mysterious Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 I saw my GP today and one possibility she suggested is adding an SSRI, maybe Prozac, to my Remeron. She's going to speak to a pdoc for advice and then ring me back. I'm a little wary of this. On the one hand, I like the idea of not having to come off the Remeron (which has worked really well for me for the past three years, until now). On the other hand, I'm scared of SSRIs because I had a really bad experience with Paxil years ago... worsening depression, , crazy impulsive behaviour, hallucinations, depersonalisation, the lot. So I was wondering: 1. Does anyone have any experience of taking Remeron with an SSRI (or with any other AD)? 2. Has anyone had a really bad experience with one SSRI, but been helped by a different one? M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mysterious Posted August 11, 2009 Author Share Posted August 11, 2009 My GP phoned me back, they're putting me on Celexa. I'd still appreciate hearing about people's experiences though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryp Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 I'm on Celexa (but I came off Remeron to go onto it). I had a hard time with it at first, but the side effects wore off after a few months and I like it pretty well at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~nestling~ Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 I was on both efexor and remeron for a while. Originally I was on just efexor. Then when I was referred to the consultant psychiatrist, he put me on remeron as well, and then after a short while, withdrew me from efexor, leaving me just with remeron. He explained to me how efexor and remeron are a standard combo for 'long standing treatment resistant depression'. It did indeed boost me out of the worst. Somewhat overshadowed however by the efexor withdrawal process. If you look back through my topics for late 2005/early 2006 it's all documented in technicolour! In fact, I should never have been put on efexor in the first place, but that's another story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mysterious Posted August 11, 2009 Author Share Posted August 11, 2009 Thanks guys. Most of all, I think it's time for you to see a psychiatrist and not a GP. GPs simply can't treat anything but simple mild to moderate depression and some anxiety disorders. With your previous experiences, a GP may end up doing more harm than good. I should probably explain this one a bit... Firstly, this decision was made by a pdoc - my GP spoke to them for advice. It was the pdoc who recommended Celexa rather than Prozac. I made sure the GP told them about my problems with Paxil too. I agree it would be better for me to see a pdoc myself, but the way our healthcare system works, you need a referral and that takes a month or two (unless it's a real emergency). My GP felt I needed help quicker than that because my dissertation's due in so soon, so she phoned a pdoc for advice on what to prescribe in the meantime. I'm happy with that as I've been seeing this GP for five years and she's very good... her special interest is mental health and she knows where her limitations are. I have seen pdocs in the past, but once I've been stable for a while, they've always discharged me back to my GP (meaning another referral is required to see them again). I don't like it, but that's just the way the system works over here... We are titrating slowly. That was my GP's idea, but I'm all for it. Oh, and I checked the BNF (British National Formulary, what docs use here) and it doesn't list any interactions between Remeron and Celexa or SSRIs in general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artemisia Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 As dianthus pointed out, they both act on serotonin but in different ways. Usually, that's a recipe for too much of a good thing, but I've been surprised to see quite a few people on the Boards here and in other communities who were on Remeron and on an SSRI (or SNRI). So my conclusion is that it's not unheard of... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Persephone Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Mysterious, if there's even the slightest hint you're bipolar (and with your Paxil experience there is definately a possibility) be very, very careful with SSRI/SNRI Remeron combinations. I am most definately not bipolar and started taking Effexor and Remeron. I had no problem with lots of SSRIs and Effexor by itself. After a week and a half, I started getting more and more agitated. By the time I realized what was happening, I was dealing with a full-blown case of severe akathisia with a horrendous mixed episode on top. This kind of reaction is very rare, but if you start getting unusally agitated or at any signs of mania (pressured speech, not sleeping, etc.) stop taking the meds and call your pdoc immediately! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felnx Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 I used to take 5 mg lexapro with my remeron. They played very nicely together. I'm even thinking of adding it back in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felnx Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 I was on both efexor and remeron for a while. Originally I was on just efexor. Then when I was referred to the consultant psychiatrist, he put me on remeron as well, and then after a short while, withdrew me from efexor, leaving me just with remeron. He explained to me how efexor and remeron are a standard combo for 'long standing treatment resistant depression'. It did indeed boost me out of the worst. Somewhat overshadowed however by the efexor withdrawal process. If you look back through my topics for late 2005/early 2006 it's all documented in technicolour! In fact, I should never have been put on efexor in the first place, but that's another story. It's actually somewhat common to mix effexor and remeron. They are very chummy together for some reason I don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
recoverymouse Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 the combination of the two is sometimes called "California rocket fuel" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noob-leech Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 the combination of the two is sometimes called "California rocket fuel" ... and is a powerful cocktail that gives a 4x LIMIT BREAK to serotonin, 4x LIMIT BREAK to norepinephrine, and a 2x LIMIT BREAK to dopamine. As stated above, this heroic attack combo ([link=http://books.google.ca/books?id=cWbYxSfKN3cC&lpg=PP1&dq=essential%20Stahl&client=firefox-a&pg=PA656#v=onepage&q=&f=false]Stahl, 2008[/link]) is used for final bosses like severe treatment-resistant depression. As stated earlier, it's probably better to consult a pdoc for such powerful but risky psychopharmacotherapy. Overkilling is fun, but only in video games; we don't want that when it involves with our own health. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felnx Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 the combination of the two is sometimes called "California rocket fuel" ... and is a powerful cocktail that gives a 4x LIMIT BREAK to serotonin, 4x LIMIT BREAK to norepinephrine, and a 2x LIMIT BREAK to dopamine. As stated above, this heroic attack combo ([link=http://books.google.ca/books?id=cWbYxSfKN3cC&lpg=PP1&dq=essential%20Stahl&client=firefox-a&pg=PA656#v=onepage&q=&f=false]Stahl, 2008[/link]) is used for final bosses like severe treatment-resistant depression. As stated earlier, it's probably better to consult a pdoc for such powerful but risky psychopharmacotherapy. Overkilling is fun, but only in video games; we don't want that when it involves with our own health. I see, so it allows you to defeat Sephiroth with ease. Will it get you past level 8-4 in Super Mario Bros.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rein Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Dunno if you still want info..I see it's a bit on the dusty side. Anyway..I am taking Remeron and Wellbutrin. I think it's the greatest mix in the history of mixes..but one of my doctors thinks I am playing with fire..I don't know if I care. Most of the time it works really really well. Remeron gives me the best sleep I have ever had and was my first med that pulled me most of the way out of the pit. But it left residual depression and somulence. Wellbutrin has few side effects (ie weight gain, sexual, lethargy) and kicks up my mood. Just my experience.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Emperor Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 That does seem a little off, and maybe dangerous, but I'm not a doctor by any means. As far as the fact that you had a terrible reaction to an SSRI years ago, I don't know how much that matters. Body chemistry changes over time, so maybe now you would have a different reaction than you did years ago (and hopefully it isn't serotonin syndrome) I don't know if this works for MI drugs, but it's that way for birth control. You could try one at 19 that makes you insane, then try it years later and have NO side effects, so you never know. Good luck with this, I agree with everyone else that you should consult someone other than your GP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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