Hi Sue,
Yes, I did have "restless legs and body" when I went from 15 mg to 30 mg. About an hour after taking the dose I would just have to keep tensing and flexing my body. I took ativan then and it totally relaxed the muscles. I am now at 15 mg and do not have that problem anymore.

And hi again to Autumn,
Hope you are successfully able to go down and off your remeron..... And "reengage" in life. I did see my pdoc on wed. She is really unhappy with the sedation I have from the remeron and would like to see me off of it and try some new things. She gave me a few options (what I love about her is that she really lets me make final decisions about my course of treatment and is not at all paternalistic like my previous pdoc). Anyway, she gave me a script to try strattera to see if that will alleviate the sedation.....ritalin and adderall did not agree with me. She also suggested going down on the remeron and possibly off as she consults with a colleage about my case and potentially trying a neuroleptic, etc.

so, last night I tried decreasing my dose to a 3/4 pill (11.5 mg from 15 mg). Today has been VERY DIFFICULT. First of all, I woke up at 4am and never went back to sleep. (I have loved how well remeron helps me sleep). I really can't complain too much about that since one symptom of my depression is really not sleeping at all!! But I have felt like crap most of the day. Very dizzy, feel exhausted , the lights seem too bright, nauseated, and anxious. So, I have decided to stay at 15 mg for now. I will try out this strattera med. Thankfully I was able to work my full day at the hospital (I'm an oncology nurse) and am about to crash in front of the tv. My husband has taken the kids out to a play.......I am so tired of missing out on so many of their activities, but I have such limited energy.... Good luck to all! gigi

Gigi,

Sorry to hear the sedation is troubling you. I hope the new prescription brings you some relief. It can be hard to find the right med and dosage.
I started on a neuroleptic about a month and a half ago, next to my AD's. At first it made me very tired and sleepy but those seem to be common start up side-effects. I find that I gives me more energy now.
Hopefully you and your pdoc will find something that works for you. All the best!

Take care,
Autumn

Hi Yan,
You say the pill tastes like oranges, Are your taking the disolvable tablet, if you are then you should know that it contains a artificial sweetener called phenylalanine, and can cause reactions in some people.
Maybe try the regular tab and see if that makes a difference, either way check with your doctor and explain the symtoms your having.

A little update. My pdoc decided to let me come off Remeron. I'm currently on 15mg. She told me I should be able to quit. Anywayz, I'll try. I normally take it around bedtime so I hope I won't notice much of withdrawal symptoms. As long as my sleep continues to be good...

Autumn

Good luck , Autumn! Let me know how it goes. I am about to try adding effexor to my remeron. Apparently it is supposed to be a "rocket fuel" combination. I sure need something. As you know, this remeron makes one very fuzzy headed.

take care and keep us posted....

best,
gigi

I don't know about the "rocket fuel" combination I was on both Remeron and Effexor. I don't really know if Remeron really did something for my depression. It's really good for sleep though. I do benefit from the antidepressant effect of Effexor.
It's been two days since I quit Remeron. I have some trouble sleeping. I wake up during the night and I'm feeling a bit restless. But this could have to do with the increased dosage of Effexor I'm taking. I'm up to 300mg now so...
Anywayz, I hope the combination does its work for you! Keeping my fingers crossed!
Keep us posted!

Take care,
Autumn

so far doing good on the Remeron. granted i have only taken it for a few days. But going to sleep faster helps. There are so many things that go into depression that it is hard to say sometimes what is helping and what is not. I had a week of "good" stuff and the Remeron was one of them. Therapy 3 days, talked to friends and my ex. Hard to say if it was one or the other. I hope the remeron is doing what it is suppose to do. Even if it just puts me to sleep, i love it. I LOVE ambien, but this stuff i think is better, well, my body seems to like it better, and it is cheaper, hehe. great side effect. I nice 1, 2 punch for people wiht depression and have a hard time falling asleep.

Hi Wolf,

I really hope this combination of the remeron and the therapy is a help to you!! I pretty much have nothing bad at all to say about remeron...it's really helped me with the sleeping which must have a subsequent knock on effect on my mood..the only time recently when I had a set back,,well that was partly my own fault and partly external pressures so *fingers crossed!* for you. Just remember it can take a wee while to start helping.

And Autumn!! best of luck with things too! hope it's going well for you!

Sky

Well, I can say that it does not give me the sexial side effects like SSRIs, YEAH!!! I think it is helping, yeah I know it has not been a week, but I can tell it is doing something. I know there is the possability of plecebo effects, but I kinda doubt that. After going throuhg a lot of my health issues, I knida know my body and when things are working. It is decreasing the depression.

I view depression very differently than most. It is not a linerar scale, with depression on one side and "happy" on the other side. Sorta llike the -/+ scale. To me it is a bar diagram and depression is a (+) or excited states One bar is "happiness" The other bar is a sum of depression triggers/depression items. The difference between the the two bars is depression. This type of model allows you to be "happy" or "content" and still be depressed. Meds/therapy and things can lower the depression bar, thus lowerering your depression. It also explains why people feel calmer, they are less "excited" in the depression bar.

Interesting way of looking at it wolf...hadn't thought of it that way before but it does make sense.

Sky

Hello fellow remeron/mirtazapine munchers!

I've been on it in the past and it seems to be the only AD i can tolerate. SSRI's give me major gastric probs and TCA's just bend my mind. Effexor gave me major tachy, and when i was well on it and playing squash again it sent my heart beat to 230+ bpm! aahhhhhhhhhh! could have died! hads to stop it. I work in psychiatry. This is one AD i swear by. I've been on it for just under a week and the AD effects have kicked in. I've been on 30mg before but only on 15mg at present. I had a poop out 2 weeks into taking it so waiting to see if that happens again. I haven't gained much weight yet but i'm slowley getting back into squash and the gym so tryin to fight off the weight gain. It gives me blurred vision. The sedation can be counter productive when your well. Thats why many people stop taking it when their well...like me last year! Advice? Dont do that! I did and 7 months later i've had the worst episode of depression of my life. It aint worth it.

Its funny, when i see my clients, and they talk about being unwell and effects of mirtazapine, i sit an smile and think .."i kno! i get that too!" but i cant say! The research evidence suggests that it may increase your total cholesterol. The weight gain seems to be the major issue for most (inc me!). Higher doses shud be less sedating as the higher the dose, the more the dual action it has and less affinity to histamine receptors. Sedation should settle in a few weeks as your receptors will natuarally desensitize. I'm still waiting for that to happen!.

Last week i was suicidal. Now i'm not, i'm back at work. The difference? MIRTAZAPINE!!!!!

The last time i was on it i did get elated an noticed my mood going high but its a breath of fresh air from being depressed. Be aware though it can cause elavated mood. As long as thats not more that your norm then thats cool!

In the UK, max doise is 45mg. U guys in the states don't half go higher!

Thanks for sharing your experience, asian mulder. I'm glad the Remeron helped your mood improve so quickly!

Hello All

Im new to this site and looking for some advice and converstaion with people in the same boat who really do know where I am coming from!

I have been depressed for the last ten or so years, although only within the last 18 months plucked up the courage to go to my doc and confess! I have been on every SSRI in the book, but mostly on fluoxetine, which I tolerated really well. I was taken up to the highest dose and decided to come off as I was really sleepy and lethargic, had no libido and it wasnt really doing much work as an antidepressant! After long consideration my therapist has put me on Mirtazapine.

I took the first dose last night and have slept for England! I also feel just like im coming round from a general anaesthetic!

If anyone could share their experiences on this drug, good or bad I would really appreciate it.

Thanks

MB

Welcome, m_b!
Tiredness/sleepiness is a common side-effect of Remeron. It often eases over time. Also, this is an unusual medication in that people often experience fewer side-effects at a higher dosage.
I hope you can give it some time, and that it works well for you. Let us know how you're doing...

Hi MB,
I also experienced extreme tiredness when I first started taking remeron. I only took.7.5mg's and was so exhausted 45 minutes later that I could not stay awake and I slept for 12 hours straight and all day I felt tired (sleepy and physically) I was quite worried that I wouldn't be able to continue taking it.But I decided to take the second dose and it was totally fine after that,. In fact my doc raised the dose to 15 mg's and the tiredness effect actually wore off and I had trouble sleeping so she raised the dose to 30 mg's and that seems to do the trick. I sleep good at night and I am not tired at all during the day.But I have experienced a 25 pound weight gain in 3 months and I almost quit taking it, but decided as a last resort to try weight watcher's. It is working so far so I am going to stick with it.
Anyway Don't worry to much about the sedation. Your body will adjust and this will pass.Most people find less sedation at a higher dose. Good luck.

Hi everyone: I can't seem to find my post from at least a month ago re: having muscle aches from Remeron. Anyhow, it doesn't matter much because I see the pdoc tomorrow & I've decided to go off the drug & go to something new..........that I haven't been on before....(LOL)I have never taken Wellbutrin, prozac or Zoloft. Based on my research, I think Wellbutrin may be my best bet if there is a reasonable priced generic form. (no insurance)The Remeron has become less effective over the last 10 days & this morning I felt really bad. I'm extremely irritable & today I felt very sad. I took a long walk in the warm sun. It's a beautiful day so I plugged into my positive thinking mode & walked & walked. I did feel much better so I did some chores. So far not bad. Also I haven't been sleeping as well as I have been. I awakened more than a few times the last 2 nites, but managed to get back to sleep (lightly sleeping) with my new wave music. However, I really am not feeling all that good so I know I have to see the pdoc. Is there anyone else on this board who is over 65 & suffering with depression since early adulthood? Just curious. Everyone seems so young. I know that depression is pretty much the same for everyone, but as you get older there are many other factors that come into play. Any words &/or suggestions is most appreciated. dede

I'm sorry the Remeron isn't working out well for you. Let us know what your pdoc says.
I've also experienced depression since early adulthood. I agree that there are special concerns that arise as we get older.

Hi everyone: went to the pdoc yesterday.........he's really a good doctor, IMHO. Anyway, we talked at length & decided to try some Wellbutrin, 100 mgms. each day to start. Then I'll go off the Remeron (yay!)slowly. I'm really counting on this drug to help.......today I've been doing well. Real irritable with my spouse this am (so what else is new), but then I went to my weekly yoga class. It is the best for me at this time in my life. I've made some nice friends & it is very neutral territory. That is there's no ageism which is very nice. The instructor is a wonderful person.......very patient & understanding with a great sense of humor. If you think this may be something for you.......it's very calming.......you can get a beginner's tape at the library. That's what I did. Also I just wanted to get into something different after years of aerobics. My pdoc also said I should try Tai Chi. So I'm going to look into that as well. I live in a semi-rural area, but who knows there may be a class close by. (Yoga is only 5 minutes up the street in an old Grange Hall,) Any wellbutrin users are welcomed to chime in with advice/support. dede

How nice that you have a pdoc you respect so much!
I also find yoga very centering. I'm sure you can find some good beginner's t'ai chi tapes, too, if there's no instruction close to you. My brother practices t'ai chi, and swears by it for helping his anxiety, among other benefits.
Good luck with your med switch!

Thanks for your kind words which also reminds me about checking about the Tai Chi. BTW, I did have some really awful nausea & fuzziness this morning from the WB. I'm sure that's what it was. I took .25 mgms of Klonopin which really helped. Also I just chilled & then read for awhile. Let's hope that's the least of the side effects that I may find on the WB. dede

Hi I'm new here today and paniking a bit!!

I have been on AD's for about 4 years. On Effexor 150mg for about 3 years. I decided to try to come off around 1 year ago and managed to get down to about 10mg a day but the withdrawal was too bad and I have been back on 75mg for a few months. Things are still really bad so My Doc has given me Remeron to take alongside the Effexor. I have only taken 2 doses of 7mg but I feelSO WEIRD! So spaced out like I'm actually drunk and very aggitated. I have never had such severe side effects with any medication before. I have Googled this drug and it seems to be really horrid. Does ANYONE have a success story?

Thank you so much for listening.

Sal

Welcome, svp
I'm sorry you're going through this
There are lots of successes on Remeron, especially if you need help to sleep. But yes, there are also a lot of side-effects. One strange aspect of Remeron is that it tends to have fewer side-effects as you increase the dose.
In any case, please talk to your doc about it!
BTW - Effexor seems to be one of the more difficult ADs to discontinue. I'm aware of some people who've switched to other ADs (Prozac comes to mind) and then slowly tapered off the new AD, and had an easier time of it. Just a thought...
Please keep posting for support, and let us know how you're doing.

Svp,

Welcome to the board!
Sorry to hear you're having such a hard time.
I was on Effexor xr & Remeron before and didn't have any real trouble. Remeron was great for my sleep (and for putting on some weight, which was good in my case)!
Effexor was hard to come of though. I had some bad withdrawal.
Lizard is right about the higher doses of Remeron. Ask your doctor about it.

Hang in there!

Love,
Autumn

Hello, I am newbie to forum and I was put on Remeron about a week ago.
I am also on Zoloft 100mg for about 5 months going up graduallly from 25 to 100.
Remeron seems to help my depression with Zoloft , but I do get side effects from the remeron , so far this past week it has been a mild sore throat , and tiredness in the mornings ,plus a little dizzy.
This has been the past week (5 days) , just wondering if these symptoms will go away after awhile or do I have to change to something else.
Something Remeron has done for me is make myself more aware of things and be a little bit more confident and less depressed.
I am usually very sensitive to all medication , being really bad for side effects.I've tried Effexor, Celexa, Luvox and all with horrible side effects.
Thks for the forum!

Dooper43,

to DF!

It's quite normal to feel tired in the mornings. It's a common start up side-effect. It'll lessen eventually. I'd say give it some time. You've only been on it for about a week so... and it seems to work for your depression (in a combo with Zoloft), which is GREAT!
Hang in there! And keep posting here for support!
It's nice having you on board!

Take good care of yourself!

Autumn

Thks Autumn for the nice words, I'll keep trying it but just wanted to know about the other side effects the cold like symptoms, I got up this morning with a sore throat and headache again.Just wanted to stop them today but I'll try again tonite.
Any ideas?
Thks again

You're most welcome Dooper43

Hey, try to stick with the meds for a while. I know it can be hard in the beginning but unfortunately AD's don't work immediately.

The tiredness and dizziness are very common. I don't know what dosage you're on. Remeron is one of those weird meds that have fewer side effects on a higher dosage. I doesn't really make sense I know but that's the way it is. I was on 30mg and didn't really have that much trouble. I've heard/read from people on 15mg (or lower) that it caused more sedation.

About the sore throat. I was just thinking. Lots of AD's cause dry mouth. I don't know if you experience dry mouth? But I thought that maybe it could it be related?

On the other hand, do pay attention when you experience other flu-like symptoms together with a sore throat (fever, chills, etc...)! If that is the case, do contact your doctor!

I hope this helped you out a bit.

See you around the boards...

Take care!

Autumn

Thks Autumn Well I'll be going to see my Psch tomorrow, I have too many flu like symptoms and it seems to be getting worse since the past 2 days , they are just to much for me, I tried half tablets for 2 nights and it was the same thing, I'll see what the doctor says tomorrow.I feel like crap , like I have the flu coming on with soreness and chills and not willing to eat and the sore throat.
I'm really sensitive to the side effects, hope she'll give me something else.

Sorry to hear you're not feeling okay...
I think it's best to ask your doc about this...
Let us know how your appointment went!

Meanwhile, take care!

Autumn

Hello Autumn,
I did not have an appointment but called the office of the doc's and left my info and side effects, no one called back! I'll try again tomorrow. What else would replace remeron , but still do the same help , if u know what I mean with less side effects?

Thks have a great week.

Dooper43,

I hope you'll get to talk someone who can help you out soon... Maybe you don't necessarily have to switch to another AD.
Keep us posted! We're here for support!

Hang in there!

Autumn

hi

my physician told me recently that i am not depressed but sad and alone and he suggested Remeron to help me the problem is that i can not have a normal sleeping for my mind works all night( and day). Can this treatment help?

Razi,

a very warm to you! Thanks for joining us here at DF.

Remeron is one of the antidepressants that also regulates sleep. I had severe sleeping problems for a long time and Remeron really helped me get a normal night's rest again. It's terrible when you're mind keeps racing and you see the hours pass at night. I hope the medication brings you some relieve.

Keep us posted on how you're doing!

Love,
Autumn

Could it be possible that the psch gave me Remeron to help me sleep only and not for the depression?
I am also on novoclonazepam for anxiety but this also knocks me out at night.
I was wondering why I'm getting the flu symptoms and has anyone else got these same symptoms and if so what they did to fix it while staying on remeron?
Can't get in touch with my psch , she is in another area and can't get to hear or see messages from the hospital in this area, it could take another week!
I'm off the remeron for 2 nights now and i am better Physically but have seen the difference a bit from two meds to one, if u get what I mean mentally.
Thks

Dooper43,

I sorry to hear you can't get in touch with your psych. Is the anyone else at the office you could ask for help?

It could be your doc prescribe it to also help you sleep. Remeron regulates sleep as well as having an antidepressant effect. I read you're also on Zoloft 100mg. Sometimes another AD is added to give the other one a bit of a boost. (I was on Effexor before and my pdoc added Remeron as well).

I didn't experience any flu-like symptomes when I was ON Remeron... Once I came off all my meds though I had some bad withdrawal (but that was mostly the effexor).

Autumn

[quote name='Autumn' post='149176' date='Sep 14 2006, 09:41 AM'][quote name='razi' post='149172' date='Sep 14 2006, 04:28 PM']

hi

my physician told me recently that i am not depressed but sad and alone and he suggested Remeron to help me the problem is that i can not have a normal sleeping for my mind works all night( and day). Can this treatment help?[/quote]

Razi,

a very warm to you! Thanks for joining us here at DF.

Remeron is one of the antidepressants that also regulates sleep. I had severe sleeping problems for a long time and Remeron really helped me get a normal night's rest again. It's terrible when you're mind keeps racing and you see the hours pass at night. I hope the medication brings you some relieve.

Keep us posted on how you're doing!


thank you very much Autumn

I'll try not to stop posting in here. it is a good chance to communicate and learn from others.

I tried remeron aagain 2 night s ago and felt really bad all day yesterday, can't take that stuff anymore.
I know I do need another AD to go with my Zoloft though , as i seen the difference betwen 2 AD's and 1 AD.

I'll wait for Doc , wish I had someone on here feeling same flu like effects as I am on this med?

Razi - you're welcome! DF is great place for information and support! See you around the forums!

Dooper43 - Let us know what your doc says about the situation once she gets back... Sorry you're not feeling very well at the moment. Hang in there and keep posting for support!

Take care of yourselves!

Autumn

Hello,
Got in touch with Psch and explained my situation today on the phone with remeron and she took me off of them, I'd like to take another AD with my Zoloft because I know it helps, but wondering what it should be??

Thks