Remeron and Weight Gain: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Anonymous
• March 23, 2011

For Insomnia "Remeron worked great for my insomnia and also eliminated anxiety better than any other medicine I have tried. However, it made me hungry constantly. The resulting weight gain resulted in diabetes and high blood pressure and exacerbated my sleep apnea. I had to stop taking it because of these adverse effects. Unfortunately, I've not found an acceptable alternative."

• Ck9...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 21, 2023

"I had a very mixed experience with Remeron for insomnia. I’ve been on it for three years now. It’s been a godsend for my insomnia. I had tried Seroquel, Trazodone, Ambien, melatonin, Benadryl… no luck. I’m on 30 mg taken at night. Without fail, an hour after taking it, I feel INTENSELY tired, I have to fight just to stay awake - which is good. It puts me to sleep every time. No morning drowsiness either. Here’s why I’m discontinuing my Remeron: every single time, right when the Remeron sleepiness kicks in, so does an absurdly intense and uncontrollable hunger. The kind of appetite that physically can’t be ignored. It’s agonizing to try and resist it. So, I binge. Every single night, Remeron causes me to binge. I have gained a significant amount of weight over the last year (50+ pounds) due to this insatiable appetite. It was life-changing for my insomnia and helped a bit with depression too, but I must say… farewell, Remeron. Thanks for the good sleep."

• Sea...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 25, 2018

For Major Depressive Disorder "I took this because I was severely suicidal and depressed due to seasonal MDD. I started it because my mother was worried, and I thought if I went on medication, it would let her relax a little. It helped me sleep and completely erased my suicidal thoughts and urges. I got a restful full night’s sleep every night. At the start, the downsides were an inability to focus, feeling extremely tired during the day, and having my suicidal thoughts and urges increase drastically. These only lasted like a few days, then everything was okay again. The only side effect that didn’t go away was weight gain, but I’d rather be heavier and alive than skinny and dead. I only went off of it because my depression is seasonal, so I don’t need it at this time of year, but I will definitely start again in the fall."

• Jml...
• November 12, 2016

For Depression "I was prescribed this medication for insomnia and depression. It worked great for the insomnia the first six months, but then it no longer worked. I'm too sensitive to SSRIs, so I thought this would be a great match until it stopped working. Also, it makes you perpetually hungry and prone to gain weight."

• Anonymous
• January 18, 2012

For Depression "I'm in the Marine Corps, and I've been on Remeron for a little over a month now for anxiety, depression, and insomnia, and I gained 15 lbs. I get about 8 hrs of sleep a night. But, if you have a job that requires you to be a certain weight, I would advise you to ask the doctor for something else. I quit taking it because of that and literally cannot sleep again because I have to 'weigh in' soon. Now I'm back to not sleeping, and I literally have not eaten for 3 days just so I can make the right weight. Wish me luck!"

• twa...
• March 6, 2010

For Anxiety "I suffer from insomnia and anxiety and was prescribed this as a sleep aid in a hospital once, which is when I discovered the pill's wonderful added bonus as having a slightly noticeable anti-anxiety effect. Usually, doctors mention that when prescribing a new medicine, but this really was a great bonus. I just didn't like the weight gain, total mind/body grogginess, and increased hunger all the following day. So I appreciated the anxiety effect and the help with sleep, but those effects (when the pill is taken for a few months) slowly fade and no longer help. I pop one every so often when I need sleep now, but cannot rely on sleep medicines anymore due to such hangovers, so I am off all nighttime medicines now. But this drug wasn't too bad for a while. Just be prepared to lose your tiny figure!"

• Jak...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 27, 2019

For Depression "Been using 15 mg Remeron for several years now with the required effect. Gained 8-10 kg the first year, but slowly getting rid of the weight now. Taking Remeron before bedtime and in the morning Atarax - this combo has really helped me!"

• Ant...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 11, 2022

For Depression "I’ve been on Remeron for over a decade. It’s helped with sleep for a long time, but now I have to take melatonin with it to sleep. I developed panic disorder unrelated to Remeron, and now I feel it’s too weak of a medication to help prevent panic attacks 100%. Besides that, Remeron is super safe, helped me gain weight, and gives me bursts of excitement when looking forward to things, which is an odd but cool effect. Being I’ve been on it for so long, it’s safe to say this drug is safe long-term. I’m afraid to ever come off of it due to horror stories of coming off medication for long-term."

• gia...
• November 5, 2010

For Depression "I started to take Remeron 2 months ago. I've been taking Cymbalta for 3 years, and now with Remeron, I feel fantastic. I mean, I've gained weight... I used to be really thin, none of my clothes fit me now, but I guess to me it is a little price to pay for feeling like I do now (I've been dealing with severe depression for over 10 years). Cymbalta did good to me, and now that I'm taking both, I feel like I can take over the world."

• Jam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 22, 2019

For Depression "Took 15 mg at night with 100 mg sertraline 2 years ago. Worked, but I gained loads of weight and slept for hours. On sertraline again now, been on for 2 weeks. Not sure whether to try it again with the mirtazapine as I’m losing weight..."

• whe...
• September 19, 2011

For Insomnia "As a sleep aid, it is good, however, the abnormal and lucid dreams have caused some days to be clouded due to the 'feel' from the nights before. I have also experienced crazy 'sleep talking' to the point where my boyfriend can actually have full-on conversations with me while I'm sleeping and dreaming. Weight gain has been substantial due to what I call a ravenous hunger."

• bsa...
• April 1, 2010

For Depression "Remeron at low doses worked beautifully for my insomnia. At high doses (I was on 90 mg at one point for depression), it was useless for me. As my doctor once put it, 'For depression, Remeron is not a heavy lifter.' But for insomnia, it was a Godsend. The only problem came when I tried to wean myself off of it. I had little trouble until I got down to a quarter pill (0.375 mg). I got terrible rebound insomnia and eventually had to go back on. It also made me gain 14 pounds."

• Anonymous
• March 12, 2011

For Depression "Remeron was amazing for my depression. I felt amazing. I had so much energy, I was sleeping, I was happy, and I felt great. Until I noticed the weight gain. I gained 25 pounds in 4 months. I just couldn't control my eating. I am so upset that I had to stop taking it. I'm back to trying to find a medicine that will help me."

• Igo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 8, 2020

For Depression "I've been taking Remeron for a few months now, for moderate to severe anxiety and mild to moderate depression. The only side effect has been that I gained a lot of weight (about 8 kg). It helped a little in the beginning, as I was taking 15 mg/day. Made no more difference when I increased to 30 mg, so I went back to 15 mg recently and am planning to stop it (though my psychiatrist does not entirely agree). More recently, I started taking Lyrica, which is helping a lot more."

• nin...
• October 23, 2009

For Anxiety "I am taking this medication in combination with Thorazine, I take the Remeron at night due to the sleepiness, the Thorazine in the day and also in combination at night. I was not aware of the weight gain effects of the Remeron, but now I realize that both are causing weight gain. As far as the help with sleeplessness, this has been the only one that has helped."

• Get...
• April 21, 2011

For Depression "This medicine is helping me- I feel better in general. I have taken it for 2 weeks and gained 10 lbs. All I think about is my next meal and then snacks. It is crazy, I can't help but eat, eat, eat. I have called my doctor to see about switching me to something else. I can't continue gaining weight like this. I may have to find some diet pills to offset the cravings. If you are depressed and underweight, this is the pill for you."

• lis...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 25, 2022

For Depression "Remeron helped me sleep right away, and I took 15 mg for 6 months. I decided to lower it to 7.5 mg because I suspected it was causing high blood pressure. I put on 20 pounds while taking this medication, but I also take lithium and losartan, and they can also cause weight gain. I was on 7.5 mg for 4 months and still slept well and had no major side effects. Then I noticed my sex drive was less, and I could not reach orgasm. When I complained about that to my psychiatrist, she offered a switch to trazodone. I decided not to switch, but rather to end my use of antidepressants. I feel the lithium I take is enough to keep me from being manic and losing sleep. I tapered to 3.75 mg for 5 days and then quit. I felt tired and had a dull headache for that week. Then, 7 days after stopping all the Remeron, I had an awful night. I sweat, I was nauseous, and I felt unwell. The strangest symptom of withdrawal was/is the vibrating in my eardrums. It's already easing up after a couple of days."

• can...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 18, 2018

For Depression "For the first week, everything ran smoothly. I fell asleep within an hour of taking the medication, and I had some vivid dreams (which I didn't mind, they were quite amusing). Then the second week came, and I had suicidal thoughts. I stuck with it, though, because I thought, hey, maybe it will get easier, and I am notorious for not trying antidepressants for long enough. After a while, I noticed I was gaining weight, and after about 5 kg in a month, I can't take it anymore. Weight was already an issue, and I am restricting and bingeing constantly, so I can never get a moment where I am not thinking about food. Overall, taking this is doing nothing for me, and I feel it is okay if you can deal with the weight issue."

• bow...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 15, 2022

For Depression "I started taking Remeron 15 mg nightly in April of this year for depressive symptoms of borderline personality disorder, and I don't know if it was placebo or something, but I swear within the first few days my entire perception of time changed. My days went from blurring by to slowing down, and I had the energy to do more. Shortly after I started taking Remeron, I started a nightly routine of reading, making tea, and showering, and felt so much better than I ever had before. I had gained a little weight from my appetite increasing massively, but then I started taking Strattera for inattention symptoms, and they pretty much canceled each other out since my appetite became so much smaller. My only issue with Remeron, and this is something I get with a lot of the meds I've taken, is that it started to wear off after about the fourth month of taking it. I recently had it increased to 30 mg, so I'm giving it a few weeks to kick in again. Overall, my experience has been really good with Remeron, better than any other antidepressant I've taken."

• KRF...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 24, 2021

"I have been on Remeron for only 2 weeks. My therapist added this to my Effexor 75 mg to help with my anxiety and sleep issues. The Effexor alone helps control my anxiety and daily function, but I was still having bad days and would have panic attacks randomly. He added this to my regimen to take at night, 15 mg, and it has helped me so much on actually being able to sleep and I have already noticed the difference in my random daily panic episodes. I have already gained 7 pounds, yes! 7 pounds, but I was only 100 to begin with due to my anxiety and insomnia. I do recommend, till you know how it will change your sleep pattern, that maybe try it on a weekend in case it does make you sleep longer than you would like it to. I read reviews before taking Remeron and saw lots of pros and cons. I did decide to give it a try. I will add I do have severe insomnia and everyone is different, but I get at least 6 hours of sleep now taking Remeron, and honestly that’s all my body needs, and I’m grateful to have it (:"

• Anonymous
• March 5, 2012

For Insomnia "Well, it works. Prescribed 7.5 mg prior to bedtime, and it will take you down-initially. Found it wasn't effective at that dose beyond a week or so and reminded me of trazodone or doxepin. Those who know are familiar with the overly sedated feeling and nothing like a natural, drowsy sleep onset. Fairly cheap, made me gain weight due to increased appetite."

• JrZ...
• December 2, 2018

For Depression "I have tried Remeron in the past (15 years ago). It was very effective for me, especially for anxiety and sleep, but not for depression. I was also misdiagnosed in the past. Today, I take other meds, which control my mood disorder, plus I have symptoms of adult ADD, which makes it difficult for me to stay focused or organized. I've been trying to finish college for the last four years, but I always quit or skipped semesters due to a lack of focus and organization. Next time I see my doctor, I will ask for Remeron, but I'm afraid of weight gain. I guess I'll have to switch to other mood stabilizing medications that are considered weight neutral. I hope it works out this time."

• Anonymous
• December 9, 2009

For Insomnia "So I am on my first day after. I took 15 mg of Remeron at 7:30 and still did not fall asleep until 1 a.m. However, I did sleep until 11:30 today, but woke up feeling groggy. I didn't eat any more than usual last night, and I'm kinda hesitant now that I've read about the weight gain side effect. I also take Seroquel XR and put on about 25 pounds in about 2 months. I can't take another weight gain. That is one of the sources of my current depression."

• Anonymous
• April 10, 2009

For Depression "I have been on this drug for around 6 months for depression. Aside from the side effect, facial edema (after 2 weeks so mild you wouldn't know it's there), this drug has been perfect for me. It has improved my mood a lot. To begin with, I was able to sleep perfectly. Taken with quetiapine (400 mg), I was getting over 8 hours a night for the first month or two. However, now that effect has gone and I'm needing benzodiazepines to get any sleep at all. The weight gain has been a blessing too. Before mirtazapine, I lost 14 kg in a month. I'm now nearly back to my previous weight, though again the quetiapine may have something to do with it. While 4 months into it, I lost my appetite again, I'm still eating and that's the most important part."

• Anonymous
• April 24, 2010

For Depression "I started this for depression and insomnia, mostly the insomnia. When I first started taking this, I pretty much slept 3 days straight. I have not noticed any difference in my depression or anxiety during the day and am 15 pounds heavier. I want to stop taking this, but my doctor won't replace it with anything else to help me sleep. I am hungry constantly, I can't stop eating. It would be worth it if it helped my depression and anxiety."