Does Contrave cause constipation?

Yes, and it is on the label rather than only in reports: constipation appears among the common adverse reactions in Contrave's FDA prescribing information, published 2025-11-17. Listed means it was seen often enough in the trials to be printed, not that it happens to everyone. Contrave is not a GLP-1 and does not slow gut transit the way those drugs do; its label lists constipation among the common reactions without naming a mechanism. Eating much less compounds it on any weight-loss drug: less food means less fiber and less fluid, and both are what keep things moving. It clusters in the days after each dose increase. Contrave steps up on a published schedule that reaches the maintenance dose at week 4. Most people see a few rough days after each step and a settling in between, not one long stretch. Once you are at 2 tablets twice a day and no longer stepping up, the trigger stops recurring. What helps first: fluid first. It is the most common deficit and the easiest to fix. It stops being ordinary at a specific line: no bowel movement for several days with abdominal pain, distension or vomiting. That combination needs assessment rather than another laxative.