Remeron (Mirtazapine) Here I Go!

[Dangerous]

Hello, I posted on this board a few year back, and I see the website has changed it is looking pretty nice.

No, I swear I am not a troll I just forgot my username and can't log into my old email account, I did not post alot but when I did it was in the Drug section.

At the time I left, I was on a pretty nice mixture of meds, benzo, nardil, and weak opiates. I stopped posting because I thought I was in a good situation, like I took social anxiety by the horns, but all that had to happen is getting the opiates yanked from me, having to stop nardil because my body is covered in, gross, stretch marks also other problems I will not mention as of now.

I suffer from MILD to sometimes extreme social anxiety, major depressive disorder, sucidal ideations that come and go, and a butt load of GI problems, first it was lactose intolerace (yeah right), then after going to a bunch of doctors and having multiple tests there favorite drug to pass out was GERD med, even though I was onced diagnosed with gatritis before no matter how much bottles of prilosec I took the vommiting would not stop. There are some others I been diagnosed with like IBS but I finally have one doc that was taking me serious and looked into my condition and seen that steemed more from neurology than stomach. It has a name Cyclical Vommiting Syndrome, aka Stomach Migranes, as it believed to be related to headaches, as it comes on like a headache and comes back in cycles with full force.

Amazingly, the same meds they treat my depression and social anxiety, are what is used with this disorder. They like to use old depression medication and even benzos. I found Nardil particually usefull but it did me dirty. Same with Lyrica (a nerve med) it helped my social anxiety and my stomach but I am still trying to taper, this drug has some of the same problems with dependence and benzo's (which I still am on but are no longer usefull, I just stay on them not to withdrawal because the last time was straight h.ell.

Too bad I lost my job, can barely go to school no more, can't see the only doc the understands me anymore because I lost my insurance, and because of losing my insurance the goverment (medicaid) dictates which drugs I can use and not use, so right now I am having to give up everything that helps. Plus I tried to get on disability and despite having a lawyer said she 99% sure I would get it, I got denied twice, the last time seeing a judge, and him sending a letter minimizing, and not putting my doctors statements into play which cost me disability, although my lawyer appealed it and I get to see a judge for my final, final decision that has been three years in the making, yay, and because I couldn't work much, I will not get SSDI pay I will get SSI pay (if I do get it) which is substantionally less and seems unbelivable that people could support themselves on it.

Well anyways, I still have my psych. He's dumb as bricks but cool because he allows me to decide which meds I want (that's if I can get them now because I am on straight medicaid) . He does this because I have been on more drugs, than he has ever prescribed before, and I caught him making tons of mistakes and almost mixing fatal drugs combinations. Atleast he takes medicaid!

Well, to get to the point, which it took forever too do. I am now deciding to take a drug which I took in the past but vaguley remember. REMERON.

No, it's no MAOI, but it's not a stinking SSRi either. To those who are not familiar it is a tetracyclic antidepressant antidepressant (TecA).

In a class of it own. According to wikipedia it is used for Social Anxiety Disorder, Social Phobia, OCD, GAD, Panic Disorder, Nausea, Vommiting, IBS, Major Depression, Insomia, Headaches, PSTD and etc, etc, ..

From the list above I think I can only name one of the diagnoses listed that I have not been labled with.

The intresting thing to me, besides it's antidepressant, anti-anxiety and anti-SAD effect is it's antimetic effects, and the effects it has on the GI system.

Like I pointed out, I have a gang of GI problems, and I belivee this med is 5-H3T antagonist like zofran which may prove helpful for my nausea and vommiting.

The side effect most people complain about is weight gain. I can deal with an appeitite increase since my appetite is zilch even though I am still fat from nardil, just as long as I don't break out in stretch marks as I did on nardil.

The only thing that seems weary to me is it's Anti-histamine and Drowsiness effects. I know it used at bedtime (most of the time) and I can use something to knock me out, as long as i'm not a zombie the next morning.

I am already a walking zombie, don't know if the benzo, and lyrica (which I am trying to get off) makes me this way, but I have chronic fatigue syndrome to the TEE.

I was taking Adderal which seemed to help wonders, as before I could barely get through the one and only class in school I am taking, let alone keep my head up.

I am in the process of trying to get the medicaid to approve the Adderal for my scattered brainess, and fatigue.

I'm just hoping until I get it (that's if I do) the drowsiness effect of Mitazapine (REMERON) won't make me worse, I have to pass in school because I am on my last leg and about to get my financial aid taking away.

So anyone on Remeron, I am very interested on how it treating you, and if your whacked out on it??

[jim_morrison]

You can view my progress over the last few months taking mirtazapine at the different doses etc in this thread if you interested;

http://www.socialanxietysupport.com/...nswered-65493/

[Vini Vidi Vici]

dude im sorry to hear about your loss of the Nardil and opiates....what a nice combination. Nardil seems like it could cause random problems because of its random enzyme inhibiting qualities....it does more than its supposed to in the body. based on my experiences with Mirtazapine, your going to need alot of coffee. the lower the dose, the more tired you should be.. take more and you should be more awakened...thats what all the research studies say at least....but 15 mg knocks me out for about 6 hours....still tired a day later....probably one of the most sleep inducing meds ive ever experienced

[Dangerous]

Even more sedating than infamous sleep inducing anti-depressant trazadone?

It's funny because I like I said before vaguely remember taking.

But, boy do I remember taking trazadone it knocked me out within 15 minute of taking it, wonder if it was placebo because its kicked in fasssst.

Even, more fatigue producing than TCA, like amtriptiline, there can be no way!

If I do not get my adderall I don't think I will be taking this med as I am so chronically fatigued it hard to hold my head up and coffee does not do a thing, and i don't drink it that much more anyways.

Sucks because the GI effects seemed to be too good to be true combined with the anti anxiety, anti depression effect. Every SSRI I tried only made my stomach worse.

[jim_morrison]

Originally Posted by Vini Vidi Vici

dude im sorry to hear about your loss of the Nardil and opiates....what a nice combination. Nardil seems like it could cause random problems because of its random enzyme inhibiting qualities....it does more than its supposed to in the body. based on my experiences with Mirtazapine, your going to need alot of coffee. the lower the dose, the more tired you should be.. take more and you should be more awakened...thats what all the research studies say at least....but 15 mg knocks me out for about 6 hours....still tired a day later....probably one of the most sleep inducing meds ive ever experienced

Thats right, it is one of the most heavy hitting sleep meds you will ever come across, 15 mg will make you sleep all night and be tired the next day, however one thing I disagree with in the medical literature is the idea that higher doses are less sedating, royal class BS in my experience, on 45-60 mg you could hardly even get me out of bed the next day to save my life, it was basically about 3-4 times as sedating as taking 15 mgs.

[jim_morrison]

Originally Posted by Dangerous

Even more sedating than infamous sleep inducing anti-depressant trazadone?

It's funny because I like I said before vaguely remember taking.

But, boy do I remember taking trazadone it knocked me out within 15 minute of taking it, wonder if it was placebo because its kicked in fasssst.

Even, more fatigue producing than TCA, like amtriptiline, there can be no way!

If I do not get my adderall I don't think I will be taking this med as I am so chronically fatigued it hard to hold my head up and coffee does not do a thing, and i don't drink it that much more anyways.

Sucks because the GI effects seemed to be too good to be true combined with the anti anxiety, anti depression effect. Every SSRI I tried only made my stomach worse.

One benefit that mirtazapine actually has when compared to common 5-HT3 antagonists, is that it has a long half life, this definetly works in your favour for GI problems, the other good thing is that its 5-HT3 antagonistic properties are pretty potent (unlike it's alpha 2 properties). So it may just be the case that you'll get by fine taking just 15 mg a day for insomnia and GI problems.

[Medline]

Originally Posted by jim_morrison

One benefit that mirtazapine actually has when compared to common 5-HT3 antagonists, is that it has a long half life, this definetly works in your favour for GI problems, the other good thing is that its 5-HT3 antagonistic properties are pretty potent (unlike it's alpha 2 properties). So it may just be the case that you'll get by fine taking just 15 mg a day for insomnia and GI problems.

Another benefit might be, that 5HT3 antagonists like Zofran are very expensive.

[jim_morrison]

A superior option in my experience for GI problems is proton pump inhibitors. I've suffered from GERD and peptic ulcers in the past, trust me not fun at all.
On an interesting note though, lexapro never exacerbated my GI problems to any great extent, as one might expect it too :S

[Medline]

Originally Posted by jim_morrison

A superior option in my experience for GI problems is proton pump inhibitors. I've suffered from GERD and peptic ulcers in the past, trust me not fun at all.
On an interesting note though, lexapro never exacerbated my GI problems to any great extent, as one might expect it too :S

Yeah, those meds are effective and have a really good side-effect profile. 5HT3 antagonists are good antiemetics.

[Dangerous]

Thank everyone who contributed to this post.

But, the most sedating of all anti-depressants. I find that hard to believe.

Really more sedating than amptriptline (Evail) Or Anafranil, yes the OCD med, which had me plastered in the corner drewling on myself, except my mouth was so dry there was no actual drewl.

And Trazadone, they gave that over Remeron in my experience as a sleep med.

I just tried remeron yesterday, because I finally did get my adderal, and yes it put me to sleep, but i'm not that much tired than I usually am which isn't saying much.

So far the most sedating med I tried, the grand daddy of all would be when I was in mental ward and because being in a mental ward it drove me crazy so I asked for a shot, and the nurse was like OK you got it buddy, and came over with a spike full of haladol and shoved it in my ***. Straight mental straight jacket.

So my list so far for sedating meds..
1. Haladol
2. Serquel (which was the only thing that could knock me out after staying up LITERALLY two weeks straight after trying to go off my benzos)
5. Amptriptiline (More than 25 is going to get ya real real droswy)
6. Anafranil (no wonder it stops ocd)
3. Trazadone (rapid tranq)
7. Remeron (lots of night time sedation, because i took at night,some day time sedation)
8. Nardil (some day time sedation, hypotension)

I guess if I keep my adderal it can balance me out to atleast baseline, that is until tolerance develops.

So, i'm going to take magnesium malic acid at night and pray to the medicine gods no tolerance, or dependence, addiction for that sake develops.

[jim_morrison]

I can't really compare it to trazadone because trazadone is not available in my country, but if it was, I'm sure I would have tried it by now.

[Dangerous]

lol.

Well, thanks all for the responses. I actually am going to give this med a try, which is funny because lately I dare not touch antidepressants. But I caved and gave in, it should be good for it's effect on the GI system (5-H3T Antagonism)

Also, the added benefit of knocking me out when the adderal "crash" start to happen and I just want to sleep.

Also, I got my doc situation handled, plus, my lyrica, and adderal back, and my doc. Maybe i will keep posted for anybody interested.

[Medline]

Originally Posted by Dangerous

WARNING: With a name like Dangerous why would you ever take medical advice from me?

That's the coolest disclaimer at the moment, the others (including mine) sound really boring compared to it.

[jim_morrison]

Originally Posted by Medline

That's the coolest disclaimer at the moment, the others (including mine) sound really boring compared to it.

Lol, I was just thinking the same thing.