Worried about mirtazapine

[sjr]

Hi all,
Have been taking these tablets for a few days now. I'm on 30mg at night and am worried cos once I'm asleep, it's like I'm completely knocked out and I don't hear our baby crying. My poor husband is wrecked from getting up all during the night to give him his soother. Was just wondering if these tablets will continue to have this effect on me and, is it true that I'll put on loads of weight while on them?

[smudger]

Hi. Sleepy effects will wear off but it is different for everybody. They are a bit like a sedative unfortunately. I feel drowsy in the mornings when I wake at 7am n the effect lasts til bout 9.30 to 10ish. I have to fight it. I started on them just before xmas and unfortunately have put 10 pounds in weight on! They make some people crave sweet or just generally hungrier. What goes in will stay in so the answer is to eat properly and exercise so you don't gain weight. Don't give in to overeating. Bit late for me though but I'm working on getting it off now! Good luck.:hugs:

[sjr]

Thanks for sharing your experience with me. Really can't afford to gain any more weight and if I do I'll be even more depressed. Gonna ask my doc for something else. Wish there was a magic potion to get rid of these horrible illnesses !!!!

[pacman]

Hi SJR,
the tiredness wore off for me after about a week. I was taking them really early 8.30pm but am taking it just before lights out at 10.30ish now. The sedative effect is wonderful, once you have it under control, and its not making you groggy in the mornings.

I think with all medication its worth sticking with it for a while so you can see some benefit, i remember that during the first week i was going to stop as it seemed to make the feelings worse for me.

6 weeks in and I can see some benefits, mood has lifted and anxiety is way less than i was experiancing.

You probably will, much like many others here including myself, feel more hungry. Its an odd feeling to explain but I have been over eating for quite a while now. Best advice to offer is to not have anything in the house to tempt you and just try and eat healthy foods.

Good luck with it, you will notice a difference, keep up the good work

[JT69]

Hi SJR I have been taking these tablets for a week now and the drowsiness is starting to wear off earlier in the day. The first night I took them I slept for around 14 hours. I find when I take the tablet (I am on 15ml) about half an hour later am ready for bed can hardly keep my eyes open. I have found my appetite has increased but this is mostly in the afternoon and evening, I find I dont feel like eating until afternoon anyhow. I dont want to put weight on either as I am already overweight but my husband has bought me a treadmill and I am going on that daily to help with the depression/anxiety and also to help keep the weight off. I am TRYING to eat healthier but that is easier said than done at the moment as I am off work due to the illness. I have tried citalopram in the past sucessfully but it has stopped working for me now. The side effects from citalopram are dreadful and I had to come off them in a week so am really suffering with that on top of everything else. If you are aware of the side effects at least you can do something about it. There are alot of positive comments about mirtazipine on here so try and stick with it rather than having to start all over again. It will be worth it in the end. I already feel a difference the depression has almost lifted and the anxiety is so much better. Good luck and keep posting. Jo.x

[sjr]

Hi JT69. Thanks for your reply. Nearly finished my 1st week on these tablets and today I feel SO tired. I feel as if I've been out on the town all night (I wish). I just wanna sleep but no chance of that just yet. Dunno whether to keep taking these but I suppose I should give them a chance to work. Still, the weight gain would be a right pain !!! I've a wedding to go to in April and really wanted to be thinner so I could wear a nice dress. I'll see how things go. Best of luck on the treadmill - it can be so boring after a while and I find that I feel better after a good brisk walk outdoors !!!!

[ElizabethJane]

Hi again. These are my opinions and do not represent those of a health professional. Mirtazapine will take beween two to four weeks to kick into your system and for you to feel any lasting benefit from it. The tiredness/drowsiness/wooziness should start to disappear after week two. If you feel sleepy at the moment then sleep. Pay particular attention if you drive just dont do it if you are sleepy. If you are trying to lose weight for the April wedding then you will probably find it very difficult. When I first went onto mirtazapine I was putting on two or three pounds a week. I felt better came off mirtazapine and lost the weight. When I went back onto the drug last September I was already at goal weight. Initially the weight piled on but now I have plateaued and I seem to be able to maintain a healthy weight. It isn't easy and I exercise and try to eat healthily. I would not reccomend dieting when you first start taking mirtazapine. You have enough to deal with your emotions being all over the place. You will find it easier to diet when you are feeling better. Mirtazapine was also prescribed for anorexics in an attempt to stimulate their appetites. You will probably be craving sweet things and carbohydrates. I would concentrate on feeling well for the wedding and forget about the diet until later.

[JT69]

Hi EJ I am due for a review with my GP on Friday (I will of been on the 15mg 2 weeks then). If he were to increase my dosage to 30mg will i have to go through the drowsiness etc again or will it be easier do you know. i am due to start back to work on 8th March and am worried I will feel drowsy and not be able to get up in the mornings. Having said that if I am feeling o.k then perhaps he will leave me on 15mg. I just wonder going forward if I do need to increase dosage and am back at work how I will cope. I am trying to keep my eating under control but it is really difficult, I just absolutely HAVE to eat thank God its just late afternoon and eves rather than all day. I am excercising daily though so I think this will help and when I do go back to work the distraction should help too, and the warmer weather (when it comes) thats what I keep telling myself anyhow. eek!!! Jo.

[JT69]

Hi sjr did you start on 30mg?? How are you feeling now?? Do you feel you are benefiting from the medication?? JO.