Hi there I have been on Mirtazapine for 11 days now and it has dramatically improved my mood. However before I had this period of depression, I was successfully doing Weight Watchers and had lost 7 lbs. Since I have been on Mirtazapine, I have put on the 7 lbs I lost. Now I have eaten a small amount of junk food, however not enough to justify such a dramatic weight gain and I was wonderin if this is going to stop as it will only bring back my depression. However I am scared to change it incase my depression takes over again? Any ideas or experiences?

Hi Undertheblackclouds,

Weight gain is a common side effect of Remeron. When I was on it, I only gained a small amount of weight (about 10lbs - but I had lost a lot of weight and needed the extra pounds - so I guess it's all relative). Then my weight was pretty stable.
I'm glad you experience an huge improvement in your mood! This med really seems to be working for you. I can understand though that the weight gain is hard on you since you did your very best to lose those pounds.
I'd say, try to eat as healthy as possible and get some exercise if you can. I hope this helps you to keep your weight balanced. If it keeps on causing you concern, discuss it with your doc.
Good luck to you! Keep us posted!

(what dosage are you on?)

Take care,
Autumn

Hi Autumn, thanks for the reply. I was on 15mg for the first week and was then told to up it to 30mg. I am following Weight Watchers again now and I was wondering if the people who had gained weight on it had given into the extra hunger pangs and filled the feeling with food junk food? I don't know what to do.

Hi
I have been on zispin for 13 months now and i have just began to reduce my dose. In all honesty i gained weight on it whether i ate the junk food or not. I went for a short break with my mother and aunts and we all ate the same food in fact i probably ate slightly less and when we all went back that week to weight watchers they all had put on between 1 and 2 pounds..... not me i had put on 5. In total i have gained around 30 odd pounds since starting it and my weight was normal back then. That said however , i do not for one moment regret having taken it as it did save my life and i have now been fully recovered for over 8 months now. There is no price on your mental health,i think its better to get well then to deal with the weight issues. Good luck
Nell

Hi there

I too was on Mirtazaphine for 6 weeks in those 6 weeks i gained a total of 30 pounds i went up two dress sizes and my appetite was no different
Thankfully I am now off them after the doctor realised they were not working for me and i am taking sertraline - and the weight has dropped off me 6 pound in two weeks.

God luck

This is the one thing that is scaring me starting this, weight gain, I need to lose not gain!

Same here

I have experienced weight gain over the last several months (30mg dose) but the benefit of the Remeron has far out weighed ( sorry; no pun intended) the weight gain. I don't like it but w/ some lifestyle changes and more exercise I should be able to deal with the weight issues.

The Remeron has brought my anxiety/depression (adjustment disorder) to a manageable level to allow me back to a fairly normal routine. Any anxiety / depression peaks, while still painful and scary, don't last very long and I can get them under control (which I couldn't do before).

Glad its working for you. I am sleeping better (reason I started taking it) thankfully. Hard to shake off the drowsiness during the day. Prozac makes me sleepy also so between the 2 it's a hard thing to stay awake all day. Been so angry/grouchy last 2 days staying awake has been easier but not a lot of fun.

Happy to report weight is down to *** from 2 days ago when it was ***. I didn't do anything fancy, just no more ceral after dinner. I am hungrier now than before the meds, but I was 25lbs overweight when I started taking the meds. While I dang sure didn't bring on a depressive episode so I could lose some weight (would rather play in dirty cat litter) losing weight now is a side benefit to all this, I suppose.

Feeling a bit better today. Had to take an ativan earlier to calm down as I had an anxious/agry spell. Just looking forward to being well again.

This post has been edited by Autumn: Mar 22 2007, 05:07 PM

Remeron was just one of the many ADs I've tried in 18 months. I started it in July '06 and within 4 months had packed on 20 pounds despite working out regularly and eating wholesome foods. Not only that, but it made me as lethargic as hell. I quit taking it in November and that very nearly killed me. Or perhaps less dramatic, it was the closest I've ever come to seriously committing suicide.
Hope this helps anyone, someone.

To all above, esp. undertheblackclouds...

Me too, started with the weight gain (25 lbs in 5 weeks!), then it leveled out for about three weeks, and then the past two weeks I've lost 10 pounds. I did increase the distance that I walk and swim but I was going to do that anyways. I now swim 30 minutes in the morning and walk 30 minutes about a half hour after I eat dinner. I still have to eat something before I go to bed though, the hunger doesn't let me get to sleep. This is my 'terminal velocity', I think.

I also have friends that gained weight and lost it after a time, without changing their activities. And I have friends like some of the above, they were too skinny due to their depression/anxiety, that the weight gain was welcome. I, too, have friends (as above) that the affect on their MH issues (positive) far outweighed their concerns about their weight (figured the trade off was more than worth it.)

So time will only tell for you, but give it a chance, sounds like the mirt. is working for you, and ain't that a relief, it sure was for me.

BE Peace and BE Love..... wayne

Dear ok-noggen, Post #11...."Remeron was just one of the many ADs I've tried in 18 months. I started it in July '06 and within 4 months had packed on 20 pounds despite working out regularly and eating wholesome foods. Not only that, but it made me as lethargic as hell. I quit taking it in November and that very nearly killed me. Or perhaps less dramatic, it was the closest I've ever come to seriously committing suicide.
Hope this helps anyone, someone."

Isn't it important to taper slowly? I'll say. Most of the pDoc I have talked to suggest that you taper at 1-2 times the amount of time that it takes to load. The funny thing is most Dox use half-lifes t determine in their minds how fast you can taper, if at all. But the reality is, the blood-brain barrier inhibits the passage of chemicals into and out of the CSF (cerebral spinal fluid)/blood interface. So even when the chemical is out of your blood stream, the concentration in your brain is still much higher. That is why they take a while to work, as opposed to something like lorazapam or alcohol (which pass freely in either direction), and also why they need to be tapered. That, plus the fact that the neurotransmitters they effect don't do their jobs as affectively, and without their helpers, they dysfunction badly.

This is the same process that opiate addicts face with withdrawal. When one takes opiates, the body stops making our natural opioid compounds, like endorphins, and so when the body stops getting its exogenous opioid, it hurts. And it hurt until the body starts making an adequate amount of endorphins.... yours, w.

This post has been edited by lambvet: May 29 2007, 04:36 AM

That was interesting. Thanks for sharing Lambvet.

Autumn

I'm yet another of the "gained weight on mirtazapine" crew. Within a week of starting it, my appetite went through the roof, I'm pretty much constantly hungry, and in total I've gained about 30lbs. I wouldn't mind (well, I do really), but it hasn't helped at all with my mood, so I'm now moving on to Escitalopram. Hopefully the weight will at least partially disappear with the medication...

Betsie,

I hope the other med helps you more moodwise!

to Depression Forums!

Take care,
Autumn

Thanks for the welcome, Autumn