Remeron Side Effects

rfn379 · Post by **rfn379** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 5:23 am

I was on Cymbalta and BuSpar for my depression and anxiety but that combination didn't seem to work so well. My doctor decided to drop the Cymbalta, keep the BuSpar, and put me on a combo of Zoloft and Remeron, both in low doses (50mg of Zoloft in the morning and 15mg of Remeron at bedtime). He told me that the Zoloft would help with my tendency to have obsessive thoughts and the Remeron would help with my sleeping. Since I tend to research everything I take VERY thoroughly I came across a wealth of information that said Remeron can cause people to gain weight. I'm not sure if it just a matter of the appetite increase or if it affects your metabolism (I've seen reviews from people who claim they maintained their diet and exercise and STILL gained weight...which didn't really make sense to me), but I was wondering if anyone would be willing to share their experience with this medication. My doctor seemed very optimistic that the Zoloft/Remeron combo would work well for me so I am giving it a shot. Even if I only gain a FEW pounds I think it's worth feeling better overall...but I don't want to gain an excessive amount of weight because that could be equally unhealthy, both physically and psychologically.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 6:45 am

I've been on Remeron for 4.5 years and it did increase my food cravings. Initially, I did eat more and gain some weight, but I've managed to lose most of it by watching what I eat and exercizing. I do have to work harder to keep the weight down. Unfortunately weight gain is a very common side effect of this med, but it does help you sleep.

Carolyn Dickman · Post by **Carolyn Dickman** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 7:29 am

Yeah I figured if you are good about your diet and exercise, which I tend to be, it shouldn't be TOO much of an issue. That's assuming I experience that particular side effect at all. I'm not sure how quickly the sleeping benefits kick in, but I did sleep pretty good last night after only my 2nd night of taking it. That may be a coincidence, but we'll see if that keeps up. I did enjoy a really good night's sleep though. Just out of curiosity, how much weight did you put on before you started losing the extra pounds?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 10:47 am

I have just increased my dosage of Zoloft to 100mls and just started on cholonopin(spelling) I know that zoloft can make you gain weight. I did not gain on 50mls. I hope I don't on 100.I do know it decreases your sex drive immensley

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 10:48 am

I have never heard of Remeron Is it addictive?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 1:36 pm

I've taken Remeron for years because I was having trouble sleeping due to my anxiety. I've been on 15 mg for a while, but we just recently increased it to 30mg. The only side effect I had was drowsiness, which was perfect for me. Good luck with it.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 2:18 pm

I put on around 15 lbs over a couple years, but I've lost around 10 lbs over the last year. The sleepy effect started pretty quickly for me.
No sexual side effects for me.
I wouldn't classify Remeron as additive, but you do have to increase and decrease dosages slowly to minimize side effects like most ADs.

AnnieFannie43 · Post by **AnnieFannie43** » Sat Apr 04, 2009 8:28 am

Dear rfn379 -

I was on Remeron several years ado for depression. It haelped for a few weeks, but I had a terrrible problem with weight gain. I gained10 - 15 pounds a month, so fast I had a hard time making the transition to larger clothes. I gained 50 pounds (went up to 250) and it didn't just come off when I stopped tkaing Remeron. It wasn't until another doctor put me on Effexor that I lost 75 pounds.

Remeron seemed to affect my metabolism or my blood sugar. I couldn't get enough to eat and I often had low blood sugar symptoms, like I was going to black out, which I did sometimes.

I see it hasn't been as bad for other people, thank God, but it was terrible for me. So be careful. If you start to feel like I described, get off of it as soon as medically possible.

Good luck and write to me if you want more info.

Barb G. · Post by **Barb G.** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 8:18 am

Well so far it seems to be treating me well (knocking on wood...haha). I have also been eating pretty good and getting a lot of exercise. Hopefully, if the weight issue was to affect me at all, then I have been keeping it in check. And if it wasn't, well then I guess having that as motivation to get in better shape isn't such a bad idea anyway. I will also add that I do sleep much better on this stuff. It doesn't give me the extremely "stoned" feeling of Ambien but still relaxes me to sleep very comfortably. I'm not sure yet if the antidepressant properties are working yet since I have only been on it for about a week, but I am certainly reaping the benefits of a consistently better night's sleep.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 8:32 am

I've been on Remeron for about 8 years. For me the weight gain was a godsend. I was about 40 pounds underweight due to my anxiety. I am now about 15-20 pounds heavier than I would like to be but am well within the "health" range for my bodytype. You might find this odd but my ideal dose seems to be about 4mg. You read that right 4mg. 15mg was way too much for me, I went up to 45mg thinking things would get better. That only caused things to get alot worse. Many people who suffer with anxiety are very sensitive to drugs, but some aren't. I'm just one who is.
I also learned a huge amount about my disorder from a guy who has gone down this road before. His name is Josh and I found him at www.anxietymentor.com. If you ever want to ask a nutrition/exercise (nonmed) type question, this is the guy.