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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 23 of 23. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by dreamboat_annie on March 1, 2007, at 17:37:15
I am just curious about the effectiveness of Remeron and the side effects at lower doses versus higher doses.
Anyone who has tried it, would you mind sharing your experience with me.
Thanks so much.
Posted by yxibow on March 1, 2007, at 18:52:35
In reply to Remeron - Could you please share your experience, posted by dreamboat_annie on March 1, 2007, at 17:37:15
> I am just curious about the effectiveness of Remeron and the side effects at lower doses versus higher doses.
>
> Anyone who has tried it, would you mind sharing your experience with me.
>
> Thanks so much.Remeron is, and also noted by my doctor, pretty much weight positive at any dose. The concept that at higher doses that other transmitters kick in to reduce weight gain just doesn't play out in reality.
It is a fairly sedating medication.
Now with all said, it is a very good medication for treatment resistant depression, and at low doses is good for REM sleep. But one must monitor ones food intake and reduce their caloric intake as well by a bit due to the metabolic changes that Remeron may make. If you can keep the weight under control, its a good medication.
I don't take it currently but in a way, it acts like an atypical antipsychotic at higher doses without the dopamine blockade and EPS.
-- tidings
Posted by johnnyj on March 1, 2007, at 19:01:17
In reply to Remeron - Could you please share your experience, posted by dreamboat_annie on March 1, 2007, at 17:37:15
I was on 15 mg for a few years but had what I call sponge brain. Just a heavy feeling in the forehead. However, I found out quite a bit of that was from allergies that were undiagnosed at the time. It is good for sleep and some anxiety. I did find it caused some tension in my stomach though. I weaned down to 3.75 and thought that actually helped me sleep but I doubt it had any other benefits. I think it is a difficult med but really talk with your pdoc about it.
Posted by Ines on March 2, 2007, at 8:12:20
In reply to Remeron - Could you please share your experience, posted by dreamboat_annie on March 1, 2007, at 17:37:15
> I am just curious about the effectiveness of Remeron and the side effects at lower doses versus higher doses.
>
> Anyone who has tried it, would you mind sharing your experience with me.
>
> Thanks so much.Hi there,
I only took it for two weeks so can't comment on efficacy, but as far as side effects go it knocked me out completely- I just couldn't get up in the mornings, and would fall asleep deeply on the couch at any time of day. It also seemed to make me crave food constantly- but take that with a pinch of salt because I have food cravings anyway, so difficult to tell if it was meds. It did seem to make it worse though. What the doctor told me before was that it either suits you or it doesn't, and you'll know very quickly. I was also told it is often effective for people who haven't responded well to an SSRI.
Posted by TheMeanReds on March 2, 2007, at 11:53:05
In reply to Remeron - Could you please share your experience, posted by dreamboat_annie on March 1, 2007, at 17:37:15
I was on a low dose of Remeron, to treat depression (I prefer not to take ssris, plus the ssris caused insomnia for me) a couple of times. The doc said lower doses would be better for anxiety and sleep...at least in my case. The food cravings were true for me I couldnt NOT eat while I was awake. Worse than preggers cravings. I was in love with saltwater taffy. Sometimes I thought it worked wonders for my depression because I had no time to think about being depressed, because I was focused on food (exaggeration).
But other than the food thing, I love remeron. I was happy, I could sleep, I wasnt depressed, I didnt have anxiety, and I could actually have an orgasm. Yay!
Posted by Phillipa on March 2, 2007, at 12:19:03
In reply to Re: Remeron - Could you please share your experience » dreamboat_annie, posted by TheMeanReds on March 2, 2007, at 11:53:05
Okay admitted it before my body is wierd as l5mg of remeron did nothing for or against me. Love Phillipa
Posted by Zena on March 2, 2007, at 15:44:41
In reply to Remeron - Could you please share your experience, posted by dreamboat_annie on March 1, 2007, at 17:37:15
> I am just curious about the effectiveness of Remeron and the side effects at lower doses versus higher doses.
>
> Anyone who has tried it, would you mind sharing your experience with me.
>
> Thanks so much.I have been on 15mg. remeron for 4 yrs. & I love it. It's great for sleep, anxiety & depression. I haven't had any weight gain but I walk three miles 6 days a week. At first I was hungry all the time but in time as my body got used to it that has subsided. And the tired feeling also subsides as your body get's used to the drug.
Hope this helps.
Zena
Posted by Broken on March 2, 2007, at 16:59:20
In reply to Remeron - Could you please share your experience, posted by dreamboat_annie on March 1, 2007, at 17:37:15
It pretty much just knocked me on my *ss, at 15mg. I've had my share of fun over the years, drinking, etc. and have never had anything put my out like Remeron did. I could/did sleep for 12-18 hours pretty much solid. I dropped it pretty quick, as I need to be fairly alert for my job.
Posted by Maxime on March 2, 2007, at 20:11:52
In reply to Remeron - Could you please share your experience, posted by dreamboat_annie on March 1, 2007, at 17:37:15
I ate all the time and slept all the time. I could not function. The dosage was raised but the side effects did not go away.
Maxime
Posted by Phillipa on March 2, 2007, at 21:14:28
In reply to Re: Remeron - Could you please share your experience, posted by Maxime on March 2, 2007, at 20:11:52
Great to see you back. Love Phillipa
Posted by crabwalk on March 3, 2007, at 12:07:58
In reply to Re: Remeron - Could you please share your experience » Maxime, posted by Phillipa on March 2, 2007, at 21:14:28
I've only been on 15 mg for a week now, and it is with 300 mg wellbutrin, so it's hard for me to judge what effect is from which drug, or what is from my illness. But I've been tolerating it pretty well and it seems like my body is getting more used to it each day. It is helping with anxiety, especially stress related. I feel more relaxed where as before I could not settle my body down if my life depended on it. One thing that is actually great so far, and which bothers other people, is the appetite effect. It's increased my appetite, but not drastically, and more importantly has untightened my stomach, reducing indigestion, heartburn, etc. Good effect on sleep, though the sedation lasts a long time; don't feel really awake till afternoon (feels like taking too much benadryl). Last but not least, as an antidepressant it has done more for me than just wellbutrin alone, which isn't saying much but that's all I can say at this point.
Posted by SandyWeb on March 3, 2007, at 13:50:47
In reply to Remeron - Could you please share your experience, posted by dreamboat_annie on March 1, 2007, at 17:37:15
Hi there,
I was on Remeron for two years at 60 mg daily (yes, a pretty high dose). I found it to be an absolute wonder drug as my body can not tolerate anything that impacts upon my serotonin levels. I actually called this my "anti-suicide" med because it took away my suicidal ideation (I had attempted once before the Remeron), and it cleared my "busy brain" (what I refer to when I hear lots of talking in my head that won't stop!). Plus my depression was very, very low-key....and even my anxiety MAY have been decreased a bit (hard to tell because I was also on anti-anxiety meds).
I did not find this med to be sedating in the least. My doctor would not prescribe it to me at first because she said that it would make me "profoundly tired". But I perservered, and she let me try it. From 15 mg all the way to 60 mg, it never sedated me. It didn't activate me, either.....it just saved my life!!
Now, for the one and only side effect that I had (and which eventually made me have to quit it after 2 successful years on it)....was the horrible weight gain. Your metabolism slows down to be overtaken even by a SNAIL'S PACE! You'd probably even gain weight just by THINKING about food. LOL. Over the two year period, I went from about 125 - 130 pounds to about 200 pounds!!!! Unbelievable! I just couldn't stop eating. And it wasn't so much that I was hungry, but rather that I craved to have the taste of food in my mouth. So for my own physical health, I finally had to throw out my Remeron (and I didn't even need to taper down, which may seem unreal, but it was nothing just to stop cold-turkey).
I am happy to say that I am now back to about 130 pounds again (YEAH!!!! It can be done!), but I've pretty much run out of AD options.
I wish you all the luck on the med. As someone else mentioned, it will either work for you or it won't....and you'll know fairly quickly which way that'll be for you. I'd suggest that you at least give it a try, especially if you have problems with serotonin-impacting AD's (although I think that serotonin is the only neurotransmittor that is affected at the low dose of 15 mg). It never hurts to give a med a trial period, but I know how frustrating the roller-coaster ride is of attempting one med after another.
Good luck!
Sandy
Posted by Broken on March 3, 2007, at 14:27:42
In reply to Re: Remeron - Could you please share your experience » dreamboat_annie, posted by SandyWeb on March 3, 2007, at 13:50:47
> Hi there,
>
> I was on Remeron for two years at 60 mg daily (yes, a pretty high dose). I found it to be an absolute wonder drug as my body can not tolerate anything that impacts upon my serotonin levels. I actually called this my "anti-suicide" med because it took away my suicidal ideation (I had attempted once before the Remeron), and it cleared my "busy brain" (what I refer to when I hear lots of talking in my head that won't stop!). Plus my depression was very, very low-key....and even my anxiety MAY have been decreased a bit (hard to tell because I was also on anti-anxiety meds).
>
> I did not find this med to be sedating in the least. My doctor would not prescribe it to me at first because she said that it would make me "profoundly tired". But I perservered, and she let me try it. From 15 mg all the way to 60 mg, it never sedated me. It didn't activate me, either.....it just saved my life!!
>
> Now, for the one and only side effect that I had (and which eventually made me have to quit it after 2 successful years on it)....was the horrible weight gain. Your metabolism slows down to be overtaken even by a SNAIL'S PACE! You'd probably even gain weight just by THINKING about food. LOL. Over the two year period, I went from about 125 - 130 pounds to about 200 pounds!!!! Unbelievable! I just couldn't stop eating. And it wasn't so much that I was hungry, but rather that I craved to have the taste of food in my mouth. So for my own physical health, I finally had to throw out my Remeron (and I didn't even need to taper down, which may seem unreal, but it was nothing just to stop cold-turkey).
>
> I am happy to say that I am now back to about 130 pounds again (YEAH!!!! It can be done!), but I've pretty much run out of AD options.
>
> I wish you all the luck on the med. As someone else mentioned, it will either work for you or it won't....and you'll know fairly quickly which way that'll be for you. I'd suggest that you at least give it a try, especially if you have problems with serotonin-impacting AD's (although I think that serotonin is the only neurotransmittor that is affected at the low dose of 15 mg). It never hurts to give a med a trial period, but I know how frustrating the roller-coaster ride is of attempting one med after another.
>
> Good luck!
> Sandy
>Sandy,
Wow.. that is the first time I've heard of such a huge impact from Remeron. I'm so sorry the weight gain was so tremendous. I wish you the best of luck in the future.
Posted by yxibow on March 3, 2007, at 17:02:54
In reply to Re: Remeron - Could you please share your experience » SandyWeb, posted by Broken on March 3, 2007, at 14:27:42
> > Hi there,
> >
> > I was on Remeron for two years at 60 mg daily (yes, a pretty high dose). I found it to be an absolute wonder drug as my body can not tolerate anything that impacts upon my serotonin levels. I actually called this my "anti-suicide" med because it took away my suicidal ideation (I had attempted once before the Remeron), and it cleared my "busy brain" (what I refer to when I hear lots of talking in my head that won't stop!). Plus my depression was very, very low-key....and even my anxiety MAY have been decreased a bit (hard to tell because I was also on anti-anxiety meds).
> >
> > I did not find this med to be sedating in the least. My doctor would not prescribe it to me at first because she said that it would make me "profoundly tired". But I perservered, and she let me try it. From 15 mg all the way to 60 mg, it never sedated me. It didn't activate me, either.....it just saved my life!!
> >
> > Now, for the one and only side effect that I had (and which eventually made me have to quit it after 2 successful years on it)....was the horrible weight gain. Your metabolism slows down to be overtaken even by a SNAIL'S PACE! You'd probably even gain weight just by THINKING about food. LOL. Over the two year period, I went from about 125 - 130 pounds to about 200 pounds!!!! Unbelievable! I just couldn't stop eating. And it wasn't so much that I was hungry, but rather that I craved to have the taste of food in my mouth. So for my own physical health, I finally had to throw out my Remeron (and I didn't even need to taper down, which may seem unreal, but it was nothing just to stop cold-turkey).
> >
> > I am happy to say that I am now back to about 130 pounds again (YEAH!!!! It can be done!), but I've pretty much run out of AD options.
> >
> > I wish you all the luck on the med. As someone else mentioned, it will either work for you or it won't....and you'll know fairly quickly which way that'll be for you. I'd suggest that you at least give it a try, especially if you have problems with serotonin-impacting AD's (although I think that serotonin is the only neurotransmittor that is affected at the low dose of 15 mg). It never hurts to give a med a trial period, but I know how frustrating the roller-coaster ride is of attempting one med after another.
> >
> > Good luck!
> > Sandy
> >
>
> Sandy,
>
> Wow.. that is the first time I've heard of such a huge impact from Remeron. I'm so sorry the weight gain was so tremendous. I wish you the best of luck in the future.
>
Yeah I had a fairly hefty weight gain from it which has not completely gone since I'm still working on weight gain against Seroquel. Often though with weight positive medications, people who don't weigh as much as others may see more dramatic gains. It depends on the weight affector.
Posted by dreamboat_annie on March 5, 2007, at 18:26:06
In reply to Re: Remeron - Could you please share your experience » dreamboat_annie, posted by TheMeanReds on March 2, 2007, at 11:53:05
Thanks so much for the reply. Some good sleep is what I need right now, which is why I am asking about Remeron. I just worry that if I couldn't tolerate even half of the smallest dose of Trazadone, that Remeron will knock me out for a day and a half too LOL.
> I was on a low dose of Remeron, to treat depression (I prefer not to take ssris, plus the ssris caused insomnia for me) a couple of times. The doc said lower doses would be better for anxiety and sleep...at least in my case. The food cravings were true for me I couldnt NOT eat while I was awake. Worse than preggers cravings. I was in love with saltwater taffy. Sometimes I thought it worked wonders for my depression because I had no time to think about being depressed, because I was focused on food (exaggeration).
>
> But other than the food thing, I love remeron. I was happy, I could sleep, I wasnt depressed, I didnt have anxiety, and I could actually have an orgasm. Yay!
>
>
Posted by dreamboat_annie on March 5, 2007, at 18:27:31
In reply to Re: Remeron - Could you please share your experience, posted by Phillipa on March 2, 2007, at 12:19:03
Thanks, Phillipa. It never ceases to amaze me how we all react so differently to medications. No two people will have the same side effect profile or the same reaction.
> Okay admitted it before my body is wierd as l5mg of remeron did nothing for or against me. Love Phillipa
Posted by dreamboat_annie on March 5, 2007, at 18:30:10
In reply to Re: Remeron - Could you please share your experience, posted by Zena on March 2, 2007, at 15:44:41
> > I am just curious about the effectiveness of Remeron and the side effects at lower doses versus higher doses.
> >
> > Anyone who has tried it, would you mind sharing your experience with me.
> >
> > Thanks so much.
>
> I have been on 15mg. remeron for 4 yrs. & I love it. It's great for sleep, anxiety & depression. I haven't had any weight gain but I walk three miles 6 days a week. At first I was hungry all the time but in time as my body got used to it that has subsided. And the tired feeling also subsides as your body get's used to the drug.
> Hope this helps.
> Zena
>It does help, and I appreciate the response. I'm so glad to hear that it is working effectively for you and has been for so long. It's nice to find a med that works. I really need something to help me get to sleep. That is my big problem right now, and why I wanted to hear about Remeron. Plus a little extra AD help couldn't hurt.
Take care.
Posted by dreamboat_annie on March 5, 2007, at 18:32:10
In reply to Re: Remeron - Could you please share your experience » dreamboat_annie, posted by Broken on March 2, 2007, at 16:59:20
Thanks, Broken. That sounds like what Trazadone did to me the two or three times I tried it. It wasn't pleasant. I need to be alert for my job as well, so something that causes a hangover effect and grogginess that lasts well into the next day would not be good.
Take care.
> It pretty much just knocked me on my *ss, at 15mg. I've had my share of fun over the years, drinking, etc. and have never had anything put my out like Remeron did. I could/did sleep for 12-18 hours pretty much solid. I dropped it pretty quick, as I need to be fairly alert for my job.
Posted by dreamboat_annie on March 5, 2007, at 18:33:49
In reply to Re: Remeron - Could you please share your experience, posted by Maxime on March 2, 2007, at 20:11:52
Thanks, Maxime. A friend of mine had the same reaction to Remeron. Her life consisted of eating and sleeping, and, ya, she had a hard time functioning.
> I ate all the time and slept all the time. I could not function. The dosage was raised but the side effects did not go away.
>
> Maxime
Posted by dreamboat_annie on March 5, 2007, at 18:38:04
In reply to Re: Remeron - Could you please share your experience, posted by crabwalk on March 3, 2007, at 12:07:58
Thanks so much, crabwalk, I appreciate your sharing your experience with me. I guess when it works for someone, it works well, if you can get past the sedation and grogginess. Sounds like the Remeron/Wellbutrin combo could prove to be a good one. I couldn't tolerate Wellbutrin - it made me extremely irritable, agitated and angry. I felt like a ticking time bomb LOL. I would like to find something that would give me a good night's sleep, but don't want to end up sleepwalking halfway through the next day. I guess I won't know how it affects me unless I try, so maybe I will raise it with my pdoc.
Thanks again, and take care.
> I've only been on 15 mg for a week now, and it is with 300 mg wellbutrin, so it's hard for me to judge what effect is from which drug, or what is from my illness. But I've been tolerating it pretty well and it seems like my body is getting more used to it each day. It is helping with anxiety, especially stress related. I feel more relaxed where as before I could not settle my body down if my life depended on it. One thing that is actually great so far, and which bothers other people, is the appetite effect. It's increased my appetite, but not drastically, and more importantly has untightened my stomach, reducing indigestion, heartburn, etc. Good effect on sleep, though the sedation lasts a long time; don't feel really awake till afternoon (feels like taking too much benadryl). Last but not least, as an antidepressant it has done more for me than just wellbutrin alone, which isn't saying much but that's all I can say at this point.
Posted by dreamboat_annie on March 5, 2007, at 18:46:11
In reply to Re: Remeron - Could you please share your experience » dreamboat_annie, posted by SandyWeb on March 3, 2007, at 13:50:47
Thanks so much, Sandy, for sharing your experience. It is too bad that you had to stop it when it had helped you so much. That stinks! But, your physical health is too important to sacrifice. A friend of mine was on it for about a year I think and she gained a ton of weight too. Congratulations on your weight loss.
I'm most looking at it for sleep purposes and maybe to augment the Lexapro I am on. But, too much sedation is not good for me. I don't do groggy well LOL. Until two years ago, I was the bounce out of bed at the crack of dawn without an alarm clock type of person. But, now, with having problems falling and staying asleep, I am using an alarm clock and hit the snooze alarm a lot and haven't had a restorative night's sleep for ages. Sorry for the whine.
Take care and thanks again for the reply.
> Hi there,
>
> I was on Remeron for two years at 60 mg daily (yes, a pretty high dose). I found it to be an absolute wonder drug as my body can not tolerate anything that impacts upon my serotonin levels. I actually called this my "anti-suicide" med because it took away my suicidal ideation (I had attempted once before the Remeron), and it cleared my "busy brain" (what I refer to when I hear lots of talking in my head that won't stop!). Plus my depression was very, very low-key....and even my anxiety MAY have been decreased a bit (hard to tell because I was also on anti-anxiety meds).
>
> I did not find this med to be sedating in the least. My doctor would not prescribe it to me at first because she said that it would make me "profoundly tired". But I perservered, and she let me try it. From 15 mg all the way to 60 mg, it never sedated me. It didn't activate me, either.....it just saved my life!!
>
> Now, for the one and only side effect that I had (and which eventually made me have to quit it after 2 successful years on it)....was the horrible weight gain. Your metabolism slows down to be overtaken even by a SNAIL'S PACE! You'd probably even gain weight just by THINKING about food. LOL. Over the two year period, I went from about 125 - 130 pounds to about 200 pounds!!!! Unbelievable! I just couldn't stop eating. And it wasn't so much that I was hungry, but rather that I craved to have the taste of food in my mouth. So for my own physical health, I finally had to throw out my Remeron (and I didn't even need to taper down, which may seem unreal, but it was nothing just to stop cold-turkey).
>
> I am happy to say that I am now back to about 130 pounds again (YEAH!!!! It can be done!), but I've pretty much run out of AD options.
>
> I wish you all the luck on the med. As someone else mentioned, it will either work for you or it won't....and you'll know fairly quickly which way that'll be for you. I'd suggest that you at least give it a try, especially if you have problems with serotonin-impacting AD's (although I think that serotonin is the only neurotransmittor that is affected at the low dose of 15 mg). It never hurts to give a med a trial period, but I know how frustrating the roller-coaster ride is of attempting one med after another.
>
> Good luck!
> Sandy
>
Posted by TheMeanReds on March 6, 2007, at 10:59:21
In reply to Re: Remeron - Could you please share your experience » TheMeanReds, posted by dreamboat_annie on March 5, 2007, at 18:26:06
Yeah its always good to have some time at home to try out a new med. I was kinda stupid when I got my new remeron. I was so excited about all the good things I heard about it, that I actually took it at lunch before my work shift. On top of it I was meeting my new manager that day! Oh so many trips for quad espressos! That taught me a lesson. =)
Best of luck.
> Thanks so much for the reply. Some good sleep is what I need right now, which is why I am asking about Remeron. I just worry that if I couldn't tolerate even half of the smallest dose of Trazadone, that Remeron will knock me out for a day and a half too LOL.
>
>
> > I was on a low dose of Remeron, to treat depression (I prefer not to take ssris, plus the ssris caused insomnia for me) a couple of times. The doc said lower doses would be better for anxiety and sleep...at least in my case. The food cravings were true for me I couldnt NOT eat while I was awake. Worse than preggers cravings. I was in love with saltwater taffy. Sometimes I thought it worked wonders for my depression because I had no time to think about being depressed, because I was focused on food (exaggeration).
> >
> > But other than the food thing, I love remeron. I was happy, I could sleep, I wasnt depressed, I didnt have anxiety, and I could actually have an orgasm. Yay!
> >
> >
>
>
Posted by Dunder on March 7, 2007, at 9:13:54
In reply to Remeron - Could you please share your experience, posted by dreamboat_annie on March 1, 2007, at 17:37:15
I've been on Remeron for about 9 months. I started on 15mg and soon increased to 30mg. I found the day time sedation only lasted for a week or so but the night time sedation has been long term which is good for sleep. The weight gain and intense hunger was an issue at first but that got better with time. I put on about 3 kg (6 or 7 lbs) within the first month but have since lost it by doing more exercise and watching what I eat. The problem I have found with Remeron is although it helped a bit with the depression I couldn't stand the irritability, anger and hostility it caused. I am normally a friendly and gentle person but Remeron made me want to shout at people for no reason. I felt so hostile towards other people that I had to avoid social contact for fear of exploding with anger and losing friends. Needless to say it was a lonely and frustrating experience which ended in feeling more depressed than I had in a long time. In the past 2 months I have added 20mg prozac and gone to 15mg remeron. For now this combo is working well. However the reason that I wanted to try remeron in the first place was that it has little/no sexual side effects but now I have added the prozac these problems have returned.
This is the end of the thread.
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