximum is two tablets a day (one morning, one evening); Contrave is not recommended in severe liver impairment.
With CYP2B6 inhibitors such as ticlopidine or clopidogrel, the maximum is two tablets a day (one morning, one evening).
Blood pressure and heart rate may rise, with a greater risk in the first three months; people with high blood pressure are monitored when starting.
If a dose is missed, the label says to wait until the next scheduled dose to resume the regular schedule. The Medication Guide adds not to take more than 1 dose of Contrave at a time.
More on this: missed a dose of Contrave.
At least 14 days pass between stopping an MAOI antidepressant and starting Contrave, and at least 14 days after stopping Contrave before starting an MAOI.
People who used short-acting opioids need an opioid-free gap of at least 7 to 10 days before starting Contrave; those coming off buprenorphine or methadone may need up to two weeks.
Contrave is not used with other bupropion products, such as Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL, Aplenzin or Zyban.
In Dose Track you set up Contrave as a protocol with the dose and schedule your prescriber gave you. A protocol can hold dose steps, each with its own dose and length in days or weeks, so a step-up plan like the one on the label can be entered once and the app moves to the next step on its own. Reminders follow the schedule, and every dose is logged with the date and time, so you can see which step you are on and when your last dose was. The app follows what you enter; it does not choose or change a dose.
This page is what the FDA label says, in plain words. It is not medical advice. Follow your prescriber, and ask them or your pharmacist about anything here.