Remeron (mirtazapine) associated with weight gain of 6.6 lbs in the first month

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Wednesday, October 15, 2008 7:04 am Email this article
People gained an average of 6.6 pounds in the first month when given the antidepressant Remeron (mirtazapine) according to a study from the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich, Germany. Dose

Dose: 30-45 mg

Remeron (mirtazapine) was started at 15 mg, then increased to 30 mg on day two, then, if there had not yet been a therapeutic effect after two weeks, the dose was increased to 45 mg.

 

Subjects

Subjects: 10 out of 12 people completed the study

The study involved 7 women and 3 men who “were recruited consecutively from in-patients of our hospital” whose ages ranged from 24- to 63-years-old with an average age of 40-years-old.

Two additional women started the study, but dropped out before the study was completed.

 

Conclusion

Conclusion: Remeron is able to co

“Our study corroborates that mirtazapine [Remeron] is able to counteract a wide range of neurobiological and psychopathological symptoms of depression, including… weight loss [emphasis added],” the researchers concluded.

” These beneficial effects [emphasis added] appear to be mediated by… The profile of actions appears unique and is not shared exactly by any other compound investigated so far.”

 

Comment

Comment: This is a typical spin by drug companies

Unfortunately, this type of spin—talking about “the beneficial effects… [of weight gain]”—is typical these days.

For more information on misinformation from drug companies, see the book Our Daily Meds.

REFERENCE

Schmid DA, Wichniak A, Uhr M, Ising M, Brunner H, Held K, Weikel J, Sonntag A, Steiger A. Changes of sleep architecture, spectral composition of sleep eeg, the nocturnal secretion of cortisol, acth, gh, prolactin, melatonin, ghrelin, and leptin, and the dex-crh test in depressed patients during treatment with mirtazapine. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2006 Apr, 31(4):832-44.

AUTHOR’S CONTACT INFORMATION

Dr. A. Steiger
Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry
Kraepelinstrasse 10
80804 Munich, Germany
Tel: +49 89 30622 236
Fax: +49 89 30622 552
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Articles on the same subject can be found here:

• Mirtazapine (antidepressant Remeron)

• Weight-gaining drugs