Giving up the Remeron

[teacherfish]

I have been on anti depressants since February. They are helping my head but I can't take off the 25 lbs I put on with it. I have been on induction levels for two weeks and have been doing well with the eating. I haven't lost a single pound. Any ideas?

[Minnas]

Ugh, Remeron is NOTORIOUS for increasing appetite and causing sever weight gain. I'm not sure why you doc suggested this but there are so many better options that will not cause weight gain. I suggest you talk to your health care provider and tell him/her you need a medication that does not have weight gain as a major side effect. Unless there is some reason for this particular drug (like you have tried the million other options already) there is no reason to put yourself through this drug. If you have not tried Wellbutrin I highly recommend it. It is one of the few with no weight or sexual side effects.

I am glad you are feeling a bit better. That's always a good thing. But you can feel better without gaining weight or even losing weight. You just need to be insistent and persistent with your providers and ask for what you need.

Continued happiness and weight loss!

[susume]

I`m sorry Kat, I wish I had some knowledge but looks like Minnas did and I hope her suggestions will be of help. I do hope for relief for you. Sue

[teacherfish]

A friend of mine suggested cymbalta? any thoughts?

Minnas--I have tried a few, celexa-nothing, wellbutrin-crazy with no sleep, prozac--don't remember what was wrong with that one.

[tulipsandroses]

Man, Remeron was a nightmare for me. Crazy weight gain and I felt like a zombie all the time. Wellbutrin worked wonders for me. Cymbalta did not cause me to gain weight but I was nauseous all the time and had 2 fainting spells so my doc took me off it. But no weight gain and I did feel better on it.

[Knittering]

prozac--don't remember what was wrong with that one

I gained a lot of weight while on Prozac and the withdrawal was pure hell. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

[tinatina]

Originally Posted by teacherfish

A friend of mine suggested cymbalta? any thoughts?

Minnas--I have tried a few, celexa-nothing, wellbutrin-crazy with no sleep, prozac--don't remember what was wrong with that one.

What about Pristiq? Its newer and is not supposed to have the weight gain side effects.

[martiangurll]

Originally Posted by tinatina

What about Pristiq? Its newer and is not supposed to have the weight gain side effects.

I wouldn't trust Prestiq any more than Effexor, its really just a patent extender (and the same drug essentially) But the weight gain with Remeron (mirtazapine) is attributed to the antihistamine effect.

Your best bet is Wellbutrin/Bupropion. It is a dopamine/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. It avoids the serotonin and antihistamine effects of most antidepressants that are implicated in weight gain. Strattera(atamoxetine) might be another option--marketed for ADHD, but is a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor that helps some with depressive symptoms. Cymbalta (duloxetine) is not a bad idea, but it is a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor so it could cause weight gain too.

Having said all that, I will say that switching off the Remeron will help and since the weight gain was probably due to antihistamine effects, switching to any antidepressant without that will probably help. (Avoid Serzone/nefazodone like the plague, by the way--major weight gain with it for me!)

[krb]

whatever you do, don't just go off it cold turkey. i did it with zoloft and it was horrible. my quack of a doctor told me to. anyway i take wellbutrin with no problem, but everyone is different. i've also taken effexor, the only side effect was terrible sweating. and that was pretty deppressing!! celexa seemed to work well too. lexapro made me sleepy. i tried going off everything and it was pretty bad. i was in a deep hole (metaphorically) so just be careful.

[Strawberry]

Your best bet is Wellbutrin/Bupropion.

I agree with this advice. In terms of not causing weight gain, welbutrin would be your best option.
Of course, in terms of controlling your specific depression symptoms, it may or may not be the best, so you and your doctor will have to balance out those two needs.

[Dooditsglory]

I have been on quite a few anti-depressants. I take wellbutrin now and i actually lost a few pounds when i first started taking it.I would def go talk to your doctor before you stop taking your medication.

[carbbiedoll]

be careful with the Wellbutrin...it can cause seizures for some people. My husband found me unresponsive, they didn't think I would make it...5 days in ICU. Had I died they would have listed me as "an apparent suicide"

[Minnas]

If sleep is an issue with Wellbutrin you can pair it with a night dose of Trazadone, another antidepressant. Weight gain can be a side effect of Trazadone but it is rare. I've been on this for 10 or 15 years now and it works like a charm. If you are being medicated by your primary care physician and he/she is not able or comfortable with this then ask to see a psychiatrist. Most PCP'd are just not equipped to do more than prescribe a series of meds and they lack the knowledge and experience needed to get it right for a lot of us.

[krb]

Originally Posted by carbbiedoll

be careful with the Wellbutrin...it can cause seizures for some people. My husband found me unresponsive, they didn't think I would make it...5 days in ICU. Had I died they would have listed me as "an apparent suicide"

that's messed up. i'll be sure and let my family and friends know about this. i've been taking it for years, but still!!!

[krb]

oh and sure as heck don't let them give you generic wellbutrin. i was about to commit suicide for real after about two weeks of it. thankfully i realized what had happened. the generic is NOT always the same as the brand name. at least it sure wasn't for me!!!!

[sfmama123]

The thing is, some anti-depressants work for some conditions better than others. The ones that belong to the class that Effexor/Wellbutrin absolutely don't work for some as well as the more traditional SSRI's like Paxil/Zoloft, so make sure that you're getting the right medicine for your condition. The SNRI's (Effexor, etc) work completely differently than the SSRI's, and I felt like absolute S*** when I was on the SNRI's. It was completely the wrong biochemical substance for my situation. I'm just saying, weight gain sucks, and I know how you feel, but you don't want to just switch to another drug without knowing the potential side effects and/or interactions. You have to find what works for you. Best to you!

[teacherfish]

I am seeing a Psychiatrist so he seems to be pretty knowledgeable. I also live on an island in the Arctic Ocean so "seeing" really means a phone consult most of the time. Anyway, thank you all for the advice. The antihistamine explains the zombie side effects. I do think it hits the correct brain chemical though. It takes away that this situation sucks--therefore I caused it--I deserved it--I suck cycle. Does that make any sense? So which ones hit that same chemical? is it norepernephrin? SP?

[carbbiedoll]

yea, krb, it was totally messed up. I too had been on Wellbutrin for quite some time and I kept telling him something was wrong and he wouldn't listen...you know, how they know so much better than you what's right for you? After the hospital stint I stopped taking everything cuz I got scared but of course that doesn't work either. I filed a complaint but it fell on deaf ears. It took me almost a full year to recover. Needless to say I fired him.
teacherfish, trust yourself. As previously stated, everyone is diffrent, don't be afraid to speak up.

[Knittering]

Carbbiedoll, that is horrible. I'm so glad you're okay.

[carbbiedoll]

thanks Knittering, very sweet of you to say.

[Dooditsglory]

I take generic wellbutrin but i take extended release.The Bupropion XL i take is by Watson.It may be the manufacturer.I know my husband had a terrible experience with the generic adderall.
I have been on celexa it was good for a while but not strong enough
Lexapro not strong enough
Prozac made me insane! I would recommend that to NO ONE!

that is horrible carbbiedoll! I am glad to hear you are okay! Are you prone to seizures or was it just out of the blue?

[carbbiedoll]

Amy, just out of the blue, never had a siezure in my life and have always been healthy as horse and strong as an ox. I think he was probably dipping into the free samples the drug reps pass out!

[martiangurll]

Originally Posted by teacherfish

I am seeing a Psychiatrist so he seems to be pretty knowledgeable. I also live on an island in the Arctic Ocean so "seeing" really means a phone consult most of the time. Anyway, thank you all for the advice. The antihistamine explains the zombie side effects. I do think it hits the correct brain chemical though. It takes away that this situation sucks--therefore I caused it--I deserved it--I suck cycle. Does that make any sense? So which ones hit that same chemical? is it norepernephrin? SP?

Wellbutrin and Cymbalta (and Strattera which is marketed as an ADHD drug) but is the only commerically available, pure Norepi reuptake inhibitor.

[teacherfish]

I think I will talk to him about Cymbalta. Thank you everyone!

[teacherfish]

The first pound is gone!

[martiangurll]

Originally Posted by teacherfish

The first pound is gone!

Yay! Stall broken!

[teacherfish]

One more gone this morning!

[martiangurll]

really glad you broke your stall--those are maddening Hope you can find a suitable replacement for the Remeron

[Monkee]

That is awesome! Congrats on the 2lbs.

[teacherfish]

One more gone today! Thats three this week..so far.