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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by SallyR on September 13, 2001, at 11:07:41
I read alot on this board about both Remeron and Zyprexa as effective augmentors of SSRI's.
Can anyone comment on the similarities and differences between these two drugs.
Thanks in advance for your assistance.
Posted by SalArmy4me on September 13, 2001, at 11:45:50
In reply to Remeron vs Zyprexa, posted by SallyR on September 13, 2001, at 11:07:41
Here are the benefits of Remeron:
--It can be used for all types of depression, anxiety, OCD, and insomnia.
--It is convienient because it is taken only once at bedtime.
--It may improve libido and sexual performance (its the only medication that improves mine). Dr. Bob Hsieung's fellow doctors recommend it for sexual dysfunction.
--You can take Remeron with most antidepressants except MAOIs.
--It has none of the anticholinergic effects of SSRIs.
--It has gained recognition as a very useful medication from psychiatrists in only four years of FDA approval.I myself started Remeron at 60 mg right away and had no side-effects. I had no weight gain or sedation during the day.
http://www.dr-bob.org/tips/split/Mirtazapine-for-SSRI-ADRs.html
www.remeron.com
http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/mirtaz.htm
ZYPREXA:Here are the advantages of Zyprexa, as opposed to most antipsychotics and antidepressants:
--It will calm you down all day; when I took it, I thought it was better than a benzo.
--It has no anticholinergic effects.
--It has no sexual side-effects .
--It will definitely help you sleep.
--Zyprexa is convienient because it is taken only once at night.
--It is covered by insurance, generally.
--It augments antidepressants.
--Despite what rumors go around, Tardive Dyskenisia on Zyprexa is rare.I took 10 mg of it at bedtime, and I had no drowsiness in the morning. I didn't have any weight gain either.
Posted by SallyR on September 13, 2001, at 13:52:54
In reply to Re: Remeron vs Zyprexa » SallyR, posted by SalArmy4me on September 13, 2001, at 11:45:50
> Thanks Sal.
Is there a difference in which receptors they affect? Why would one take one over the other?
Posted by Elizabeth on September 13, 2001, at 15:19:56
In reply to Re: Remeron vs Zyprexa » SallyR, posted by SalArmy4me on September 13, 2001, at 11:45:50
> --It has none of the anticholinergic effects of SSRIs.
None of the SSRIs has anticholinergic effects.
> --It has gained recognition as a very useful medication from psychiatrists in only four years of FDA approval.
Oh, come on: Prozac was a hit immediately when it came out.
> I myself started Remeron at 60 mg right away and had no side-effects. I had no weight gain or sedation during the day.
Me neither. And I was taking the Remeron in the morning.
> Here are the advantages of Zyprexa, as opposed to most antipsychotics and antidepressants:
>
> --It will calm you down all day; when I took it, I thought it was better than a benzo.I've heard Seroquel hyped as "an antipsychotic that feels like a benzo." Patients who'd taken it based on these glowing reviews did not agree.
> --It has no anticholinergic effects.
It has relatively mild anticholinergic effects compared with other neuroleptics.
> --It will definitely help you sleep.
So will hydroxyzine.
> --It is covered by insurance, generally.
But it's very expensive if you have to pay out-of-pocket.
> --It augments antidepressants.
In *some* patients.
> --Despite what rumors go around, Tardive Dyskenisia on Zyprexa is rare.
That's true, so far anyway. (It's been around for about 5 years.) But extrapyramidal side effects, especially akathisia, do occur.
> I took 10 mg of it at bedtime, and I had no drowsiness in the morning. I didn't have any weight gain either.
I felt zonked through much of the next day if I took it at bedtime.
The two drugs have some side effects in common: sedation and weight gain. Other than that, there aren't many clinically significant similarities.
Remeron is safer and is unlikely to worsen depression, whereas some depressives do feel worse on antipsychotic drugs such as Zyprexa.
Why are you considering taking one of these drugs?
-elizabeth
Posted by SallyR on September 13, 2001, at 15:27:39
In reply to Re: Remeron vs Zyprexa, posted by Elizabeth on September 13, 2001, at 15:19:56
Elizabeth,
I started taking Remeron (in addition to Prozac and Wellbutrin) a few weeks ago and it really made a difference for me. But the good effects may be fading a bit. It is hard to tell because I think that the events of the past few days may have alot to do with my feeling more down. But there seems to be many people on this board that sware by Zyprexa. I was just trying to get a feel for how the two drugs work.
Thanks for you post.
Posted by JohnL on September 13, 2001, at 18:00:07
In reply to Remeron vs Zyprexa, posted by SallyR on September 13, 2001, at 11:07:41
Hi Sally,
I was on Remeron for over a year, and now Zyprexa for about half a year. Of the two, I personally like Zyprexa a lot better. Remeron knocked me out fast at bedtime, which Zyprexa doesn't do (it takes a couple hours), but Remeron also gave me very poor quality sleep. Zyprexa gives me a real good quality sleep.My depression was characterized mainly by anhedonia, lack of pleasure, blahness. Remeron did absolutely nothing to fix that. I basically just survived for the year I was on it. For others though it works great, but I'm not sure they have the same kind of depression I was dealing with. Zyprexa for me felt good within 24 hours. I definitely knew I was on to something good right away.
Remeron and Zyprexa are actually somewhat similar in some ways, as far as working on various receptors and such, except that Zyprexa has action on dopamine receptors where Remeron does not. Remeron affects serotonin and norepinephrine, but Zyprexa affects serotonin and norepinephrine and dopamine. It has a wider spectrum, and maybe that's why it is proving useful in a wide range of disorders.
Some people will prefer Remeron. Some people will prefer Zyprexa. My personal choice is Zyprexa. My doc's choice is Zyprexa. Regardless of all the theory and talk of receptors and all that, my doc just plain has better luck with Zyprexa than Remeron. Me too.
John> I read alot on this board about both Remeron and Zyprexa as effective augmentors of SSRI's.
> Can anyone comment on the similarities and differences between these two drugs.
> Thanks in advance for your assistance.
This is the end of the thread.
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