Tommus
24-02-14, 12:55
Hey everyone, I'm new to the forum.
I suffer from chronic insomnia, chronic anxiety (due or insomnia) and depression due to both, it's like a vicious circle I can't get out of.
I have taken mirtazapine before for about 15 years, and for last two of those years I took escitalopram with it. I decided to stop taking them last April with dr's approval, tapered both one after the other and was hell for a few months and never really got any better so a couple of weeks ago dr suggested I go back on one of them at a low dose so we decided on mirtazapine as had the least side effects (SD, insomnia etc). Started taking them at 15mg about 10 days ago, slept well first night and felt fine in the morning, 2nd and 3rd night not so great sleep, 4th was ok. It's been on and off like that since but after 5-6 days I started to feel crap, lifeless the next day, constant headache, snappy, increased anxiety, lightheaded, lower mood than before. I wasn't really expecting this after a week, I was expecting it straight away, is this normal? I know I said I've been on them before but started taking them in 1998 and can't really remember the side effects other than sleeping a lot and feeling tired the next day for a few weeks. I'm worried about the weight gain as I've lost 3 stone in the last 10 months by healthy diet and exercising at the gym and don't want to put any back on. I am struggling with being constantly hungry and never feeling satisfied when I eat but I have not given into the cravings (yet) and I snack on fruit and healthy stuff or eat protein instead of carbs. It's very hard though. I don't really feel like going to the gym either, like I don't have the energy. I did go last week 4 times but the last 2 days was really hard as I felt like I didn't have the energy plus the headaches. I'm worried that these tablets affect metabolism even the dr said they don't.
I also have this horrible salty/saline taste in my mouth that is affecting the taste if what I eat, is this normal and will it go? I drink a lot of water (2-3 litres a day, I'm a chef so work in hot kitchen so need the extra fluid) so I can't be dehydrated.
Should I speak to dr about upping my dose? Would this give me more energy but still help with sleep? What about the anxiety? I have read on other forums that it makes people's anxiety worse and they stop taking them. Is this increase in anxiety just a start up side effect which will pass?
Many thanks in advance for your replies
Tom
I suffer from chronic insomnia, chronic anxiety (due or insomnia) and depression due to both, it's like a vicious circle I can't get out of.
I have taken mirtazapine before for about 15 years, and for last two of those years I took escitalopram with it. I decided to stop taking them last April with dr's approval, tapered both one after the other and was hell for a few months and never really got any better so a couple of weeks ago dr suggested I go back on one of them at a low dose so we decided on mirtazapine as had the least side effects (SD, insomnia etc). Started taking them at 15mg about 10 days ago, slept well first night and felt fine in the morning, 2nd and 3rd night not so great sleep, 4th was ok. It's been on and off like that since but after 5-6 days I started to feel crap, lifeless the next day, constant headache, snappy, increased anxiety, lightheaded, lower mood than before. I wasn't really expecting this after a week, I was expecting it straight away, is this normal? I know I said I've been on them before but started taking them in 1998 and can't really remember the side effects other than sleeping a lot and feeling tired the next day for a few weeks. I'm worried about the weight gain as I've lost 3 stone in the last 10 months by healthy diet and exercising at the gym and don't want to put any back on. I am struggling with being constantly hungry and never feeling satisfied when I eat but I have not given into the cravings (yet) and I snack on fruit and healthy stuff or eat protein instead of carbs. It's very hard though. I don't really feel like going to the gym either, like I don't have the energy. I did go last week 4 times but the last 2 days was really hard as I felt like I didn't have the energy plus the headaches. I'm worried that these tablets affect metabolism even the dr said they don't.
I also have this horrible salty/saline taste in my mouth that is affecting the taste if what I eat, is this normal and will it go? I drink a lot of water (2-3 litres a day, I'm a chef so work in hot kitchen so need the extra fluid) so I can't be dehydrated.
Should I speak to dr about upping my dose? Would this give me more energy but still help with sleep? What about the anxiety? I have read on other forums that it makes people's anxiety worse and they stop taking them. Is this increase in anxiety just a start up side effect which will pass?
Many thanks in advance for your replies
Tom