Scared to take Mirtazapine

[Shelly06]

I am currently on 40mg of Citalopram. Have been on that for a while, it does help with the anxiety some and the racing obsessive worrying thoughts.

But I've been having a few issues with the side effects such as a lot of jaw clenching, which leads to headaches, yawning a lot, emotional numbing to a certain extent and sexual issues and I've not really noticed a dramatic change in my mood other than not worrying quite so much and I have been out a few times on my own.

So I was at my doctors yesterday and she's now told me to have one night without taking the Citalopram and then go onto 15mg of Mirtazapine the following night.

Me being me, I came home from appointment last night and started Googling. Of course you hear mostly bad things online because if it's working and no problems people don't tend to need to post online about it.

But I've been reading all day as well and now I'm kind of nervous to take it. My concerns are, weight gain, I'm already about 7 stone overweight so I really really don't want to put on anymore weight as it's getting me down already and every story I've read online it's been they've put on weight and struggled to get it off or control the appetite.

The other thing is sleeping. Right now I don't usually have trouble sleeping, I do wake up sometimes a few times but always go back to sleep. I've read these can help your sleep, but some say when you come off them they then can't sleep. I don't want to create problems I don't have right now.

And the other thing is withdrawal from them. I've read lots of bad things. And I can't look to staying on them forever as I do want children so don't want to be on ADs when that time comes.

Any advice or anything would be helpful. As I'm once again scared to start a new medication.

[Catsjulieanne]

Really hope you didn't start taking Mirtazapine, for me personally, its been the most horrendous medication. From my point of view it helped with my appetite to the point I have put 3 stone on since starting it in April, and on this forum pretty much everyone bar me found it helped with sleep, but it never touched me. Am still on it, despite attempts to reduce/wean off, finding it impossible. The weight gain has been appalling, made my problems so much worse, I didn't believe the things I read thinking no way could it be true people saying they put a stone a month on taking it, but yes, that's been the case for me. Am sure there will be people on here who it has helped but just my experience and all I can say is, if I had a friend family member about to take it, I would remove the prescription from them and burn it.

---------- Post added at 07:29 ---------- Previous post was at 07:26 ----------

Sorry me again, for me I was anxious when I started taking it but wasn't depressed, within a few weeks on Mirt have ended up with the bleakest depression, paranoia and anger issues that are beyond belief. Mirtazapine has broken me.

[LittleMissAlone]

I echo the above. I'd developed so many 'mental blocks' by being on it, I could barely walk down my road for more than a few minutes. I was fine at home but that isn't living. Off it a few weeks now, done well. Yesterday I managed some work, the first since being ill do the mirt must be leaving my system.

You must decide for yourself, but what the doctors don't tell you is its often a PIG to come off too, quite often you're worse than then you first started.

I say ask for another solution, and good luck.

[Mermaid16]

Hi Little Miss Alone. When you say mental blocks, do you mean that you couldn't remember things? I have found Mirt very helpful for sleep, as my anxiety causes insomnia, but I don't believe it has had any effect on my anxiety whatsoever. So if you are changing to help your anxiety, I probably wouldn't (there are other ad's that would work better in my opinion. If you are struggling with sleep (which it doesn't sound like you are), then I would say yes for sleep, but you don't need it I don't think. In saying that, we are all different and some others have had good experiences with Mirt for anxiety.

[LittleMissAlone]

Hi Mermaid

It was just really easy things like walking down a country lane on a beautiful sunny day I could only manage up to say 10 mins before I'd get an unpleasant stomach sensation and have to return. There were the odd exceptions, but very rare.

But yes that's good balance for Shelly, some people do have good effects on Mirtazapine, or I guess they wouldn't prescribe it.

[Shazamataz]

I'd say if you go from 40mg cit and stop to go straight onto 15 mg Mirt you will have some pretty drastic withdrawals from the citalopram.

I'd not recommend Mirt either. I tried it and was still a mess so am now on venlafaxine as well. Anxiety is manageable but feeling dreadful. My idiot psychiatrist said you can just stop Mirt and have no withdrawals!! Last couple of days I've just shaved a wee bit off the tablet (I'm on 30mg) and determined to get off it.

Like Julie, I've put on heaps of weight and feel disgustiing. 5kg in first 5 weeks and another five over a few months after that.

Maybe just a reduction of the citalopram would help with the jaw clenching?

[Bonnibelle]

I started Mirtazapine easy enough. No real effects but I have read it's a bugger to come off, and it's why I have put it off.

It helps me sleep and eat but I have gained 2 stone since starting it 3 years ago.

My friend was on it and easily weaned off it so not everyone finds it hard to come off it. Next year I hope to wean off and as long as you do it slowly it's not that hard from what i have been told by others who have weaned very slowly.

[Shazamataz]

I will add that a friend of mine just stopped Mirt and had no withdrawals. She also quickly lost a lot of the extra weight. Seems everyone is different.

[ocdbaking]

Been on it for years. I gained some weight, but that was mainly to mobility issues with my back. Now I'm steadily losing weight while on it. Everyone reacts differently to medication - I hated prozac, but others swear by it. You don't know how you will react unless you try it.

[dale12345]

I have been on it for like 5 months helps with sleep and no weight gain.

[Shelly06]

Thank you all for your replies.

Well I had to start taking them as I couldn't take nothing after my Citalopram ran out, so I've been on Mirtazapine for 2 weeks.

I've not really had trouble with sleeping anyway, but they did make me sleep a bit more and more quickly, now I can take them though and can still be up an hour later.

I have noticed the increased appetite and because I'm so miserable I have been eating a little more, and I have gained about 6lbs in 2 weeks.

To be honest apart from the above I can't feel them doing anything to be honest. With the Citalopram, it numbed me a bit, this doesn't.

I have my doctors appointment on the 8th November again to see how I'm getting on and she's said it's my choice what I do, but I don't know what to do.

I'm seriously thinking of just coming off them and all medication to be honest, I'm sick of it. Before I went on the Citalopram again I did feel I was going crazy with my thoughts and stressing about everything. But I don't want to hop from medication to medication.

So at the moment I'm going to say to her that I want to come off them and not have anything else for now, see how I do. Good idea? I don't know but I don't know what else to do.

Is there any medication that does work, doesn't affect sexual things, and doesn't make you put on weight?

I understand that all meds are different and that all people are, but is there anything that is mostly ok and recommended? As my doctor asked what I wanted last time and I'm not an expert on meds at all.

I definately don't want to put on anymore weight that's for sure, I'm wanting to lose what I already have not gain more.

I just feel totally miserable and hopeless and what's the point in anything at the moment, always feel like this but it's stronger, really can't be bothered with anything.

[Shazamataz]

Hi there, from my experience I'd go off the Mirt and try venlafaxine as it's more effective for anxiety and doesn't stimulate the appetite in the same way as Mirt. It depends if you are more leaning towards depression or anxiety?

I gained 5 kg in 5 weeks and it's piled on at a slower but steady rate since then. I get really hungry a couple hours after taking it and end up having late night snacks. I just can't help it!

Good luck finding what works for you. We are all different so it's a bit of trial and error.

[hanshan]

My feeling is that pregabalin is the best med for generalised anxiety that you can take long-term (but it doesn't work for everyone). Pregabalin also has some possibility of sexual side-effects and a slight propensity for weight gain (but not like mirtazapine). Again, these affect some people but not others.

[Shelly06]

Thank you for your replies, I did talk them over with my doctor and thank you for your advice and input.

I decided to go off all medication as I really don't want to hop from medication to medication and I know that they all have side effects anyway of some sort.

I thought that I'd have to have another prescription of it but I have five pills left that she said to just alternate a day on a day off and then just stop and that should be fine.

The doctor has given me a phone number of a mental health service in my area through the NHS that I can call and self refer to for talking therapy help etc. So I guess I'll do that and see how it goes.

I hope that everyone who is going to give Mirtazapine a go isn't as scared as I was to give it a try, the worse that happened is I've put on a bit of weight that I can lose, but it wasn't worth wanting to keep putting on any more for me, for others it might not happen that way, everyone is different.

And I hope no matter what medication people are on that you all find something that works for you and good luck. Thank you for all your help. x