Remeron - intense hunger

[Revan]

I was currently put on Remeron 7.5mg at night for depression.

The hunger I am getting from this med is like nothing else I have experienced with any med.

I have heard that the higher doses cause less hunger. To what extent is this true?

I am supposed to go to 15mg (a full tablet) whenever I feel I can tolerate it.

Could bumping it to 15mg help with some of the hunger issues? Or is it pretty much the same as (worse than?) 7.5?

Can the hunger side effect go away or lessen at even 7.5mg? Or is it more likely that I would have less hunger at the higher doses?

So I am wondering. In your opinion...

Is it better to just ride out the 7.5mg for a few weeks to see if the hunger goes away or would it be worth it to increase to 15mg? If it were not for the hunger this might be the most effective antidepressant I have found yet.

Any kinds of opinions or anecdotes would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[Screamingbutterfly]

I've been on 30mgs of remeron before, now I'm down to 15mgs. i had the same level of intense hunger at both doses. I forgot to add on here that side effect for me has not gone away over time.

[Revan]

I've been on 30mgs of remeron before, now I'm down to 15mgs. i had the same level of intense hunger at both doses. I forgot to add on here that side effect for me has not gone away over time.

Do you feel that this side effect subsided any? Or did it stay pretty much the same for you? I know you said it has not gone away but was there a noticeable decrease at all over time or not really?

[Screamingbutterfly]

For me at least it has not subsided at all, even with the change in dosage. It may not be that way for everybody, so hopefully other people can weigh in on this. I should have added I learned how to deal with the hunger better. I know it's not really good to eat before bed, but I make sure I eat something that fills me up more, rather than snacking on a bunch of things. That way I get fuller quicker and don't gain tons of weight.

[rowan77]

I was on 45mg back in 1998. I can't exactly remember did I have excessive hunger but I do know that I gained 30 pounds over a 3 month period which made me so miserable I ended up quitting the medication under pdoc's supervision

[error_message]

i was at 45mg and then later 30mg and i think perhaps the hunger decreased with time for me or i just got more used to it, its hard to really tell. i very rapidly lost 7 pounds after discontinuing it a few weeks ago, though, so whether that was due to chemistry or simply diet, im not entirely sure. after being on risperdal and remeron for a while, my pdoc added topamax to help me manage cravings/weight and, though i only lost 10 pounds of all the medication weight i gained, it kept me at a stable weight instead of constantly gaining. (i dont necessarily think topamax would be a good idea for you, and topamax isnt for everyone, but if that sounds interesting to you for whatever reason, perhaps ask your pdoc about it.)

[steves]

im on 30 i take it right before bed, so i get no hunger.

[mamadweezil]

i take 15mg and have no side effects, in fact i have a very small apetite..

[Revan]

Thanks for the replies. This is all so helpful!

It seems as if this side effect varies heavily from person to person.

In the daytime I don't have the hunger side effect. The only time I do is about an hour after taking it and about 3-4 hours thereafter.

It is on the sedating side but nothing that I would consider as a useful sleeping pill. So taking it right before going to sleep might not be so easy.

Perhaps taking it 5-6 hours before it's time to go to sleep could help. The hunger side effect would be diminished by then so it could be easier to

fall asleep because I wouldn't be up all night in the kitchen devouring carbs and sugar. Damn imperfect world