Does Remeron Help With Anxiety

Rated For Depression Report

After taking trazodone for years for insomnia, and going to a new Dr. for anxiety, she switched me to this. I regret it, big time. Unless you want to gain a SIGNIFICANT amount of weight, do NOT TAKE THIS. I wanted to eat all the time. I was irritable all the time. I work out 5 days a week, walk the dog, and watch what I eat. I went from 112 lbs to 125 in less than a month . It also didn’t work any better at helping me sleep. So, if you want to be fat and “ill as a hornet”, by all means, take mirtazapine.

More Common Side Effects

The more common side effects of mirtazapine can include:

• sleepiness

Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because drugs affect each person differently, we cannot guarantee that this information includes all possible side effects. This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Always discuss possible side effects with a healthcare provider who knows your medical history.

Overview Of Remeron Addiction And Abuse

According to the study of medical professionals from New York, Mirtazapine is not officially considered to have any notable abuse and addiction potential. However, Remeron addiction and abuse are still possible when continuous misuse of the drug is done. In most cases, this is because people assume that since it treats depression, it must have mood-boosting effects. Despite this, it is not known to easily produce a sense of euphoria. Moreover, misusing this drug may cause dangers to the health. In one study published in the American Journal of Case Reports, it was reported that a patient who abused this medication experienced tachyphylaxis or the loss response of tissues due to repeated administration of a drug.

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Can Mirtazapine Cause Anxiety

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Remeron Dosage Forms And Strength

Mirtazapine dosage strengths range from 15 mg to a maximum of 45 mg and oral administration is the only method of administering the drug. However, the National Institute of Health warns that the Mirtazapine class of drugs needs to undergo more studies to understand the relative benefits or potential harm of varying doses.

The Main Remeron Medication Dosage Forms Are:

• Tablets: 15mg, 30mg 45mg
• Orally disintegrating tablets: 15, 30, and 45 mg
• Oral solution: 15mg per ml

All Mirtazapine tablets marketed under the Remeron brand name are film-coated, oval, and biconvex. Each tablet dose can be divided into two equal parts. These tablets are packed in blisters or bottles.

The Differences Between Remeron Branded Tablets Are Discussed in the Table Below:

Take note that the generic Remeron tablet versions vary in colors, forms, and imprints, depending on the manufacturer. Some manufacturers do not provide imprints while some manufacturers provide the tablet form alone. When it comes to sizes, some manufacturers decrease the size of the tablet depending on the dose. This means that the higher the dose means the bigger the tablet.

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What Medications Are Similar

Remeron is an atypical antidepressant, meaning that it isnt among a group of similar drugs available on the U.S. market.

However, multiple other groups of antidepressant drugs are available. Your healthcare provider may make an initial suggestion for you based on your medical conditions and your personal preferences. However, finding the right one for you can involve some trial and error.

Some of the major groups of antidepressant drugs are:

• SSRIs
• MAOIs
• Tricyclic antidepressants

Several other types of atypical depressants also exist. These dont fit neatly into another drug category.

Remeron is more closely chemically related to tricyclic antidepressants than to these other groups. However, compared with tricyclics, it seems to cause fewer side effects like dry mouth and potentially fewer severe side effects related to heart problems. Compared with SSRIs, Remeron may be less likely to cause sexual dysfunction as a side effect.

Compared with some other types of antidepressant drugs, Remeron may have certain benefits for certain people. For example, some evidence suggests that it may be more likely to help people with any of the following:

• Anxiety coexisting with depression
• Depression that hasnt responded well to other treatments
• Geriatric depression

Please note, these groups of drugs are possible alternatives to Remeron. They arent usually prescribed at the same time. This is especially important for MAOIs, which you should never take at the same time as Remeron.

Considerations Before Taking Remeron

While there is a benefit to taking Remeron for depression, there are also some things to consider before taking it. If youre using MAO inhibitors already for depression or have been within the past two weeks, you should not use medicine like Mirtazapine. The interaction between the two drugs is potentially dangerous.

Ensure you let your doctor know about these conditions before taking Remeron:

• Liver or kidney problems
• High cholesterol
• History of heart attacks or strokes

Remeron can have adverse effects and cause the same problems you are trying to improve. If youre under 25, you are particularly at risk of experiencing worsened depression, greater mood symptoms and further suicidal attempts or thoughts when taking antidepressants.

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What Are Reasons I Shouldnt Take Remeron

You should not take Remeron if you:

• Take monoamine oxidase inhibitors or within 14 days of initiating or discontinuing MAOIs
• Have a known allergy to the medication or any of its components

People with a rare genetic disease called phenylketonuria should not take the orally disintegrating tablets, as they contain phenylalanine. The regular tablets do not contain phenylalanine.

Notify your healthcare provider if you become pregnant or plan to become pregnant while taking Remeron. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, youll need to weigh the risks and benefits of Remeron and other options with your physician. Its usually recommended only if the drug is needed.

Remeron also might not be the best choice for someone who has bipolar depression. Starting Remeron might trigger the manic phase of their disease. Contact your mental health care provider right away if you experience manic symptomslike fast thinking and impulsivityafter starting Remeron.

Low Sodium Levels In The Blood

• Risk factors: Older adults | Taking diuretic medications | Dehydration

Very rarely, Remeron can cause a decrease in sodium levels in the blood. You might need to have regular blood tests done while taking Remeron to make sure the sodium in your blood stays at a normal level. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you experience weakness, confusion, difficulty concentrating, headache, or memory problems while taking this medication.

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How To Cope With Side Effects

What to do about:

• dry mouth try chewing sugar-free gum or sucking sugar-free sweets.
• increased appetite and weight gain mirtazapine can make you hungrier so it can be quite a challenge to stop yourself putting on weight. Try to eat a healthy balanced diet without increasing your portion sizes. Don’t snack on foods that contain a lot of calories, such as crisps, cakes, biscuits and sweets. If you feel hungry between meals, eat fruit and vegetables and low-calorie foods. Regular exercise will also help to keep your weight stable.
• headaches make sure you rest and drink plenty of fluids. Don’t drink too much alcohol. Ask your pharmacist to recommend a painkiller. Talk toyour doctor if headaches last longer than a weekor are severe.
• feeling sleepy do not drive or use tools or machinery if you’re feeling this way. Try to avoid drinking alcohol as this will make you feel more tired. Talk to your doctor if this becomes troublesome as you may need to switch to a different medicine.
• constipation eat more high-fibre foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables and cereals, and drink plenty of water. Try to exercise more regularly, for example, by going for a daily walk or run. If this doesn’t help, talk to your pharmacist or doctor.

Weight Loss Or Appetite Stimulation

Trials of mirtazapine in the treatment of weight loss were motivated by weight gain being one of the most common side effects, which was attributed to increased appetite and food craving. A 6-week, open-label, crossover trial of mirtazapine in 36 advanced cancer patients with pain found a significant increase in weight at weeks 4 and 7, along with improvement in appetite. Another open-label trial of mirtazapine in 17 patients with cancer-related cachexia/anorexia found weight gain in 24% of patients and weight maintenance in 6%, which was encouraging given that patients were losing weight prior to enrollment. In an uncontrolled trial of mirtazapine administered over a range of 29 to 412 days in 5 patients with cystic fibrosis, all demonstrated an increase in weight, body fat, and growth velocity at the end of the study. In a retrospective analysis of 6 patients with cystic fibrosis aged 1019 years who were treated with mirtazapine over a range of 8 to 28 months, all patients demonstrated an increase in body mass index percentile for age. One instance of cystic fibrosis-related diabetes reported in the trial by Boas et al contributed to the lack of support for the drug as an appetite stimulant in cystic fibrosis. On the other hand, in a small naturalistic study of 11 adults, Himmerich et al found that inpatients with major depression actually showed improved glucose tolerance after 2 to 6 weeks of mirtazapine treatment despite the associated weight gain.

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A Better Solution To Fix Your Sleep

The major drawback of taking mirtazapine for a sleep problem is that itâs not a long-term solution. Firstly, the sedative effects of low dose mirtazapine tend to wear off after a few weeks, as the body becomes used to it.

This may lead people to think that they can increase the dose to get the same effect but, as we mentioned earlier, the sedative effects of mirtazapine are lost as the dose increases. So taking a higher dose may actually make you more alert.

Secondly, taking a sleep aid such as mirtazapine doesnât address the actual reason behind why youâre sleeping badly in the first place. It just covers up the problem and itâs well known that after stopping taking mirtazapine, insomnia usually returns.

The most comprehensive way to resolve a sleep problem is to identify the root causes. Ask yourself these questions:

• Is there anything that could be affecting your sleep?
• What are your daytime and bedtime routines like?
• What do you know about attaining healthy sleep?

Thinking about your sleep, addressing problems with your sleep hygiene and expanding your knowledge about sleep are all key components of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for insomnia .

This is the gold-standard treatment for insomnia and at Sleepstation we use a modified version of CBTi, known as digital CBTi , to help people get back to sleeping well. We provide a scientifically proven solution to insomnia with results that are sustainable and which involves no use of medication.

How And When To Take It

You’ll usually take mirtazapine once a day. It’s best to take mirtazapine before you go to bed as it can make you sleepy.

Your doctor may recommend dividing your daily dose into 2 doses of different sizes. In this case take the smaller dose in the morning and the higher dose before you go to bed.

Mirtazapine can be taken with or without food.

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Drugs You Shouldnt Take

Taking certain drugs with mirtazapine may cause serious side effects. You shouldnt take these medications while taking mirtazapine. These drugs include:

• Monoamine oxidase inhibitors , such as isocarboxazid, phenelzine, and tranylcypromine. Taking these drugs with mirtazapine can increase your risk of serotonin syndrome. If you need to take an MAOI, you must wait 14 days after you stop taking mirtazapine before you start taking the MAOI. The same rule applies if you switch from taking an MAOI to mirtazapine. If youre switching from one of these drugs to the other, seek medical help right away if you have symptoms of serotonin syndrome.
• Linezolid and intravenous methylene blue. Taking these drugs with mirtazapine can increase your risk of serotonin syndrome.

Mirtazapine May Interact With Other Medications

Mirtazapine oral tablet can interact with other medications, vitamins, or herbs you may be taking. An interaction is when a substance changes the way a drug works. This can be harmful or prevent the drug from working well.

To help avoid interactions, your doctor should manage all of your medications carefully. Be sure to tell your doctor about all medications, vitamins, or herbs youre taking. To find out how this drug might interact with something else youre taking, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Examples of drugs that can cause interactions with mirtazapine are listed below.

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If You Forget To Take Mirtazapine

If you take mirtazapine once a day and miss a dose, skip it and take the next dose at the normal time.

Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.

If you take mirtazapine twice a day and forget:

• your morning dose take it together with your evening dose
• your evening dose skip the missed dose, and then continue the next day with your normal morning and evening doses
• both doses do not take an extra dose to make up for a missed dose. Continue the next day as normal with your morning and evening doses

Urgent Advice: Call Your Gp Straight Away If:

• youve taken too much mirtazapine

Do this even if you feel well.

If you need to go to an emergency department , do not drive yourself get someone else to drive you or call for an ambulance.

Take the mirtazapine packet, or the leaflet inside it, plus any remaining medicine with you.

Symptoms of a possible overdose include:

• feeling sleepy
• feeling confused or faint

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