Personally, I am hoping for weight gain. The increase in Cymbalta has had a positive effect on my depression, but I still battle a complete lack of appetite, and am waking up frequently with headaches.

I've dropped to 140 pounds, and on a 6' frame, that's not enough.

I look like some kid in the 'hood' with the butt of my jeans sagging down to the back of my knees!

I start the mirtazapine tonight

Sorry to interject, but I needed to respond to this. I am also one of those patient's who has gained a considerable amount of weight on Remeron in a short period of time.

That being said, I knew in advance that the drug had a bad reputation for weight gain, so I used all of my knowledge about nutrition and exercise and created a very rigorous and (typically) effective routine. I was an athelete for 16 years, own and operate an online health tracking/nutrition system and have a background in the physical sciences.

And, here's what happened: I wanted to see how bad the weight gain was. So, I created a pretty nice tracking system for calculating energy I was consuming versus energy I was burning. Calories In vs Calories Out. I stuck to a diet of 1300- 1500 calories per day, absolutely no bad food, and exercised EVERY day (cardio, hiking, power yoga, aerobics, strength training).

According to my calculations, I should have been losing about 1.7 pounds per week. Instead, I was gaining about 1-2 lbs a week.

Remeron significantly alters your body composition and metabolism. Do not tell people that it is as simple as calories in vs calories out. I have tested it, for weeks, and that's not the case with this drug. It alters your metabolic rate, your fat to muscle ratio and your ability to form new muscle tissue. It's not as simple as quit eating so much.

I have basically given my life over to exercise just so I don't gain anymore weight. It is frustrating, time consuming and (yes) depressing. It is also an uphill battle.

I love remeron because it seriously improves the quality of my sleep. No AD or AA affects for me. But, it has been hard and expensive (think of all the clothes I throw away) for me getting used to this. It has also left me in a position of not knowing what to do. My body is covered with this immovable layer of fat, my joints are killing me from all the exercise and my life is slipping away from me because I am either at work or exercising.

But, I sleep. For the first time in 12 years, I sleep.

My doc wants me to take less of the Remeron because the weight gain isn't getting better and she sees me killing myself over it.

However, I find your comment about its calming effects reducing your metabolism very interesting. Too bad, for some of us, it completely kills our metabolism.

Like today. 2.5 HOURS of cardio and hiking. And, I know tomorrow I will wake up and I will still not be able to get into the pants that fit me 6 weeks ago.

Anyway, just my two cents.

For me, Zispin was the most difficult anti-depressant I ever took. I took it for eight weeks and in that short time I gained over 28lbs. I quit cold turkey because I couldnt function with the fatigue. I still have several tabs left over, which I use occasionally as a sleeping aid.

Hello - depression since 1974 - back then there was no prozac and a few tricyclics. Did the ECT thing, misdiagnosed -and continued until I found imipramine - then a couple of stays in the "Hanoi Hilton (as I call it)" - a couple of AD's that didn't work. Long story short - zoloft for a number of years and finally Remeron which I'm just starting to take.

I've certainly noticed a huge change in my mood - which I like - and an increase in apetite. I'm 53 years of age, 5 foot 4 inches, 150 pounds.

I haven't taken this medication for a long time - but as I understand it there's lots of cravings for sweets. If you think about it - when we are really hungry - what's the first thing we think about. Right - candy, donuts - carbs for the engine - so - if the hypothesis is correct - filling yourself up with water, fibre, fruits etc could help with the weight gain that many - and perhaps I will encounter.

Great forum by the way - glad I found you. I'd better head to the 'introduce yourself' column.

Bill
Saskatchewan, Canada

Ive been on it about 3 weeks now and im going to ask my doctor to change.

I have put on about 6 pounds I would say and have never been so hungry in my life.

Im about 115 pounds with some 2 or 3 pund pound jumps here and there but the punds are going up and up and up and i just cant stop ****** eating.
Ive never experienced this before and I had never heard of the drug when i was prescribed it no i had no pre concieved idea in there before taking.

I took 30 mgs at first but they knocked me out so much i had to reduce to 15mg which means i can get up for work now and not sleep through!

I also find some days im hyper and really erratic so all in all im not really happy with it.


Think its time to go back to that pill i love and hate so much - CIPRAMIL!!

Anyway - its really great to read peoples experiences and see youre not the only one!!

Thanks guys :)

I too gained weight on Remeron last time I took it.But due to the fact that it has no sexual side effects and helps me to sleep at night, I am back on it.But this time I have a better psychiatrist who actually listens to me and works with me to solve these problems and he had also put me on a medication called Metformin to counteract the weight gain from Remeron.It is a diabetic med (even though I dont have diabetes) and hopefully it works this time.I'll keep everyone posted.Wish me luck!

I gained a lot of weight last time I took Remeron. It fell off as soon as I stopped taking it last time. I started taking it again but this time my p-doc prescribed Metformin and this was supposed to prevent the weight gain.However it has been about 10 days and I already gained a ton of weight and i am very tired of this and so am now tapering off all my meds.I am finally engaged and I need to get in shape for my wedding so I cannot gain any more weight....must lose weight!

Anyone here lose weight on Remeron? I'm on Cymbalta which many people say causes weight gain but I've been very fortunate and I'm losing on it. I'm not sure if it it right for me, however, and I am thinking of alternatives.

This post has been edited by Maedhros: Nov 22 2008, 05:47 PM

I too have been on Remeron for about a year. I gained almost 20 pounds. Before being on Remeron I was on Welbutrin and was able to maintain my weight with exercise and watching what I eat. Now I exercise 40 minutes a day, and diet constantly and still keep gaining weight. I'm going to ask my doctor to put me back on Welbutrin. The only reason I switched was to help me sleep at night. I'd rather not sleep than not fit into any of my clothes.

That is so not true that just watching your eating and exercise is all you need to do. I have always had to watch my weight and I'm pretty disciplined about it. I exercise for 40 minutes a day pretty hard and I eat very healthy. For example, a small bowl of cereal for breakfast, apple and granola bar for lunch, and for dinner a lean meat patty with salad, no bun. I still continue to gain weight since being on this drug. I've never in my life had such trouble keeping the weight from coming on. It took me a while to realize it might be this drug because I was never warned about it. But I have been on Weight Watchers and Physicians Weight Loss and they couldn't understand why I wasn't losing either. Finally I started trying to think about what had changed in my life, and taking this drug was the only thing.

On Remeron (I was on for just over a month)... I am 13, was 105 pounds. I'm not 124. I have an eating disorder, as well, hence the depression.. and let's just say it was a very bad choice for me. I gained about 20-25 pounds (fluctuating).
My Doctors recently decided to switch me to Wellbutrin XL because the most comment side affect is weight loss in any amount. I am actually way too excited to be on this pill, it also has really good reports.
If you're struggling with this side affect, you should talk to your Doctor about a new medication Wellbutrin XL which also has very good reviews.

001Kat, Thanks for reaffirming by accurate scientific data that we are not just imagining the huge weight gain and frustrating fat. I had a huge roll of belly fat for the first time in my entire life. I have been off the Mirtzapin over about 10 days and have already lost 8 lbs. I will never go back on. I'd rather not sleep.

I talked to my doctor and went off the Mirtazapin and back on Wellbutrin. I've been of the Mirtazapin for about 10 days and have already lost 8 lbs. of the 15 I needed to lose.

Yikes! I was just put on Remeron today. I will definately be carfeully watching ny weight...
It's depressing (lol), as I just lost ten pounds, and am now at a weight I haven't been at, for close to ten years. It has been the only thing to make me smile in months :(

[quote name='001kat1d1d001' date='Oct 18 2008, 12:03 AM' post='455687']
Sorry to interject, but I needed to respond to this. I am also one of those patient's who has gained a considerable amount of weight on Remeron in a short period of time.

That being said, I knew in advance that the drug had a bad reputation for weight gain, so I used all of my knowledge about nutrition and exercise and created a very rigorous and (typically) effective routine. I was an athelete for 16 years, own and operate an online health tracking/nutrition system and have a background in the physical sciences.

And, here's what happened: I wanted to see how bad the weight gain was. So, I created a pretty nice tracking system for calculating energy I was consuming versus energy I was burning. Calories In vs Calories Out. I stuck to a diet of 1300- 1500 calories per day, absolutely no bad food, and exercised EVERY day (cardio, hiking, power yoga, aerobics, strength training).

According to my calculations, I should have been losing about 1.7 pounds per week. Instead, I was gaining about 1-2 lbs a week.

Remeron significantly alters your body composition and metabolism. Do not tell people that it is as simple as calories in vs calories out. I have tested it, for weeks, and that's not the case with this drug. It alters your metabolic rate, your fat to muscle ratio and your ability to form new muscle tissue. It's not as simple as quit eating so much.

I have basically given my life over to exercise just so I don't gain anymore weight. It is frustrating, time consuming and (yes) depressing. It is also an uphill battle.

I love remeron because it seriously improves the quality of my sleep. No AD or AA affects for me. But, it has been hard and expensive (think of all the clothes I throw away) for me getting used to this. It has also left me in a position of not knowing what to do. My body is covered with this immovable layer of fat, my joints are ******* me from all the exercise and my life is slipping away from me because I am either at work or exercising.

But, I sleep. For the first time in 12 years, I sleep.

My doc wants me to take less of the Remeron because the weight gain isn't getting better and she sees me ******* myself over it.

However, I find your comment about its calming effects reducing your metabolism very interesting. Too bad, for some of us, it completely kills our metabolism.

Like today. 2.5 HOURS of cardio and hiking. And, I know tomorrow I will wake up and I will still not be able to get into the pants that fit me 6 weeks ago.

Anyway, just my two cents.



I had to join after reading this. I have been on remeron for @ 8 years. I put on quite a bit of weight in the beginning, though I needed to. But I my Dr recently increased my dose after I had a depressive episode (90 mg). I put on 10 lbs. I have always thought the medicine was the problem. The Dr told me I would increase in weight, but like you I exercise alot. I race bikes and train 8-12 hours a week. I have recently dropped down to about 1600 calories a day, but the weight does not come off. I wish I could get off of it, but on the flip side I feel better emotionally. Catch 22 I suppose. Have been talking with my Dr about changing to something else.

Oh dear. I've just come home from the doctor with my first pack of mirtazapine, and to be honest I couldn't be more frightened of taking it tonight. I have polycystic ovaries which makes it more difficult to lose weight anyway, and despite having very little appetite (seriously, I struggle to get 800-1000 calories a day) I am fighting a losing battle with my size. I've been very active in the recent past but at the moment I am actually pretty sedentary because I've been off meds for a while and I sleep a lot when I'm depressed (during the day, never at night) so I'm worried about that aspect too. Without wanting to be melodramatic about it, I feel like my doc has sent me away with a death sentence instead of a prescription. I honestly think that, regardless of the AD effects Mitazapine may (or may not) turn out have for me, if I have to deal with putting on yet more weight and feeling even more drowsy than I am right now, I would become suicidal. I can't see how this med is an appropriate choice for someone whose metabolism is obviously knackered, already feels so insecure about her appearance that she often won't leave the house, and never feels more than half-awake. However great an AD it is, I just don't see myself being able to go back to the gruelling excercise regime necessary to even maintain my weight (never mind losing any) if the drug is also going to leave me asleep on my feet, unable to fit into my clothes and expanding at a faster rate than ever.

So I'm contemplating just waiting for my appointment next week to hand back the mirtazpine untouched, and telling the GP I don't want to risk the above situation, especially at this crucial time (I'm starting at drama school in the Autumn and I'll need to be as fit and healthy as possible). Do you think this is really stupid of me? I could try it for a week but I'm just worried the doc will persuade me to trial it for another week after that, and another and another and then I'll really be up poo creek. :(

This post has been edited by earnest_fervour: Feb 2 2009, 07:55 AM

One thing to consider with Remeron and it's notorious weight gain is that it's not the medication itself that causes it, like so many other ADs do. With Remeron you get serious food cravings and tend to feel really hungry. Taking it right before bed is a great idea. But also keeping the cravings in mind and watching what you're eating is the best way to prevent weight gain.
And once you get up to 30mg, the sedating effect goes away.

Remeron is considered to be one of the most effective anti-depressants there is, but it's not usually prescribed unless one is seriously depressed because of the sedating/craving side effects being pretty hardcore.

Hi Laxrunners

Are you in the UK? Just wondering how you are getting on. I came of Mirtazapine too, HATED IT HATED IT HATED IT. Can't believe the urge to eat. Feel awful gained at least 7ibs in 3 weeks.

My doc would't prescribe wellbutrin, :( Heard about it and loved the idea of it - weight loss plus no sex side effects. Im on day 2 of exeffor (supposedly no weight gain, though a lot of people have according to replies in the forum.....:( )

I have been referred to the Pdoc though, think my gp gave up on me, to be fair he didnt know what he was doing........Originally, I chose to change from citalopram due to zero motivation, and i had no withdrawal time and crashed. He chose to put me on the mirtazapine, I Slept and was in a daze the whole 3 weeks i was on Mirt. I withdrew pretty quick from mirt, my choice, because i hated it SOO much!! (liked the sleep tho) So last tablet day or 2 ago, no effects of withdraw so far.

be nice to know what effects u had changing from mirt to wellbutrin, weight loss etc etc. Going to convince pdoc, (when i get to see them) about wellbutrin (maybe with effexor) if good.

Amber

Hi all,

I have been on Mirtazapine for 4 months now. I have increased in weight by just under 2 stone. I look fat now, but i tolerate that for the time being if it means i get my head straight.

Take care
Paul

Honestly today I just happened to look online for information regarding weight gain and Remeron and I found this forum.
I have always been a gym rat-even through the darkest of times, and once I started Remeron in combination with Effexor, I noticed I felt so much better-slept good-also using Ran-Zoplicone for a sleep aid-but the sad thing is that I work out 5 times a week and do weight training as well as 40 minutes of cardio-running at a good pace-and the elliptical trainer as well as biking and walking everywhere-and I can't get rid of these 10 pounds I put on!!
Really I find this quite distressing-I was a size 4 to 6 at 129 lbs, now I'm a size 8 to 10 at 146 lbs. I'm constantly in sweats-I'm at my wits end because I eat healthy-I eat steamed veggies and chicken at night-with very little starches, fats and carbs during the day. It just won't go away. And I spend so much time in the gym. I've never worked out harder or as often as I do now. I also control my portions-people are often asking me-'Is that all you're going to have?'
I've lowered from 30 mg to 15 mg with the support of my doctor-and now I think I want to stop altogether, I will finish what I have and then just not continue them. I don't know what she will say about Wellbutrin-in any case I'm scheduled for an appointment next week. I have been on this drug for about 7 months now-and I've never had weight problems.

That's my two cents!

haha im taking 15mg of mirtazapine before bed time...but same weight, same appetite.
the problem is that i want to gain weight.

do u take it on the morning?..anyways dont know how people take it without falling sleep.

Hi,
I've struggled with major depression for over 10 years. My doc & I have tried every AD individually and in a cocktail. The most current mix (for over 2 years) has been Wellbutrin XL, Cipralex and Remeron. When the Remeron was added to the other two meds 2 years ago, for the first time in so many years I started getting sleep & my mood began to lift. Last year was the best year i can remember as far as my mental health goes. We tried weaning off the Wellbutrin & cipralex last year (one at a time) and each time the I felt the slide back towards the depression. I was reluctant to drop the Remeron because it's the only thing that has enabled me to sleep. Weight gain has been huge for me with the Remeron. I gained 60 pounds in the 2 years. Some people I talked to said I had to weigh (pun) the physical health problems against the mental health gain. For all of the two years, I was reluctant to give up the sleep and good mental health. Well, this February, I decided I can't take the physical health risks because of my weight any more and my doc agreed. I'm still on the Wellbutrin XL & Cipralex but came off the Remeron. I have lost 15 pounds in about 3 1/2 weeks and am totally falling down, down, down.

I hate being so fat but I also hate the depression. We (my doc & I) are at a loss right now. I know I may have to go back on the Remeron (if it will still work after coming off it), but what about my physical health. The weight is affecting my knees now.

Just thought I'd share as I came across this forum looking for stuff to do with Remeron.

Hi, am new to all this so bear with me! I take Efexor 225mg these did not seem to be lifting me hugely and my doc started me on Mirt exactly 4 weeks ago today. In that time I have gained a stone in weight, and am so hungry it is ridiculous. I feel huge and although the meds may be helping I feel this is counter acting as am so down and low over my weight. None of my clothes fit me I look stupid in them so being in this 'current economic climate' and unable to afford to splash out on a new wardrobe am stuck wearing clothes I wore whilst pregnant. A woman even asked me the other week when I am due :( my son will b one shortly :( is it fat that am gaining? or is it water retention? I feel like my face is bloated aslo and my hands and feet tell to b the same. I was always on the slim side so wen I complain about it people tend to shout me down saying I shouldn't moan etc but it's making me feel awful..... I don't want to go out anywhere, firstly cos nothing fits and secondly because I feel ugly :( any suggestions?

This post has been edited by Cinderella: Apr 1 2009, 09:48 AM

I've been on mirtazapine since January and have only put on about 12 pounds. This is also coming from being unnaturally underweight when I was stressed and feeling too sick to eat - 10.5 stone at 6'2" compared to about 11.4 now - so I'm really back where I was.

I've been eating fairly unhealthily and only just started playing sport again. I was hoping to gain a good 10 pounds from where I M now but that seems unlikely and at 30mg my appetite is about normal (15mg seemed to have more effect in that regard) Each person is different I guess.

This post has been edited by ReggiePerrin: Apr 1 2009, 06:09 PM

hi i'm new and i wanted to add a few comments and ask a question.i've been on remeron for about a year for panic attacks.it has helped me a great deal.i've just this past month halfed my dose and will half again in 2 weeks.my doctor initially didn't want to medicate me i basically begged her because from my anxiety i lost too much weight, now i have gained weight about 10 lbs. that's not alot i know but no matter what i try it won't come off. i go to the gym i restrict myself from eating too much but no effect . so i have concluded that it's the remeron that won't let me shed the weight. i have a very good metabolism which is the reason i haven't gained too much because i beleive no matter what you do the weight will pack on. so everyone out there who is struggling i am here to say you are not alone. my question is how long does it take to be off the drug in order to lose the weight?

Hi all,

This is so true...I am on Mirtazapine, because I got loud tinnitus from a concert and have severe problems sleeping, it also caused depression so they put me on this, but wow I have put on weight despite eating the same. I'm on 7.5 mg but feel like I've ballooned during the last 2 months. I read somewhere that weight gain is a common side effect, but so is Cholesterol production (independent of weight gain effect). That's a shame as I sleep really well on this drug, and I think it's calming, but the only other niggle is that I feel as if I am permanently in a dreamlike state...

I would love mirtazapine if it wasn't for the weight gain....

Remeron was the only thing that worked for me. I was feeling really good, but started eating like an elephant! Gained 30 lbs, so I had to stop it. Feel crappy again.

I'm not sure why something to curb appetite can't just be prescribed along with it. Anyone know why?

I've gained 20 pounds on Mirtazapine. I do cardio every day and eat really healthy foods. I even stopped snacking between meals but my weight just keeps going up

I'm thinking about switching, but I don't know if I will find something better.. what if I just feel depressed again?

hey sepiolida,
that's a tough sitation to be in. do you feel that remeron has helped your depression?
i experienced weight gain and terrible nightmares on remeron. but i didn't think it helped my mood at all so the decision to go off it (with my doctor) was pretty easy.
i think this is something you'll have to work closely with your doctor on.

Huh, I haven't had many nightmares, but my dreams have been vivid and weird! I'm not sure if it's helping... I've been on it for 4 months and the first couple months I felt like it was helping a lot, but I think the effects have worn off and I'm very depressed and anxious again (plus fat!). My doctor has been talking about adding a second med (most likely pristiq) because I got suicidal last weekend, and I'm thinking I might ask her to just switch completely. I can't stand this - my weight hasn't leveled off, it just keeps going up, and now I have a limited selection of my clothes that I can still wear and I feel disgusting. I'm wearing the same pair of jeans or track pants every day!

But I'm also worried that I might be lowering the effectiveness of my treatment through alcohol. I tend to drink two or three times a week to get drunk. I know that's a lot, and I've been trying to cut back, but that's always been another issue that's been hard for me.... But I will try my best.

Thanks for your help and support!

This thread was a tremendous encouragement to me as I have gained weight on Remeron. No, that's not accurate; I gained another person! I have tried to lose weight with increased exercise and decreased caloric intake and the like but nothing happened. I thought it was the Effexor but I now see it may be the Remeron. I am looking forward to talking to my dr about getting off Remeron as I never had a problem sleeping when my dep/anx started. I don't know that sharing my mg would be encouraging to anyone so I refrain from sharing. Meds are definitely individual dependent but weight gain seems to be a general SE.

I have something to look forward to!

I gained like 15 pounds on remeron on the dosage of 30mg to 45mg however I have maintain it. Thanks god. I feel the craving I get is at night time especially after taking the med. I work out alot but that's not enough. Diet is a must but it almost imposible being in a diet on remeron for me. Right now I'm on Alli/Orlistat of course with my doctor permission. Hope this help atleast to lose what I gained. Good luck to everyone.

I have been taking mirtazapine since october and I have noticed my weight has increased quite a lot from 14 stone 6 to 15 stone 8, sometimes just topping 16 stone.

I do waterpolo training twice and a 1 and a half hour intensive gym session every week, and I find that I am always battling to keep the weight around the same. Sometimes I can drop it down to 15 6 but it bounces back up again as I recover.

I started waterpolo about a month after I started mirtazapine, and it started to cut the weight to 15 1 but then went way over 16 stone as I stopped my training for a couple of weeks.

It was only a few months before that I was around 14 6, and I never led an athletic lifestyle, it was always in town for lunch for burgers, or lasagne or sometimes a big pizza.

My medication went down to 15 mg and I started to cut some weight, although there was quite a noticeable hormone increase for about a month. But then the weight just keeps on piling up and up again, it is like I am putting a barrier to stop it really going high above 16 stone.

I have thought about asking for 7.5mg I am not really that depressed anymore or have PTSD, but I have asperger syndrome and I need something to help with anxiety.

Does the side effects increase the lower the dose?

hi all, ive been on mirtazapine for just over 5 months now and ive decided to come off them.. this is after the horrific weight gain, i had advoided the scales in the bathroom but while at a friends i did weigh myself only to find i have gone from 8 stone to 11 stone, i have never weighed this in my life even through my pregnancys!! in the first month of taking it i had the usuall side affects of brain spasems and very jumpy but since then i have started drinking 5 bottles of wine a week, self harmed a few times and feel like i have no control at all of my life, at times it seems they have helped with the depression but then ill have a bad time and be back to where i was only with worse panic attacks and breaking down in front of everyone rather than hiding away to cry. i see the doctor today and he wanted to move me from the 30ml i take now to 45ml when i refused he gave me venlafaxine 45.7ml twice a day but when i came home and looked them up i found they are pretty much the same as mirt so ill be no better off and for this reason im going cold turkey despite what people are telling me. years back i was on prozac for about 8 months and i stopped them cold turkey with hardly any side affects so im hoping itll go the same way this time. i know these tablets work for alot of people but my advice is if your worried about gaining weight then opt for a different med x

Like almost everyone else I've put on 30 lbs over 2 months with Remeron. Absolutely love the fact it makes me sleep so well. I went from 3 hours a night of restless sleep to 12 hours solid sleep in one day. But the time has come, I weaned down from 30 mg to 15 mg in the last week and will try taking it alternate day until stopping completely. My pdoc also gave me a prescription for imovane to help me sleep. I'll let you know how it goes.

hi maureens,

did your remeron stop working for you or is your pdoc taking you off of it because of weight gain? do let us know how things go for you.

Been on Mirtazapine for over 6 months now and my mood is improving. I gained a stone on Mirtazapine in a month but have finally lost it as the doctor gave me orlistat to help with weight loss. It is so hard to lose weight as I am on these pills and also having a pre existing medical condition that makes you gain weight- PCOS.

I am so glad for this anti depressant though as I am now sleeping well and I no longer want to harm myself.

hi akanassi,

i'm glad that you mood is finally improving. it's good that your doc has given you something to help with your weight. the mood is what keeps us going and looking at things in a more positive way.

Hi,

No it was my choice to stop the remeron. My depression is more under control now and I continue to take Wellbutrin and Cipralex. Remeron worked like nothing else, sleeping and emotionally better but it felt kind of like a sledgehammer approach. Doing well so far with the Immovane to sleep though it leaves a metallic taste in your mouth. Went the the cottage this weekend and ate WAY too much and got home and nervously checked the scales and I'd lost a pound. I think it is helping that I have more energy and moving faster now.

Will keep updating. Thanks for asking.

Maureen

hi maureens,

i'm glad that things may be looking up for you with the weight gain. please do keep us posted on how it goes for you.