Remeron
 

Is anyone here on Remeron? I think I spelled it right. I have tried so many AD's and this is the newest. I don't even feel like filling the stupid script at this point!
I'm also on 200 mg of zoloft. Any experiences here?
Thanks

I don't know about Remeron, but I will look it up. But I have had experience with Zoloft. I used to be on 300 mg and it seemed to work. Then I had to go off it for other medical reasons. Now I'm back on it and it's not working. But before I had to keep having my dosage increased before it would work.
Good Luck.
Carol

I know of a member here who has been successful with Remeron - I'll let them know about this thread.

Hi Loner,

I've been on Remeron several times with great success, my pdoc prescribed it to treat anxiety and depression. The side effect profile is very different from most other ADs.

Sedation and weight gain are the two biggies, though I never experienced the weight gain myself. The sedation, though, seems to be extreme in most cases, myself included - at first it literally knocked me out cold for 12 hours, and the hangover was horrible. HOWEVER, it really does get better within a few days. From what I've read, a lot of people get so freaked out after that first dose that they drop it altogether without giving their bodies a chance to adjust to the med. My pdoc warned me about this, so I knew what to expect; the hangover feeling stopped after 3 days and, although it still knocked me cold within 45 minutes of taking it, I was able to straighten out my sleep patterns with no trouble (using a very loud alarm clock ;) )

The good news: if you stick to it, it usually works great. Remeron also works quickly (usually within 10 days), it improves sleep architecture (deep, refreshing sleep), it's a great add-on if you're taking SSRIs such as Zoloft (it might cancel out some SSRI induced side effects), and it's also been shown to improve alcohol and drug sobriety rates. My mood literally skyrockets whenever I take it.

BTW, I stopped taking it several times back in my drinking days so I could pick up the booze again. :wtf2

So that's my experience. YMMV of course, I hear that some people don't experience the extreme sedation. Some people need to adjust their eating habits to deal with the weight gain. If you decide to try it, make sure you start taking it whenever you can afford to sleep in for a couple of days (weekend etc). Hope this helps!

Matt

Matt,
Is Remeron a new anti-depressant? I would give the world to have my mood go from morose and in bed to standing and walking and talking. My psychiatrist has never mentioned it and I've been going to him for fourteen years. Thanks.
Carol

Remeron has been around nearly 20 years. From what I understand it is not a first line AD. This is due to the weight gain side effect. It is used many times for the elderly when they have a failure to thrive diagnosis so they will start eating more due to hunger. Although not everyone experiences the weight gain the number of people who do is significant enough for MD's to utilize it for that. I speak of this through personal experience as a nurse for over 20 years.

What AD's have you been on? I have been on Prozac, Lexapro, Paxil, Celexa, and currently Cymbalta. I have been treated for depression on and off since I was 18 years old, I am now 43. Prozac worked well for a time then stopped working for me, Lexapro was the same way. Paxil caused me to become manic although the MD did not recognize it at the time, my current psyc doc has pointed out that my behavior while I was on the Paxil was by all indications an upswing of Bi Polar II. I bought a new house, a new car, was working 2 full time jobs and 1 part time job. I was sleeping between 15 and 30 minutes a day and was spending money like I had a small fortune which I did not. I finally got the Bi Polar diagnosis about 4 years ago. The Cymbalta works well with the mood stabilizer, Lamictal, for me. I pray that it will continue to work.

I hope my experience helps you out some.

Judith

Thanks everyone. I will try it. I am so paranoid of the weight gain because although I don't consider myself a vain person i do not want to go back to where I was. That would not help the depression if I went back to over 200 pounds on a 5-4 frame! I recently stopped self medicating with pot (sort of helps with pain and sleeping) but makes me eat like a pig. I wish these drugs weren't always a case of obesity waiting to happen. i already have horrible self esteem issues so the weight gain really bugs me. Thanks for the input though.

not to mention that I will have to have back surgery and the doctor will probably tell me i am already too fat!

For me, it is a matter of taking it and letting myself go right to sleep. I use to try to fight it and give in to the night time munchies. If u avoid that pitfall u should be fine. I am to the point with meds. that most of them are worth a try because finding a good mix is so hard and when it does happen it is great....IMHO Good Luck, Take Care