Remeron/Mirtazapine

Dear All,

 

I have had recent questions about my experience with Remeron/Mirtazapine, so I thought it time to bring the topic up to the top for others to chime in.

 

Remeron is a tetracyclic antidepressant that manipulates the levels of various neurotransmitter, but does not touch GABA or Glutamate.

 

I took benzos for insomnia.  I have had insomnia since childhood.  Ativan/Lorazepam "helped," but that lead to all of the benzo related problems.

 

About 6 weeks into my taper, after having not slept more than 3 hours a night, and usually closer to 2, I started Remeron/Mirtazapine.  That night I slept 7 hours.  I have slept 5-8 hours almost every night since.  As a "side" benefit, my morning "ORGANIC FEAR" went away.  I am currently in a wave, and so I have some morning anxiety, but nothing like it was.

 

It is not perfect.  I sometimes awake unrefreshed, although that may still be from withdrawal.  It also makes me hungry, especially after taking it before I go to sleep.  Uncontrollable carb cravings that have lead to a 20 pound weight gain in 4 months.  But I am sleeping, and sleeping has made this process much more bareable than it was in the beginning.

 

I know others would welcome comments about the pros and cons members have experienced.

 

Hope that helped.

 

be well and good luck,

 

ramcon1

I was thinking about asking my doctor for remron i am nearing the end of my klonopin taper and im getting way to skinny i would really benefit from the weight gain how many mgs  do you think i should try i really don't want to use another drug but i can just try it does it make you feel weird or anything???

I started at 7, and am now at 18.5.  You generally start with 7 (half of a 15mg pill) and then move to between 15 and 30 for insomnia and anxiety.

 

There is a "break in period," as you adapt to new levels of neurotransmitters, where you feel "spacey" for a few days.  I only felt that way for 3 days, although some users have reported feeling that way longer.

 

Be well and good luck,

 

Ramcon1

bump

for Hanging in there.

After going through Xanax, Buspar, Valium, Geodon, Lorazepam Zoloft, and probably some I have forgotten, my pdoc put me on Remeron.  It relieved my sleep problems beginning with the first dose, and after about 2 weeks, I relieved my severe GAD.  I took 22.5-30 mg day for about 2 1/2 years. 

 

Yes, I had cravings for sweets and carbs, but they were manageable.  I never gained a pound.  When I went off of it, I did a 2 week taper (15 mg for a week, 7.5 mg for a week, then off) I never had any WD sxs.

 

I still take a very tiny dose (about 3.75 mg) if I have sleep problems.  Only take it once or twice a month.

Sorry - no pros/cons to add, but I'm definitely interested in hearing others' experiences.

 

Celexa hasn't been doing much for me and I don't want to go on the AD merry-go-round. Seems like lots of people have had success with Remeron during benzo w/d. Also my dad has taken it for a few years and believes it helps him - esp. with insomnia (though he has gained at least 50+ lbs while on it) - so I may have a genetic predisposition for it working.

 

Very curious to know whether it's worked well for anyone else...

I gained weight on it but I have taken it twice during my benzo taper. It did have a small break in period but the 2nd time I felt no ill effects at all during start up. For me, if the weight gain wasn't such a big negative (diabetic), I would have loved this med for my entire taper. Great sleep most nights.

 

Above 15 mg it's a good AD and helps with anxiety. At 15 mg and lower, it's more of a sleep aid. It's also prescribed off label for people who are seriously underweight. My experience has been mostly positive but always seek your doctor's opinion.

 

I had really bad experiences with SSRI's and this med helped me.

 

P2

Sorry to say but remeron hasn't worked for me. I started out at 30mg then up to 45 at night. It did help me sleep for the first couple of weeks but now not so much, after 5 weeks I'm now tapering off, I see my doc tomorrow to discuss other options. I'm having a hard time coming off the Klonopin which leas me to believe my AD isn't working well to control my anxiety.  The lower doses <30mg are more sedating.

Remeron was THE reason I made it through benzo withdrawal and became benzo-free. Period. 

 

There is at least one research article ABOUT utilizing Remeron (mirtazepine) in benzo recovery.  It is entitled "Employng Mirtazepine to Aid in Benzodiazepine Withdrawal" if you search on google.

 

I wrote this way back when ...but I am going to copy/paste it here to describe a little more about Remeron....

Let me see if I can explain Remeron the way I understand it from some of the reading and my own experience with it...

 

First off - Remeron is yes - and a/d.  But it works a little differently than an SSRI. 

An SSRI will prevent your body from reabsorbing the serotonin it naturally makes - so that the serotonin it makes "hangs out" longer and can be constantly absorbed. (it "prevents the reuptake of serotonin - ie. Specific Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor" --> SSRI

 

Remeron acts a little differently.  It DIRECTLY releases serotonin from the receptors that make it. 

So - an SSRI is like a "bathtub plug" that keeps the serotonin from running out of your brain.

Remeron is like "turning on the faucet" and having serotonin directly put INTO your brain.

And sometimes- they use Remeron and SSRI's TOGETHER if someone is really depressed so that you're making tons more serotonin AND you're not letting it out of the tub.  (They often mix Remeron with Effexor and call it "California Rocket Fuel". 

 

In addition - Remeron ALSO works on histamine receptors - which is why people get SO drowsy.  (Just like Benadryl, which also acts on histamine receptors.)

AND - yes - Remeron works to increase norepinephrine (brain adrenaline).

 

Remeron has a u-shaped curve associated with it.  At a higher dose, Remeron can be more revving (for many people, this is 15mg and above).  But at lower doses of 15mg and below, Remeron is more sedating...  Here is where the U-shaped curve comes in...

 

At about 15mg - or ONE Remeron pill - you get these 3 effects:

1) Serotonin

2) Norepinephrine (speeds you up)

3) Histamine (slows you down)

 

At the "15mg and below dose" the effects of the HISTAMINE is so strong that even though you have norepinephrine working, the histamine overcomes this response and the net effect is drowsiness. At this dose, I slept for 10 hours the first night I took it.  THAT IS AMAZING for benzo withdrawal.  And at doses less than 15, I slept just as well - but not as long .15mg for me was by far the most sedating - and I welcomed that at the beginning of recovery.

 

However - at doses HIGHER Than 15mg, the norepinephrine blockade begins to overpower the histamine response - and the net effect is "energy" which can be revving.  (This is from the reading - I have never tried it.)

 

Obiously, these are not hard and fast numbers. Each person may have a slightly different response to the doses depeding on how their body handles it.  But in general ,this tends to be the rule of thumb.

 

Hope that is a good explanation.

 

:)Parker

During the first 6 weeks of my w/d, I lost 30 pounds and was getting zero sleep. I was put on Remeron, and the appetite returned as well as sleep (although it was broken sleep). I took it for two years (mostly at a dose of 15 mg) until I was well enough from the benzo w/d and then discontinued in about 5 days without any ill effects. I am certain that the Remeron played a huge part in my recovery. 

i did not have a good experience with remeron.

it caused derealization. did not know what this "derealization" was at the time. scared the hell out of me for 4 months.

it seems that there is always different types of side effects to different people.

this is my experience only.

Remeron seems to be a hit or miss thing. For me, it was a miss in all respects. I don't care it acts on histamine receptors, I still got zero sleep from it, at any dosage (I took between 3.5 and 45 mg). Withdrawal was awful. Now, I'm a normal person with a normal brain and ordinary receptors like everyone else and yet this stuff did not put me to sleep. All it did was turn me into a carb-craving zombie. And I actually felt depressed while on it, even though I was not depressed before or after. Sorry Parker, but that is not a "slightly different response". It's right the opposite of what you describe.

 

You will find lots of bad stuff on Remeron if you google a bit. For one, it hits so many different receptors that your entire nervous system is affected, and that can't be a good thing.

 

I have said this many times on this forum and I'll repeat it here once again: more than one other benzo forum specifically advises against the use of Remeron during benzo withdrawal, and where there's smoke, there usually is fire. Besides, those who are still on it and haven't gone through withdrawal from it are not the best judges here. Switching from a benzo to another psychotropic is one thing, but making the transition to a med-free brain and a natural sleep is a whole different story.

I agree that Remeron is not for everyone.  It has helped some, myself included, and others have had ill effects.

 

I do wonder though if some of the bed press for Remeron and benzo withdrawal comes from the fact that the real name for Remeron is MirtazaPINE, like benzodiazePINE.  It is of course not a benzo. Almost all benzos end in PAM.  DiazePAM, lorazePAM, etc.

 

I have friends with whom I speak about this experience as "getting screwed by Pam"

I agree that Remeron is not for everyone.  It has helped some, myself included, and others have had ill effects.

 

I do wonder though if some of the bed press for Remeron and benzo withdrawal comes from the fact that the real name for Remeron is MirtazaPINE, like benzodiazePINE.  It is of course not a benzo. Almost all benzos end in PAM.  DiazePAM, lorazePAM, etc.

 

I have friends with whom I speak about this experience as "getting screwed by Pam"

 

I'm very aware of the reality that Remeron doesn't work for everyone. No med does.   It affects everyone differently. 

For me, it was my saving grace.  It must have to do with the med itself "filling holes" that the brain needed filled according to the damage the benzo had done.  In my case, I was on klonopin and ambien and severely depressed - and the remeron came in and put serotonin directly in to the system. I am so glad I had it at THAT time.  In due time, going slowly while tapering it is what worked for me.  I even had the liquid made up at the very end. And while it required a respectful taper, it was nothing like benzos to get off of. For the benefit I recieved, having to taper it, while still another med, was worth it.  I was smart with my taper - I kept trying until enough benzo healing had occured - and I went as slow as I had to - but it's over. And I am far better off having used it than needing to reinstate.

 

I've written about this before - but while that other website mentions that "Remeron is one to stay away from in benzo withdrawal" - they also mention that this information is anecdotal - this is not a study or research - just a few people that say that they didn't do well with Remeron in withdrawal.  To me, this could be for a few reasons:

1) Remeron simply didn't agree with them - and was not a med their body tolerated.

2) Remeron masked benzo symptoms underneath, and getting off of it revealed those symptoms too early if they attempted to taper too early.  (This is my opinion only - based on the fact that I DID try to taper the last 1/4th pill during month 8 or so - and was unable to - the akathisia underneath was AWFUL AWFUL. Some people told me it was Remeron withdrawal... so I stayed at 1/4th of a pill until 11 months off. Then - I had liquid Remeron made and got off of it entirely in month 11 - no akathisia like before.  IF it had been Remeron-induced akathisia, it should have occurred this second time I tapered, but it did not. Therefore, I can only assume it was benzo-related akathisia that the Remeron was masking while I took it - for which I am grateful!  When enough healing occurred, I simply didn't need it anymore.  Long story short, I feel that people may wrongly attribute benzo withdrawal "underneath" Remeron to tapering Remeron - when in actuality, it may be benzo-healing that emerges when attempting to taper Remeron "too early" in the healing process.  Again - JUST my opinion based on my experience alone.

3) They cut/tapered Remeron TOO QUICKLY when they went to taper it.  I found it took about 2 weeks for any Remeron cut to surface.  So - if you are cutting Remeron every few days - then by the time it hits you in a few weeks, you REALLY feel it.  OR - if you cut too much at a time - same thing. Some people, myself included, are very sensitive to coming off this med.  I was. I had the liquid made up so that I could be extremely accurate with cuts and hold as I needed to. This worked great for me when the time was right and I was able to be successful.  Slow and accurate was key to knowing "where my body/brain was" in benzo healing.  Doing it this way, I fared way better than in trying to dry cut the crumbs. 

 

All in all - this med was helpful to me.  I certainly am not ignorant enough to think it will be helpful to everyone.  But if a person is so bad that they can't eat or sleep and are considering reinstating, then Remeron is a worthwhile option to discuss with their doctor in my opinion.  If the only other choice is to reinstate benzos - this option  - if it works  - is a better one.  Tapering off Remeron when the time is right was night and day compared to benzos. The brain is able to "fill in" for the serotonin and dopamine and norepinephrine that Remeron affects FAR EASIER than it is able to heal from benzos.  Tapering an a/d slowly and getting good nutritional support was key for me in getting off of it successfully and doing well. Remeron saved my life and allowed me to heal.  It was worth it to me. 

 

Parker

My view on this is that if Remeron were a magic aid while coming off benzos, it probably would have been marketed as such since everyone is looking for that miracle pill. All authorities on benzo withdrawal agree that there is no such pill. Remeron is not capable of filling the void that benzos left, and even if it does help for some symptoms if you're lucky (I wasn't), it almost certainly will create problems of its own. The fact that it needs to be tapered so slowly says enough. And then there's also the psychological dependence of needing to take another pill to deal with our symptoms.

 

I don't have a technical mind so I tend not to overthink which receptors are targeted and how the healing is taking place on a chemical level. After all the bad experiences I've had with doctors and psychiatrists trying to put things right by adding more chemicals to my already damaged brain and each time making it 100 times worse, I've come to the conclusion that the brain will heal itself when it's ready and there's no need to give it a push with always the risk of complicating things.

:idiot:Remron works best for us in small doses.7.5 mils at bed time.can be used for panic/fear but will leave you tired.Now let me explain;When remron is taken in larger doses it attaches itself to another BRAIN RECEPTER CAUSING ANXIETY IN SOME.I ALSO HAVE GAINED WEIGHT.i]I MIX IT WITH SERAQUEL AT NIGHT AND SLEEP WELL AT 27 MONTHS bENZO FREE STILL HAVE TINNITIS WITH 3 TYPES OF RINGING AT ONCE WHICH IS THE LOUDEST AT BEDTIME.THIS DRUG HAS BEEN A GOD SEND.CAPEASH

My view on this is that if Remeron were a magic aid while coming off benzos, it probably would have been marketed as such since everyone is looking for that miracle pill. All authorities on benzo withdrawal agree that there is no such pill. Remeron is not capable of filling the void that benzos left, and even if it does help for some symptoms if you're lucky (I wasn't), it almost certainly will create problems of its own. The fact that it needs to be tapered so slowly says enough. And then there's also the psychological dependence of needing to take another pill to deal with our symptoms.

 

I don't have a technical mind so I tend not to overthink which receptors are targeted and how the healing is taking place on a chemical level. After all the bad experiences I've had with doctors and psychiatrists trying to put things right by adding more chemicals to my already damaged brain and each time making it 100 times worse, I've come to the conclusion that the brain will heal itself when it's ready and there's no need to give it a push with always the risk of complicating things.

 

Hi LC,

 

Your view is a valid one. Point taken.  However - in response to your mentioning that there would be some marketing to the effect of aiding benzo withdrawal - there is at least one study that discusses this.  A legitimate study - from the NIH website. 

Again - it's normal that it wouldn't work for everyone - although there might be a multitude of factors as to why this is the case.  Nonetheless, it is a remarkable help to some buddies.  Again - not pushing another medication. I have no vested interest in "defending" my use of Remeron. It is what it is - I used it and I'm done.  I've healed beyond that. However, I was a quivering awful mess that was considering reinstating benzos simply to keep from throwing up water, not eating any food, and not having any sleep architecture left.  I wouldn't have survived benzo withdrawal without Remeron and "you know if you are in that type of recovery". Many many people are far better off than I was when I jumped.  I had psychosis and beyond.  So - my only interest is in presenting the withdrawal community with potential aids to help.  Even if I were a doctor, which I'm not, there would be no way for me to know how remeron might affect a person. Nobody can read that crystal ball. But for me, it was THE tool to get off benzodiazepines - and allowed me to heal from the GABA/Glutamate imbalance while sleeping, eating, and being a mom.  It was an awful recovery in the first 10 months - even with the remeron, but it was POSSIBLE with the remeron, where for me, it would not have been otherwise possible.That is a story worth sharing simply for those that might resemble my situation.  But by all means, many people are far better off than I was. For those folks, they may do best to simply hang on - no other drugs. So I respect your viewpoint. 

 

Here is the study:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18581012

 

:)Parker

I am with parker.  It helped me.  I have no vested interest.  I only put it up there because others asked my opinion.

 

So IMNSHO,

 

If you have bad insomnia or anxiety from benzo withdrawal, I think Remeron is worth a try.

 

If you do not, then I do not think it is worth a try.

 

Be well and good luck,

 

ramcon1

I understand your reasons for taking Remeron, Parker. But I do not abstain from additional medication because I'm having a more comfortable time than other people. I actually tried many pills before I made my decision to leave my nervous system alone and let it heal by itself. Believe me, I myself am not a mild case of withdrawal and my insomnia is surreal, and if there was some kind of pill that would put me to sleep without causing more harm I would take it in an instant. I mean, who wouldn't ? Unfortunately, there is no such pill for my case or I would have found it a long time ago. I had no luck with any of the so-called "strongly sedating" antidepressants I was given nor with antipsychotics like Seroquel or even stronger ones, which somebody called the "big guns" in another thread. At one point, I was on fairly high dosages of antidepressants and antipsychotics at the same time, and still I was clear awake and terribly ill. All I remember from all those meds is horrific side-effects, painful withdrawals and NO sleep whatsoever. Eventually, all doctors gave up on me, and I gave up on meds.

 

Remeron was not worse than all the others but it had no benefits either.

 

I prefer to believe that my body will learn how to sleep again when the time is right. No more messing with receptors and sentisizing my nervous system, thanks. Been there, done that, and it wasn't pretty.

Sorry to say but remeron hasn't worked for me. I started out at 30mg then up to 45 at night. It did help me sleep for the first couple of weeks but now not so much, after 5 weeks I'm now tapering off, I see my doc tomorrow to discuss other options. I'm having a hard time coming off the Klonopin which leas me to believe my AD isn't working well to control my anxiety.  The lower doses <30mg are more sedating.

 

was that a higher dose than normal to start?

well shit. i need to give something a try and although ive heard poor reviews on remeron for this, i've yet to hear about any other antidepressants to aid in the suffering. A couple of good reviews is good enough fr me because it MAY take the edge off. if not i will simply taper that too and it will be a lesson learned. i notice people get annoyed when a substitution or rescue med is used in others jounrey through this hell. i guess i can understand where theyre coming from but it's worth a shot if youre ready to blow the brains out of the back of your skull.

 

mike

i am with you cactus if it keeps you from killing yourself take it.  I may try it for insomnia it has been horrilbe not getting any rest.  surely 7 mg is worth a try

Sorry to say but remeron hasn't worked for me. I started out at 30mg then up to 45 at night. It did help me sleep for the first couple of weeks but now not so much, after 5 weeks I'm now tapering off, I see my doc tomorrow to discuss other options. I'm having a hard time coming off the Klonopin which leas me to believe my AD isn't working well to control my anxiety.  The lower doses <30mg are more sedating.

 

was that a higher dose than normal to start?

 

I started at one 15mg pill and that was plenty for me Cactus.  More than that and the norepinephrine effect (brain's adrenaline) may override the antihistamine effect Remeron acts on both norepinephrine and antihistamine.  At doses lower than 15mg (this differs fordifferent people, but that is a rule of thumb from my reading) - the antihistamine effect is so strong that it counters the norepinephrine. But at higher doses, the norepinephrine is stronger and so it can be revving.  To be totally honest, I'd only try 1/4 of a pill of 15mg (3.75mg) and see how you do. Less may be plenty and that way you have less to react to and less to taper later. Just my opinion.  I found 3.75 to be plenty as I healed.  IF 3.75 allows you to sleep just fine, then in about a week or two,  you will also get a great mood boost from it.. wait for it - it takes 1-2 weeks to kick in, whereas the antihistamine effect kicks in right away.

 

Edited: I want to clarify- it's not that it's an "antihistamine" - but Remeron works on histamine receptors. This is why it makes you drowsy and is sedating.  I was very happy for this effect when I was in acute withdrawal! It helped take away that awful physical anxiety. I used to feel like I was rushing down a rollercoaster hill ALL day long.  It was awful.  Couldn't eat. Couldn't keep water down even.  The Remeron took that all away on day one and I ate an entire 12 inch sub sandwich!  Remeron acts on several different types of seratonin receptors -and one of them is responsible for hunger versus nausea. 5HT2 I think.  Because of this, Remeron is often given to depressed patients who have lost weight - or cancer patients that have no appetiate from chemo.  In benzo withdrawal, initially - this was a lifesaver - as I had no appetite, and was vomiting and dry heaving all day.  As time went on, it did cause weight gain ,but some of that was water weight, which can be normal from remeron. I lost a lot of it right away after discontinuing it.  I'm also not sure how much my weight gain was remeron versus my metabolism slowing back down since I had lost so much in tolerance withdrawal - so my body was coming back to equilibrium. Weight gain can be common in withdrawal  so I can't distinguish that from any remeron effect. I CAN say that it allowed me to eat when nothing else did - and then as I healed, and I felt "hungry on it, I began cutting it. I had many signs that it might be the right time to cut it as time went on.  If I started feeling AMAZINGLY happy, I knew that it was because my body had rebounded and was making it's OWN serotonin and now the remeron was "too much" - so I cut it down.  Then, I'd "suffer" for a  week at the lower dose as I adjusted, and then I'd be fine again. And a month later, I'd begin feeling amazing again at that lower doses - and was able to cut it again.  So I used my body's signs to see where I was at. It's fascinating that healing was happening the way it was. I could literally tell.  As time went on and the brain healed, the neurotransmitters came back online and I didn't need that much remeron - time and time again. The key for me was reading my body for signs -and when I was ready - for backing off a little at a time.  But again - depending on how you are feeling after you get off benzos, you may NEVER need as much as I did to start. Many buddies are a LOT better than I was after getting off benzos.  So - for me, 15mg just allowed me to eat and sleep in the beginning. For someone else, they may only need 3mg for that same effect.  I would always try to use as little meds as needed as a matter of intelligence - but even so, I found that the smallest pill was too big as time went on.  So remember that you may find a lower amount to be plenty.

 

Remeron is often prescribed to treat drug-related akathisia (from antipsychotics, etc.). It is also prescribed at low low doses (1/4th pill - or 3.75 up to 7.5mg) for insomnia, perimenopause-related symptoms, etc.  I'm not "med happy" - and I am glad to no longer need remeron, but to me, anythign that can be a useful tool to get off of benzodiazepines is fair game.

 

I am NOT a purist about coming off benzos and "not taking anything else".  Nor do I feel that you should take any old meds and not worry.  I represent the middle of the spectrum.  I think that they LEAST you can do to your body and remain "alive" and somewhat functional, the better. I would not smoke, drink, or take any meds that weren't necessary. However, I also recognize benzo healing as a time of great turmoil in my nervous system. For ME, it was a full-on traumatic brain injury of neurochemical orgin. From my training in speech therapy and having worked with brian injury rehab, I recognize my situation with benzos to be one of the same order of magnitude- but simply not caused by an actual impact of brain bleed.  (I wasnt' in a car accident and didn't have a blood-based stroke, but my symptoms were the same in comparison).  I was in psychosis. I couldnt' remember the president. The year. My kids' birthdays.  I really was not oriented to the time or the season.  It was scary and mild-altering.  This is what happened to me.  I represented the far end of the benzo continuum as it relates to damage IMO.  At least as it compares to other buddies - I feel that I was hit hard -and maybe harder (or as hard as) the worst.  So - I do not look at this healing period as one where I needed to stay stoic and not take other meds.  I viewed myself as a recovering brain injury patient - and I was "okay" with accepting the meds on the condition that I used them strategically, intelligently, and with an eye towards tapering them as I was able to. I struggled with "needing" other meds along the way, but my goal was always to get to a point where I was using Remeron less and less.  In the beginning, I wasn't sure what was going to happen. I was just AWFUL. But I started to feel good as I realized that I was healing and that I needed less of it. 

I had to figure this out all on my own, as I had no help. In time, with reading, I was able to see how Remeron was working and what it was doing - and I made 1:1 connections with my symptoms and the Remeron dose - and it was clear to me that because Remeron was putting serotonin into my body, and serotonin actually can suppress glutamate and modulate gaba, that I was "holding back" the glutamate excitotoxity quite a bit with REmeron - allowing my brain to heal without this overabundance of glutamate continuing to damage my neurons.  There is a lot of science to it that I was able to "feel" firsthand as I controlled my dose and healed, and perhaps I will write a book later to help explain the benzo healing I experienced while on the remeron. But suffice it to say, and I've written this before - that I do NOT feel it is a bad thing to accept other meds - strategically - in this process. Meds that do not act on GABA but that allow healing of those systems to take place can be, in my opinion, A WAY (not 'the' way) to get through this.

My goal was to get off benzos once and for all and I have accomplished that - successfully - with no desire to go back.

My secondary goal was to get off Remeron - for good - with no need for it.

I have achieved both goals.  I see adjuntive meds - depending on the med ,the dose, the person - etc. - as potentially helpful.

But I am only one person and this is only reflective of my experience.

:)Parker

The fact that one single pill can solve someone's withdrawal-induced insomnia AND anxiety AND depression AND loss of appetite all at the same time and practically overnight is amazing, but that can't be the norm. I would say that is pure luck and rather rare. Millions of people are suffering from all of those withdrawal symptoms. Many of them have tried Remeron and are happy if it manages to relieve just one of those symptoms, and most of them don't even get that, plus they get unwanted side-effects from the new drug on top of that.

 

Surely the whole problem of benzo withdrawal is much more complex than some missing chemicals and downregulated receptors that could be fixed by taking a small pill called Remeron (or any other drug for that matter). I was given just about every drug on the planet that is supposed to "fix" the problem and they did no such thing. They made it worse, and very much so.

 

Talking about Remeron in terms of a "fixing tool" or a "cure" for benzo withdrawal reminds me of how psychiatry and pharmaceutical companies are trying to make us believe that we have a chemical imbalance that can easily be compensated for with some cocktail of pills that target this or that receptor. No one has actually seen those receptors or knows what is happening to them, and in reality people often react completely differently than the theory suggests.

 

It is up to the individual to try Remeron or other meds if they want to, but it will not always work, and for some it will only add to the problem.

The fact that one single pill can solve someone's withdrawal-induced insomnia AND anxiety AND depression AND loss of appetite all at the same time and practically overnight is amazing, but that can't be the norm. I would say that is pure luck and rather rare. Millions of people are suffering from all of those withdrawal symptoms. Many of them have tried Remeron and are happy if it manages to relieve just one of those symptoms, and most of them don't even get that, plus they get unwanted side-effects from the new drug on top of that.

 

Surely the whole problem of benzo withdrawal is much more complex than some missing chemicals and downregulated receptors that could be fixed by taking a small pill called Remeron (or any other drug for that matter). I was given just about every drug on the planet that is supposed to "fix" the problem and they did no such thing. They made it worse, and very much so.

 

Talking about Remeron in terms of a "fixing tool" or a "cure" for benzo withdrawal reminds me of how psychiatry and pharmaceutical companies are trying to make us believe that we have a chemical imbalance that can easily be compensated for with some cocktail of pills that target this or that receptor. No one has actually seen those receptors or knows what is happening to them, and in reality people often react completely differently than the theory suggests.

 

It is up to the individual to try Remeron or other meds if they want to, but it will not always work, and for some it will only add to the problem.

 

You would be correct, LC - in all that you said.  But *I* didn't say it solved all my problems - or that it had anything to do with healing the GABA receptors.  Just for the record, this is your statement and not mine. I certainly don't consider Remeron a "cure" for benzo withdrawal - or a "fixing tool" as you have quoted (who are you quoting?).    Nor did I say it "solved" my problems.  Again, I have stated that if a person is able to withdraw benzos WITHOUT taking other substanes and can manage, I feel logically that this is smartest. But in cases of severe damage, which I incurred, the use of a tool was for my own betterment.  Being as how I have healed the entire time and no longer need the Remeron and haven't in over 5 months - that is a testament to what I'm saying. 

 

The leap you are making about Remeron being a "cure" or "fixing tool" (it's not - ONLY time is - but Remeron can be a stand-in to neurotransmitters and curb glutamate release) - and your mentioning that this is similar to pharma companies  - I'm not sure where any of that is coming from.   

 

For the record, these are your statements and not mine - and not anyone else's on this thread from what I can tell. 

 

Nobody said Remeron was a cure or a fixing tool. 

 

As for myself, it was a stand-in for neurochemistry as the underlying GABA-Glutamate was re-establishing.  And for me, it worked - successfully and strategically. 

 

Just want to make clear that your statements do not reflect my statements or viewpoint.

 

:)Parker