Afraid, prescribed 15mg Mirt

[SadBear]

Hello,

From the South East of England, lost my Mum to cancer very recently which has started the insomnia but recently, things have been getting too much... I can no longer use common sense, logic or reasoning... I lose it. Prior to my Mums passing I had social problems, I started becoming reclusive... I'm in IT, I thought it came with the territory.

I have been given Zopiclone which just made me feel like i'd been out drinking, I had something similar to diazapam (can't remember the name) which... sort of worked, but because it's seeming to be longer term (3 months really bad), 15 years of poor sleeping in general and now with the added... edginess, I feel like something bad is always around the corner and obviously very sad, my beautiful Mum died - my only real friend who understood me.

I've read it can 'zone' people out, loss of emotion and weight gain (something I don't need any more of). Is this a long term solution, I want to feel better but I don't want to become another... zombie - apologies for the use of the word, but it can really be like that.

Does this mean I'm depressed?

[Gaz]

Hi there

I've been diagnosed with depression nearly 4 weeks ago and I had virtually the same symptons what you appear to have,edginess,impending doom,no sleep.....etc etc.

Compared to what i was like in the first few weeks I'm alot better now with virtually no neg thoughts but I know I'm not 100% yet,but you DO start to feel better,so keep calm and things WILL start to improve. With this illness though it does need time.

Onwards and Upwards :yesyes:

Gary

[SadBear]

Day 2, I feel totally headachey (like pressure in my skull). I feel a bit numb, I think that's the best way of explaining. More worryingly I feel like I'm a step back from everything going on around me.

[Gaz]

Day 2, I feel totally headachey (like pressure in my skull). I feel a bit numb, I think that's the best way of explaining. More worryingly I feel like I'm a step back from everything going on around me.

That sounds like disassociation.To me it felt like everything wasn't real and I was looking at life through someone elses eyes,still get it now every now and then but it'll pass.You just have to wait for your body to get used to the mirtz.

[SadBear]

Did anyone notice in the early days... a bit more anger?

My temper has been bad, it's now even worse.

[JT69]

Hi Sadbear,

I have been on mirtazipine for 6 months now...am presently weaning off as am feeling much better.

Yes I did find the anger at the start of taking it and I did gain alot of weight (hence am coming off) but having said all that it was a brilliant drug and got me in a much better place than I was and back to work after being off for 5 months with depression/anxiety.

Stick with it and you will benefit.

Good luck with it.
Jo.xx

[floundering]

Hi JT69, Gaz and SadBear.

I have very similar issues to you SadBear. I lost my Dad 3 months ago but the insomnia, the grief and my social issues caught up with me big-time at work last Thursday morning, and I ended up going to the doctor's for something to help me a) to get some sleep and b) to cope with the depression. I too am on Zopiclone, which weren't much really effective for me.
Since my 'meltdown' last Thursday, I've been taking 15mg Mirtazapine, and they have helped me sleep. Whether that's through the combined effect of both drugs, or solely the Mirtazapine, I know not. But I have had a 'blocked' feeling in my sinuses since Sunday, which is uncomfortable. Anybody else had this side-effect ?

JT69, your post gave me hope that it should be worth sticking with this drug. I know drugs are only part of the answer, but if a person can't sleep it affects every aspect of the daily lives.

Gaz, am I right in my reading of your post, that it took your body three to four weeks of taking Mirtazapine to adjust / get the maximum benefit from taking it ? This 'blocked sinus' feeling I have will be worth putting up with in the short-term if I can get anything close to the benefits you describe in the end.

Any replies would be much appreciated

Simon.

[Gaz]

Hi Simon

It was in the 2nd week that I suddenly felt 'normal' but looking back now I'm in my 5th week I still wasn't right.Whereas now I'm feeling a whole lot better.

Everyones chemistry is different the way they react to the AD's,where you get better sleep with the mirtz I'm still having problems with my sleep but its gradually getting better.

Onwards and Upwards :yesyes:

[ElizabethJane]

Hi all. I have been taking mirtazapine for about eighteen months now and 45mg since last January. My experience is fairly typical of someone starting mirtazapine. I started off with very low mood, sleep problems, paranoia. All these were helped considerably with the mirt. I hoped to reduce to 30mg recently but my psychiatrist and GP agree that now is not the right time to do that. 15mg is a fairly low dose but I think that is what I started on. This was slowly increased to 45mg. As I have a diagnosis of severe reccurrent depression ( currently well) my doctors are understandably cautious with my meds. I am on lithium as well and I find the combination very good for my illness. I will always need to be on some kind of med and I have accepted that. Mirtazapine has been one of the better anti ds for me and once I got used to it no sedation or sexual dysfunction unlike other ssris. Mirtazapine is an snri. I have suffered the inevitable weight gain which I am trying to address. Mirtazapine is essentially an anti depressant and if it is being used primarily to help you sleep then I guess your GP will stick to the lower doses. It is not sedating in the higher doses. Sorry if I am repeating myself. EJ.