Any experience with Remeron?

[Cleardot]

I spoke to my doctor this week about trying an anti-depressant. He recommended Wellbutrin. But I read that it can worsen anxiety and cause insomnia, and I am experiencing both. So I did research on Remeron. It seems to help with insomnia and may help with anxiety as well as depression. But it can also cause excessive sleepiness and increased weight gain and increased cholesterol. I am also considering trying natural supplements such as Holy Basil and Sam-e. At the moment I take Ativan 0.5 to 1 mg and Melatonin 3mg and a cup of chamomile tea before bed. But I still wake up at 3 or 4 am with anxiety and insomnia.
I meet with a counselor weekly. He doesn't comment much about medications when I bring them up. He suggested today that maybe try getting up and doing something creative if I wake up anxious at 3am. Perhaps paint or do a project and use that time in a constructive way to deal with my fears and anxieties, instead of laying in bed and ruminating on those thoughts.
I had labs drawn this week. I have been on Triumeq now for almost 8 weeks. Hoping that labs will be reassuring.

[RobbyR]

Hi, I thought I'd answer your post, because I started on Mirtazipine/Remeron awhile back as a sleep-aid. My doctor had told me to stay with Melatonin but apparently the meds I am taking caused sleep problems so I started on 20mg of Mirtazipine. The weight gain is definitely there, I don't like it. I also take a blood pressure medication which makes that worse. I usually sleep through the night but it's not as restful a sleep as I'd like. My sleep patterns need a lot of work. I am a night owl I tend to like going to bed really late & sleeping late. Which isn't always doable or practical of course. I haven't had any major side effects with the Mirtazipine other than some sluggishness & feeling spacey. I had a bit of confusion the first couple of days feeling like I had been drugged or something. But it definitely helps me go to sleep.

I definitely recommend painting or doing something artistic to help occupy your mind if you need something or even just reading a bit can really make me sleepy again. Make sure you're sleeping in a cool dark area too with no bright lights or anything that can disturb sleep. I think I'll stay with Mirtazipine for now but I still need a tiny bit of Xanax to help me sleep which  I don't like having to rely on but oh well.

[Miss Philicia]

I took Remeron for years. I liked it. Definitely helps with sleep but eventually it did increase my weight so I went off of it.

[Cleardot]

Thank you for your input

[xunil]

I'll chime in with another ring for the gaining weight bell.  I do think it did help me once I adjusted to it a bit, but man did I ever gain weight on it.  Definitely the most excess weight I've ever had was during the year I took it.

[Buckmark]

I tried Remeron for depression, maybe 10 or so years ago.  I couldn't get over how drowsy it made me, all the time.  And it made me want to eat everything in sight -- it was bizarre, although I didn't gain any weight.  But I was only on it for about 2 months.

[OnlyMeHere]

I took Remeron about 10 years ago, and I couldn't get enough to eat.  i would literally get up in the middle of the night and eat an entire cake.  Gained 60 lbs before I told the doc it was time to change.

[harleymc]

I take 7.5 mg per day at bed time.
It took several weeks for me to nitice the difference, but it's a welcome friend now.

[nxt1001]

I didn't like it. I started taking antidepressants a few years ago and have gone through a few. They all had different side effects, effexor made sex impossible, Zoloft gave me weird dreams, etc. When I tried rameron, the doctor said it could cause weight gain. I thought that was fine because all my life I had always been thin no matter what my eating habits were like and didn't think I'd ever have a problem with weight. Within a couple months of starting rameron, I went from weighing 140 to almost 190. I started to look fat. I had always been thin, and now I was getting fat. And it didn't seem to matter what I ate, this drug just seemed to be slowing down my metabolism. After stopping it, I lost 20 pounds after months of exercise and dieting. But even a year and a half later, I still can't break below 165. Some of that is muscle though. I was never able to gain muscle before, but now it's easier, however it's also a lot easier to gain fat now too. It's a double edged sword. Rameron has permanently changed my metabolism.

I am glad that I have an easier time gaining muscle, some people have even told me I look better with a little extra weight. But I would still kill for that flat stomach and V line again.

If you've ever had a weight problem I wouldn't suggest taking rameron. I wouldn't suggest taking rameron at all, but if you're fine with permanently altering your body's metabolism and gaining some weight then go for it.

As for Wellbutrin, that's personally my favorite. It was what I tried first, and what I'm taking now. It does give you some anxiety for the first few weeks but that gets better. What I like about it is that it perks me up and gives me energy to get through the day sans coffee. And if you're a smoker, I'd also advise you to take Wellbutrin because it will make you quit smoking whether you want to or not.