changing to mirtazapine worries

[stevebain]

I have currently been on citalopram on and off for nearly 4 years now 20mg until a month ago and needed to be uped to 40mg as losing control literally..
doctors have now changed my medication to mirtazapine 30mg TODAY and start them tonight, i am very worried of affects any info and help would be grateful..

[oliverb]

Expect to sleep at lot in the first couple of weeks. You might feel unusually peckish too - try not to eat too much sugar and carbs or you'll soon gain weight. Other than that, the side effects of mirtazapine are pretty benign compared to SSRI antidepressants. They are to me, anyway. I had a very bad time on citilopram, but not nearly as bad on mirt.

[Danath]

I found taking mirtazapine to be quite pleasant to be honest, they didnt have a negative effect on sex drive for me, and boy did I like to sleep when I was on them, you will probably sleep well on them tonight, the only strange thing I had on the first few nights of taking them was they make your limbs feel quite 'leaden' and heavy, but its not a particularly unpleasant feeling, and you don't notice it if you're lying down going to sleep as you probably will on mirtazapine, the only other thing I noticed on them was that I had a major appetite increase, so if you have had a reduced desire to eat then they'll make you want to start eating again for sure. I felt a breif positive effect on my anxiety and depression after a short time of being on them(couple of weeks i think?) However I don't think the tablets stopped working because they were no good, but beause i was nullifying any positive effect from them with the amount I was drinking at that time.

all in all they were quite good I thought. Hope this helps.

Dan

[ElizabethJane]

Hi I have been taking mirtazapine 30mg and lithium carbonate 1,000mg for just over a month now. I was prescribed mirtazapine as an add on anti depressant last year. It works well but I have noticed low mood in the mornings as well as increased irritability. It works well as an anti depressant. I put on a lot of weight with mirtazapine which I lost but am increasingly aware of weight gain this time. I have had problems coming off mirtazapine with severe panic attacks and anxiety so I dont look foward to that. I also have had very bad vivid nightmares but not every night. It is an anti depressant that has worked for me with fewer side effects than some of the others I have tried.

[KK77]

Hi I have been taking mirtazapine 30mg and lithium carbonate 1,000mg for just over a month now. I was prescribed mirtazapine as an add on anti depressant last year. It works well but I have noticed low mood in the mornings as well as increased irritability. It works well as an anti depressant. I put on a lot of weight with mirtazapine which I lost but am increasingly aware of weight gain this time. I have had problems coming off mirtazapine with severe panic attacks and anxiety so I dont look foward to that. I also have had very bad vivid nightmares but not every night. It is an anti depressant that has worked for me with fewer side effects than some of the others I have tried.

I think mirtazapine is a very good med and I would have stayed on it but I was rapidly gaining weight so my doc stopped it and changed it to sertraline.

It's good to hear that you're a bit better Elizabeth. It must have been
difficult coming off the dosulepin after so many years...

Wish you well.