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Any experience with Remeron/Mirtazapine or an SSRI??


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Although I don't want to put a dampener on your hope from the 1st link, please note that the person was on 3mg of klonopin... that is alot, and would.. in my opinion, make it nearly impossible to say whether the other drug did anything.

I've been on these boards for some years now.. and one off stories pop up here and there, but to my knowledge, there are only 2 drugs that seem to benefit a decent % of users.

One is benzos, which are not a cure and should really be used as an occasional aid or when you are really desperate (imho) the benefits of a few years relief are far outweighed by the long and awful withdrawal process...

The other is Keppra, which seems less likely to do anything, but has no risk of tolerance/addiction.

For the most part, SSRIs and dopamine agonists make things worse for hppd sufferers.

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For the most part, SSRIs and dopamine agonists make things worse for hppd sufferers

I understand this with SSRIs but haven’t seen people here try dopamine boosting meds other than Wellbutrin, which is much more a NE agonist.

Do you have accounts from the old board you could share about people actually trying DA agonists?

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For the most part, SSRIs and dopamine agonists make things worse for hppd sufferers

I understand this with SSRIs but haven’t seen people here try dopamine boosting meds other than Wellbutrin, which is much more a NE agonist.

Do you have accounts from the old board you could share about people actually trying DA agonists?

Sorry, you're right... I was thinking dopamine antagonists such as anti.pysch meds. Always get them mixed up!

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Sorry, you're right... I was thinking dopamine antagonists such as anti.pysch meds. Always get them mixed up!

Phew – I know my circumstances are unusual and complex. But there are just so many ‘hits’ [pun intended] with HPPD symptomology.

It is ironic that SSRIs and anti-psychotics are often the first response a doctor has when we complain of anxiety and perceptual problems – Ugh

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I would not attempt a trial with Remeron. This med affects the 5ht2a receptors. Studies have been done where an anti phsychotic (risperidol?) which affected the same receptor had caused afterimages in people who did not have hppd.

On another board, there was a person who had done much lsd and other drugs and did not have any after effects visually. His doctor put him on Remeron for depression and he developed the whole spectrum of hppd visuals. May be anicdotal but it is not imo worth the risk.

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I take zoloft. And yes, it has improved my perception. Initially, for the first couple months, things seemed worse, but I stuck with it and now things have cleared. Seems better for DP/DR type things than directly hppd. BUt, I obsess a lot less about hppd now, which is the prime reason I take it.

The thing to is, there's the visual distortions themselves, and then there is the worry or obsession about them. If you spend too much time worrying about them, you're body probably wont heal since you'd just be stimulating the same pathways over and over by focusing on them, and stressing.

So, I really find it just as important, probably actually more important these days to try to reduce my obsessions about my perception, and in turn, things have slowly gotten better....

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Another thing I think I should stress is that, I avoided ssris for many years because of reading so many negative reports about them for hppd. But I come to realize that most of those people who had negative reactions never really took the drug long enough to experience the intended effects.

If you only take an ssri for a few days, or even a few weeks, then you probably never experienced the intended effects. These drugs can take a couple months. It's not like taking a klonopin and then a couple hours later you're experiencing the full effects. It's like an indirect effect they have on the body. It's the bodies adaptation to the presence of the drug that causes the positive effect so it takes a lot of patience.....

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Sound good Gill,

Yeah the main reason for me to want to go on a antidepressant, is to help with DP/DR, I would just like to feel like my old self again..

You wrote that you take Zoloft, and that it has improved your perception, could you please tell me a bit more about this. Has it helped with the visuals, snow, light sensitivity, palinopsia???

And if you don't mind telling, at what dosage do you take Zoloft?

Thanks in advance.

I can see from the other answers that I'd got, that maybe Remeron isn't such a good idea.. To bad, I've been on it before (Before HPPD), and I really feel like it helped. And besides HPPD I suffer terrible from insomnia, and from what I remember, Remeron was also really good for that. Ah well, I'll proberbly have to try something else, because I definitely wouldn't like to make anything worse than it already is..

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I usually take 50mgs, sometimes an extra 50. It doesn't really effect trails, afterimages, snow, but it seems to help the DP/DR -type perceptions. And, when that is reduced, then the hppd symptoms are more in the background, then foreground of my perceptions, so I notice them less....

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Interesting, was considering Remeron because of its dopamine enhancing properties. But the doctor told me it is very mild and he has only found it effective for elderly people. It would seem that with use in conjunction with recreational drugs would give effects not desired. Same with overdosing.

I found with Zoloft and all SSRIs tried, one pupil dilates (not both) and anxiety skyrockets. Have you tried anything with dopamine?

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Interesting, was considering Remeron because of its dopamine enhancing properties. But the doctor told me it is very mild and he has only found it effective for elderly people. It would seem that with use in conjunction with recreational drugs would give effects not desired. Same with overdosing.

I found with Zoloft and all SSRIs tried, one pupil dilates (not both) and anxiety skyrockets. Have you tried anything with dopamine?

No, and I don´t think they´ll help. Rather make things worse. Check this list Dopaminergic. Most substances here are known for aggrevating HPPD (and with that, anxiety and DP/DR).

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No, and I don´t think they´ll help. Rather make things worse. Check this list Dopaminergic. Most substances here are known for aggrevating HPPD (and with that, anxiety and DP/DR).

Well, you never know until you work with a doc and try things. Have you tried Keppra? What else besides Zoloft and Reboxetine have you tried?

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I do not wanna scare anyone but i know about one guy who developed full HPPD on remeron without ever touching any drug except alcohol. He said that he would gladly sell his soul to get well which as far as i know did not happen.

Edit: already wrote that

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The risk is too great for very little possible benefits for remeron. As said, it affects the same receptor as has been shown to cause hppd symptons in those who have not taken any drugs except the meds that affect this receptor. Take seriously the incidents Merkan and I posted.

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Read the Visual Snow board, it's crazy alot of people have so many visuals from just ssri's. If a cure for hppd was to be formed, I think it would be big pharmacutical companies sp?? that have to study what's causing and how to fix these sorta glitches. (I would hope only they have that sorta finacial backing!

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Read the Visual Snow board, it's crazy alot of people have so many visuals from just ssri's. If a cure for hppd was to be formed, I think it would be big pharmacutical companies sp?? that have to study what's causing and how to fix these sorta glitches. (I would hope only they have that sorta finacial backing!

I´ll have a look there. The big pharmaceutical companies aren´t much to hope for. If a real cure for HPPD would be discovered, they would as usual say it isn´t profitable. It´s more profitable to keep people stuffed with none- or semi efficient junk drugs. When science is way ahead on many points (I read a lot of research articles). Makes me lose hope for humanity when I think on it. To value a human´s life in how profitable they are is simply evil. Maybe it´s better that the state of each country produces medications?

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I´ll have a look there. The big pharmaceutical companies aren´t much to hope for. If a real cure for HPPD would be discovered, they would as usual say it isn´t profitable. It´s more profitable to keep people stuffed with none- or semi efficient junk drugs. When science is way ahead on many points (I read a lot of research articles). Makes me lose hope for humanity when I think on it. To value a human´s life in how profitable they are is simply evil. Maybe it´s better that the state of each country produces medications?

You're right sadly, it would have to be some huge class action lawsuit like valium took back in the days. I still think if they stumble along something it will be because of a drug causing problems that resemble hppd. I mean how many ppl would go out of their way to spend money towards a sickness that's mostly self inflicted. It's hard to imagine how many billions it would take to even start understanding a condition this complicated.

I'm glad hppd isn't bothersome to me lately..... just working, exercising and trying to be a normal member of society. I still use klono as a crutch though and one day true tolerance might hit, can't even think about that.

Later!!!

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Visual, do you think that Remeron could help in anyways?? I know that you can't give a definite answer, I'm just looking for your opinion on this. Also, do you think that it could make things worse?

I think that Remeron would be helpful to me. But I have several dopamine enhancing meds and wish to turn attention to meds with other actions to fill in areas that are not responding to this type of drug. This is the only reason I haven’t tried it yet. Have discussed it with my doctor and it is in the cue.

Remeron is NOT an SSRI. It does the opposite of an SSRI. It reduces serotonin usage in parts of the brain. See Pharmacology http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirtazapine

So, if someone feels worse on an SSRI, then a anti-SSRI might be helpful. Also, is reduces activity of Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor – something done to treat advanced Parkinson’s or spasming caused by anti-psychotics (anti-dopamine).

[ Note: the balance between acetylcholine and dopamine is critical for emotional stability and other brain functions. If you find that increasing acetylcholine causes you troubles, then this is a further clue about the role of dopamine in a persons disorder. ]

It does increase norepinephrine – which may be of concern. Wellbutrin also increases norepinephrine.

It has a net effect of a slight increase of dopamine output of the VTA.

So you won’t know until you try it. It is somewhat complex. Am told it is well tolerated.

As for harm, always work with low doses and time. Regular to high doses of many medicines are simply too much.

What meds have you tried?

I would not attempt a trial with Remeron. This med affects the 5ht2a receptors. Studies have been done where an anti phsychotic (risperidol?) which affected the same receptor had caused afterimages in people who did not have hppd.

Remeron is not an anti-psychotic, but rather somewhat the opposite.

Virtually every med out there has made someone sick. You have to work with your doctor and decide if the potential benefits outweigh the risks. And most negative side effects pass once you discontinue a med – again low doses reduces the chance of problems.

Read the Visual Snow board, it's crazy alot of people have so many visuals from just ssri's…

Again, Remeron is not an SSRI. Also, we have gill here who says Zoloft (an SSRI) actually helps him.

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I would not attempt a trial with Remeron. This med affects the 5ht2a receptors. Studies have been done where an anti phsychotic (risperidol?) which affected the same receptor had caused afterimages in people who did not have hppd.

Remeron is not an anti-psychotic, but rather somewhat the opposite.

Virtually every med out there has made someone sick. You have to work with your doctor and decide if the potential benefits outweigh the risks. And most negative side effects pass once you discontinue a med – again low doses reduces the chance of problems.

Never said it was an anti psychotic. Just that it affects the same receptor as the antipsychotic mentioned. Any med that affects that receptor is potentially dangerous considering the study done and the personal experiences. The result of taking that for someone with HPPD can be serious.

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