Do I persevere or give up:-( Please help

[Bonnibelle]

Thanks Hanshan.

I feel so weak in my arms/legs, dopped up head like I could sleep for England and I am so lethargic. My counsellor said to stop fearing the side effects because it is only drowsiness, but I am making it to be far worse by fearing it. I just hate feeling so drained and weak, I fear I will faint or something.

Also I am getting sudden rushes of panic from my stomach to my throat, I have had it once the last 3 evenings, around the same time. I thought it might be the medication but she said that it would be a constant panic/anxiety if it were the mirtazapine causing it, do you think she is right? I am just scared the meds are causing them:-(

I am only on 7.5mg, I am 5 days in, I see my GP Monday and I am sure he will up my dose to 15, which does scare me as I feel bad enough.

My advice is to persevere for four - six weeks. For most ADs it takes that long (at least) for positive effects to overcome negative side-effects. (That means don't stop taking it until July).

[Mark13]

I think your side effects are caused by the low dose.

Mirtazapine has a different action (anti-histamine) at 15mg and below, so it makes you really drowsy - till your body adjusts, took me a few days.

This is the one drug I've had where increasing the dose reduced the side effects, but unfortnately at 30mg it brought my insomnia back.

If insomnia isn't a problem for you this could be a good drug.

With regard to increased anxiety I had this for the first few weeks of duloxetine and it was constant. So I think your rushes on Mirtazapine are probably just your standard anxiety reactions brought on by monitoring for side-effects (which is something I do too on a new drug).

[Bonnibelle]

Thank you Mark, your reply was reassuring.

I do suffer insomnia with my PTSD as I suffer from nightmares and bolting up gasping for air so the Mirtazapine has helped me fall asleep. My GP gave me this to help me get a good sleep but I am infact sleeping solid 10pm-3am then struggling to get into a deep sleep again, very strange.

I think you are right re the anxiety attacks, as I guess I'd feel anxious constantly if it were the Mirtazapine causing it.