anyone on Mirtazapine

[herb14]

Hi all,

I have ben sufferring from depression and anxiety on and off for 2 years now. I recently was on Seroxat (Paxil) for 3 weeks til my GP took me off it due to lack of sleep and bad thoughts in the morning. I am now on Mirtazapine 15 mg (taken at night) which definitely makes me sleep but i tend to wake at 5am feeling anxious ....Hence taking a low dose ttranquiliser (Lorazepam) to counter this. It also definitely makes you hungry and I agree particularly in the evening. I also tend to feel a bit weird and spaced out particularly around lunchtime and seem to have dry eyes . Anyone else encountered this ?

[jo61]

I've been on it for years. I put on weight at first but needed to do at the time. I keep it under control (sort of) by exercising. I found 15mg wasn't enough for me and I'm now on 45 - no more side effects but definitely less anxiety. The great bonus is the knock out effect at night I reckon.

[herb14]

Thanks for the info. Do you find this medication helps ? Can you function like a normal human on it ? The sleeping is definitely good. Has your GP suggested you taper off

[jo61]

It has helped me enormously. I thought I had 'recovered' about 2 years ago and came off it but had ato go back on as the depression was still there. I see a psychiatrist and we've decided that I'll stay on it indefinitely. I had a very bad time after I came off it - not withdrawal, just the presence of the original problem. After a while I went on lithium as well which is normally prescribed for bipolar but also for recurrent episodes of depression which is my problem. The cocktail of the two has meant the difference between day and night.

[xBettyBoopx]

Took it once (30mg), never again. Thought I was dying, nearly called an ambulance! Got outta bed to go to loo and fell over with dizziness, crawled to the loo and back, got back in2 bed everything spinning around and severe pain in back of head, needless to say, no sleep. Doctors are crap, they have no idea, they only give medication that are being promoted, NOT what you require. I haven't been to the doctors for about 15 months now.
Elspeth

[neelhm]

Hiya.
Just wanted to say - yes you can function normally on Mirtazapine. I was on 30 mg for nine months and came off without too many problems (just a few brain shakes early in the morning that went once I woke up properly). I was highly anxious, not eating or sleeping and the medication helped me to do both. Yes you feel sleepy and dizzy the first couple of days especially if started on 15 mg, but in my experience it passed and I slowly got better. The anxiety did come back again though and my doc combined it with Effexor which worked a treat. I am now almost off the Effexor as well and feel back to normal with new job and happy life.
Most importantly, when you and your doc do decide it is time to come off, taper it really slowly. I took about six weeks coming off and that seemed to do the trick for me.
Finally, I would also say that the time spent on the medication needs to be backed up by some sort of therapy - I had CBT and have learned to deal with my anxious thoughts and generally to try to think in a different and more positive way but it was hard and took a long time. The meds won't cure you on their own in my view, because you will keep thinking in the same old unhealthy patterns and that is part of what made you ill in the first place (well what made me ill).

[banana]

I have been on Mirtazapine 30mg for the last two weeks, feeling okay, and has definitely helped with my sleeping pattern and after having six weeks off work am now able to go to work two days a week at the moment, do feel hungry but have stated eating a lot more fruit and veg and am actually losing weight at the moment, so I think as long as you are careful and don't eat too much you should be okay. Am a bit fed up though as I don't seem to be able to eat chocolate any more, it makes me sick. Anybody else had the same thing?

Banana

[herb14]

Thanks guys for all your replies. It is still early days for me yet as I have only been on it for a couple of weeks. I definitely sleep within a few minutes of taking the tablet even if I am not tired. however I do who have the hunger thing which I am trying to direct towards fruit. No problems with eating chocolate....everyone is different I suppose. Its good to keep off choc anyway because it is a stimulant.

I am now having to take a tranquiliser in the morning though to calm me down so i can function for the rest of day.

Have any of you managed to work while taking this from start to finish....

Regards and thanks

[feeling funny]

im new at this ive been on mirtazapine for about 7 weeks now and at firts i was sleepy on 15 a night and feeling prety good from the start and now having side effect like realy wierd feeling in my face get realy ioly feel like its on fire as anybody felt the same thing.

[wombat]

I've just come out of the Priory hospital and was put on Mirtazapine while i was in there.The day after though my ankles swelled up and one of the main side effects is fluid retention.I didn't realise it until one of the therapists mentioned it and they took me off it. I'm now on Lofepramine and haven't had any noticeable side effects so far-touch wood!
Saying that everybody reacts differently to meds so don't let it put you off.The shame about it was i felt soooo much better when i was on it but my ankles swelled up like balloons!