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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Phillipa on March 14, 2005, at 13:04:20
Help! I've been taking l5mg of remeron at night along with the l0mg of valium to help sleep. I don't really know if it helps or not. I'm sleeping that's what counts. Anyway I'm getting fat. My jeans don't fit and the scale is going up. I'm too old to gain wt, and I excercise daily. I know valium doesn't make you fat. Do you think it's the low dose remeron? Can I give it up? Do I have to wean off of it? I will be losing the medication portion of insurance at the end of the month and would like to give up anything I don't need. I can't say I've noticed anything from the drug. What should I do? Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by hffcookie on March 14, 2005, at 15:55:12
In reply to Remeron Making Me Fat!, posted by Phillipa on March 14, 2005, at 13:04:20
Hi Phillipa,
I understand what you are going through....I had to go out and buy what i refer to as "transition jeans" (yuck) shortly after I started my remeron. I am currentlyat 30 mg of Remeron and know that as I was "building" it up in my system I was eating a lot, having cravings and i think, even had i not comsumed more calories, gaining weight because my metabolism was so slow...however when on 30mg for a few weeks my metabolism is back to normal and i am not so lethargic or hungry. I have heard higher doses have fewer side effects. By the way, have you noticed any difference in efficacy? I was on the soltabs at first and really feeling great, switched to generic and for some reason, i don't seem to be having any success. do you think it's the generic? I've also heard Remeron can suddenly lose effectiveness with some people in a very short amt of time. thanks and best of luck!
> Help! I've been taking l5mg of remeron at night along with the l0mg of valium to help sleep. I don't really know if it helps or not. I'm sleeping that's what counts. Anyway I'm getting fat. My jeans don't fit and the scale is going up. I'm too old to gain wt, and I excercise daily. I know valium doesn't make you fat. Do you think it's the low dose remeron? Can I give it up? Do I have to wean off of it? I will be losing the medication portion of insurance at the end of the month and would like to give up anything I don't need. I can't say I've noticed anything from the drug. What should I do? Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by Maximus on March 14, 2005, at 17:10:00
In reply to Re: Remeron Making Me Fat!, posted by hffcookie on March 14, 2005, at 15:55:12
It is postulated that a higher dose of Remeron will reduce the weight gain. But in fact, in the real world, Remeron causes weight gain whatever the dose. Remeron's weight gain is caused by 2 mechanisms. First is, you feel hungrier on it. The second is, it slows down your metabolism.
Some doctors have tried with success Axid, an anti-acid. It stops Remeron and Zyprexa's weight gain.
Posted by Ritch on March 15, 2005, at 0:03:17
In reply to Remeron Making Me Fat!, posted by Phillipa on March 14, 2005, at 13:04:20
> Help! I've been taking l5mg of remeron at night along with the l0mg of valium to help sleep. I don't really know if it helps or not. I'm sleeping that's what counts. Anyway I'm getting fat. My jeans don't fit and the scale is going up. I'm too old to gain wt, and I excercise daily. I know valium doesn't make you fat. Do you think it's the low dose remeron? Can I give it up? Do I have to wean off of it? I will be losing the medication portion of insurance at the end of the month and would like to give up anything I don't need. I can't say I've noticed anything from the drug. What should I do? Fondly, Phillipa
I gained more weight from Remeron than any other drug. It *does* provide awesome sleep, though. I stopped it a couple of times cold with no withdrawals (in fact I experienced a mood lift). You might have insomnia return after stopping it though...
Posted by Sarah T. on March 15, 2005, at 0:32:18
In reply to Re: Remeron Making Me Fat! » hffcookie, posted by Maximus on March 14, 2005, at 17:10:00
Hi Maximus. Can you tell me more about how Axid might prevent the Remeron-induced weight gain?
Posted by Maximus on March 15, 2005, at 7:45:17
In reply to Re: Remeron Making Me Fat! » Maximus, posted by Sarah T. on March 15, 2005, at 0:32:18
> Hi Maximus. Can you tell me more about how Axid might prevent the Remeron-induced weight gain?
Sure. This is what i found and understood:
-Medications that cause weight gain (Remeron, Zyprexa, TCA) do so primarily through H2 receptors.
-H2 antagonists and blockers, block the H2 receptor site. Axid (300 mg) and Zantac (150 mg) are H2 antagonists.
-If you take an H2 blocker with other medications, H2 receptors cannot be activated, therefore, no weight gain should be expected.
But if exercices, diet, Zantac and yoga don't reduce the weight gain, i would seriously think to change my medication. A healthy weight is VERY important.
Posted by med_empowered on March 15, 2005, at 12:58:03
In reply to Re: Remeron Making Me Fat! » Sarah T., posted by Maximus on March 15, 2005, at 7:45:17
hey! Sorry about your weight gain! That seems to be a major concern with Remeron. Anyway, higher doses may cause less weight gain, but higher doses also tend to be less sedating for a lot of people (@30+mgs Remeron simply seems less effective as a sedative), so you have to weigh it out. If its not helping much, and you're experiencing weight gain early on, my own preference would be to stop it and do something else. I put up with tricyclic weight gain--about 15lbs of it--primarily because the weight-gain occurred AFTER the therapeutic benefits had manifested themselves and b/c I was SEVRELY depressed...since Remeron has not proved itself effective, you're not SEVERELY and absolutely in need of treatment, and you have the whole cost issue to worry about, I'd seriously recommend pressuring your doc to taper the remeron and find something else for sleep..perhaps (gasp) an old-fashioned sedative. (Have you noticed that shrinks seem willing to RX anything BUT sleeping pills for insomnia these days?) A guy I know is a shrink and he sometimes RX's diet pills (tenuate, phentermine) with Remeron for some patients, but I think that's mostly when the patient already has a serious weight problem and they're at the end of the rope in terms of treatment. Personally, I say end Remeron and get your shrink to RX something less likely to cause weight gain.
Posted by Phillipa on March 15, 2005, at 16:35:33
In reply to Re: Remeron Making Me Fat!, posted by med_empowered on March 15, 2005, at 12:58:03
Guess what! I only took 7.5mg of remeron last night. I do have valium for sleep, and because I cut the remeron I added an extra 5mg to the l0mg I nornally take. The additional 5 was Myland so it probably equaled 2.5mg. I really don't think I need permission to cut out a medication. I agree I don't think I really need it. I've never taken it without a benzo, so how do I know It even helps me sleep? In all honesty, it seems to me that the AD's are like placebos to me. I don't experience the bad side effects, nor the dramatic changes in mood that other Posters do. So for now, I'm cutting it in half. I don't know if I'll take the extra valium again, as I'm sure my pdoc wouldn't like it. Thanks for answering med_empowered. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by Sarah T. on March 19, 2005, at 3:28:45
In reply to Re: Remeron Making Me Fat! » Sarah T., posted by Maximus on March 15, 2005, at 7:45:17
Very interesting. Thank you, Maximus.
This is the end of the thread.
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