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[Otter]

I am currently taking Celexa 20mg and Wellbutrin XL 150mg, but the sexual side effects of the Celexa have become unacceptable to me. My pdoc and I are considering Mirtazapine, but I am worried about the weight gain. Hence, this poll. Would really appreciate your input. Thanks!

[proscribe]

Hey otter

I probably put on a couple of kilos (4 pounds?).
Depends on a few factors. I'm a fairly slim guy who's kept reasonably active. The M gives me a wicked appetite, esp. at night when I'm sitting around. Cakes, cookies, icecream. Not as bad as the munchies I used to get from smoking urn. Combining the two was even worse. I think it may trick your body into thinking it's eaten less than it has. If I wasn't a nicotine addict, I may have put on more weight.
If you can keep your muscle tone up and have willpower, it may not be a problem.

Another factor is how much you take. As the dose increases you may find it affects you very differently. The majority of time I've been on 15mg, mostly for sleep.
M feels a lot different to SSRIs. It's debatable whether it has much effect on serotonin. You might not get that "everything's ok" feeling the ssri's give. I find it helps lessen somatic anxiety and does wonders for sleep, if that's a problem.

If the sexual side effects are too bothersome, you may want to try a smaller dose even if it's not quite enough. Compromise. What's your priority at the mo? You can't have it all.
Some people say that their sex SEs lessen over time.
It's said that mirtazapine can help couteract the problem but I couldnt say for sure.

I found fluoxetine (prozac) to give me the least trouble in that dept. It isn't as selective as the newer SRIs. It's a bit more stimulating.

Goes without saying but everyone reacts differently.

[Otter]

Hey proscribe, thanks very much for your input. Before Celexa, and because of my depression, I wasn't interested in anything at all. Now that I feel better, sex is appealing again, but the anorgasmia is beyond frustrating. The old good news and bad news. I do understand that I need to be patient and keep my priorities in perspective.

I see my pdoc in a few weeks and will discuss lowering the dose of Celexa, the possibility of lessening SEs over time on the current dosage, or a switch to Remeron. I have taken Celexa for around 10 weeks, so maybe I haven't given it long enough to evaluate the lessening of the sexual SE.

I have been fairly fit for most of my life, and exercise is not a problem for me (when I am not depressed). So, maybe Remeron weight gain would not be a problem either. Also, I do have problems with insomnia. I've been up since 4:00 AM this morning. This happens often.

This is a tough call. We shall see. Thanks again for your input! It is much appreciated.

Hey otter

I probably put on a couple of kilos (4 pounds?).
Depends on a few factors. I'm a fairly slim guy who's kept reasonably active. The M gives me a wicked appetite, esp. at night when I'm sitting around. Cakes, cookies, icecream. Not as bad as the munchies I used to get from smoking urn. Combining the two was even worse. I think it may trick your body into thinking it's eaten less than it has. If I wasn't a nicotine addict, I may have put on more weight.
If you can keep your muscle tone up and have willpower, it may not be a problem.

Another factor is how much you take. As the dose increases you may find it affects you very differently. The majority of time I've been on 15mg, mostly for sleep.
M feels a lot different to SSRIs. It's debatable whether it has much effect on serotonin. You might not get that "everything's ok" feeling the ssri's give. I find it helps lessen somatic anxiety and does wonders for sleep, if that's a problem.

If the sexual side effects are too bothersome, you may want to try a smaller dose even if it's not quite enough. Compromise. What's your priority at the mo? You can't have it all.
Some people say that their sex SEs lessen over time.
It's said that mirtazapine can help couteract the problem but I couldnt say for sure.

I found fluoxetine (prozac) to give me the least trouble in that dept. It isn't as selective as the newer SRIs. It's a bit more stimulating.

Goes without saying but everyone reacts differently.

[proscribe]

Hey otter

Yeah, the anorgasmia's a biatch; coupled with the increased sweating it don't add up to fun. More a chore!

I found that 5mg lexapro, which is equivalent to 10 mg celexa, wasn't too problematic and just enough to keep me afloat.

The highest dose of mirt I was on was 60 mg, but it was quite a while ago. At that dose it is more motivating, for use of a better word, because of the norepinephrine boost.

It's a good adjunct med, combining say, 15 to 30 mg with a low dose of celexa, or it's little brother lexapro, could do wonders. I can't get welbutrin, but I was on dexamphetamine for quite a while. I didn't feel overly hungry or tired during the day.
If you have trouble with sleep it may be a godsend, but it takes a little while for the fatigue during the day to go.

If you do go on it, take your time tapering off. I'm down to 3 mg a night and hope to be totally off meds soon.

Hope it works out for ya.

[SecretMist]

Hi Otter,

I do understand the dilemma in deciding whether or not to go on Remeron, as this is something that only you and your doctor will be able to decide as we are all different individuals we may react differently to different meds. I have been on Remeron for several yrs at 45 mg and I have no problems with the drowsiness in the daytime anymore as this in time and finding the right dosage for you may take some time for your body to adjust to the Remeron. It does wonders with my sleep but then again as we are not professionals any meds may have different effects on us. I hope this helps a little.

[Otter]

Thanks very much proscribe and Secret for your input. I would still be very interested in others weight gain numbers with remeron. The poll could be a helpful tool (just part of the equation), for many trying to decide if mirtazapine is right for them.

Also, since I am currently on 20mg Celexa, has anyone found Lexapro to be a cleaner AD with lessened SEs. Lexapro is a little cost prohibitive for me, but I could discuss a Rx for 20mg Lexapro with my pdoc and split them to offset cost.

Please keep input coming. See the doc the first week in Feb.

Thanks, Otter

[Mucky]

Thanks very much proscribe and Secret for your input. I would still be very interested in others weight gain numbers with remeron. The poll could be a helpful tool (just part of the equation), for many trying to decide if mirtazapine is right for them.

Also, since I am currently on 20mg Celexa, has anyone found Lexapro to be a cleaner AD with lessened SEs. Lexapro is a little cost prohibitive for me, but I could discuss a Rx for 20mg Lexapro with my pdoc and split them to offset cost.

Please keep input coming. See the doc the first week in Feb.

Thanks, Otter

I have put on 20 ibs in 2 months while on 30mg. I have never been fat in my life, so the weight gain is a little weird for me. Excerise and eating more health foods is my combat for the Mirt lol!!

Its hard to explain - but I just seem to get urges to stuff my face.

[SecretMist]

For myself I do try to eat healthier and before taking my remeron at night then I have a snack so that I don't have to get back up and eat after taking the remeron. If I don't snack before taking the remeron then I can't get to sleep until I have something to eat so I have to get back up and eat which really doesn't do well for the weight gain.

[lil one]

I have been on Mirt. since Nov. 09 and I have to say its like making a pack with the devil. When I started taking it a weighed about 105lbs. and now I weigh 125lbs! Granted, I needed to gain a little weight but 20lbs is just way too much for me. I have always been able to eat whatever I want and not worry too much about gaining weight. At the beginning I blamed the weight gain on the horrible munchies, but as I increased my dose and the munchies subsided my weight did not. I tried eating healthier foods and exercising more but the weight gain would not stop.

The reason I say taking this Rx was liking making a deal with the devil is because on the one hand it really helped with my depression, but on the other hand the weight gain was becoming intolerable, so I have decided to stop taking this medication(with my dr. consent).

I really struggled with this decision because it really helped me a lot, but I was concerned I had traded in one problem for another. At the beginning of the weight gain I was o.k with it because I figured that I would be able to control it with diet, but as time went on it became obvious that this Rx had changed my metabolism. And that really concerned me!. So for now I am going back to using trazedone for sleep and continue taking Celexa.

[telepathic_heart]

I am currently taking Celexa 20mg and Wellbutrin XL 150mg, but the sexual side effects of the Celexa have become unacceptable to me. My pdoc and I are considering Mirtazapine, but I am worried about the weight gain. Hence, this poll. Would really appreciate your input. Thanks!

I've gained 17-22 pounds (it fluctuates) over the course of 1.5 years. I'm 5' 5" and not incredibly active. I believe that when I was more active, I was still gaining weight but as muscle.

[Wigglyworm]

I've been on Mirtazpine almost a week and I haven't experienced any weight gain or extra food cravings etc..... I always had a big appetite but can never put on weight lol. The odd thing I have found tho, is that when on this med, I think I eat less than I did before (which would be a normal diet) This is the complete opposite to what most people get, very strange. AD's affect each person differently tho so I guess that's why.

Wiggly

[SecretMist]

I have to say that with remeron one of the biggest side effects reported is weight gain. Some people can work things out with the way they eat and work out and then their are some that no matter what they do the weight gain continues. For myself I eat like a diabetic would eat, several small portions through out the day of healthy foods and then dinner, then at bed time I have a snack before taking the remeron so that I don't get those munchies as much as I use to, it's seems to have helped with me but we all may and do react differently with meds and the side effects.

[RLeep2]

After about 4.5 months of Remeron, 15mg for the first 8 weeks and 30mg thereafter, I've gained about 7-8 lb. I put most of it on over the holidays, when I normally put on maybe 5 lb. anyway.

So, it's about been a wash, with maybe a little bit of the gain attributable to Remeron itself.

This doesn't mean I couldn't have gained 30 lb. over the same time period if I had given in to every sweet/carb craving the drug sent up the pipeline and it sends a lot. I'd sell my cat for a coconut layer cake..

But I've tried to exercise some discretion and so far, so good.

In any event, I think the notion that Remeron causes metabolic changes that cause weight gain regardless of our diets is not true. At least, not for me..

Edited by SecretMist, 18 March 2010 - 08:32 PM.

[SecretMist]

Hi RLeep2,

I'm glad that you have worked ways of controlling your cravings for food which helps with controlling the weight gain. It sounds like with your exercise and controlling your cravings are working well for you. Keep up the good work.

[Otter]

Hi RLeep2,

I'm glad that you have worked ways of controlling your cravings for food which helps with controlling the weight gain. It sounds like with your exercise and controlling your cravings are working well for you. Keep up the good work.

Hi SecretMist, I found that I was gaining weight on Celexa and had never had a weight problem before. So as of last Friday, I am weening off Celexa and onto Remeron. Still taking 150mg Wellbutrin XL as well. With the weight gain on Celexa and the sexual side effects, my pdoc and I decided to give Remeron a try. So far, so good. One benefit is that I am sleeping really well (this has been a problem in the past), but getting up for work at 5:00 AM is a little more difficult :-). Only time will tell if the weight gain is going be any more of a problem than with Celexa.

[Dina M]

Yep making the deal with the devil is definately what I am starting to think after being on and off different medications.

Why do so many of these medications cause weight gain or the other bad side effects I end up chooosing over the ladder option.


I am suppose to start celexia but I dont want to bc its say causes weight gain. Almost all of the moods stablilzers do the same thing except for lamictal.


I cant take lamictal either for other reasons.

Anyway I understand the struggle of trying to manage the craving/weight thing and the trade off or choice a person must make.


My hair and finger nails fell out out on the lamictal and I stayed on it because it worked so well for the depression. But other effects I couldnt take.

So I am back to deciding which medication to take and the potential effectst good and bad that come with the process.

Has anyone heard of TMS therapy. Its like an MRI technique that is for depression. I researched it a bit. its fda approved but insurance doesnt cover it. For only 10,000 grand! LOL right. I liked the idea bc it wasnt a drug/medication in the sense of putting it into your body. It's suppose to stimulate the prefrontal cortex for depression. I dont know if they studied it in bipolar people, since its market for depression. Just something I thought about until I found out about the cost.

[SecretMist]

Hi RLeep2,

I'm glad that you have worked ways of controlling your cravings for food which helps with controlling the weight gain. It sounds like with your exercise and controlling your cravings are working well for you. Keep up the good work.

Hi SecretMist, I found that I was gaining weight on Celexa and had never had a weight problem before. So as of last Friday, I am weening off Celexa and onto Remeron. Still taking 150mg Wellbutrin XL as well. With the weight gain on Celexa and the sexual side effects, my pdoc and I decided to give Remeron a try. So far, so good. One benefit is that I am sleeping really well (this has been a problem in the past), but getting up for work at 5:00 AM is a little more difficult :-). Only time will tell if the weight gain is going be any more of a problem than with Celexa.

Hi Otter,

I hope that Remeron will be of help for you as I think that most people do benefit in getting more sleep and in time most people find that getting up at the beginning of the day with the grogginess seems to fad as your system gets use to the the med. Hopefully the weight problem won't be any greater then your Celexa. Give it some time and see how things go.

[SecretMist]

Yep making the deal with the devil is definately what I am starting to think after being on and off different medications.

Why do so many of these medications cause weight gain or the other bad side effects I end up chooosing over the ladder option.


I am suppose to start celexia but I dont want to bc its say causes weight gain. Almost all of the moods stablilzers do the same thing except for lamictal.


I cant take lamictal either for other reasons.

Anyway I understand the struggle of trying to manage the craving/weight thing and the trade off or choice a person must make.


My hair and finger nails fell out out on the lamictal and I stayed on it because it worked so well for the depression. But other effects I couldnt take.

So I am back to deciding which medication to take and the potential effectst good and bad that come with the process.

Has anyone heard of TMS therapy. Its like an MRI technique that is for depression. I researched it a bit. its fda approved but insurance doesnt cover it. For only 10,000 grand! LOL right. I liked the idea bc it wasnt a drug/medication in the sense of putting it into your body. It's suppose to stimulate the prefrontal cortex for depression. I dont know if they studied it in bipolar people, since its market for depression. Just something I thought about until I found out about the cost.

Hi Diana M

I myself haven't heard of TMS but I did a search here on DF to where I found a short discussion on it in "Posting Asking and Sharing" that you may want to have a look at. I have posted the link below for you that with take you to this topic. I hope it helps you a bit.

http://www.depressio...;hl=TMS therapy

[Dina M]

Secretmist-

Thank you very much