Posted by BarbaraCat on September 4, 2002, at 21:57:40
In reply to Re: Remeron and Lithium -Barbara, posted by wcfrench on September 4, 2002, at 15:05:09
There are some people on this board who have had a very successful run with Remeron, without Lithium augmentation, even. If you're not gaining weight on it, you might try going up to 45mg and see if that makes a diff. My personal experience is that I've *always* felt something on an AD after 1 week, it usually subsided until the third week when I'd feel it kick in again, then it would gradually increase until about 6-10 weeks where it would plateau from then on out, and then I'd get the poop out at some point in the future.
If you don't get any response from 45mg in the next 2-3 weeks, then I'd say you've got a dud in the SNRI dept. It's hard to say if you fit in the 'non-responder' category since you got a response from other SSRI's, but didn't like what they did to you emotionally. I sure can relate. I've got an appt with my pdoc in 2 weeks where I'm going to discuss other options with him. Talked to him today on the phone and asked about Lexapro, the 'new and better Celexa' and he wasn't convinced that it wasn't a marketing hype. He suggested Celexa since Remeron again has pooped, but I'm not so sure. I've also been the same route as you so well described, feeling like a machine, not being able to cry even when you want to, flat emotionally. What a stinkin' trade-off. I'm also going to suggest Lamictal along with my current Lithium since Lamictal seems to have good antidepressant response. I'm also going to bring up *ack* MAOI's since those are one class of drug I've never tried.
Jeez, what a medical merry-go-round. I wish they'd come out with a little thingie like Dr. Beverly Crusher on Star Trek had, just point it at our heads and get an accurate read-out. I'm ready to try to tough it out once again and be pure and an exercise freak, but that scares the living crap out of me.
poster:BarbaraCat
thread:96147
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020829/msgs/118826.html