Been prescribed mirtazapine, just looking for some info on it.

[Trampy]

Riiightt, and ello.

Straight to the point.. I've been prescribed Mirtazapine for Depression and anxiety also to help me sleep..

The thing is I've been feeling rather *worried* about taking them due to the weight gain aspect of it..

And because of that I havn't taken any yet..

So wondering if you guys have any tips that'll help me fight the hunger..

And all other info on these other damn side effects would be gooood.

Oh if only there was a miracle pill eh?

[SayItsSo]

Take the pills so ur not so paranoid lols
To fight hunger just drink lots of water...stay hydrated...cut out caffeine.

[tom1]

I would just take one thing at a time. Although the weight-gain side-effect may seem unpleasant and kind of offputting at first, surely it's a worthy compromise to make if it makes you feel better?

Personally speaking, I've had the same dilemma with quite a few medications that I've been on, and to be quite frank, I simply told myself unless the side-effects are disabling, then I need not worry about things such as weight. All I was concerned about is getting well again, and I think that is where you need to place your mind right now.

[ElizabethJane]

I took mirtazapine for a year. It certainly helped with my sleeping in the lower doses of 15mg but not so well at 30mg. It helped with my low mood and paranoia and anxiety. The reason why I came off it was because I had initially put on a stone and a half in weight. Eighteen months later and I'm still a stone over weight. Before this I was of normal weight. It will be difficult for you to resist carbs and sweet things. Mirtazapine was initially used as an appetite stimulant for anorexics. Saying all that it did help with my anxiety and depression but I could not lose weight whilst on it. Hopefully things will turn out differently for you.

[Trampy]

Ahhhh weight gain D:

[CJH86]

Trampy, am interested to know how you are getting on with these? Ive just been prescribed mirtazapine too for PD and chronic insomnia......very scared of trying it as have had some horrific reactions to meds before! :scared15:

Also very worried about weight gain as i have a dodgy thyroid and have to work annoyingly hard to mantain a healthy weight as it is!!!!:blush:

[Trampy]

Amazingly.. I havn't been feeling any hungrier than before, I havn't really noticed any effects other than it making me dizzy.

Not really helping with the insomnia either.. so that's not too great.

[CJH86]

Thats good to hear its not making you eat more :). I dont know about you, but if i gain weight i really do react badly.

Are you taking 15mg or 30mg out of interest? because at 30mg the noradrenergic effects tend to overide the sedative effects unfortunately.

Im not sure it'll help me sleep either though, as not even a full whack of temazepam does at the moment. Got a lot riding on this drug as am running out of options left :scared15:

[Trampy]

I'm on 15mg.. and oh god I'm thinking im getting the side effect of restless leg syndrome.. feels so weird

[CJH86]

Thats apparently quite an unusual side effect in the scheme of things....either 1 in 100 or 1 in 1000 people i seem to remember reading. Strange tho as so many people who have taken mirtazepine for anxiety have told me they have had this side effect.....however i'd say those of us who are anxious are maybe more prone to the restless leg syndrome (amongst other things) anyway:blush:!

I still have not started taking mine...im eeking out the last of my benzos as i am properly terrified of taking the damn things for the first time - my doc will not be best pleased when i see her next week!!!

[Janice Ellis]

I took Mirtazapine( (http://www.prescriptiondrug-info.com/Drugs/Mirtazapine.asp) Remeron) (http://www.prescriptiondrug-info.com/Drugs/Remeron.asp) for two years. During that time my weight increased by 28 pounds, my urge to eat was insatiable and I became suicidal. My moods were not lightened in any way and I suffered weird trembling of my muscles in bed at night. I looked on the internet and found lots of conversations like this from people saying they'd gained loads of weight and were still feeling depressed or even suicidal. I decided independently of my doctor that this medication was doing me no good. I told him I was feeling fine and dandy now and believed I could come off it. He allowed me to reduce the dose over 3 months and finally stop. I replaced it with excercise and meditation. I've lost all the weight and I'm not depressed. I feel much happier than before I was prescribed it and I'm very grateful that I read reports from ordinary people on sites like this.I cope with the small everyday things that get me down much better than I did when I was taking it. It made me feel much worse and made me so irritable that I was getting angry at any tiny little thing and being terribly offensive to my friends and family. I was also very fat and suicidal!

[Trampy]

I'm actually doing ok on it, apart from the occasional restless leg..

And i'm not really anymore hungrier.

Go me?

[Rachel_123]

zispin makes me feel SO hungry! initially, i didn't read the side effects as i thought it would be the cleverer thing to do - but i noticed weight gain after 2 months on them. being 5"2 and very small, it is very noticable, but oh well, i suppose a little fattening up couldnt hurt me!