![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by AdamCanada on July 10, 2007, at 20:02:18
I been on remeron 30mg for almost 2 weeks now. I am using it as an added anti depressant for my Paxil 10mg and ativan 0.5mg. The ativan which I take twice daily. I also have strong social anxiety which has been helped a lot by Paxil and Ativan but while i dont fear social situations as much I find myself with very little to say...
So I am very ANTI SOCIAL.
I dont know if remeron will help with that at all but maybe it will help with my strong unipolar depression... I have lack of motivation, lack of interests, lack of enjoyment in just about everything. Ritalin helps with that but it's effect has diminished greatly.
So here I am taking remeron for 2 weeks and feeling nothing except the side effects. I used to be sleepy throughout the day due to remeron but that has subsided but I still sleep A LOT due to this medication. It's so hard to get out of bed. It caused me to gain weight though so that's good because I normally have a very fast metabolism. And I think it helps with my sex drive a bit as I find myself a bit more aroused more often.
But aside from that I dont think it has helped for my mood at all yet. In fact when I forgot my dose and noticed I missed it by 3 hours is the evening where I was feeling my best.I am very sensitive to meds so low doses are usually what works for me. Paxil 20 mg turns me into a sleeping zombie. 10mg is seemingly the correct balance.
SO... How much longer should i keep taking this med before giving up on it?
Also any suggestions on what can help me for my symptoms? lack of interests/drive/enjoyment and being anti social?
Ritalin makes me more social but it's effect is nothing of what it used to be.
Any insight or advice would be much appreciated. I am typing so much only because I took a Modafinil today. I'm so sick and tired of feeling like a zombie all the f------ time.
Posted by Sigismund on July 10, 2007, at 21:15:12
In reply to Remeron 2 weeks. How long til it works??, posted by AdamCanada on July 10, 2007, at 20:02:18
I took Remeron just twice (and never again).
Adam, there has got to be something better for you than Remeron, hasn't there?
Social anxiety and depression? And you take Paxil (which you need)?
Well, here's an idea, no great shakes, but it would be hard to be worse than Remeron (APs!) *unless* you can't sleep.
With Paxil combine
*low dose* deprenyl, or
rhodiolaI can't remember if you had problems with sleep before you started Remeron.
Posted by Phillipa on July 10, 2007, at 22:21:26
In reply to Re: Remeron 2 weeks. How long til it works??, posted by Sigismund on July 10, 2007, at 21:15:12
The hospital gave me l5mg with benzos and chloral hydrate for sleep. Took it for a month didn't notice a thing so just stopped it didn't notice a thing no withdrawals. Love Phillipa
Posted by Viking on July 11, 2007, at 13:40:00
In reply to Remeron 2 weeks. How long til it works??, posted by AdamCanada on July 10, 2007, at 20:02:18
When I took Remeron for the first time I had to take 45-60 mgs before it started to work. And it took months before I got to that dose.
Try to read this article, in particular the part about "anergic dysthymia". Does that apply to you ? It certainly did apply to me.
http://www.nature.com/mp/journal/v6/n4/full/4000906a.html
Here is a possible augmentation of Remeron:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed&list_uids=17455104&cmd=Retrieve&indexed=google
I have had a lot of success with Remeron/Abilify combo. It hits anhedonia, avolition and low sexuality like nothing else and it has made me much more social. It started working for me within 2 days of adding Abilify.
My present meds are (in order they were added):
Reboxetine 4 mg
Prozac 20 mg
Remeron 15 mg
Abilify 2.5 mgIt should be noted that I dont get the usual sedation or "munchies" from Remeron when taking this combo.
Also notice that all these doses are fairly low. I have found out that lower doses seem to work much better once you find the right med.
I hope this can help youo.
Posted by adelaide curtis on July 11, 2007, at 15:39:51
In reply to Remeron 2 weeks. How long til it works??, posted by AdamCanada on July 10, 2007, at 20:02:18
after 30 days of remeron (30mg) i no loger felt the "hangover" the next morning..nor was i sleepy after i take it (pm)
after 60 days i no longer needed to take any other anti aniexty med...( was taking 4mg a day of ativan.)
90 days ...i am not depressed!
Posted by Maria3667 on July 12, 2007, at 1:43:58
In reply to Remeron 2 weeks. How long til it works??, posted by AdamCanada on July 10, 2007, at 20:02:18
Hi Adam,
Remeron was the best med ever for my anti-social behavior. In fact, it was the first med that drove my paranoia-feelings for people to the background. This effect started to kick in after about 2-3 weeks.
Instead of being very anxious of critism, remarks or sarcasm, I now recognised this as some sort of game which I could participate in. This made interaction with people so much lighter and more fun.
Rem was also fantastic against depression, good for sleep, good for libido but the worst for weight gain. Hence I quick.
Posted by Maria3667 on July 12, 2007, at 1:47:14
In reply to Remeron 2 weeks. How long til it works??, posted by AdamCanada on July 10, 2007, at 20:02:18
Hi Adam,
Remeron was the best med ever for my anti-social behavior. In fact, it was the first med that drove my paranoia-feelings for people to the background. This effect started to kick in after about 2-3 weeks.
Instead of being very anxious of critism, remarks or sarcasm, I now recognised this as some sort of game which I could participate in. This made interaction with people so much lighter and more fun.
Rem was also fantastic against depression, good for sleep, good for libido but the worst for weight gain. Hence I quit.
Posted by AdamCanada on July 12, 2007, at 20:34:47
In reply to Re: Remeron 2 weeks. How long til it works?? » AdamCanada, posted by Viking on July 11, 2007, at 13:40:00
Thanks guys for the posts.
Regarding Abilify I asked my pdoc here in Canada and it is not available here yet.
maybe it has a different name in Canada?
Anyway I'm going to keep trying this remeron and hope it does something but i know i felt better when i was off it. I feel even more like a zombie than i did before.
I was meeting girls on paxil + ativan + ritalin/modafinil
and now I feel like i am too quiet and too boring and too dull to meet people but i still do on occasion but I am not proud of myself when I do.
Ill try and get more info on abilify and see if i am able to get it. along with those deprenyl, or
rhodiola whatever those are. I will do some research.
> When I took Remeron for the first time I had to take 45-60 mgs before it started to work. And it took months before I got to that dose.
>
> Try to read this article, in particular the part about "anergic dysthymia". Does that apply to you ? It certainly did apply to me.
>
> http://www.nature.com/mp/journal/v6/n4/full/4000906a.html
>
> Here is a possible augmentation of Remeron:
>
> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed&list_uids=17455104&cmd=Retrieve&indexed=google
>
> I have had a lot of success with Remeron/Abilify combo. It hits anhedonia, avolition and low sexuality like nothing else and it has made me much more social. It started working for me within 2 days of adding Abilify.
>
> My present meds are (in order they were added):
>
> Reboxetine 4 mg
> Prozac 20 mg
> Remeron 15 mg
> Abilify 2.5 mg
>
> It should be noted that I dont get the usual sedation or "munchies" from Remeron when taking this combo.
>
> Also notice that all these doses are fairly low. I have found out that lower doses seem to work much better once you find the right med.
>
> I hope this can help youo.
>
Posted by AdamCanada on July 12, 2007, at 20:37:53
In reply to Re: Remeron 2 weeks. How long til it works??, posted by Maria3667 on July 12, 2007, at 1:47:14
thx for letting me know your experience on it.
so far i enjoy the weight gain. I am 5'7 and small frame kind of guy and i gained 5 pounds and am 130 now.
also it seems my libido is slightly increased but still very low.
hopefully remeron starts to ''kick in'' during these next few weeks.
> Hi Adam,
>
> Remeron was the best med ever for my anti-social behavior. In fact, it was the first med that drove my paranoia-feelings for people to the background. This effect started to kick in after about 2-3 weeks.
>
> Instead of being very anxious of critism, remarks or sarcasm, I now recognised this as some sort of game which I could participate in. This made interaction with people so much lighter and more fun.
>
> Rem was also fantastic against depression, good for sleep, good for libido but the worst for weight gain. Hence I quit.
Posted by Viking on July 13, 2007, at 5:08:41
In reply to Abilify seems amazingly promising but not availabl, posted by AdamCanada on July 12, 2007, at 20:34:47
> Regarding Abilify I asked my pdoc here in Canada and it is not available here yet.
>
> maybe it has a different name in Canada?Its generic name is Aripiprazole. It should not be any problem to buy it mailorder allthough it is expensive. I cant tell you where due to board policy, and your babblemail seems to be off.
>
> and now I feel like i am too quiet and too boring and too dull to meet people but i still do on occasion but I am not proud of myself when I do.
>
I noticed that Abilify made me much more talkative and social.
Posted by Viking on July 13, 2007, at 14:16:56
In reply to Abilify seems amazingly promising but not availabl, posted by AdamCanada on July 12, 2007, at 20:34:47
i found this interesting article about Abilify:
Posted by Oppycat on July 17, 2007, at 7:18:36
In reply to Remeron 2 weeks. How long til it works??, posted by AdamCanada on July 10, 2007, at 20:02:18
> I been on remeron 30mg for almost 2 weeks now. I am using it as an added anti depressant for my Paxil 10mg and ativan 0.5mg. The ativan which I take twice daily. I also have strong social anxiety which has been helped a lot by Paxil and Ativan but while i dont fear social situations as much I find myself with very little to say...
>
> So I am very ANTI SOCIAL.
>
> I dont know if remeron will help with that at all but maybe it will help with my strong unipolar depression... I have lack of motivation, lack of interests, lack of enjoyment in just about everything. Ritalin helps with that but it's effect has diminished greatly.
>
>
> So here I am taking remeron for 2 weeks and feeling nothing except the side effects. I used to be sleepy throughout the day due to remeron but that has subsided but I still sleep A LOT due to this medication. It's so hard to get out of bed. It caused me to gain weight though so that's good because I normally have a very fast metabolism. And I think it helps with my sex drive a bit as I find myself a bit more aroused more often.
>
>
> But aside from that I dont think it has helped for my mood at all yet. In fact when I forgot my dose and noticed I missed it by 3 hours is the evening where I was feeling my best.
>
> I am very sensitive to meds so low doses are usually what works for me. Paxil 20 mg turns me into a sleeping zombie. 10mg is seemingly the correct balance.
>
>
>
> SO... How much longer should i keep taking this med before giving up on it?
>
> Also any suggestions on what can help me for my symptoms? lack of interests/drive/enjoyment and being anti social?
>
> Ritalin makes me more social but it's effect is nothing of what it used to be.
>
>
> Any insight or advice would be much appreciated. I am typing so much only because I took a Modafinil today. I'm so sick and tired of feeling like a zombie all the f------ time.
>
>
>
The Remeron probably should have kicked in by now if you are taking enough. I believe that the "normal" dosage is 45mg daily. However, when I took that much I couldn't stop eating. Consequently, I've settled on combo of 22.5 Remeron, 10mg Lexapro, 900 Trileptal, and 40mg Adderall XR. That is working pretty well for me. I prefer to take only 15mg Remeron, which cuts my appetite significantly and turbocharges my libido, but it doesn't quite take care of the depression.I recommend that you try increasing the Remeron just to see if it does anything at the higher doses. Otherwise, you may never know if it will benefit you. You are fortunate that the weight gain doesn't bother you at this point. Good Luck.
Posted by theo on July 17, 2007, at 22:56:57
In reply to Re: Abilify seems amazingly promising but not availabl, posted by Viking on July 13, 2007, at 5:08:41
When did you take your Abilify, morning or evening?
Posted by Viking on July 18, 2007, at 14:23:57
In reply to Re: Abilify seems amazingly promising but not availabl » Viking, posted by theo on July 17, 2007, at 22:56:57
> When did you take your Abilify, morning or evening?
Evening, but I dont think it matters, as Abilify has a half-life of 3-4 days.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.