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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Justherself54 on May 7, 2009, at 22:10:47
My nite meds are pooping out from long time use so pdoc suggested adding remeron at bedtime and maybe I can stop the seroquel which causes me to go into a feeding frenzy about 15 minutes after I take it..but my question is..will remeron do the same and will it help with my sleep issues?
I do fine during the day with eating, but get right out of control after I take the seroquel..I'd be really happy to get out of this night eating cycle..any advice much appreciated!
Posted by Phillipa on May 7, 2009, at 22:40:32
In reply to adding Remeron, posted by Justherself54 on May 7, 2009, at 22:10:47
I did take Remeron l5mg at bedtime but also needed benzos. Didn't make me hungry either. But it wasn't strong enough for me for sleep. Now at the time was going through menopause could be why as since have gone down on benzos a lot. Took the remeron for over a month. Love Phillipa
Posted by tensor on May 8, 2009, at 4:50:47
In reply to adding Remeron, posted by Justherself54 on May 7, 2009, at 22:10:47
Like many other meds it loses its effect over time, I just had a brief drug holiday from Remeron for about a month. And restarted with 7.5mg at daytime just to get a soft start, not necessary but anyway, it knocked me out and I slept for four hours on the couch, after that I was groggy for about one hour. I stayed up for another three hours and then took the bedtime dose of 15mg. I slept for straight 10 hours, I was not groggy when I woke up.
So, it's clearly effective, but everybody responds differently. But it's worth a try!/Mattias
Posted by bleauberry on May 8, 2009, at 5:29:19
In reply to adding Remeron, posted by Justherself54 on May 7, 2009, at 22:10:47
> My nite meds are pooping out from long time use so pdoc suggested adding remeron at bedtime and maybe I can stop the seroquel which causes me to go into a feeding frenzy about 15 minutes after I take it..but my question is..will remeron do the same and will it help with my sleep issues?
>
> I do fine during the day with eating, but get right out of control after I take the seroquel..I'd be really happy to get out of this night eating cycle..any advice much appreciated!Remeron is known to increase appetite. Not always, but often. To deal with med-induced appetite, eat all you want...just make sure it is stuff without much calories, stuff that is healthy, and stuff you don't like that much. Stay away from the stuff you love. Eat those at other times when you are already pretty full.
Celery, roasted pumpkin seeds, any veggies or salads, lean meats. Just some of the things I could think of off the top of my head. If it has sugar of any kind in it, forget it. Use that as a dessert after a meal when you are already full on lower carb lower cal stuff.
Another healthy trick is to drink a lot of water before you get hunger cravings. Your stomach will feel full, even though it is just water.
I found Remeron an excellent sleep med, probably better than any other, much better than seroquel. My trick was to take lower doses than the doc suggested. For example, 15mg is too high. Lower doses actually feel more sedative than normal doses. Those little chunks can really pack a punch. Break off just a little chunk and try 4mg-5mg. A dose of 7.5mg was good too. To avoid tolerance setting in, vary the doses. For example, work up to 7.5mg over a period of time, then slowly back down to 3mg or so, and then back up again. The see-saw pattern will keep it working.
Not sure if you ever tried Lunesta, but I to me it was one of the best. Most of the other sleep meds were lousy for me. Lunesta was good.
Posted by Zana on May 8, 2009, at 8:47:45
In reply to Re: adding Remeron, posted by bleauberry on May 8, 2009, at 5:29:19
I take 45mgs of remeron for sleep. Doses this high are thought to be stimulating, noradrenergic but I sleep like a log. I don't find that it makes me hungry because I fall asleep so quickly after taking it. But I agree with the stragegies recommended by the pevious posts. I take seroquel which doesn't make me hungry but does completely mess up my appestat meaning that I never have a sense of satiety and once I start eating I can't stop. I eat huge amounts of brocolli, spinach etc.
Good luck. It's a big problem that docs tend to minimize in my experience.Zana
Posted by raisinb on May 8, 2009, at 22:13:36
In reply to adding Remeron, posted by Justherself54 on May 7, 2009, at 22:10:47
Remeron made me eat like crazy. I took it at night too, and it knocked me out at very small doses. It will almost certainly help you sleep.
I slept like a stone and had a sleepy, depressed hangover the next day (and thought about pudding and brownies about once every three minutes).
I don't know if it's like Seroquel in that it'll induce eating right after you take it. For me it was more like a 24-hour effect. I didn't eat at night because I fell asleep so fast.
Posted by Justherself54 on May 8, 2009, at 23:01:21
In reply to Re: adding Remeron » Justherself54, posted by raisinb on May 8, 2009, at 22:13:36
How small a dose did you take at night? My pdoc prescribed 15 mg. I'm currently on 20 mg paxil, which is not working that well. Remeron is the only AD I haven't tried due to the weight gain issue. I think my pdoc is hoping it might help augment the paxil.
Currently I take 7.5 zopiclone (and have been adding an extra half lately) 25. mg. seroquel and .5 clonazapam for sleep. One thing I forgot to ask him as we had some other stuff to go over at my appt. is do I stop the zop and seroquel and start the remeron or do I take it with everything else. I don't want to be any more of a zombie the next day than I already am.
Any advice on how to do this transition would be appreciated.
Being bipolar, having fibromyalgia and refractory depression sucks, add 60 extra pounds and welcome to my life...akkkk..sorry, just feeling a bit sorry for myself tonite..
Posted by Zana on May 9, 2009, at 11:10:10
In reply to Re: adding Remeron, posted by Justherself54 on May 8, 2009, at 23:01:21
I swear I did not gain weight on remeron. My appetite wasn't effected at all until seroquel was added. And I take 45mgs at which level it is stimulating. It still knocks me out. It is a great sleeping med.
Zana
Posted by Justherself54 on May 9, 2009, at 11:44:26
In reply to Re: adding Remeron, posted by Zana on May 9, 2009, at 11:10:10
Thanks for your reply. I forgot to take my zopiclone last nite and was still awake at 3 am. I had taken the seroquel, which obviously isn't working for sleep anymore, so I can now scratch it off my list. I had gone to bed determined not to eat, but ended getting up and easting cheese and crackers..and that's only because I don't have anything sweet in the house. Jeez Louise.
Posted by raisinb on May 9, 2009, at 14:36:17
In reply to Re: adding Remeron, posted by Justherself54 on May 8, 2009, at 23:01:21
I think I started at 3.75 and went up gradually (cutting 15 mg pills into fourths). Even that tiny bit put me right to sleep. After I went off Remeron, I was seeing my parents and had forgotten my sleep meds. My dad's on Remeron, and gave me one. I shaved off the tiniest bit (couldn't have been more than 1-2 mg) and slept for twelve hours and had to be dragged out of bed.
Posted by Justherself54 on May 9, 2009, at 16:07:05
In reply to Re: adding Remeron » Justherself54, posted by raisinb on May 9, 2009, at 14:36:17
Wow..I can't remember the last time I slept right through the night..most nights I feel like I'm in some kind of twilight sleep mode, not quite asleep but not quite awake either.
I think I started at 3.75 and went up gradually (cutting 15 mg pills into fourths). Even that tiny bit put me right to sleep. After I went off Remeron, I was seeing my parents and had forgotten my sleep meds. My dad's on Remeron, and gave me one. I shaved off the tiniest bit (couldn't have been more than 1-2 mg) and slept for twelve hours and had to be dragged out of bed.
Posted by Phillipa on May 9, 2009, at 19:38:55
In reply to Re: adding Remeron, posted by Justherself54 on May 9, 2009, at 16:07:05
Well I was given 15mg of remeron l00 seroquel new, chloral hydrate, benzos and still up in four hours. Now I fall asleep on less benzos so strange. Oh they took me off the seroquel next day as couldn't speak but could think and almost fainted. This was in the hospital. I must have intractible insomnia. Never any weight gain. No idea why? Love Phillipa
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