Posted by chess on September 1, 2004, at 14:11:24
In reply to Re: Alternatives to Lexapro, posted by King Vultan on September 1, 2004, at 7:48:12
Have you ever tried Remeron?
I never have, but my understanding is that 5ht1-receptor stimulation has an anti-anxiety and anti-depression effect, 5ht2-receptor stimulation causes anxiety and agitation and insomnia and sexual dysfunction, and 5ht3-receptor stimulation causes nausea.
Remeron supposedly increases the amount of both norepinephrine and serotonin released into the synapse, but it also blocks postsynaptic 5ht2 and 5ht3 receptors, thus leaving 5ht1 receptors to be stimulated.
Like the older tricyclic antidepresants but much more moderately it blocks histamine, alpha andrenergic, and muscarinic receptors, so it more mildly could cause similar tricyclic side effects of sleepiness, hunger, weight gain, dry mouth, and constipation. Of these I've heard histamine is hit the most which causes some to find it sedating (which some actually find helpful for their insomnia as they take it at bedtime).
poster:chess
thread:385107
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040830/msgs/385288.html