Posted by Mitch on October 4, 2001, at 23:45:15
In reply to Effexor Remeron Neurontin, posted by Tom S. on October 4, 2001, at 22:10:09
> I've been dealing with some bouts with major depression and a persistant anxiety that never seems to die. My original doc prescribed me Effexor which didn't seem to help anything until i got titrated up to 150mg, at which point the depression subsided. I was on this dose for two months, but the anxiety steadily increased. This left me so agitated that i couldn't even sit still. My therapist quickly noticed and sent me to a Psychiatrist who said that i should discontinue the Effexor (completely without any taper off) and start on 15mg of Remeron combined with 450mg Neurontin/day t.i.d, i have now been on this combo for about a week. The response was that i now fall asleep prompty an hour and a half after taking the remeron (sitting, standing, wherever i am at the time) i wake up after about ten hours of sleep. Attempts to wake me before this ten hour time fail. I also have amnesia about the first ten minutes of every day. (meaning that i can't remember the period just after i wake up)And i generally am in a VERY depressed malaise all day with a very unsteady, dizzy, door slamming in my head feeling. I went back to the psychiatrist and complained of these symptoms, at which point he basically told me it was all in my head. My thought is that most of this is related to being suddenly yanked off Effexor, but my psych is VIAMENT that the Effexor is not the problem, and that i just need more time to adjust to the new medication. I just wondered if anybody out there might have any insight.
Remeron can be helpful for many, but I can't believe you were told that the brain fog you experienced was all in your head (no pun intended!)! I don't think Effexor is the problem, however. I think it is just the Remeron! I have tried it at higher doses (tried the higher dosages are more alerting bullshit) and it didn't work for me. So, I take just about 2mg of it at bedtime for sleep. Even at this microdose I still have to slap the snooze bar about six times every morning or I will end up sleeping 10-12 hrs. as well (this was at 7.5mg, 15mg, or 30mg-sorry no difference in this regard). However I wouldn't be surprised you cuold get a comparable antianxiety effect from an OTC antihistamine like Benadryl. There are some people that say that the *fog* diminishes with time-you might be lucky and your pdoc might be correct, but I was on 30mg for over a month with no noticeable difference. I really believe that the anthistaminic effect of a LOT of meds covers a lot of symptoms that get the credit for other mechanisms.
poster:Mitch
thread:80316
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010927/msgs/80321.html