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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by papusa on April 25, 2003, at 0:18:45
I'd be grateful to hear of anyone's experience with Remeron and increased appetite over the long (or longish) term. I'm taking 45 mg and it's working really well to quell my boisterous generalized anxiety, but I'm sooo hungry all the time, even after a big meal. It's a very powerful experience--not something I can really ignore. The hunger did soften up a bit when I went from 30 to 45 mg, and I'm planning to go to 60 mg as soon as possible. (I've been on Remeron for about a month.) My pdoc gave me Topamax to try (as an appetite suppressant), but I'd rather wait, as I'm sensitive to meds and I'd rather not pile more on. Plus, I live by my wits and I don't want to lose them.
Any real-life experiences would be greatly appreciated.--papusa
Posted by Essence on April 25, 2003, at 10:51:05
In reply to Remeron--does the increased appetite EVER go away?, posted by papusa on April 25, 2003, at 0:18:45
Hi, I've been on Remeron for almost 17 months, 15 mg for 2 weeks and since then 30 mg. I didn't gain weight initially until I was on it 10 mos, then began binge eating due to a personal crisis, in January I started seeing a dietitian at our local hospital and have lost the weight that I gained while binging. Others that I talk to on another board say that the appetite thing does decrease with time and often at higher doses.
Ess
Posted by caroline on April 27, 2003, at 5:36:25
In reply to Remeron--does the increased appetite EVER go away?, posted by papusa on April 25, 2003, at 0:18:45
I've been on remeron for 3.5 years now. For past 2.5 years I've been on 45mg. I had the hunger problem for the first 6 months then started diet and exercise regime and the hunger never came back.
I know from having been around this board for several years that not everyone has found the hunger so easy (comparitively - it felt hard at the time!) to shift.
Best of luck with it,
Caroline
Posted by papusa on May 4, 2003, at 19:17:24
In reply to Re: Remeron--does the increased appetite EVER go away?, posted by caroline on April 27, 2003, at 5:36:25
Thanks for your experience, Essence and Caroline. I'm finding that the extreme part of the hunger experience is starting to go away, after about 2 weeks at 45 mg. I now can eat a meal and not feel starving! I think it's important to pass this on because one doctor I consulted said the increased appetite just does not go away. My appetite may be somewhat elevated but I think can handle that--it's within the realm of normal. Lowfat popcorn helps.
Some other things that may have helped were adding 20 mg. Acidophex a day (similar to Prilosec) and taking fish oil.
Now, if only my mood were a little better...
Posted by LyndaK on May 5, 2003, at 1:27:28
In reply to Re: Remeron--does the increased appetite EVER go a, posted by papusa on May 4, 2003, at 19:17:24
I've been on Remeron for nearly a year now -- been at 60 mgs. for somewhere around 4 to 6 months. I would say my appetite is back to normal. I think increasing the dose is what made the biggest difference.
Hang in there.
Lynda
Posted by papusa on May 5, 2003, at 11:44:18
In reply to Re: Remeron--does the increased appetite EVER go a » papusa , posted by LyndaK on May 5, 2003, at 1:27:28
> I've been on Remeron for nearly a year now -- been at 60 mgs. for somewhere around 4 to 6 months. I would say my appetite is back to normal. I think increasing the dose is what made the biggest difference.
>
> Hang in there.
> LyndaLynda, if you don't mind me asking, did the 60 mg help your mood appreciably more than 45? Did you have depression, anxiety, or a combination? I hope you're feeling well now.
I've been on the Remeron for about 6 weeks. It really has helped the bout of generalized anxiety I came down with--but I was hoping to feel somewhat better than I do. I still have some residual anxiety and dark feelings. I'm hoping to feel "normal" (ha!) again, the way I felt before I got knocked sideways by anxiety.
Thanks,
Papusa
Posted by CharlieL on May 5, 2003, at 15:56:06
In reply to Remeron--does the increased appetite EVER go away?, posted by papusa on April 25, 2003, at 0:18:45
<< I'd be grateful to hear of anyone's experience with Remeron and increased appetite over the long (or longish) term. I'm taking 45 mg and it's working really well to quell my boisterous generalized anxiety >>
<< I've been on Remeron for about a month. >>
papusa,
I have 2 questions for you!
1.) I see that Remeron has already been effective for you; approx. how long into your use of Remeron was it before you thought that it was kicking in, in terms of helping your GAD?
2.) I would also like to know how soon you were able to tolerate 45mg of Remeron during the month that you have been on it so far. Did you start at 15, then step up to 30, then step up to 45, and how many days were you at each step?
I myself have just started using Remeron; I was just 5 days into it when it hit me pretty hard. I first did 2 days at 15mg/nite, then 3 days at 30mg/nite, and then I felt I needed to stop it entirely temporarily since it was pretty overwhelming. I have been coached real good about getting to the higher Remeron doses as soon as possible, but I am generally very sensitive to and intolerant of most AD meds, so I just wasn't sure what to do.
I have just finished discussing this with my pdoc, and tonite I shall restart the Remeron at 15mg/nite, and will just stay on that dose steady for two weeks, as my pdoc has advised me to do. It was also my pdoc who previously advised me to up the dose to 30mg quickly to eliminate the initial sedation I had experienced at 15mg/nite, but doing that didn't seem to alleviate the classic Remeron side effects for me.
My pdoc told me that he has seen the successful overcoming of Remeron's sedation effect happen two different ways; one way is to quickly move up to 30mg from 15mg, and the other way is to just hold steady at 15mg for a couple of weeks.
It seems that I will fall into that latter group; how about you?
regards,
Charlie
Posted by papusa on May 5, 2003, at 18:18:32
In reply to Re: Remeron--does the increased appetite EVER go away? » papusa , posted by CharlieL on May 5, 2003, at 15:56:06
Charlie,
I'm really sensitive to antidepressants too, and can't tolerate most. I started Remeron at 30. I felt dizzy that night--really lightheaded--and very sedated for about four days. Then the sedation started to lift. I took it at 30 for about 10 days, then raised it to 45, but found I had trouble sleeping, so I lowered back to 30 for another couple of weeks. Then, when I went up to 45, it was okay, and it still knocks me out. I'm okay in the morning though.
My anxiety lifted a bit in the first week, though I was skeptical that it was the Remeron doing this. But I got a little better every day. Going up to 45 helped even more. Sleeping is always good too, for my anxiety.
I didn't get the insatiable hunger until the end of the first week--possibly because I was too anxious to really feel hungry until then. Now, 5-6 weeks later, the hunger is getting better. Going up to 45 mg helped, but only slowly.
At one point, I tried going down to 15 from 30 to see if it would help the hunger, and I felt *really* sedated. For me, more is less, in terms of side effects.
I wish you the best--I know these side effects are hard, especially when you are anxious to begin with. But I will reiterate what my Dr. told me--the longer you take the medicine, the less side effects you will have.
--Papusa.
Posted by Dr. Bob on May 6, 2003, at 8:25:22
In reply to Re: Remeron--does the increased appetite EVER go away? » papusa , posted by CharlieL on May 5, 2003, at 15:56:06
> I have 2 questions for you...
>
> CharlieAre you the same Charlie? If so, you may not have seen it, since I moved some posts to Psycho-Babble Administration, but I blocked you from posting for a week:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20030404/msgs/224325.html
Bob
PS: Follow-ups regarding posting policies should be redirected there; otherwise, they may be deleted.
Posted by Dr. Bob on May 8, 2003, at 0:52:14
In reply to Re: charlie12, posted by Dr. Bob on May 6, 2003, at 8:25:22
> Are you the same Charlie? If so, you may not have seen it, since I moved some posts to Psycho-Babble Administration, but I blocked you from posting for a week
Also, posting while blocked increases the duration of the block:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faq.html#enforce
Bob
Posted by LyndaK on May 8, 2003, at 1:18:51
In reply to Re: Remeron--does the increased appetite EVER go a, posted by papusa on May 5, 2003, at 11:44:18
> Lynda, if you don't mind me asking, did the 60 mg help your mood appreciably more than 45? Did you have depression, anxiety, or a combination? I hope you're feeling well now.
>
> I've been on the Remeron for about 6 weeks. It really has helped the bout of generalized anxiety I came down with--but I was hoping to feel somewhat better than I do. I still have some residual anxiety and dark feelings. I'm hoping to feel "normal" (ha!) again, the way I felt before I got knocked sideways by anxiety.
>
> Thanks,
> Papusa
I have/had depression with anxiety. It has helped greatly with the anxiety. A return of some of the anxiety symptoms is what prompted the increase in dose to 60, but it's been working great at that dose for a good 6 months now. It's been slow steady progress since I started taking it nearly a year ago. It was a good 10 months before I could say that I really wasn't feeling depressed anymore. But I've also been in therapy for the past 3 - 4 years.Good luck and hang in there.
Lynda
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