Psychiatrist appt went well today. She gave me the option of upping my Remeron to 7mg but I want to hold off and get through my upper cervical chiropractor appts this week first to see if he can help the dizziness. I really want to know if it’s stemming from the concussion or the meds. (Both?)
But she’s also going to let me cut down a quarter mg of the Ativan at night, which makes me happy but anxious. The Remeron really cut down on my physical anxiety symptoms, I don’t want to set them off by taking less Ativan. But I need to get off that poison!
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Callie67
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I'm on Remeron right now, and my memory is lousy...though it's been lousy all my life, so I don't know if it's made it worse or not. I didn't even realize that memory problems could be a side effect, but I did a little digging and found this credible and distressing article:
Needless to say, I'm going to contact my doctor tomorrow to see about finding an alternative medication because I don't need an increased risk of dementia.
Since I take this med, I read the article. Unless I missed it, the grid did not list mirtazipine (the generic). It listed most of the SSRI and tricyclics. Then I looked up Remeron to see if it was an anticholinergic, and read that it is a tetracyclic with ‘virtually none of the SSRI side effects’. I’m certainly no expert. I try to read what I can and all these meds have side effects. All I know is this the only med that has helped me and in a significant way! Have you been on it long MM? Has it helped? I hope you find the right one for you and as always, with the fewest side effects.
On the grid, it is listed under the insomnia category (though it's used to treat depression, anxiety, etc., obviously).
But after reading your comment, I did some more checking, and here's where it gets tricky. If you do a cursory Google search, you'll find stuff that says mirtazapine "has virtually no anticholinergic, adrenergic or typical selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) side effects." But that quote was taken from an abstract of an article published in 1996. Likewise, in the wikipedia entry for mirtazapine, the citations for references regarding this matter, are from 2001, 2006, and 1997.
The article I linked to was originally published in 2015 and updated in 2018, a decade or more than any of the other information I found online that states there are "virtually no anticholinergic...side effects."
I always try to take into account how recent the information is I find online before consulting my doctor about it, as the science is always evolving.
Now, I'm not trying to dissuade anyone from taking Remeron; I'm sorry if my comment came across as alarmist. It's just something to maybe bring up to one's doctor.
Or not. I mean, like the saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
I've been on Remeron for a few months now (maybe more...that darn memory...) and it has helped with certain things for me, but if there's anything to the article I cited, then I'll probably opt for something else.
My memory/concentration is pretty shot from the concussion, so if the med’s causing anything I wouldn’t know. If it can lead to increased risks of dementia I don’t like the sound of that but the psychiatrist only thinks I need a few months to a year so hopefully that will be ok.
Yep! One day and moment at a time. I’m trying hard to practice patience and positivity.
Imagines with my happy childhood play in front of my eyes. When time passed and I grew up I was more and more unhappy, with physical manifestation of depression and anxiety. Today I'm lost in this life, feeling that I missed somewhere in the road of life my purpose in this life.
I can relate to that. All of my experiences have horribly impacted me and I’ve always wondered who I’d be without them. But you always have the choice to learn from the past and change.
Big Pharma wants us to keep needing meds. Listen to your body for the answers.
How does the Ativan affect you?
For the past few years I've taken every category of med for anxiety disorder. Then we discovered my body is highly sensitive to meds. 1/2 Valium became the only thing that helped at all and which my body could tolerate.
It is Not a recommended drug for seniors. Addictive and no longer as effective.
The Oncologist suggests Ativan before going in for medical procedures.
I think Ativan in small doses is great! I’ve used it in the past with no problem. This time around I unintentionally ended up taking more (complicated story) and weaned off too fast with no supervision. Then my anxiety skyrocketed and my life went to hell in a hand basket.
I think I’m sensitive to meds as well but could tolerate Valium and Ativan. You personally need the surgery? If you think you have that much anxiety about it Ativan in a controlled setting will do wonders. They’ve given me 2mg through the IV before and it calmed me down pretty well.
You won’t become addicted or develop any problems that quickly.
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