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Remeron/mirtazapine for anxiety - anyone ever tried or use?

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Posted 8/25/2011 12:30 AM (GMT 0)
i think i tried this years ago and asked my dr to switch my prescription from effexor (which i never filled) to remeron because i think i remember it making me sleepy so i could sleep through the night after my father died. 

anyone have any experience with this drug?  if so, i would appreciate any feedback.  thanks!

is it safe?  ever read anything bad about it?  thought i did not too long ago but it was prob. just a negative user review.

Posted 8/25/2011 3:11 PM (GMT 0)
Remeron is a big gun drug and I would talk with your Dr. re other meds often used to help you sleep due to their side effects.  I use Trazodone and it works well for me without any residual side effects the next day.

Of course each person is different and being treated for different dx.  I wish you well.

Kindly,

Kitt

Posted 8/25/2011 4:03 PM (GMT 0)
I have been on remeron for seven weeks now and it is the first med, after trying many, that has helped with my depression and also to get some sleep at night. I have not sleep well in years due to my chronic pain. So i am happy with this med so far and no ill effects.
Hope it works well for you too.

Suzane
Posted 8/25/2011 4:55 PM (GMT 0)
My psychiatrist informed me years ago that Remeron will usually pull people out of Depression however one of it's major side effects is extreme weight gain. From what I understand about Remeron, if serotonin and/or norepinephrine are the answer for you, Remeron will pull you out of the deepest, blackest depression like no other medication will. You will literally eat sugar straight out of the bag to satisfy your cravings for sweets and carbohydrates. You most likely will get  intense hunger for the wrong foods, and with that comes weight gain, dry mouth and constipation caused by what you eat and not Remeron itself. Then you want to sleep a lot.

FDA appove of Remeron is for major depressive disorder.  Off label use of Remeron:

  • Panic/Anxiety
  • Bipolar Depression
  • Sleep Disorders
  • Chronic Fatigue
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Arthritis
  • Lupus
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome

I wish you the best on the medication and hope you find it helps.

     
Posted 8/25/2011 4:59 PM (GMT 0)
I took it about 6 years ago for about 3 days ..... i pretty much slept the entire time, it made me so drowsy. My doc changed it to another drug.
Everyone responds very differently to medications though so you may not get side effects that others experienced.
Posted 8/25/2011 5:38 PM (GMT 0)
Hi

I used to be on Mirtazapine a few years ago. It is usually used for people who have tried other AD and have not had any joy with them. It is taken at night as it does make you feel tired so does aid sleep but as Kitt said it makes you crave sugar so weight gain is the main problem people find with this medication. I was on the max dose and found it did work well for my depression I took it along with Effexor xr. Good luck and I hope it works well for you let us know how you get on.

Hibee
Posted 8/25/2011 5:54 PM (GMT 0)
Hazelnut,

I just asked my Psych Dr. about Remeron. She told me it was up there with Zyprexa in causing weight gain. And since my other meds have caused weight gain I can't afford to add more on.

I have been on Zoloft, Lexapro, Amitriptyline, Noritriptyline, years ago & they made me suicidal. Then I started Effexor XR & was on that for 5-6 years. I was just weaned off of it a few months ago. My Pdoc thinks that Anti-Depressants cause me to have Manic episodes. I can't say I quite believe that totally. I tried Prozac a month ago & thought it was helping but she took me off of it.

Best of luck to you, it was very nice to meet you. Sending Smiles & Hugz your way.
Your Healingwell Friend,
Serenitee

Bipolar 2, Borderline, Anxiety-Panic Disorder & Ptsd...Diagnosed this year. Have been seeing my Psych Dr. since last Sept. weekly/biweekly. Completed 6-months of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (dual-diagnosed), & start DBT in the next couple weeks.
Loop ileostomy, Pelvic-Bladder Trauma & Dysfunction.
Posted 8/31/2011 8:17 AM (GMT 0)
Hazelnut,
I am so happy you asked about remeron! It has changed my life!
Before it I could not leave the house or socialize ..I have 3 huge bottles of xanex that I have not had to take! It has done wonders for me! It took about 5 weeks to kick in and I am only on half on a 15mg but wow!! The doctor said a low dose is for anxiety and a higher dosed is for depression (I also take ability)
I am excited to see what happens for you!!
Posted 8/31/2011 12:02 PM (GMT 0)
did it make you sleepy at night when you took it? or sleepy at work during the day? i take buspar nowand it doesn't really do anything but make me feel dazed i think.
Posted 8/31/2011 2:47 PM (GMT 0)
It really doesn't make me tired at night, no..but I am taking a very low dose.
Posted 8/31/2011 11:41 PM (GMT 0)
have you gained any weight? i took it years ago and remember being angry. but my father had just died also and i was living my bf who couldn't communicate so maybe this was the cause of my anger. ha
Posted 9/1/2011 2:37 AM (GMT 0)
kitt - thanks - i wonder if it's good for panic also? it's been prob 9 years since i took it so i do not remember.
Posted 9/2/2011 1:16 AM (GMT 0)
Hazelnut,
My original complaint was that I could NOT gain weight and that is why the dr put me on remeron..I just got lucky and got all the other benefits from it..I can tell you I have not gained much weight but have an increased appetite..
Posted 8/13/2013 2:57 PM (GMT 0)
Anyone still on this? I started taking it a few weeks ago for insomnia. I was on 7.5 mg to start, then went up to 15 mg. Just increased to 30 mg yesterday to help with anxiety. Doctor also wrote a script for xanax twice daily as needed.
Posted 9/1/2013 8:57 PM (GMT 0)
I think its helping me a bit with my anxiety/OCD type thoughts and helping with sleep (although not as well as it did on the lower dose). I see my psychiatrist again in a week. I had a panic attack today. I tried out a hot yoga class and within minutes of being in the room I started panicking and had to leave. My boyfriend tried to kill himself in June and Im the one who found him. Ever since then I started getting panic attacks. Usually it happens when IM working out and my heartbeat goes up. I am trying to work out anyway and push through. The one today was awful though and embarrassing to leave right away.
Posted 10/1/2014 1:54 PM (GMT 0)
Glad to see this working for ppl with anxiety. Im just after starting on quarter of 15mg for cervical nerve pain ..but will go to half tomorrow. I started to get joint pain in my fingers and really tight face(possibly from neck tension), has anyone experienced this?.. Fingers crossed this works. Im looking forward to getting back to the gym.. i just turned 29 but feeling like i turned 60:/
Posted 10/1/2014 2:46 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Jaybible and welcome,

I hope that this Rx works well for you!

Here is a link for Progressive Muscle Relaxation for you to check out. If chronic muscle tension is an issue for you, this could help.

http://www.stress-relief-exercises.com/progressive_muscle_relaxation.html

Post anytime with anxiety concerns.:)

S.C.

Posted 10/2/2014 9:17 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the welcome scaredy:).. and for the link;) i try to mediate as soon as i get panicky and muscle relaxation should help alot. I should mention that my pain is from a car crash from behind so neck is always sore.

The longer im on remeron the more i realise it causes slightly increased low level anxiety which has a knock on effect of sneaking in tension and over sensitivity, which seens to account for the joint pain side effect... CBT monday cant wait to bombard my psych with all these changes...my poor psych lol :D

..oh before i forget..anyone ever have a kind of crawling burning feeling in muscle/nerve..kind of like a flaming spider...yeh creepy
Posted 10/2/2014 3:03 PM (GMT 0)
....a flaming spider is creepy!! But then again, it is October, so apprpriate, lol!

There are so many symptoms...and it can be hard to tell which are from physical issues...and which are from the anxiety, right!?!

Did you have anxiety prior to your neck injury and Rx use? Or do you feel that this is an effect of either one? Just curious.

Glad to see that you are working with a P-doc...(CBT rocks!!) and that you can discuss all of your concerns at your upcoming appointment! :)

I invite you to keep talking with us if you think this would be a place you want to stick around for support. If you do so, please consider starting your own thread of introductin ("Post New Topic" icon upper left toolbar)...so that you don't get overlooked here tagged onto this old one.

Talk to you soon,

S.C.
Posted 10/4/2014 5:17 PM (GMT 0)
Lol yeh..i get very visual with weird feeling decriptions:P

You're totally right about differentiating which is which. I've had GAD and panic about 5yrs..and had neck tension but after the accident it started messing with my nerves. But i know if i was wasnt anxious and over sensitive i would be perfect now.. body tensing, clenching and TMJ in my sleep play a big part..darn subconscious!...also Rx drove tension crazy so ive stopped..feel much better now and just trying to exercise and ignore. Its funny how quick pain can vanish when the anxious thoughts are subdued..however short lived:P

I feel like im hijacking this thread so I'll start an intro thread..thanks for listening SC:)
Posted 10/5/2014 7:29 PM (GMT 0)

I've been taking Mirtazapine 7.5 for almost 2 years for sleep.  That and Haldol.  I used to love my trazadone until it stopped working.

I have learned more about Remeron in this thread than I ever knew before.  I also have anxiety and depression  I've been wanting to ask my doctor about putting me on something for the increased anxiety.  Maybe I can get him to increase this instead.

Thanks everyone.  I appreciate the shared knowledge.   

Posted 3/22/2015 4:23 PM (GMT 0)
I've been on 20 mg. paxil for anxiety for several months. Trazodone helped me sleep, but I got tinnitus and the traz became less effective after a month or so. I don't want to use benzos or ambien for sleep, so now I'm taking 15 mg. of remeron the last two weeks. It has helped me sleep, but I'm still tired (side effect, I believe), especially hard getting out of bed, even though I don't go back to sleep after I wake up. It should also help with my depression, but that takes 4-6 weeks. It does give me a craving for carbs, but I sort of had that anyway - comfort food. I walk and bike almost every day - good for depression as well as weight. Never took any meds other than 10 mg. of paxil for many years until last November.
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