Expert: Ivan Goldberg, M.D. - 10/22/2011

Question
in your last e-mail to me you said both gabitril and remeron have severe side effects   i agreebut with gabitril,its been hyped  andstudies say it is as effective as sugar pill.but  i dont share  your view about remeron.i have taken remeon 6 months no side effects at all.i dont mean to challenge you,but rather a sharing of information,remeron is used widely in nursing homes with excellent results.a study  anti depressent sssi found remeron superior t to paxil and all the rest,with much less side effects.a  small studyfound remeron reduces sleep aptheia by 33%in fact you said in a prior e-mail that most of your patients taking remeron tolerate it quite well.i am a colledge  gradwith phd,and not a  uniformed reader  i do research about drugs the doctor prescribes.your own dr harrop  insists gabitril is safe in spite of manufacturers warning that non-epilectics taking gabitril can get seizures.im not a wise ass,but like to know why remeron is dangerous when the    common side effect is weight gain. minimm          your people.gabitrl has a warning in it by  maker  non-epilectics taking

Answer
Howard . . .

Two of my patients with no history of epilepsy had seizures while taking Gabitril as a hypnotic.
One of my patients had a serious automobile accident while taking Remeron as a hypnotic. He fell asleep at the wheel after the second night of using the drug.

Best regards . . .

Ivan
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