15mg-30mg mirtazipine

[JT69]

Hi would love to hear anyones experiences of going from 15mg to 30mg of mirtazipine. I have been on 15mg for 3 weeks now and seem to have settled down on it. I am due at the GP's Friday and then hope to have 2 more weeks off before returning to work and wondered if I will need to increase my dose what I can expect???? Jo.

[ElizabethJane]

Hi Jo you might find the transition relatively easy. It depends on your sensitivity to anti depressants. 15mg is a relatively low dose. 30-45mg being a 'therapeutic dose' If you experienced side effects when you first went onto mirtazapine then you might experience them again. This time I went straight in on 30mg then upped to 45mg after Christmas. My biggest fear for not going to the higher dose before Christmas was the sedative effect. It did not happen infact I feel less sedated on 45mg than I felt on 30mg. Mirtazapine is relatively 'clean' in that respect. I took dothiepin for sixteen years and it was only when I came off it that I realised how 'sedated' I had been. I did have some odd side effects increasing to 45mg namely nightmares and hallucinations. I might have experienced them if I hadn't been taking mirtazapine. In conclusion we are all different and our repsonses to the drug will be unique to us as individuals. I'm sure your transition will be a smooth one. Keep a diary of any unwanted side effects and report them to your GP. Best wishes. EJ.

[Redrainbow]

Hi,,,Dont worry about the higher doses, i went from citalopram 20mg, to mirtazapine 15mg, then 30 mg mitz, now i'm on 45mg mirtazapine,,sure it can space you out a little but on the whole you have nothing to worry about, on top of that i take Zopiclone too. Seriously you have nothing to worry about. The worst my meds to to me is make me feel drunk then very tired. Anyway your Dr can always change your meds if they don't work. Hope this is of some help to you.

[JT69]

Hi Thankyou for your posts. Not sure what to do. Will discuss with GP Friday. I did think 15mg was a low dose so I wonder if he will want to increase me to 30mg.

ElizabethJane Did you notice much of a change in the increase appetite at 30mg?? Or will that remain the same do you think?? I am trying to keep under control with excercise and watching what I eat (easier said than done but I try) and apart from evenings I dont really seem to be much more hungrier now, I was at first when I took the med, seems to have settled a little now.

Redrainbow How long was you on 15mg mirt for before going to 30mg? I went from 40mg citalopram to 15mg mirtazipine, was very spaced out and heavy feeling for first two weeks. I also suffered withdrawal from cit (zaps) very troublesome but just about gone now. I have been on mirtazipine just over 3 weeks now. Most days good but odd down day. JO.

[ElizabethJane]

Hi Jo I did not notice any change in my appetite on 30mg. I was put on 30mg as a starting dose. I can't remember but I was also withdrawing from dothiepin at this time. My weight initially went up by about 4lbs then stabilised at a healthly weight for my height. I am back on the diet as I am slightly over my goal again by 4lbs! My body was used to the mirt and I knew what to expect. I was already at my goal weight and this apart from the initial blip was far easy to maintain. I have less incentive to lose at the moment but I'm getting there. I'm sure you'll be ok if you exercise and eat healthily. Just dont over do the exercise that is all!!

[kate89]

hiya im new to this site and i suffer from anxiety and panic attacks my doctor put me on mitrazapine 30mg on friday but i havent took them yet as im scared of the side affects as ive been on dosulepin and citalopram and i didnt like the feelings off them i just wanted to no what mitrazapine make you feel like when you take them :scared15:

[JT69]

Hi I have been taking 15mg mirtazipine for 3 and half weeks now, previously being on 40mg of citalopram. I suffered with both withdrawal from the citalopram (which was zaps through my body) and side effects of the mirtazipine was a heavy tired feeling, almost like you are drunk pretty much most of the day at first but it does wear off after time. 3 and half weeks in I get the odd day that I still feel sleepy but mostly that has disappeared, and the zaps have completely gone now. You will notice an increase in appetite too (weight gain is one of the most common side effects). Good luck with them. There are quite a few others on this site taking this medication so hopefully you should get alot of advise. Jo.

[JT69]

Hi After having 4 successfull good days running I have now had 4 pretty bad days. When I saw my GP on Monday he said he wanted me to stay on 15mg dose....I am beginning to wonder if he is right?? I wake up and just feel so "down" and everything I normally enjoy doing feels 'horrilbe'. It's almost like your whole mind has gone bad!!! I just hope tommorow is brighter. Finding it really hard at the moment. The fact that even though I daren't get weighed I know by my clothes I have put weight on is not helping either. JO.

[JT69]

Hi, Went back to the GP this morning as the "bad mornings" have continued. He has said to up my dose to 30mg from tonight. I am really scared. I know I have to do it to help me continue to get better but I am so frightened of the sleepiness and the spaced out feeling. He said 15mg was a low dose and that 30mg will really make a difference. I so hope he is right. I have nothing on until Tuesday when I have to attend a funeral so gives me 4 nights to hopefully get used to it and I supose on the positive side at least the side effects from citalopram wont be there this time...but am still scared...... any words of encouragement would be greatly received. Thankyou. JO.

[ElizabethJane]

If you are at home during the day then I would give in to the tiredness at least in the first few days if you experience it. You might find that you are fine. When I first went onto mirtazapine I was still working and it was very hard trying to cope. If you are at home then take advantage of it. Those feelings will soon pass. The 'spaced out' feeling is unpleasant and I haven't really any tips on how to get through it. Try to be around people and if you do think that you are 'drifting off' then let someone know. There are always people online who will be available to chat.

[smudger]

Hi Jo. Glad went to see the doc. Don't forget I'm always here for a chat if you need to. I've read many times higher doses are less of a sedative so thats a plus. I'm sure there are lots of people that can give you advice along the way so keep posting won't you? Let us know day by day how you are feeling. Its certainly worth giving 30mg a try with the way you are feeling in the mornings...so go for it with knobs on!:bighug1:

[JT69]

Thanks Lynne, you are a kind and caring person...glad I met you.:)xx

[JT69]

Morning, Well I took 30mg first time last night....woke up bit later than usual, didn't feel I slept as well last night as kept waking but was able to go straight off again. Feel the same "down" "everything is horrible" feelings again this morning. Feel bit spaced out and heavy from the increase in dose but nowhere near as bad as I did when I first started taking it. Got a bit of a headache too so will have to take something for that soon if it doesnt go. Decided I will go with the feeling over the next couple of days rather than fight it. I have no treadmill so cant go on that again until new one comes next Tuesday. That would probably have taken these feelings away, so its a shame, but hey only a few more days. I wonder how long I am going to wake up feeling horrible though, its not nice at all!!!:weep: Jo.xx

[Redrainbow]

Hi JT,
I was on 15mg mirtazipine for about 6 weeks,,,then Dr put me up to 30mg, was on that for about 5 weeks roughly, then he put me on 45mg of mirtazipine been on that nearly a month now. It can have different effects person to person so the doc tells me. But like i say, don't worry about getting your meds upped because if it does not suit you he can always lower the dose. and yes i get off days too,,,
Regards Wayne,

[JT69]

Hi Wayne, Thanks for replying. Would you mind describing how you felt when you went up in doses? Were you able to carry on working etc. I have found that when I wake my depression is there (I feel down and everything I usually like feels horrible), I then spend the morning "fighting it off" trying to distract myself and then find the afternoons and evenings are the best for me. When I first changed to the mirtazipine (I have taken ad's on and off for the past 11 years now, previously prozac in the beginning, followed by dothiepin and then citalopram which had been the most sucessful up until now), the first 2-3 weeks were awful, felt spaced out, heavy, tired and just didnt have any get up and go. I then had 4 fantastic days where I actually felt "normal", then I started to wake up feeling as I described earlier, hence the GP upping my dose to 30mg. I actually think that when I return to work (I have been off since end October) I will improve but its just the thought of it, I just hope I can cope. I am only going back 3 hrs a day and gradually building up to full-time again, I have 2 more weeks before then. Sorry I have just rambled on and on telling you my whole history, but would love to hear about your journey if you have the time. Thanks for reading. Jo.

[Redrainbow]

Hello Jo,
No,,,your not rambling on, it can be a bit scary at first when you start on these drugs and when the dose gets upped too, i know that because i felt the same. The higher doses can effect you for the first day or two, personaly the efffects i notice are they make me drousy sometimes but not sleepy, if that makes sense, a little thick-headed too. But i don't think the upped dose will have any major effect on you, it hasn'y me,,,yet!!!! lol. I am still able to work but the drousyness can cause problems so you have to be carefull!!! Some days it's worse than others, but it may well be different for you as people react differently.
It's best to talk about these things because i know you must be nervous about your doses being raised,,,because i was. If there is anything else you want to know just feel free to ask,,,
Regards Wayne,

[JT69]

Hi Wayne, Thanks so much for your message...made me feel so muc better. Yes I feel drowsy but not sleepy like you say, wierd feeling really and the thick headed makes sense. I supose I am trying to run before I can walk (typical me), just need to go with the feeling a bit more than fight it. It is only day 2 of the higher dose for me, so hopefully when I go back to work in 2 weeks time it shouldn't be so bad. Trouble with me I have already started to think about that and its 2 weeks away...I just make myself worse if you know what I mean...I need to take each day as it comes (easier said that done). Thanks for listening to me, its great when there are others that feel the same to share feelings with. Jo.

[Redrainbow]

Hi Jo,
Yes take one day at a time,,because somedays can be a little rough, sometimes it's like you feel drunk!! really! Which is not all bad,,,lol. Yes i can describe the feelings well as i'm going through them too. For what it's worth the drugs do work and will help you,,But,,,best not to go full throttle just at the minute. Yes sometimes at night i get the slurred speech and dodgy typing, but my friends on here know that when that happens,,,Wayne has just taken his meds!!! lol
Do you take yours morning or night,,i take mine at nights about half an hour before bed,,,

[JT69]

Hi Wayne, I take my meds at night....God I wouldn't function at all if I took them in the morning. Usually after about an hour I am zonked. Dont like feeling drunk during the day...dont mind at night cos then I can go to sleep when I want to. Do you drink alcohol with yours?? I like my red wine. Did have one glass last Saturday but was scared how it would effect me so stopped at that. I have just drank 1 and half glasses already (just needed it today)....just hope I dont re-act too much...at least it's Sunday tommorow so wont matter too much. Regards...Jo.

[Redrainbow]

Hi Jo,
No im not meant to drink with mine, and i have been fairly good and don't touch alcohol at all, had a lapse day a few days back got drunk, had a bad head for about the next three days,lol. Every now and then though it gets to you,right,,so you need a little tonic,,,well that's my excuse anyway,,
No believe it or not some people do take there Mirtazapine in the morning!!! But i like you take it before bed,,,much safer bet...

[JT69]

Hi Wayne, do you notice if you have a racing pulse at all with mirtazipine? I spoke to my GP about it and he just told me to take propananol (he prescibed it a while ago for me), have found I have been suffering with fast heart beat for a few days now, it gets worse when I am pushing myself when feeling tired/no energy etc. Just wondered if you had had it at all?? JO.