[15561]

Hi,I was wondering if there was an alternative to Remeron that doesn't have the associated weight gain but still affects all the 5-HT receptors. It has been suggested that its multi-receptor approach helps reduce many of the Non-GI symptoms of IBS such as anxiety etc.Cheers.

 

[23488]

I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT TOO!! I LOVE REMERON BUT I HATE THE WEIGHT GAIN. PORTION CONTROL SEEMS TO HELP BUT I ALSO STOP TAKING IT FOR A WEEK AND LOSE A FEW POUNDS TO TRY TO MAINTAIN MY WEIGHT. PROBABLY NOT THE BEST METHOD BUT IT WORKS.

 

[15561]

I haven't tried it but if it's anywhere near as bad as Paxil with regards to weight gain, I DON'T WANT TO! My doctor suggested that my appetite will increse while on Remeron and people just eat more than they regularly do and that's why they get heavier. Now, I don't entirely buy that story, but perhaps you should try limiting your eating to everybody elses plate at your table. I remember when I was on Ritalin, I had absolutely no appetite but I knew I had to eat. So I would eat whatever was on my plate and that was it, that's how I guaged when I should be 'full' or nolonger hungary!Cheers.

 

[jjohnson]

DJM,If you haven't tried Remeron yet, it may be worth a shot. It is the only antidepressant with 5-HT3 antagonist properties, and thus has similarities with Lotronex/Cilansetron/Zofran (although it is almost certainly less potent in that respect.) I myself tried it with maybe a 50% reduction in IBS symptoms, which was far better than anything else I had tried to that point. It is probably the worst offender among the new antidepressants in terms of weight gain, but that does not mean it causes this in all or even most people. I think it is worth a try, especially since it is reasonably priced compared to Zofran and may indeed help your non-GI symptoms. Just a thought.

 

[cardplayer]

I have been on Remeron for almost a year and it definitely helped my IBS plus I could get a good night's sleep. I managed to lose about 10 pounds by just cutting down on portions of food and added alot of vegetables and fruits. I would recommend it to most IBS sufferers as it worked for me and few others. Good luck with Remeron if you decide to try it. JJ

 

[15561]

Thanks for the info ... I had a prescription of Remeron sitting on my desk for a long time but threw it out the other week (stupid stupid stupid). I'm still utterly scared to try it, the potential for weight gain makes me squirm. Perhaps it is that all to fresh and reminiscent times on Paxil and my continuing effort to reduce the weight I gained on it.I must add however, that the most effective drug to date that helped with my IBS was Paxil without a doubt--which I would say completely fixed it. But, as Duane's father once told him: "you wish in one hand and get #### in another." Paxil has among the worst side effects in a drug I've ever tried.Cheers and thanks go out to both JJ's.

 

[jjohnson]

DJM,If you got such incredible results from Paxil, I think it may be very much worth your while to try some other antidepressants. I think Lexapro and Cymbalta are pretty mild in terms of weight gain for instance. Even Paxil CR demonstrated some improved tolerability over the immediate release form (not sure about the weight gain though.) If you're like most people on this board, you've probably gone through a few antidepressants. (I've tried six.) But again, most do not experience the kind of relief you described getting from Paxil. As for myself, I'm finally going to get to try Lotronex next week and getting more impatient by the day.

 

[15561]

Hey JJ,That's great news with regards to the Lotronex! I find myself starting to pray for the arrival of Cilansetron which I believe will much easier to obtain once it's widely distributed--the results in trials also suggest better results! As you anticipated I've tried a many anti-depressants, none comming close to the success of Paxil. Cheers.