Remeron

[Flamengo]

Hi All,

I was prescribed Remeron a while back. It has NEVER helped me sleep at all. If anything, it does the opposite.

When I take it, as soon as it kicks in my pupils constrict, my ears start ringing and I just feel like I have more and more adrenaline. For the most part, it does help as an anti-depressant BUT I was put on it for its sleeping properties which hasn't helped.

The issue is that my psychiatrist is super stubborn. I tell him that it makes me more hypervigilent and makes me more startled but he does not listen. He thinks I just need to tough it out. I've been on this med since April and just feel like its a revolving door.

All I want to do is sleep, I want my sleep back. When I was on benzos I felt great BUT I know that most people are against this. My liver is starting to become effected by this. I need help badly. I just want to feel normal again.

What are some other meds that have helped some of you sleep? I feel like my brain won't shut off, even when I have nothing to worry about.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Can you find a new psychiatrist? This one doesn't seem to be serving you well as he doesn't listen to you.

On remeron I was WIDE awake 24/7, bouncing off the walls. I would get an hour of sleep a day, IF I was lucky. My psychiatrist was skeptical that my reaction was so severe, but at least he listened to me when I told him I wanted a med change.

Yes, remeron zonks most people. Then again, it also causes weight gain in a lot of people, and I lost weight. Go figure. (Another one my psych was dubious about.)

Really, it isn't about "toughing it out". If you've had side effects since April, its time for a change. (That's four months!?!)

I know what's helped me for sleep, but I REALLY hesitate to recommend that class of drugs until you've tried pretty much everything else. Yes, I'm talking about antipsychotics, specifically Geodon. I developed muscle issues while on it, and only time will tell if I have permanent damage. (And yes, I had tried just about every other antidepressant, mood stabilizer, blah blah blah that was out at the time, to no avail) I know that doctors now hand out antipsychotics like they're candy...oh, depression not completely gone on you AD? Add this antipsychotic! Nevermind the fact that it was developed to stop psychosis in bipolars and schizophrenics. Oh, yes, its completely safe! *cue the roll eyes* Ok, sorry for that tangent, I just get so angered by the industry which hands this stuff out like candy when its a very heavy duty drug.

So try other antidepressants perhaps? Maybe a mood stabilizer would help? (I've heard that Topamax puts some to sleep)

I've heard the benzo debate (I started a thread about that awhile ago.) I'm now med free except for my benzos. And if I take them for the rest of my life, so be it. I'm careful to take them sporadically enough to not become dependent, and when I compare them to other medications out there, the side effects aren't so bad for me. Do you have benzos just to take PRN?

 

[Flamengo]

Thanks for the reply! Yeah, I called and left him a message. The last time I took benzos I could take them here and there, I would start out with .0125 or .025 maybe every other day. Once its in my system I would just take it every maybe once every 3 days? I spoke to a friend who had trauma from being held a gun point. She told me that she took Klonopin for a while and then was off and then back on it after 3 years. She has the mind set that 'you have to do what is right to get better'. For me, perhaps that is benzo. Do you find that they mess with your delta sleep? How often are you taking them? I don't care if I have to take them all my life either, I just want to stop getting startled every 2 seconds. It is seriously the ONLY thing that calms my system down. I posted a thread also about Baclofen. That is a drug that works on gaba B which is like GBH and will have you sleeping a lot!

I'll keep you posted on what my psychiastrist says. Not sleeping is what's killing me. I just want something to knock me out, I feel like that will help me heal.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Yes, I do believe that you have to do what is right for YOU!

Klonopin is like death to me. EVERYONE around me knows when I've taken it as my personality shifts drastically. So that one's a big no-no. I currently take Ativan. My Pdoc prescribes 1mg/day, but I am trying to take less. I am experimenting with just 1/2mg when my obsessive thoughts get out of control. Sleep is generally not an issue, but I do sometimes take Ativan to knock me out, esp if I have a migraine and must sleep.

I personally think that as long as I'm taking them sporadically enough to not get into a set habit of when i take it, that I'll be OK. Last year, one script lasted me a year. This year I blew through it in just 5 months due to some stressful events. I'm back to taking just a little, and overall feeling better.

I know a lot of doctors have problems with prescribing benzos, but I'm fortunate that mine does not. He knows I don't beg for more than my allotment, and I use a lot less than prescribed. Thus, no "drug seeking" behavior. (Sidebar...it seems that anyone who ASKS for benzos is guilty of displaying "drug seeking" behavior. Kinda odd when it is a medication some of us know we NEED!)

 

[Shellbell]

I'm on mirtazapine, which is the same as remeron. I've been taking it for 4 weeks now. The first night it knocked me out and I slept for 14 hours, which is quite common.

It does get me to sleep, which is great as after 30 years of insomnia, it is good to know I will go to sleep, but I wake up in the night around 3am now.

It hasn't eased my anxiety at all and I still get emotional - but less than I did a month ago, so there is progress.

It's still early days though as apparently it needs 6-8 weeks to see full benefits. I'm not enjoying the increased appetite and weight gain - 3 kilo's so far :-(

 

[Flamengo]

WOW! So I stopped the Remeron 2 week ago cold turkey per my doctors. The first week I felt euphoric. I was like "WOW! I feel amazing!" Then around Saturday I started to feel different, even the klonopin wasn't helping me out. Sunday all hellll broke lose! Last night I finally took a remeron and all those feelings are gone. I was going through withdrawls that not even the klonopin was helping with! Since it has a long half life, it took a while to leave my system. When it did, watch out! My stomach was the worst!

Just insane!

 

[Shellbell]

Yes I've been told not to stop taking it cold turkey. It's a very strong AD and I think it needs to be slowly reduced if you want to stop taking it and it has to be done under supervision of a doctor.

 

[Flamengo]

Yeah, my stupid doctor told me to just "stop it". becasue of the long half life, I felt OK for a few weeks, then around day 8 / 9 - BOOM!

This is why I'm switching psychiatrists.

 

[Shellbell]

I don't blame you Flamengo, going cold turkey is not a good idea. I'm just glad you are okay and nothing more serious happened. This has re-assured me not to do the same thing as well. So thank you for sharing your experience, it will help others not to make the same mistake.

 

[Flamengo]

Yeah, as soon as I reinstated last night all the side effects went away. It was intense! Remeron affects so many receptors.

 

[Shellbell]

Yes I have wondered what I would be like now if I wasn't taking this. Scary thought!