mirtazapine NSRI - Feeling anxious about taking them!

[Bastet_Mau]

I have been on fluoxetine and citalopram - Neither worked but made my anxiety severely worse. I was in bed with anxiety attacks coming in waves for four days on fluoxetine. So the trauma from feeling like I was going to actually die has left me very anxious about taking new medications.

I have had no choice but to return to the doctors though, convinced my left arm and chest pain was a heart attack...I felt silly to find it wasn't. She offered me Mirtazapine as an alternative to SSRI's. Can you guys tell me anything about them? What am i likely to expect? Do you think the likely hood of it resolving anxiety and insomnia is high? I'm hoping so because nothing else has worked, I hate drug trialing. It's such a long unpleasant process. She has given me the lowest dose of 15mg as i'm quite small. But, I was thinking of just taking half a tablet for the first two nights?

[UrbanMark]

"I have been on fluoxetine and citalopram - Neither worked but made my anxiety severely worse."
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Hi there,

How long were you on the Citalopram? It takes around four to eight weeks to actually work properly. It's quite bad at the beginning, but if you persevere it is a wonderful Anti-Depressant.

[Anfield 15]

Hi there ,
I used mirtazapine for two years as I simply was not sleeping for days on end
Mitazapine when taken at night as they tell you to take it then will make you sleep it certainly did for me that in its self was worth using it I started on 30 mg then went down to 15 and finally tapered off .
As regards reducing my anxiety I didn't think it did , but by sleeping well I felt a lot better . The downside for me was my increase in appetite this doesn't happen to all but did for me , I reckon I put on half a stone so keep an eye on that .

I,m tempted to go back on just for the sleep benefits but instead I use relaxation stuff on you tube whilst in bed , the honest guys on you tube have some relaxing stuff amongst others , some are poor !!

[NoPoet]

Hi, mirtazapine had no unpleasant side effects for me at all. No increase in anxiety, no panic attacks, no intrusive thoughts, no over-tiredness, no bad dreams or sleep interruptions, whereas I suffered all of these and more on citalopram and sertraline (both SSRIs).

Mirtazapine is known to be an effective antidepressant, it didn't directly affect my anxiety levels but it massively improved my sleep (quality and duration) from day one. Restful sleep is a very, very effective weapon against nervous illness.

I find I experience hunger pangs on mirt and it is very, very easy to gain weight, so make sure you do gentle exercise and learn to resist some of the hunger impulses, or at least eat fruit instead of chocolate.

Mirtazapine drastically improved the taste and sensation of eating food. I had lost about 1-1.5 stone on SSRIs because I was too anxious to eat. Eating while on mirtazapine, which you will probably start doing within the first week, can be a joyful, almost sensual experience (bear in mind I'm an aspie, so my body is highly sensitive, which may mean I get more pleasure here than you will).

Take it before bedtime, it will knock you out (not an unpleasant sensation once you get used to it). First indications it is working may be a feeling of your head spinning slightly, maybe overbalancing a bit, but in the early days you will probably find you cannot stand up or stay awake after half an hour. These effects reduce as you get used to the medication.