Mirtazapine nightmare! WEIGHT GAIN. Please read...

[Babikins]

IF YOU HAVE ANY WEIGHT ISSUES PLEASE PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE TAKING MIRTAZAPINE!


Ok, so I have posted a similar thing in response to someone else's weight worries about mirtazapine, but I thought this warranted it's own post. I hope it helps someone who was as confused/upset as I was

I have been taking 30mg of mirt for around 4 months or so now, and I had written a review after a few weeks of being on it (which I still stand by) however I had no idea about one particular side effect.

Unprecedented weight gain!!

Now for me, my weight/size is an area so sensetive I can barely describe it. I battled for years with bulimia and many dismorphic ideas about my appearance. But after a long road of therapy I was finally a healthy weight and had learnt so much about good nutrition, exercise and calorie intake in a healthy way.

But because of this over-sensetive approach about weight I can be 100% sure, without a shadow of a doubt, the weight increase was directly caused by the mirt.

How much weight?

TWO STONE! 28lbs! In around 4 months.

As I keep stressing, I am monitor my calorie intake very closely and I can assure you there was absolutely no differnce in the food or the amount of food I was eating nor the amount of exercise I was doing each week.

Obviously I was really upset, but I never imagined it could be the mirtazapine. So I was harsher on myself (thinking my metabolism was slowing or I was doing something wrong ) and after 3 months on continuous weight gain, I cut my calories down to 600 a day! All calories came from fruit and veg, fiber and protien, very low fat/carbs.

And what happened?

Nothing. My weight just about stayed the same. I didn't lose a pound I had put on, I was just stuck two stones heavier!

So I scoured through my diaries, trying to pin point what had changed or what I had been doing differently to cause this awful weight gain. I was SO upset, honestly I felt disgusted with myself and all the issues I had spent years taking control of were starting to creep back into my life. I was a mess.

Eventually, I managed to put two and two together and after looking at my diaries and my weight chart (yes some habits of bulimia never die) the only correlation I could find was starting the mirtazapine.

I did what 99% of people with access to the internet do.. I googled it

My god, the results are overwhelming! (I did plan on linking here but there are so many sites I couldn't choose which ones to include. Type in "mirtazapine weight gain" into google)

Page after page after page of upset people who were totally unaware of this side effect.

I am really annoyed that I wasn't told by my GP about this, especially considering my history and also that I didn't do more research on it before I started taking it.

YES, theres no denying that mirtazapine is the best AD I have ever taken, and trust me I have taken my fair share over the years! As a long term insomnia girl I was so grateful of the sedation it gave me at night.

But as a recovered bulimic and life long body-dismorphic... The weight-gain side effect would prove far more potentially life threatening than even the darkest of my depressive fluxes.

I have (rightly or wrongly) gone cold turkey on mirtazapine as of last night as I couldn't bear the thought of something coursing through my veins that could hinder my ability to maintain a healthy weight.

I completely understand how to some people that is irrational and down right stupid, but for anyone with a little knowledge of body-dismorphia or bulimia, the guilt and disgust you put on to yourself for weight gain is unbearable.

Under no circumstances do I suggest people who are having the same problems with mirtazapine as me go cold turkey! See your GP and explain your situation.

And if you havn't started taking it yet... Then think really hard! Can you be happier and heavier? I wish I could, because mirtazapine really is a wonderful AD.

Hope this helps someone who is as upset as I was!

Babs,

x

[Geoff2301]

It must effect different people in different ways........ I was on Mirtazapine for several months and didn't gain a pound.

[Elen]

I have been on it a couple of weeks now and while I cannot comment on unexplained weight gain I can say that it has increased my appetite by a huge amount.

To try and combat the inveviatable weight gain that would result from this I am trying to ensure that I have loads of fruit and other healthy muchies to hand.

[hopeless]

I too was on Mitraz and found it made me gain a lot of weight, it was only when i mentioned my concerns to my GP he informed me Mitraz can do that..I really was not happy as i have had weight issues for a large part of life..I decided to come off it after a short period as although it helped me with sleep and some anx, i really struggled with the weight gain aspect of it...Maybe is does not affect everyone the same way but for me there was a definate weight gain..

[nomorepanic]

I think a lot of anti-depressant make you put weight on. I put on 2 stone with Dothepin and Prozac.

[Belleblue]

At two stones in four months I would say this is a completely unacceptable side effect - I can imagine how distressed you must feel, especially as you have made obvious efforts to curb your calorie intake and exercise.

My GP informed me of the weight/increased hunger aspect with Mirtz, adding that "calories don't come out of thin air and stick to you, so attention must be given to what you eat". That's one school of thought regarding this med and sound advice for most. However I too have read of some who have not increased their calorie intake and have gained weight regardless. I too gained 3 to 4 pounds in the first three weeks of taking this med, not a lot I know and my weight plateaued after this, so I count myself one of the lucky ones. But like your story I gained this with no increase in food intake. I ate very sensibly the whole time I was on it. I was not on it for very long, ten weeks in all and quite apart from the small increase in weight I felt somewhat bloated until I came off it about a week ago.

I completely understand why you don't want to have this in your system a moment longer - I just hope you will be alright and not suffer any withdrawals. Do let us know how you are getting on, won't you?

I would echo what Nicola has written - a lot of ADs and not just mirtazapine can cause weight gain. There are some scientific papers around which verify that most ADs lower metabolic rate somewhat. Perhaps mirt has a more potent effect in this regard on some individuals?

Take good care of yourself

Belle xx

[Babikins]

Hello there Belle!

I have been off the mirtz 2 days now, and 2lbs lighter already. Again, absolutely no change in calories. I think it is so bizarre, SO BIZARRE that an AD can cause this much of a side effect, it boggles my mind!

I have been really lucky in regards to withdrawal. I havn't noticed anything adverse at all. It's a shame really because I liked being on mirtazapine. Out of all the AD's I have been on, (citalopram, fluoxetine, reboxetine, dosulepin, venlefaxine etc) this was the best by a long way.

The only worry I have now is being AD-free for the first time in 5 years or so, it's a bit daunting, but so far so good!

Are you taking anything else in place of the mirt now?


@Hopeless, yes it's shocking GP's aren't more forthcoming about the potential weight gain. I know everyone is different but I think we should still have the option of an informed decision!

@Ellen, I did try cutting my calories waaaay back and eating really well, raw fruit and vegtables, nuts, seeds and so on. But it didn't help. I would be really interested to see how you get on with your mirt.

[Belleblue]

So glad to hear that you are already losing the weight and that you have not had any withdrawal symptoms. It must be such a bummer having found an AD that suited you perfectly only for it to have this undesirable side effect.

You posted in the past that you were taking propranolol alongside the mirtazapine and I'm wondering if this may have had an impact on your weight also. I found this on the Weigh****chers website http://www.weigh****chers.co.uk/util...d=21831&sc=803 right at the bottom of the medications that cause weight gain chart is propranolol. Interestingly they don't mention mirtazapine!!

I am not taking any medication at the moment, but never say never. My GP prescribed diazepam as needed and only because she knows that I have never abused them in the past. A pack of 28 2mg lasts me over a year.

I will consider taking Pregabalin if I start to seriously backslide again (there can be weight issues with that also, but not as bad as mirtz).

I wish you well - keep posting.

Belle x

[WolfieKate]

Thanks for the info Babikins.

As you know I was due to start with Mirt today (if I ever have time to get to a chemist!, I am stuck in waiting for a delivery and have to pick up kids from school later). I have to say this has put me off quite a bit as I can't realy handle too much weight gain. I figured I could cope with half a stone. I currently have a high metabolic rate making me fidgety and thin so I wonder if the Mirt will slow that down resulting in weight gain from my normal diet. I'll give it 2 weeks, any major weight gain would be unacceptable for me.

I stopped prozac after ten years on Monday with a tapered but very quick withdrawal from it. I feel jittery but no other side effects from stopping it yet.

Kate

[Babikins]

Hi belle! I stopped propranolol daily dosages and now just take it as I need it, which I havn't done for a while now. The thought of something controling my heart rhythm freaks me out a bit!

So good to hear your coping without constant meds, thats a massive step forward!

@Kate,

I don't mean to scare monger, mirtazapine is a very good AD! But I felt for anyone with a similar eating disorder history to mine it is so important, you must know how awful it is when you pile weight on ):