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Generic Name: Remeron for Major Depressive Disorder (mirtazapine)

Remeron for Major Depressive Disorder Reviews

"I was prescribed Remeron due to having the additional complications of low appetite and increasing insomnia in major depressive disorder. I would sometimes be unable to sleep or completely lose interest in eating. I do not have the option to ignore food because I actually get hunger signals again. In the past month, after three months on this drug, something happened for the first time in nearly a decade: I had dreams multiple nights in a row. I have gone from dreams being completely absent in my sparse, unsatisfying sleep to having a dream every night for the past four weeks. I only began taking antidepressants on top of seeking therapy because I had become entirely unable to sleep for more than two hours a day, and while I had begun getting more sleep than I had gotten since beginning college, I now actually sleep seven to eight hours a night and have my long-lost dreams back. I didn’t realize how badly I missed dreaming until it returned."


"I have been on Remeron for 5 weeks. Before taking this, I had extreme anxiety. I felt like I had a steel band tightening around my midriff, heart beating like it was going to explode, shaking when I had to go out, and lack of sleep. Now, on this, I have the confidence to go out, my heart rate feels normal, and thank goodness the steel band has disappeared. I hope this has been helpful to someone out there. Good luck."


"30mg every night for PTSD, panic disorder, and major depression. Dealing with childhood trauma like physical and emotional abuse, sexual assault from a young age. Mind doesn't race as much, don't have dangerous thoughts anymore. I still experience panic attacks, occasional chest tightness if I think about it, but panic attacks have significantly gone down to at least maybe once a month if not every other month. I have gained a few pounds. If you have a sensitive stomach, eating right before or after taking this medication else you'll feel bad waves of nausea. My parents hid panic disorder as a child and lied to me about it, so I started experiencing them much more often in high school. Have I honestly never felt better mentally. I can't say enough good things about this medication! Wait it out if you really think this will work for you. I had tried over 6 medications, this one works miracles, and my mental health is 70-75% better."


"I've taken this medication for four weeks before leaving a review. I was previously on Sertraline for four years, which helped but caused regular headaches and made sleep problems worse. Mirtazapine helped with sleep immediately after I started taking it. The first few days, I could have slept all day but soon got into a regular sleep routine. After eight to nine days, I noticed that my mood had stabilized, and within the first two weeks, I was feeling much calmer. Extreme and erratic thinking had been subdued. This may have been, in part, due to improved sleep as well as the medication itself. After three weeks, I noticed a very real difference as my 'brain fog' disappeared. This was an almost overwhelming improvement. I am 50 years old and have suffered from depression/anxiety since childhood. My education and work life have been adversely affected by a lack of concentration and 'agitated' thinking. For the first time in my life, I am able to sit at my desk and work for hours at a time."


"Okay, been on this drug Remeron for depression for the longest time! Have been on so many different drugs, worked for a while, then nada, side effects, etc. My history, for 20 more years, is major depression and anxiety disorder. Partial personality disorder, it’s kicking in now, sorry. Remeron has been a Godsend to me for a long time. I, along with others, would highly recommend this."


"Mirtazapine took my depression away in as little as 5 days. It was great, now I can live. 5 months later I started having severe bouts of breathlessness. My Psych says it is not the drug, it is anxiety. I stopped the drug for three days and the symptom totally went away. I went back on it real quick cuz the depression came on fast. Doc put me on 0.5 mg clonazepam twice a day, but doesn't help the breathing. Anybody else have this breathlessness?"


"I'm on week 4 of mirtazapine 30mg and still feeling anxious. I have some really good days, so I think the tablet has started working, but then the next day I can be anxious all day long, which then disheartens me. I'm wondering whether to stick with it? Any experience would be welcome."


"I love Remeron! Even though it doesn't work sometimes, it definitely helps with mood, sleep, and your appetite when it does. I guess because I've taken it for so long, my body thinks it's a Skittle. But skipping a week or just taking it when needed has better results for me. Without it, I tend to lose weight every day from the effects of not eating when I'm busy. This helps me to keep my appetite and energy up until the next dosage. I hope this post and the medicine helps someone else as well. Just do not forget about the symptoms, be prepared for them, and enjoy your life on Remeron!"


"I read about Remeron somewhere online and asked my doctor for it. I take 30 mg daily. It helps with depression and helps me sleep. Take it right before you go to sleep. If you take it earlier, you might get hungry. Because this medicine makes food indescribably delicious. Get this drug. It will help you immensely. Good luck!"


"I was on Remeron for about 2 years before. Helped very much with my depression. But although I often felt very sleepy near the beginning of the treatment, the massive fatigue eventually subsided to an acceptable level. 20 mins after taking it, I'm ready for bed. I can't keep my eyes open no matter what. I just restarted Remeron two days ago after more than a year being on it. As I type this, I feel fogged over, sort of sleepy, and immensely 'munchie'. As before when I took it, I'd find myself waking up several times a night going to raid the fridge and cabinets for munchie or sweet foods (and meats! definitely craved meat all the time). So again, on Remeron: eating again, sleeping some, more relaxed, less sad."


"30 mg dosage. What to possibly expect based on my experience. Day 1: I was extremely tired. If I let my head hit the pillow, I would experience microsleep. I felt a little dizzy at times. Be careful around stairs if you suffer from vertigo. Functionality was delayed - my mind was in a cloud and it was difficult to work or concentrate on something that required deep attention. Day 2: I felt hungover. Hypersensitive to sounds, meaning that my mind would abnormally jolt to a greater sense of attention to a noise than before. The dizziness remained but at a decreased level. Day 3: Almost normal; just slightly tired."


"I started Remeron about 2 months ago for my severe depression and anxiety, and severe insomnia. The first night taking it, I slept the best I had in years! I didn't wake up feeling groggy, I actually felt better sleep-wise. I still felt very depressed, and that continued for a few weeks to the point I tried to commit suicide. Then I knew I needed help. They upped my Remeron to 45 mg at bedtime. I've been on 45 mg for a week, and I've noticed a big change. I feel normal again. I give Remeron a 10, it improved my life a great deal!"


"I have MDD, anxiety disorder, panic attacks, and ASD (autism spectrum disorder). I was put on a combination of 7.5 mg Remeron and 100 mg of Pristiq. Within a few weeks, I stopped having panic attacks and I had no more depression. I am so grateful my doctor tried these drugs, it literally saved my life. Before, my life was hell, and I literally wanted to die. Now I am happy 99% of the time, and I can't remember the last time I cried. The only problem is I am constantly hungry, and I have gained 40 pounds in less than a year."


"Remeron has helped me greatly with my anxiety and intrusive thoughts. My anxiety was so bad that I couldn’t eat or concentrate. Once I started taking Remeron, my sleep improved, my mood improved, and my appetite is back. I would highly suggest giving Remeron a try. Only downside for me personally is the weight gain. The cravings on this medication are very hard to control at times, especially at night."


"I had been taking Restoril for sleep for several years. I found that my level of depression was worsening over time, and I had to take more and more to sleep. Finally, I decided that I needed to get off of Restoril. My doctor prescribed Remeron. I have been taking it for several weeks now and find that my mood has improved as well as my sleep. I am down to half of the Restoril I was taking before and hopefully may be able to discontinue it. The only downside of Remeron is that my appetite has increased, which is not good for me. Otherwise, I would have rated this as a 10."


"I've been dealing with a lot of family issues plus I suffer from MDD and GAD. Anyway, I believe I also have PTSD and I was stuck on repeat in my mind and could not stop reliving a past 'argument' I had with my family. I took 15 mg last night, and already the obsessive thoughts have diminished. I also have subconscious fears of being poisoned. Those have also diminished since yesterday. Hope it continues, I just worry about weight gain, but if my mind isn't occupied with all the rubbish, I can focus on exercise."


"I have been giving Remeron to my wife (79), who has been diagnosed with advanced dementia. She sometimes is completely confused and becomes even hostile towards me, her husband of 50 years. I have experimented with various doses of Remeron and found out that giving her 15 mg doses three times a day is effective and usually keeps her in a reasonable to good mood. In the evening, her anxiety comes back about our cats who are used to going outside. I give her a small alcoholic drink (Irish Cream), which has a very beneficial effect on her. Remeron does not seem to interact negatively with alcohol. One hour before bedtime, I give her 10 mg of Melatonin. She sleeps very well. I have found that 15 mg of Remeron in the morning, 15 to 30 mg at 2 PM, and sometimes another 15 mg in the evening is a very good combination. I know that one should not give more than 45 mg a day, but sometimes an additional dose at night is necessary."


"This drug saved my life. I never thought I'd say that, but due to a health issue, I have had chronic tension headaches that have now disappeared! Oh, and my depression and anxiety are gone on this. I'm able to feel blissful. I'm able to handle tough situations. I'm able to live. Give it time to work 'cause it could make your life so much better."


"Literally a lifesaver. I have been on every antidepressant known to man, and I thought they were all a joke. They never worked. I ended up in a behavioral health facility for 2 weeks because of a major depressive episode and constant thoughts of suicide. They gave me this medication, and I stuck with it. Initially, it will make you sleepy and crave food like crazy. You will also have crazy dreams. This will pass in time. I haven’t fallen into a depression in over 3 years now, which is a record. I have recently lost my job because of a different medical condition. I am on food stamps and might have to sell my home, but amazingly it's no big deal to me. Remeron and other forms of therapy have changed my whole outlook on life. If anyone has tried every medication and it hasn’t worked, give this one a try. The only downside at this point I can think of is sometimes when you want to feel down or depressed (I know it sounds weird), you are not able to."


"I love love love Remeron. I have been severely depressed for more than a decade. I was on bupropion before, but then had a seizure on it and could no longer continue. I had not taken any helpful medication for years after that. I told my doctor my problems and with the things that I was looking to have alleviated, he recommended Remeron. I have had extreme appetite suppression for a long time as well due to my depression, and I needed a medication to increase my appetite. I was having trouble sleeping due to overthinking at night. I had a lot of ideation. Remeron helped me with all of these symptoms. It helps me eat like a normal person would. It is quite sedative, so it helps with sleep, which is super important for depression, to get enough. And it helped overall with mood. A good one!"


"I gained 25 lbs in 6 weeks on Remeron. I was 125 lbs when I started the medication and now I’m bordering on overweight. Luckily, when I stopped the medication, the weight gain stopped. It helped slightly with my chronic migraines and did not make me sleepy. I feel it did improve my quality of sleep somewhat, but not enough to continue gaining weight at that rate. I did exercise and watch what I ate, but it just made me too hungry. It had no effect on my depression, unfortunately, and I feel much worse about myself after gaining all that weight. Ketamine therapy has been the only antidepressant to work for me yet."


"Having failed most SSRIs, Remeron was a real surprise. It calmed me, helped me sleep, helped me focus, but most importantly had almost no side effects. My appetite went crazy the first week but mellowed out afterwards. I get pretty drowsy about an hour after taking it, so I only take it at bedtime. I had to drop from 45 mg to 30 mg due to it amping me up rather than sedating. Works fine, no tolerance type effects unlike Z-drugs."


"This is perfect for sleep at 7.5 or less. Get to sleep easily, with no worrisome thoughts before bed. I was taking it for depression after a no-go with Prozac. I couldn't handle the fatigue at therapeutic dose, and now I use Wellbutrin XL 300 in the morning and Remeron 7.5 at bedtime. I take the Wellbutrin at 6 am then go back to bed. When I get up at 8, I already have a lift from the Wellbutrin, one cup of coffee, and absolutely no fatigue. Happy, less anxious, lost a few pounds, and no sexual problems. I love this combination, and don't feel a need to change or add anything. I am curious how a higher dose of Remeron would be now, but I would hate to lose the fabulous sleep effect I get now. I am guaranteed to sleep within 30 minutes. Great meds!"


"I have taken this med for over 2 years. I've been suffering from insomnia, anxiety, and depression my whole life. I found that nothing could help. Every night I tossed and turned, waking up every 2 hours. The first night I took this, like magic, I slept a whole night without waking up. And every night since then it has worked. However, BEWARE, it will make you binge eat. You have NO control over it. Studies say weight gain from this med only affects like 15% of people. Use look at the reviews on here and across the internet–it's more like 90%. I've always been skinny, and I put on 14 pounds within a month of starting it. I quit for a week, which made me extremely depressed and unable to sleep, but I immediately lost all the weight. But I was so depressed, it hurt, so I got back on it. That's why I give this a 7, it's a conundrum, it helps so much with insomnia/depression/anxiety, but it makes you FAT. Don't try this med unless you've tried ALL other SSRIs and sleep meds."


"My experience with Remeron is short. It worked wonders for me, but I stopped it as it causes awful weight gain. 21 pounds in 4 weeks. I looked pregnant. It made me more depressed. I would just eat. It does something to your brain that makes you feel as though you are never full. At night, I would sneak food. I could not stop. I was at 30mg. I've heard 15 mg is worse for weight gain. Also, this drug is also given to elderly patients who are undergoing chemotherapy and also given to people with eating disorders (bulimia and anorexia). As I said, in one respect, it did wonders for me with anxiety and depression and stopped the voices in my head and helped me sleep. But I couldn't go through gaining any more weight."

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  • Major Depressive Disorder
  • Depression