Bupropion helps patients who have stress-related eating far better than those who have boredom-related eating.

If you merely have bad eating habits, this may not be the best choice for you.

If you are an emotional eater, this may be a great medicine for you. It stimulates noradrenaline, dopamine, and (less-so) serotonin receptors.

This gives you more energy, suppresses your appetite, and enhances your mood. Stress increases cortisol and ghrelin which stimulate your appetite. Dopamine and noradrenaline suppress your appetite.

Because the medicine improves stress and mood, it was originally invented as an anti-depressant. However, later studies showed that it helped people quit smoking, so Bupropion has been FDA-approved to help with smoking cessation.

Further studies showed that it helps provide better weight loss than diet alone. Even back in 2001, it was shown in a study at Duke of non-depressed women trying to lose weight … that 3 times as many taking Bupropion saw success as those who were taking placebo (a fake pill). As a result, Bupropion is one of the components of the #1 most prescribed FDA-approved brand-name medication for weight loss, Contrave.

You may quit smoking if you are taking this medicine. Many patients tell me that their spouses are happier and their bosses report they seem less stressed and are nicer to be around as well as more productive at work. Rarely, a patient will tell me that the opposite happened and they became anxious or crabby or mean. If that happens, stop taking the medicine and call us to let us know you stopped. You can stop taking Bupropion immediately without having to wean off of it like other medicines. You absolutely should not take Bupropion if you have had a diagnosis of anorexia or seizures or if you’re allergic to Bupropion or if you take MAO-inhibitors. In Aug 2009, the FDA added a warning label to many medications saying that they can cause rare cases of depression and suicidal thoughts. The FDA added this warning label to so many medications, including ones that doctors have used safely for years, that I’m not sure how seriously doctors and patients have taken this warning, so my best advice is to immediately tell your doctor if you start developing depressive symptoms after you start any medication – blood pressure, diabetes, aspirin, tylenol, anti-depressant, birth control pills … any medication.

According to the prescribing information, patients who took Bupropion had more of the following symptoms than patients who took placebo (fake pills): agitation, palpitations, insomnia, dry mouth, constipation, nausea, dizziness, and ringing in the ears. Interestingly, the patients taking Bupropion had FEWER of the following symptoms than patients who took placebo: fewer abnormal dreams, less accidental injuries, less acne, less appetite, less back pain, less episodes of bronchitis, more normal menstrual cycles, less flatulence, less flu syndrome, less hypertension, less neck pain, less respiratory complaints, less rhinitis, and fewer tooth problems. Please read the entire handout that the pharmacist gives you when you pick up the prescription; this handout is not a substitute for the pharmacist’s handout/counseling.

When used for its original purpose of treating opioid addiction, Naltrexone works by binding to opioid receptors and blocking them. If people use a drug such as morphine, heroin, or codeine while taking Naltrexone, they won’t experience the feeling of getting high, a prevalent sensation with these types of drugs. Naltrexone reportedly reduces opioid cravings.

In small doses, Naltrexone can effectively treat chronic pain or autoimmune diseases. This treatment application is known as Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) treatment. In low doses, Naltrexone modulates neuroinflammation and lowers the release of inflammatory chemicals known as cytokines. These chemicals in the central nervous system inflame sensitive tissues, resulting in chronic pain conditions such as multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, and inflammatory bowel conditions.

Naltrexone affects the body in myriad ways, making it a powerful drug. In addition to the conditions listed above, Naltrexone can also help with weight loss. It does this work through several different mechanisms. Understanding exactly how Naltrexone works for weight loss will help you determine whether this drug is the right solution for your needs. Find out how Naltrexone may help you shed excess pounds.

When your body is working correctly, the brain will signal your appetite to prompt the appropriate amount of calorie consumption. Your daily calorie consumption should equal your daily calorie expenditure, which helps you maintain a healthy weight. If you consume fewer calories than you expend, you’ll experience feelings of hunger.

In patients battling chronic obesity, these body signals don’t always work correctly. The body may send indications of hunger even after consuming the appropriate number of calories, or the body’s metabolism may slow down and fail to burn an adequate number of calories throughout the day. Hormonal changes triggered by weight gain can signal to your body that you need more calories than you’re burning, which creates an imbalance that will lead to obesity if you listen to your body’s hunger levels.

Naltrexone helps restore the balance between your body’s hunger signals and its actual caloric needs. Data suggests that opioids may play a significant role in stimulating appetite. A double-blind placebo-controlled study revealed that taking only 50 milligrams of Naltrexone caused individuals to consume significantly less food. Study participants exhibited a reduced eating rate and reported that the food was less pleasant when taking the Naltrexone.

Other studies have hypothesized that Naltrexone’s effectiveness with weight management is related to its impact on the endogenous opioid action, which produces endorphins and delivers pleasure. Naltrexone may reduce some of the joy found in the simple act of eating. When the endorphin release from eating gets minimized, there’s less desire to consume extra calories, resulting in a reduced appetite.

Growth hormone is a protein produced by the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland impacts how your body controls fat, builds muscle, maintains bone density, and manages high-density and low-density lipoproteins in your cholesterol. Growth hormone increases fat burning and helps you build and maintain lean muscle mass. The more weight a person carries, the less growth hormone the individual produces. High insulin levels are related to less growth hormone production as well.

You will likely suffer from high body fat levels, fatigue, low stamina, reduced bone density, and less muscle if you have too little adult growth hormone. If you suffer from obesity due to insufficient growth hormone, Naltrexone may help.

In one study, Naltrexone augmented the growth hormone response to GHRH (growth hormone-releasing hormone). Naltrexone may effectively combat obesity caused by this problem.

A direct link exists between lack of sleep and weight gain. Inadequate sleep can also lead to increased inflammation, which impacts obesity in the myriad ways detailed above. Sleep troubles and obesity can lock you in a continuous cycle, as obesity leads to sleep apnea, making it more difficult to get the proper rest you desperately need.

Naltrexone may improve your ability to sleep in many ways. Although studies do not yet confirm it, low doses of Naltrexone may produce some of the same calming effects as higher Naltrexone doses, making it easier to fall asleep if you struggle with anxiety. In a study of patients with sleep apnea, 50 milligrams of Naltrexone immediately improved symptoms in four patients. Of the remaining patients in the study, three experienced improved sleep apnea symptoms in one month, and the other five saw their symptoms improve within three months.

Suppose you’re having difficulty sleeping and are dealing with weight gain. In this case, using Naltrexone may provide a significant improvement. Getting a full night’s rest will also help lower your stress levels, improve your mood, and strengthen your immune system.

While Naltrexone can prove effective for improving weight loss in many individuals, it’s not a miracle drug that will work for all patients. Review the above mechanisms by which Naltrexone helps with weight loss. Understanding how this drug functions will give you a better insight into whether it will work for you.

Suppose you suffer from one of the above conditions, such as sleep apnea, hypothyroidism, Type 2 diabetes, chronic inflammation, or low adult growth hormones. In that case, you may find Naltrexone especially effective for your situation. If you struggle to control your eating patterns, Naltrexone might still help, but you may find the results are slower and less dramatic. It’s important to understand that if you don’t adjust your caloric intake or activity levels and continue to consume more calories than you burn, Naltrexone will not help you.

Naltrexone can have many side effects. The most common are headache, fatigue, joint or muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and cramping, anxiety, nervousness, and trouble sleeping. Less common side effects include:

• Chills.
• Constipation.
• Cough or hoarseness.
• Diarrhea.
• Dizziness.
• Increased thirst.
• Irritability.
• Pounding or accelerated heartbeat.
• Sinus problems.
• Sore throat.
• Stuffy or runny nose.

Other side effects are rare, but you should talk to your health care provider about any unusual health conditions you notice when you’re taking Naltrexone.

Only use low-dose Naltrexone (LDN) for weight loss. Full doses of Naltrexone are not appropriate for this off-label purpose. You will need to work with a health care provider to get this prescription. It’s best to seek out a specialist familiar with Naltrexone for weight loss applications.

Our team at the biostation has developed an LDN program to promote weight loss. This program provides a well-organized path toward lasting weight management that one can jump-start with the safe use of Naltrexone. The program begins with a thorough assessment by a doctor to make sure that you’re a good candidate. If you’re not a good patient for the Naltrexone program, we can discuss other weight loss options with you that are better suited to your needs.

While you’re on the Naltrexone program, you will receive your Naltrexone pellet in person at a biostation facility OR you can opt for the oral form of Naltrexone. the biostation’s medical provider will help determine what application is best for you. Throughout the program, we will monitor your body composition, assessing several vital factors, including the following:

• Body fat percentage
• Extracellular water weight
• Metabolic rate
• Obesity
• Segmental fat
• Skeletal muscle mass
• Visceral body fat

More common

1. Acid or sour stomach
2. belching
3. bloated
4. excess air or gas in the stomach or intestines
5. full feeling
6. heartburn
7. indigestion
8. loss of appetite
9. metallic taste in the mouth
10. passing of gas
11. stomachache
12. stomach upset or pain
13. vomiting
14. weight loss

Less common

1. Abnormal stools
2. bad, unusual, or unpleasant (after) taste
3. change in taste
4. difficulty with moving
5. discoloration of the fingernails or toenails
6. flu-like symptoms
7. joint pain
8. rash
9. sneezing
10. stuffy or runny nose
11. swollen joints