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I've noticed that since my surgery I can't tolerate most medications. I've not had any alcohol yet though I suspect today I'm going to test the waters. I take Xanax for anxiety. I used to take 2 MG and it would calm me down. Now I take 2 MG and it makes me sleepy as ever. I also used to be able to take adderall XR but something about the gastric sleeve and the way it absorbs makes it not effective. Instant release is fine. As far as addictions, I don't think I have any to drugs or alcohol since my surgery. Def. not Alcohol as I haven't had any.

yes, cross addiction is very common. In many cases, we are "addicted" to food....we use it when we are stressed, sad, happy, depressed, etc. We use it to Celebrate and to soothe us in bad times. A big part of successful WLS is learning how to not use food this way. We have to find another way to deal with our emotions. And yes, in many cases, food is simply replaced with another addiction.... shopping, gambling, drugs, alcohol, sex, exercise, etc. This is where the psych eval, counseling and therapy comes in. You have to find a constructive way to deal with the mental and emotional aspects of your relationship with food. Alcoholism and drug addiction are definitely seen in post WLS patients.

Everyone have a Happy Thanksgiving. I am thankful for this community you and I are part of. I avoid food-holidays like a recovering alcoholic avoids Octoberfest so today on Thanksgiving I'll be hiking in the forest with loved ones who share and support my vision for wellness. After the hike we will grill a wild salmon and vegetables outdoors. I'll give great thanks for an active, healthy life, pain-free at goal-weight after years being opiate-addicted for chronic back and knee pain with morbid obesity. Who needs a Big Meal? Not me! Life IS my Big Meal! As you sit down to whatever Big Meal awaits you today give some thought to this question.... What is the metaphorical Big Meal in your life? What grand table are you being invited and challenged to join by your Weight Loss Surgery journey? Maybe it is to live a longer, healthier life to enjoy friends and family. Maybe it is to inspire others who suffer morbid obesity to believe they can be healthy again or to teach your kids to have a healthier relationship with food from the beginning of their lives. Whatever your Big Meal is, consider if the meal you will sit down to later today moves you closer to that vision or further away. Whether you choose to eat carefully or splurge later today do it mindfully, consciously and with compassion for yourself. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Everyone have a Happy Thanksgiving. I am thankful for this community you and I are part of. I avoid food-holidays like a recovering alcoholic avoids Octoberfest so today on Thanksgiving I'll be hiking in the forest with loved ones who share and support my vision for wellness. After the hike we will grill a wild salmon and vegetables outdoors. I'll give great thanks for an active, healthy life, pain-free at goal-weight after years being opiate-addicted for chronic back and knee pain with morbid obesity. Who needs a Big Meal? Not me! Life IS my Big Meal! As you sit down to whatever Big Meal awaits you today give some thought to this question.... What is the metaphorical Big Meal in your life? What grand table are you being invited and challenged to join by your Weight Loss Surgery journey? Maybe it is to live a longer, healthier life to enjoy friends and family. Maybe it is to inspire others who suffer morbid obesity to believe they can be healthy again or to teach your kids to have a healthier relationship with food from the beginning of their lives. Whatever your Big Meal is, consider if the meal you will sit down to later today moves you closer to that vision or further away. Whether you choose to eat carefully or splurge later today do it mindfully, consciously and with compassion for yourself. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

I am diagnosing myself here but I am pretty certain I have non alcoholic fatty liver disease I can review my labs on line and view the trends since surgery almost 6 months ago now My Alk-phos is elevated and increases each time I have my blood work done My ALT and AST are also trending upwards all three tests are elevated above normal ranges I don't drink alcohol and haven't for years and years So the only explanation is I have Fatty Liver Disease! Loosing weight and exercising helps!! but obviously in my case it hasn't My Glucose level is 111 although I have not been diagnosed with Diabetes there is a chance I do have issues there plus my triglycerides are still elevated at 172 post surgery Anybody else have these problems?

I read people who have wls are more likely to abuse drugs or alcohol is this total crap or what? My brother found the article have you guys ever heard this?

I don't do the cooking, we go to relatives ( all good cooks), so I just eat a little of whatevers there and have a little dessert and call it good. My Dr. Said to eat healthy 95 % of the time and not worry about it 5 % of the time. I have a daily battle with sweets, the sweets always win, but Im not interested in other unhealthy foods for the most part ( chips, alcohol, fast food, etc ) so I dont feel bad about the sweets. I think you have to choose your battles wisely, and leave room for a few treats too. Good luck ! Happy Thanksgiving !

. I was told that gum is fine but can cause gas and I chew extra that has sugar alcohol in it and I know others that chew gum also

I think I was more nervous about the liquid diet than the surgery itself. It was like an alcoholic knowing she had to go to rehab in a few days.

I was very active in my teens and 20's .... cross country runner, softball player, ski instructor, raft guide, hiker, mountain biker, backpacker, kayaker, etc. And I could eat whatever I wanted without gaining weight. Then I turned 30 and just like my mom warned, my metabolism slowed down. Then I changed to a career which didn't naturally burns thousands of calories/day. Then I turned 40 and my metabolism really slowed down. Then I got lazy and spent more time on the couch than on the trails and rivers. Then my brother died and I spent over a year and a half mourning his loss with alcohol and food. LOTS of alcohol and food. When I finally woke up from my haze of grief, I realized I had become a miserable FAT person that hurt all the time and couldn't hike or kayak or mountain bike even if I wanted to. And for the first time in almost two years I didn't want to feel miserable anymore. So I did something about it. Now, less than 2 years later, here I am, looking a lot more like the 25 year old I used to be than the 46 year old I had become.

It's interesting how the attitudes to caffeine in the US are so different from those in the UK. Like Pipinleicester, during my consultations there was no mention of caffeine being an issue. Was warned not to drink sodas but that's for different reasons - the gas, the sugar, chemicals etc etc but luckily I've never liked them so that doesn't affect me. I'm sure if my surgeon or dietician thought that caffeine could have impeded the healing process they would have said so. I drink regular tea at home and have at least a couple of coffees when I'm out and about. I haven't noticed any ill effects. Also there was some research in recent years that said that all non-alcoholic liquids consumed in a day can count towards your hydration targets, not just pure Water. coffee can be a diuretic, but as long as you replace the liquid if you find yourself peeing a lot, and as long as your pee is straw-coloured, and not too dark, then you should be fine. However, as Pipinleicester said, I wouldn't dream of encouraging anyone to go against the advice of their medical team.

someone put rubbing alcohol in your water bottle? that is attempted murder. call the police.

Yes... it easy to eat around the band... and, folks have failed the sleeve for the same reason. The band requires a bit of work--you have to listen to what it is telling you. Many folks simply don't learn how to live with a band, or they don't, or can't, do the requisite follow up visits. sometimes it is the fault of the surgeon, sometimes the fault lays with the patient. With the sleeve, it is a bit harder to cheat, but folks have managed to figure out they can graze all day, or simply eat beyond what their stomachs can hold,and finally they stretch the small stomach to to a point where the surgery is no longer effective. I've seen a lot of posts where folks have gone from the band, to the sleeve, and from the sleeve to RNY bypass. I've seen folks who lived in misery with a procedure for years, and you have wonder why in the world the problem wasn't addressed immediately? That isn't a fault of the surgery if it is allowed go on that long without medical intervention. I've seen posts where WLS patients are asking about drinking alcohol, and not in moderation... really? And they would expect to receive absolution from strangers in order to justify imbibing hundreds of extra calories and sabotaging what they have worked for? As Pogo wisely said, I've I meet the enemy, and he is us.

@@NewLife'sGr8. I was in shock that rubbing alcohol was put in your water bottle. Shocked. I'm sorry you're experiencing such hateful behavior and saddened that your company tolerates it.

Alcohol -- I liked to drink pre opp and that hasn't gone away post opp. In fact, since food is much more effort, drinking sort of becomes easier. I now see why people caution about the dangers of substituting.I agree with this, I am struggling since eating is still rough for me Im 6 weeks out and Wine goes down way easier then chewing chicken for 10 minutes then getting that full feeling stuck in my esophogus for an hour.

November 25th is one year post opp for me and I wanted to share my observations for the year. Here you go.... Unwarranted Pre Opp Fears: I was super worried about complications and recovery and felt like I was seriously risking my life. In reality, surgery was a breeze. I had 2 or 3 uncomfortable days and then was quickly back on my feet. I dreaded pre and post opp diets. The pre-opp diet was harder for me, because I knew that my food days were coming to an end and I sort of had to mourn all the things I loved to eat. The post opp diet wasn't fun, but since I really couldn't eat anything (nor did I have any desire to), it wasn't all that difficult. Now that period is just sort of a distant memory. Standing out for eating like a mouse / not being able to dine socially -- I have a job that entails a lot of entertaining, business lunches and dinners and was really worried about this. In reality, it's been no big deal. After a while, I got used to ordering the right stuff and just picking away at my plate. When I'm done, I just put the silverware on the plate and the waiter whisks it away. This is actually what most people without eating issues do! It turns out the big eaters and the table are really focused on their plates and not yours. Every now and again, people will make a comment like "you barely ate" or "was the food not good", but they're very easy to dismiss away. Pleasant Surprises: I started the process at 255 (275 highest ever) and was hoping to get down to about 200. That goal seemed like a big stretch because the best I ever did on my own was 225 and that was by starving myself for months and working out like dog and I was only at that weight for about 5 minutes. About 9 months after surgery, I bottoming out at 175 and currently hover between 178 and 182. I didn't think my current weight was even possible, but it turns out I feel and look great at this weight. I wear a medium shirt and have a 33" waist, down from xxl and a 42" waist. This is just shocking to me. Everything is easier. sleeping, tying my shoes, clipping my toe nails, sitting in airplane seats, shopping for clothes, exercising, playing sports, etc. My joints feel better and my frequent head aches have gone away. I was pre diabetic, had high cholesterol, and elevated blood pressure. All gone. Not having food monkey on my back. I still think a lot about what and how much I'm eating and have some bad habits (see below) but the monkey is gone! For as long as I could remember prior to surgery, I woke up every morning hoping that I wouldn't overeat that day and went to bed every night feeling guilty about all the eating. Food just doesn't occupy my mind like it used to. Annoyances: Every once it a while, it would be fun to man down a big meal. I recently went to an amazing new BBQ joint in town and it would have been a great time to wolf down a huge plate of smoked meats and sides and wash it down with a few beers. That's just not possible. I had a glass of wine before the food came and ate about 20% of the plate of food I ordered and was absolutely stuffed. It would be nice to eat and drink at the same time. Breakfast with coffee, lunch with Iced Tea, dinner with Wine -- I've been doing this for 40 years but again, that just doesn't work with VSG. Sometimes I eat and sip (small sips) but that's about it. I was prescribed omeprazole (prilosec) right after surgery to control heart burn. If I take it everyday, I have zero heart burn. If I stop taking it, I have a little (not horrible) heartburn. I was kind of hopping to not have to take a pill for ever, but I think that might be the case. Bad Habits / Struggles / Watch Areas: Slidder foods -- chips, ice cream, candy, etc. I can pretty much eat these foods in the same quantities as pre opp and will munch away if I'm not watching it. I've found that the best strategy is to eat the good stuff (proteins) first and then there's really no room for junk. Starting with the junk first is a bad idea. Alcohol -- I liked to drink pre opp and that hasn't gone away post opp. In fact, since food is much more effort, drinking sort of becomes easier. I now see why people caution about the dangers of substituting. Eating too quickly or too much. Food still tastes good and if I'm not concentrating, I can still eat too much and really regret it. This happens less and less now that I'm 12 months out, but it's still something I'm always watching for. In sum, VSG was the best decision I ever made. If I could go back in time, I would have done it 10 years sooner. Comments or personal messages / questions welcome.

Someone put rubbing alcohol in your water bottle??!!?? That's insane! Don't let it out of your sight for this to happen again. Those people are evil. What kind of place do you work at? I can't even imagine that sort of thing happening but it must. Wow. I'm speechless.

Someone put rubbing alcohol in your Water bottle? You called the police, right? You filed a complaint with your employer, right? Same question about the collision. That is just awful. You have had an awful time. One thing that has motivated me to go to the Y in the past has been the hot tub. After my water aerobics class we would soak in the hot tub. It felt great. Plus exercise and hot tubs are great stress relievers.

I'm certainly benefitting from all the suggestions & timely reminders of what I already knew but haven't been applying. For me, lack of motivation is due to LIFE- thumping me down- hard, over & over. Hard life-stuff, like yesterday, just as I opened my car door upon arrival at work, a huge black truck flying by fast & close, drove way inside the parking line & smashed / folded/ shoved up the driver door into the front end, & nearly took off my leg. I'd just started to maneuver my leg out of the car. Thankfully, I wasnt hurt. I'm trying to keep my focus on that! Not easy. He must've been texting or cell-talking to go that far over the parking line to hit my door- which wouldn't open nor close after that. This, just a couple/few wks after someone at work put rubbing alcohol in my Water bottle while I was on break at work- which made me vomit blood for several days, then sporadically, now occasionally. Still trying to manage the inflammation from that. Life's a real BITCH sometimes! It's like I've been in a black-hole, a never-ending looong cycle of BS-pummeling- keeps putting me down- on the couch. I get my energy back- then BAM! Something else. Big stuff. I really need to go do a hyawaska negative energy-cleansing to finally disperse this black cloud that's been following me around for way too long. Next band appt, I get to consult with my actual surgeon for the 1st time since my survey 5yrs ago. (they use PA's for fills, unfills etc after surgery), I'll get some tests to see what the damage was/is. Hopefully the doc can help me fix this. I'm going to ask her about hyawaska. It's common for most people to purge repeatedly following consumption Sometimes, ok frequently, it's all I can do to get my chit together and go to work- an extremely toxic work environment filled with unbelievably toxic people. Getting up to do the "happy-happy-joy-joy" dance to tunes is the last thing i feel like doing right now. BUT I know once I do, I'll feel 'lighter', my spirits & mental energy will lift UP! Way up. Sometimes what I know, is hard to apply. Real hard. I'm working on it. Thanks to everyone for posting so many fabulous ideas & methodologies that are truly helping me pick myself up again. <3 I'm following this thread closely

Of course, we can be friends with ANYONE. But it's a fact that fat friends tend to make us fat and keep us fat. Here are just two of the research studies with this finding: http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-your-friends-make-you-fat%E2%80%94the-social-network-of-weight-201105242666 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2765271/Fat-friends-make-eat-MORE-You-likely-ditch-healthy-eating-goals-eating-overweight-companions.html IMHO, there's strong agreement in these relationships that fat / food/ fitness won't ever be discussed seriously. The friends agree that those topics are too painful / embarrassing / irritating / upsetting to deal with and that they will continue to issue permission to each other to continue their unhealthy behaviors. The same dynamic dominates relationships among drug users, alcoholics, and other substance abusers.

While I sincerely respect and admire those of you who have had the courage to tell others about your bariatric surgery, I do not think omitting the fact the you had WLS surgery should be chided, especially by your own community. I highly dislike comments that insinuate someone is a liar for not exposing something that is truly a personal decision. I agree strongly as well however, that it is important for others to inform the public about this process as so many people remain ignorant about the disease of obesity. You are being of service and potential being a great resource and inspiration for other who may need the surgery or have loved ones who do. However, don't knock your trudging buddy for having a different path, please respect those of us who decide to remain anonymous. It is an understandable not to make your surgery public, considering the judgement and pain many of us have already experienced. I understand many of you have tried to remain civil about your opinion and don't consider your comments hurtful, but it really is not in your place to judge our desire to keep things private. I am a member of AA. Like obesity, alcoholism is also a disease. For various reasons, I don't go around telling others I don't drink because I have the disease of alcoholism. No one in the program would ever question this, we support one another. I feel those who chose to share are courageous and an inspiration, but they in turn, they completely understand my position and don't make me feel like I am lying by saying "I am good" or "I have had enough" or "no thanks" when offered a drink I can not take. Why? Because they understand the stigma. They understand the judgment of others and the fact that not everyone has the energy to deal with being the spokesperson for the resolution of a disease. AA, like bariatric surgery, is common knowledge. It is not a secret society, we should not be made to feel like liars because we do not share every aspect of our journey. So please, just stop. Be proud of your courage, I love that people like you are out there, I really think you who chose to share are amazing folks. But it is also not in your place to comment on those of us who don't.

Kris- When I went in for my Psych. eval, I told her that I was a former alcoholic/addict and that I went to treatment a little over a year ago, she didn't seem to think too much of it, of course, I always start with alcoholic because for some reason that is more socially acceptable than drug addict, because that makes sense, right? I was pretty nervous about it, but they are mainly looking for red flags that indicate a person who is unwilling or unable to make long term changes to their lifestyle. Personality disorders, eating disorders, schizophrenia, etc. I, also take Wellbutrin and Effexor for depression and anxiety...... The fact that the clinician immediately began to treat you differently should not surprise you, people who have not experienced addiction generally have a hard time wrapping their head around it. Fear not my friend, your strength and courage to confront your opiate addiction has brought you to where you are in this moment. Don't allow your mind to create fear in the things that are beyond your control. Just continue to do the next right thing and trust that whatever happens is going to be okay, because you are okay - Nicole

I feel compelled to respond to this because I see this situation a little differently. I had my sleeve 3 years ago and my insurance did require a psychological evaluation. I was tod the purpose was to assess if I could comply with post op instructions,not screening for addictive behavior. Addiction transference is real and it happens to people who were not addicted to alcohol,gambling etc. Pre weight loss. I lost over 160, and am still maintaining under goal but I say the reason people regain is because over time, it's really really hard. It's hard to fathom this when you are in that amazing first 6-18 months, but at 3 years out I need to eat really small. I have to work out (plagued by injuries). I have to face a social world were as the "trim" chick, food is often pushed at me. I do sometimes stress eat but my main issue with food is that I have to eat pretty low calorie, low carbohydrate to maintain and yet I get hungry. No psychological evaluation helps with that. Anyway, just a different perspective. I do feel that the outstanding education and support provided by my surgeon and staff has been critical to my success. I advise anyone to shop for a surgeon with great follow up if at all possible. Several of the staff, one of the surgeons and anothersurgeons wife were sleeved so they are believers!

Contrave Generic Name: bupropion hydrochloride and naltrexone hydrochloride Date of Approval: September 10, 2014 Company: Orexigen Therapeutics Treatment for: Obesity FDA Approves ContraveNew weight loss option targets both the physiological and behavioral factors associated with obesity. The U.S. food and Drug Administration has approved Contrave for chronic weight management in addition to a reduced-calorie diet and physical activity. Contrave is a combination of two FDA-approved drugs in an extended-release formulation: naltrexone (ReVia, Vivitrol) used to treat alcohol and opioid dependence bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban) used to treat depression and seasonal affective disorder, and as an aid to smoking cessation treatment. Contrave is approved for use in adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater (obesity) or adults with a BMI of 27 or greater (overweight) who have at least one weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol. Medication GuideRead this Medication Guide before you start taking this medicine and each time you get a refill. There may be new information. This information does not take the place of talking with your healthcare provider about your medical problems or treatment. Important informationContrave can cause serious side effects, including: Suicidal thoughts or actions. One of the ingredients is bupropion. Bupropion has caused some people to have suicidal thoughts or actions or unusual changes in behavior, whether or not they are taking medicines used to treat depression. Bupropion may increase suicidal thoughts or actions in some children, teenagers, and young adults within the first few months of treatment. If you already have depression or other mental illnesses, taking bupropion may cause it to get worse, especially within the first few months of treatment.Stop taking this medicine and call a healthcare provider right away if you, or your family member, have any of the following symptoms, especially if they are new, worse, or worry you: thoughts about suicide or dying new or worse irritability attempts to commit suicide acting aggressive, being angry, or violent new or worse depression acting on dangerous impulses new or worse anxiety an extreme increase in activity and talking (mania) feeling very agitated or restless panic attacks other unusual changes in behavior or mood trouble sleeping (insomnia) During treatment, you or your family members should: Pay close attention to any changes, especially sudden changes, in mood, behaviors, thoughts, or feelings. This is very important when you start treatment or when your dose changes. Keep all follow-up visits with your health care provider as scheduled. Call your healthcare provider between visits as needed, especially if you have concerns about symptoms. Contrave has not been studied in and is not approved for use in children under the age of 18. What is Contrave?Contrave is a prescription medicine which contains two medicines (naltrexone and bupropion) that may help some obese or over weight adults, who also have weight related medical problems, lose weight and keep the weight off. It should be used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity. It is not known if it changes your risk of heart problems or stroke or of death due to heart problems or stroke. It is not known if it is safe and effective when taken with other prescription, over-the-counter, or herbal weight loss products. It is not known if it is safe and effective in children under 18 years of age. It is not approved to treat depression or other mental illnesses, or to help people quit smoking (smoking cessation). One of the ingredients, bupropion, is the same ingredient in some other medicines used to treat depression and to help people quit smoking. Who should not take Contrave?Do not take this medicine if you: have uncontrolled hypertension have or have had seizures use other medicines that contain bupropion such as Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL, Aplenzin and Zyban have or have had an eating disorder called anorexia (eating very little) or bulimia (eating too much and vomiting to avoid gaining weight) are dependent on opioid pain medicines or use medicines to help stop taking opioids such as methadone or buprenorphine, or are in opiate withdrawal drink a lot of alcohol and abruptly stop drinking, or use medicines called sedatives (these make you sleepy), benzodiazepines, or anti-seizure medicines and you stop using them all of a sudden are taking medicines called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist if you are not sure if you take an MAOI, including linezolid. Do not start treatment until you have stopped taking your MAOI for at least 14 days. are allergic to naltrexone or bupropion or any of the other ingredients. See theend of this Medication Guide for a complete list of ingredients. are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant while taking Contrave. Before taking ContraveBefore starting this medicine, tell your healthcare provider if you: have or have had depression or other mental illnesses (such as bipolar disorder) have attempted suicide in the past have or have had seizures have had a head injury have had a tumor or infection of your brain or spine (central nervous system) have had a problem with low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) or low levels of sodium in your blood (hyponatremia) have or have had liver problems have high blood pressure have or have had a heart attack, heart problems, or have had a stroke have kidney problems are diabetic taking insulin or other medicines to control your blood sugar have or have had an eating disorder drink a lot of alcohol abuse prescription medicines or street drugs are over the age of 65 have any other medical conditions are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. This medicine can pass into your breast milk and may harm your baby. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you should continue treatment or breastfeed. You should not do both. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, Vitamins, and herbal supplements. This medicine may affect the way other medicines work and vice versa, and can cause side effects. Ask your healthcare provider for a list of these medicines if you are not sure. Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them to show your healthcare provider or pharmacist when you get a new medicine. How should I take Contrave?How to take Contrave Morning Dose Evening Dose Starting: Week 1 1 tablet None Week 2 1 tablet 1 tablet Week 3 2 tablets 1 tablet Week 4 Onward 2 tablets 2 tablets Take the tablets exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to. Do not change your dose without talking with your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider will change your dose if needed. Your healthcare provider should tell you to stop taking the tablets if you have not lost a certain amount of weight after 16 weeks of treatment. Swallow the tablets whole. Do not cut, chew, or crush. Tell your healthcare provider if you cannot swallow the tablets whole. Do not take more than 2 tablets in the morning and 2 tablets in the evening. Do not take more than 2 tablets at the same time or more than 4 tablets in 1 day. Do not take the tablets with high-fat meals. It may increase your risk of seizures. If you miss a dose, wait until your next regular time to take it. Do not take more than one dose at a time. If you overdose, call your healthcare provider or go to the nearest emergency room right away. What should I avoid?Do not drink a lot of alcohol during treatment. If you drink a lot of alcohol, talk with your healthcare provider before suddenly stopping. If you suddenly stop drinking alcohol, you may increase your chance of having a seizure. Contrave side effectsSerious side effects include: See Important information Seizures. There is a risk of having a seizure when you take this medicine. The risk of seizure is higher in people who:take higher doses have certain medical conditions take this medicine with certain other medicines Do not take any other medicines during treatment unless your healthcare provider has said it is okay to take them. If you have a seizure, stop taking Contrave and call your healthcare provider right away. You should not take Contrave again if you have a seizure. Risk of opioid overdose. One of the ingredients (naltrexone) can increase your chance of having an opioid overdose if you take opioid medicines. You can accidentally overdose in 2 ways:Naltrexone blocks the effects of opioids, such as heroin, methadone or opioid pain medicines. Do not take large amounts of opioids, including opioid-containing medicines, such as heroin or prescription pain pills, to try to overcome the opioid- blocking effects of naltrexone. This can lead to serious injury, coma, or death. After you take naltrexone, its blocking effect slowly decreases and completely goes away over time. If you have used opioid street drugs or opioid-containing medicines in the past, using opioids in amounts that you used before treatment with naltrexone can lead to overdose and death. You may also be more sensitive to the effects of lower amounts of opioids:after you have gone through detoxification when your next dose of Contrave is due if you miss a dose after you stop treatment It is important that you tell your family and the people closest to you of this increased sensitivity to opioids and the risk of overdose. You or someone close to you should get emergency medical help right away if you: have trouble breathing become very drowsy with slowed breathing have slow, shallow breathing (little chest movement with breathing) feel faint, very dizzy, confused, or have unusual symptoms Sudden opioid withdrawal. People who take Contrave must not use any type of opioid (must be opioid-free) including street drugs, prescription pain medicines (including tramadol), cough, cold, or diarrhea medicines that contain opioids, or opioid dependence treatments, buprenorphine or methadone, for at least 7 to 10 days before starting Contrave. Using opioids in the 7 to 10 days before you start may cause you to suddenly have symptoms of opioid withdrawal when you take it. Sudden opioid withdrawal can be severe, and you may need to go to the hospital. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medications you are taking before a medical procedure or surgery. Severe allergic reactions. Some people have had a severe allergic reaction to bupropion, one of the active ingredients. Stop taking this medicine and call your healthcare provider or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away if you have any of the following signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction:rash painful sores in your mouth or around your eyes itching hives swelling of your lips or tongue fever chest pain swollen lymph glands trouble breathing Increases in blood pressure or heart rate. Some people may get high blood pressure or have a higher heart rate when taking this medicine. Your healthcare provider should check your blood pressure and heart rate before you start taking, and while you take Contrave. Liver damage or hepatitis. One of the ingredients, naltrexone can cause liver damage or hepatitis. Stop taking this medicine and tell your healthcare provider if you have any of the following symptoms of liver problems:stomach area pain lasting more than a few days dark urine yellowing of the whites of your eyes tiredness Your healthcare provider may need to stop treatment if you get signs or symptoms of a serious liver problem. Manic episodes. One of the ingredients, bupropion can cause some people who were manic or depressed in the past to become manic or depressed again. Visual problems (angle-closure glaucoma). One of the ingredients, bupropion, can cause some people to have visual problems (angle-closure glaucoma). Signs and symptoms of angle-closure glaucoma may include:eye pain changes in vision swelling or redness in or around the eye Talk with your healthcare provider to find out if you are at risk for angle-closure glaucoma and to get treatment to prevent it if you are at risk. Increased risk of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus who also take medicines to treat their diabetes. Weight loss can cause low blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus who also take medicines used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus (such as insulin or sulfonylureas). You should check your blood sugar before you start taking this medicine and during treatment. The most common side effects include: nausea dizziness constipation trouble sleeping headache dry mouth vomiting diarrhea Tell your healthcare provider about any side effect that bothers you or does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. StorageStore tablets at room temperature between 59°F to 86°F (15°C to 30°C). Keep all medicines out of the reach of children. General informationMedicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Medication Guide. Do not use this medicine for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give it to other people, even if they have the same symptoms or condition that you have. It may harm them. If you take a urine drug screening test, Contrave may make the test result positive for amphetamines. If you tell the person giving you the drug screening test that you are taking Contrave, they can do a more specific drug screening test that should not have this problem. This Medication Guide summarizes the most important information. If you would like more information, talk with your healthcare provider. You can ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider for information that is written for health professionals. IngredientsActive ingredients: naltrexone hydrochloride and bupropion hydrochloride Inactive ingredients: microcrystalline cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, lactose anhydrous, L-cysteine hydrochloride, crospovidone, magnesium stearate, hypromellose, edetate disodium, lactose monohydrate, colloidal silicon dioxide, Opadry II Blue and FD&C Blue #2 aluminum lake

I'm a bourbon/scotch/fine wine snob who drank too much of it. I stopped two weeks before surgery and told all my buddies, I'm just doing Water until Jan 31. Be interesting to see what my tolerance will be. I do have one extended family member who gained everything she had lost after the surgery because she started drinking empty calories (and then would graze). If you are worried about suddenly quitting before surgery, this was a helpful article for me: http://hamsnetwork.wordpress.com/2010/10/09/more-on-tapering-off-alcohol/ Relearning everything is part of the challenge Kirk