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Mirt Diary
Hi,
As these sort of things help me, I thought I would do one. Any comments, support, advice etc gratefully received.
Brief background: 38 year old male - struggled with GAD/Social anxiety and depression all my life. Never as extreme as some of you on here, and I have never been hospitalised or anything for it, but it has been very tough at times. I was on Prozac twice - once for 5 years and once, after a couple of year's break, for 6 years. Never had much in the way of issues coming off and on - some mild side effects, but nothing unbearable. Came off Prozac in August 2016 as felt I was doing ok (classic mistake). In Feb 2017 I accepted the fact that I was not coping well (particularly with anxiety) and decided to go back on Prozac. Unfortunately my body decided not to allow that and went nuts - massively increased anxiety, uncontrollable shaking, insomnia etc etc. So got switched to Citalopram, and that was just as horrible. After about 6 months of all this, I decided to come off everything as the side effects were just getting worse. Used exercise and meditation etc and managed eventually to get myself to the point where I was operating at about 6 out of 10 on a daily basis.
But I also found that this daily struggle to maintain that not-that-great state was starting to increase the depression...And I started to get increased insomnia etc - probably slept an average of 4-5 hours for the past year, and in April and May this year it was probably about 2-3.
So in the end I decided to try something else. My mum is on Mirtazapine and it seems to work ok for her, so I thought I would give it a try. If it works for me, I plan on staying on it long term at as low a dose as possible. I am aware of the weight gain potential, but I am in decent shape and am hopeful that regular exercise and keeping an eye on my intake will help keep it down.
Day 1
15mg taken at 9.30pm. It did not seem to knock me out like it did for some. I was still awake at 11am and, when I finally slept my sleep was very broken (thought I partly blame my 6 year old son who came in because he had a bad dream!).
Day 2
Woke at about 8-9am and dozed a bit. Felt very groggy and fuzzy - very sleepy and out of it/detached. No real anxiety or anything though. Feels like I have taken a Nytol or Night Nurse during the day and am trying to stay awake. Almost like being a little stoned too. Strange sensation when I had to run at one point like little rushes of electricity up from my feet through my legs from the impact when they hit the ground. Very odd. Not particularly unpleasant, just odd.
I went for a decent walk to get out of the house. A bit low in the evening, but not too bad.
15mg taken at 9.15pm.
A bit of restless legs when trying to get to sleep (which was something I also had on the prozac) - again did not pass out or anything, but probably fell asleep around 11pm and seemed to sleep through with only some minor wake-ups. Seem to remember by dreams more than usual (I rarely remember them at all usually).
Day 3
Woke around 8-9 again - felt ok. Still a bit groggy/fuzzy, but less than yesterday. Very mild headache and slight ringing in ears, but otherwise fine. No real anxiety or depression. I tried thinking about things that normally make me anxious, and it was almost as though they were further away somehow - somewhere lower down - and could not get the traction they needed to ramp up and get going.
I was almost a little hyper at certain points - though that may be more to do with having had some sleep at last and being cautiously optimistic about these meds.
I had a party in the evening for my mother-in-law's birthday - though I did not drink - I was able to engage and talk to people etc
Pill taken at 9.45 while still at the party - I started to feel a little odd by around 10.30 so went home (felt like I was slightly slurring my words etc).
Some mild restless legs in bed, but seemed to fall asleep relatively quickly.
Day 4
Bad nights sleep due to son waking up multiple times, but I managed to fall back asleep each time (which I would not have been able to do previously). Felt quite low and depressed - negative thoughts (but not as bad as many times in the past) - sluggish and foggy and groggy. However, again, the fog was not quite as bad as the day before.
Pill taken at 9pm.
Restless legs from around 10-11pm when trying to sleep, but eventually I fell asleep and slept through. Again, I could remember my dreams and they seemed more vivid.
Day 5
Woke around 7am by my alarm as I am back at work today and had to take my son to school. Felt ok - no anxiety and no real depression - still a bit groggy and still have that strange feeling in my head - almost like my centre of balance is slightly off. If I move my head quickly from side to side it makes me dizzy and it almost feels like I can actually feel my brain sliding around in my skull.
However - while this is all weird, it is not that unpleasant. And compared to anxiety it is a walk in the park.
I know that it is very early days and things could go rapidly downhill, but I am hopefully that if the grogginess etc keeps fading, this could work.
I am at work right now so keeping my finger's crossed all goes fine. I am a lawyer so attention to detail is important, which means I will just have to triple check everything today as I am sure I am not totally with it!
Slightly upset stomach.
Also some slight anxiety/fear rising a little this morning. Almost like I felt it, and then got frightened that I was feeling it which meant these drugs were not going to work and I would be back to square 1 etc...silly I know, particularly as it is early days. But certainly feeling a little fearful.
Anxiety increased by mid-morning - not feeling good at all - it may be in part because I am at work, and things are a little slow today so I don't have much to do but sit at my desk and fester. But I am feeling pretty anxious and the addition of the dizzy/grogginess and strange head sensations from the Mirt is making it worse as I am anxious about those too.
Felt a bit better as day went on - less groggy and less anxious
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Re: Mirt Diary
Carrying on day 5:
Got upset stomach around 4pm, but was ok emotionally and physically in the evening.
Pill taken at 9pm - took until about midnight to fall asleep and had some heartburn
Day 6
Woke around 7am
Less groggy but emotionally low - however I felt a lot better as the day went on (particularly after going to the gym) - no anxiety and mood much better in the afternoon and evening. Slight headache and a little dizzy when standing up at times
Pill at 9pm
no restless legs, but took a while to fall asleep
Day 7
Slept until 7am with a few wakes in the night - bit groggy, but less so than previous. Still a little light headed. Mood fine. Slightly upset stomach, but I had IBS in the morning prior to taking pill.
Seem to have put on about 2lbs already - I can see why, as it is very easy to snack and overeat. I don't seem to feel full/satisfied quite as quickly. However, this is easy to manage it I keep an eye on it.
Am at work now writing this and feel about relatively Ok with it. Still feel like if I close my eyes I could easily fall asleep though
Felt better as day went on - positive and good mood in afternoon with no anxiety. Maybe a little groggy, but nothing important. Still a little concerned about the weight gain point, but will try and keep regularly exercising and keeping control of the snacking. At the end of the day I would rather be a couple of pounds overweight and happy, instead of skinny, anxious and depressed! (but that is easier for me to say as a guy (and one who is already happily married with kids etc so not having to date and all the rest!) )
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Re: Mirt Diary
Hi Jomo,
I am following your diary and wish you the best with this medication. I took it for approximately a year about five years ago. I seem to be very sensitive to medications, but I got on quite well with this one. The only problem I had, (apart from the start up groggy feelings) was that at the 9 month mark I started to experience flu like symptoms. I tapered down and they disappeared, then tried reintroducing the mirt a couple of times and got the same issues. I eventually came off it altogether, but at that time I was ready to do so. I think I got a rare side effect called agranulocytosis which means that your white blood cells are affected which can affect your immune system. I must stress that's a very rare side effect.
I've looked up some of your previous posts and like you I've been rocking in the boat about starting a antidepressant again. Some days I feel fine and feel I can hack it without them, but I feel I'm going through too many days when my anxiety hits the roof, I end up not being able to sleep, take half a zopiclone and feel depressed and ten times worse the next day. It's a vicious cycle.
If I start on a med I feel I will need to start on it long term. I would like to try mirtazapine again but am fearful that eventually after several months I will get that same side effect again and then what? I cannot tolerate the SSRIs as they are too stimulating. Anyway that's my problem.
Wishing you the very best.
Belle
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Re: Mirt Diary
Thanks Belle - yeah, I am similar to you I think re SSRIs. If this works for me I plan on being on it long term. But it is a little scary to think that I could be doing fine on something and then, after 9 months or so, have something crop up like you did. But I have to try and not worry about it! I am hoping I can stay on 15mg rather than go up. If that is the case then hopefully the taper off will not be too bad if I have to come off it. Were you on 30mg in the end? How long did you taper for, and was it ok?
Re being on meds in general. It is a really hard decision to make. And you have no idea what the outcome will be of your decision. But I guess it reaches a point when the feeling of not being on them is worse than the potential risk of the side-effects of trying something new....
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Re: Mirt Diary
Hi Jomo,
I was on 15mg. I tried 30mg for a very short while, but it proved too stimulating causing restless legs and affecting my sleep. For me 15 was my therapeutic dose.
I tapered for approximately two weeks and had hardly any problems, the odd sleepless night which I expected, but that was all.
Yes, I agree you have to reach a point where you almost have no alternative but to take medication or go on feeling grim for days at a time and taking the risk the toll that would take on your physical and mental health. So it's always a risk either way. I sometimes think I just want to be like other people who don't have to take anything and just get on with it, but some of us need the medication to just reach that level playing field that every one else functions on.
Take care now and have a nice evening :)
p.s There used to be a very nice member here who went by the name of Ingenious. He's not around any longer, but his posts are still here if want to look them up. He was on Mirtazapine and I always found his posts very helpful and positive.
Belle
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Re: Mirt Diary
Thanks Belle - and completely agree.
Day 8
Pill at around 9pm, asleep by around 11. Woke at 3am but went back to sleep fine.
A little tired this morning, but not that groggy.
Finding I was getting a little obsessed about the possible weight gain etc, so need to just get better at not catastrophising. Still the odd headache etc, but nothing that bad.
Mood fine
Ok until the evening when had a little panic/anxiety/guilt/obsessive thinking episode. Not that bad, and did not escalate into anything really unpleasant. But was a reminded that it is still early days and I still need to keep working on all this stuff with CBT etc
Pill at 9pm
Took a while to fall asleep again - maybe about midnight
Day 9
Got woken by my son at 4am as he could not sleep and took an hour or so to get him back sleeping, by which time it was light outside and I could not fall asleep again. Up at 7am for work. So feeling very tired today, but that is not the pill's fault. Slight headache and upset stomach etc, but again that may be more due to lack of sleep. Mood ok so far.
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Re: Mirt Diary
I am not going to keep doing this day by day, in part because one of my anxiety issues is constantly obsessing about symptoms etc.
But is all still going well - not really groggy any more in the mornings, no real side effects noticeable at present. Certainly feel an uplift to my mood - much less anxious and much less depressed. Also seems to be having a positive effect on my IBS, as I no longer suffer from morning diarrhoea etc
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Re: Mirt Diary
My first thoughts on Mirt was I'm not sure I can handle the groggy feeling it gave me next day but that went in a week and a year and a half on I find it very helpful and my anxiety and H/A is so much better, not gone but better.
I hope you find it as helpful as I have but stick with the CBT as that helped me also. I do have abit of trouble with eating about an hour after taking Mirt and have put on some weight but that is the last of my worries at least I know I can get rid of the fat it's the anxiety that causes me to get depressed and life isn't so bad since I have been on the Mirt.
Stick with it
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Re: Mirt Diary
On day 13 now - having a strange spike in anxiety today. Not sure of the reason or source, but certainly feeling all the old anxious symptoms - jittery, hear pounding, hard to swallow, shaky etc. Hoping this is just a temporary blip - I am not even two weeks in so must be patient.
Still feeling a bit dizzy/groggy from time to time, and still getting restless legs at night about an hour after taking it, though they are gone after about an hour.
Finding my body takes longer to recover after the gym - my legs are still sore from exercise i did a couple of days ago that usually would not cause me much problem.
Other than that, in general mood is still good. Sleep is ok - better than it was off the meds anyway - still takes an hour or two to fall asleep, but I seem to be able to get back to sleep much easier if I wake in the night.
Oh, and I also seem to be getting heartburn more than usual, which may be mirt related?
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Re: Mirt Diary
Day 15 - feeling very good today. Slept well (apparently at one point my wife says I was smiling in my sleep - which compared to my previous insomnia/nightmares when sleeping issues, is a pretty good sign!)
Interestingly about 45min-1hr after I take the pill in the evening I get restless legs for about an hour, then they go. For this reason I have started taking it a little earlier (about 8.30) so the legs will calm down by the time I need to sleep.
In general, after being on it for 2 weeks, things are much much better. I have gone from getting only a couple of hours sleep a night and having anxiety, shakes, obsessive thinking, depression and all the rest (managed through exercise and meditation to mean I was averaging about 5-6 out of 10 a day) to falling asleep within about 30min-1hr and sleeping through until about 6.30-7am (or falling back asleep easily when I wake up), and having minimal anxiety and depression. Some days are worse than others (yesterday and the day before were a bit all over the place).
I have put on a bit of weight, and I still feel a little foggy/groggy/dizzy at times. I also get mild headaches from time to time, which feel like they are mirt related. Other than that, the side effects seem to have calmed down.
Finger's crossed I don't get blindsided by something crazy. Hopefully this drug looks like it might be working.
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Re: Mirt Diary
Day 18 - still going well. Tried taking it at 8.30pm last night, and did not have the same restless leg issue and fell asleep pretty quickly at 10.30. Slept through and was woken up by my son at 7am. Groggy when woke up, but it is normal for anyone not on drugs to be groggy when first woken up!
Still some slight dizziness/faint grogginess during the day, and the odd faint headache. Anxiety is much lower than it was, and no real depression issues. Certainly feeling a lot better in general than I was.
I had been having 5am wake-ups and diarrhoea every morning (I have posted about that on here previously), and have not had either since I have been on this med. My IBS in general seems to be a little better.
The impact of this med is relatively mild I think (at this dose) - I am not sure how much help it would be to someone with debilitating anxiety, for example. But for someone with moderate GAD and moderate depression like me (particularly when exacerbated by insomnia), it does seem to be helping.
Of course, regular exercise, meditation and CBT are all playing an important part in that too
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Day 21 - still a bit up and down. Had a bad night on day 20 - could not sleep/kept waking up - ended up taking 1/4 of a zopiclone just to try and get me out.
No major anxiety - just jittery.
Still a little dizzy from time to time and a little groggy occasionally. But in general/on average doing better than I was off the meds.
No real weight gain the last couple of weeks, though I am watching what I eat and exercising regularly.
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Re: Mirt Diary
So - 3 weeks in - in general things are still going well. I would say my base line has just been nudged up a few notches, which makes everything a bit easier to deal with. Obviously this is not some magic pill that will have me skipping down the road filled with joy every second, but it does seem to be helping with sleep and it does seem to be dialling back the anxiety and lifting my mood a little.
Still some odd dizziness and sometimes if I suddenly move my head from side to side I almost feel slightly sea-sick. No real weight gain (maybe a couple of lbs) but I exercise regularly and keep an eye on what I eat, so that may be helping.
But, in general, so far, so good.
Hopefully I will not suddenly start having new side effects, as some have had, later on. Also know about the "poop-out" phenomenon, so we shall see if this keeps working over the next few months.
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Re: Mirt Diary
Day 25 - re weight and some of the horror stories - I have put on maybe 1 or 2lbs, but no more than that so far, and that may well have happened anyway as there have been multiple kids birthday parties in the last few weeks with far too much cake! It certainly seems that the issues relate to feeling a bit hungrier than usual, so I think regular exercising and keeping control of your intake may well help. But I think everyone is different, so I guess it is just a matter of keeping an eye on it and deciding how much you think it matters. How the med effects me is not indicative of how it will affect you.
The morning grogginess is much less now, hardly there at all really. Sleep is still way better than it was before I took the pills, though I took a couple of hours to fall asleep last night and woke up a bunch of times, so feel tried today. However, this was due to the fact that we got some stressful news just before bed, which would make even someone without any mental health issue pretty anxious and not sleep well! I am a bit jittery and anxious today due to that.
Still have the occasional restless legs at night when trying to sleep, but this is manageable.
I am trying to remain positive, and not let myself fall back into any of my old negative thought patterns. One of my big problems was/is obsessive and anxious worrying about how I feel (the old anxiety about anxiety), so I am trying to keep out of that pattern. I am still exercising 3 or 4 times a week, and try to meditate using Headspace most mornings. I also did some CBT so try and keep those techniques in play.
Other than that, things seem to be going ok, and I am going to keep on 15mg and see where I am in the next few weeks. I just have to stop caring so much about silly and entirely unimportant bodily sensations and thoughts!
Hope anyone reading this is feeling well.
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Re: Mirt Diary
Day 32
Had a couple of days of feeling very good - happy - all day. Slept well, no restless legs etc
Not feeling so great today, though that is because things are very stressful at work, so I can't really blame the meds. Had vivid dreams about wife and son and I being held in a prison camp, and trying to escape with them both while wife had gunshot wound in leg and river we had to dive into to reach the boat was polluted, so I was worried about infection...my brain is not very subtle...
Muscles feel a little sore and tired, though that may well be just from the gym. Also feel like I am slightly fighting something - throat feels a bit odd (like the start of sore throat, or like my sinuses have been dripping overnight or something).
Still seem to be very slowly putting on weight - have maybe gained 3lbs since I started. It is hard to tell though as I am going the gym 4 times a week and doing weights etc, so some of that may be muscle. I have no idea.
Of course, my brain is trying to get me worried about all this - that the sore throat is because the meds are lowering my immune system, that the weight gain is going to continue and I will get fat and unhealthy etc and then I will have to come off the meds and have horrible withdrawal and struggle for the rest of my life etc etc etc
Gotta love catastrophizing. Such a helpful pattern ;-)
So am just telling such thoughts to bugger off and trying to get on with my day.
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Day 33
Feeling more sick today - feels like a head cold - sinuses/back of throat feel a little bunged up etc - head feels hot and fuzzy - feel very tired - certainly feels like I am fighting something. Hard to know if this is the meds or if this is just a summer cold/flu I have caught.
Also slightly increased anxiety/obsessing over how I feel etc. Finding myself worrying a bit about these meds, about having to come off if they have bad side effects or dont work etc. How do I know what is the med and what is me?
Sleep is still a lot better - so nice to fall asleep relatively quickly and wake up at the proper time in the morning. Scared if I do have to go off these meds I will lose that.
But also have to remember the good days I had a few days ago. Hopefully all this is just me feeling a bit rubbish from a cold/flu.
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Day 34
Still feeling sick. Sneezing and blocked nose. Head feels bunged up/fuzzy. Hoping this is just a coincidence and not anything to do with the meds. I guess I will give it a week or so and see if I feel any better. If not, maybe it is the meds and I will go to the doc to discuss.
Oh and re the side effects in general - the morning dizziness/grogginess has gone, but I do get very tired around 9pm which is when I usually take the med, so no crazy late nights for me!
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Day 35
Still sick. Yuck.
Had very stressful work ending with a midnight finish and promise of a 6am start the next morning, and was too wired and worked up to fall asleep. Took 1/4 of a tab of zopiclone and fell asleep pretty quickly for 4-5hours and then woke up. I hate taking those things, and very rarely do, but it is good to know that I can take such a small amount for emergencies and get a bit of sleep.
Tired and stressed with work today, and still hoping this is just a summer cold and nothing to do with the meds.
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Re: Mirt Diary
Hope you feel better soon Jomo. Try not to worry that it might be mirtazapine related. I know a couple of people who are not the best at the moment. I think this unrelenting humid weather can cause just as many bugs as cold weather. We need a good shower to clear and clean the atmosphere and the streets! Hang on in there .. this too shall pass.
All the best.
Belle x
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Thanks Belle - I feel very mean partly hoping my wife or son come down with it, but that will help put my fears to rest! I am pretty confident it is just a summer cold, as I hear and see lots of other people suffering. Travelling on the Tube to work every morning means exposure to pretty much every germ out there!
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Re: Mirt Diary
almost 6 weeks now.
There are a few issues:
1. Sweating in the mornings - I had this in Prozac too - I get super sweaty for about an hour maybe an hour or so after waking up. It is worse when it is hot, obviously (like now), but also does not seem to matter much what the temp is. I also seem to sweat more when I work out.
2. Strange peeling skin on my fingers. I think I may have had this very mildly before, but it is getting worse.
3. Irritability. This is my current big concern. I snapped at my wife yesterday, which is very unusual for me. When I spoke to her about it, she said she had notice I was more irritable for the last 5 or so days. I know this can be an issue with Mirt, and it is something I really don't like the idea of. Particularly with a young son, and having suffered from an irritable and aggressive father myself. I have asked her to keep an eye on it for me, and if it gets worse, or continues for another week or so, then I may have to consider coming off the meds. Of course, it may also be that I am stressed with work at present, it is hot, I am still fighting some sort of cold (which may also be the meds...)...I don't know.
4. Sometimes have dry mouth.
5. Sometimes a bit dizzy/weird in the mornings. And an odd slight tension/headache/tightness in my head from time to time
6. Vivid dreams - but this is not really an issue
7. Upset stomach/diarrhoea - this is a difficult one, as I have had IBS for years, and was actually having really bad issues (waking at 5am every day and going to the loo about 4 or 5 times every morning) prior to going on the med. In general it is better - I don't wake at 5am etc - but I still often have upset stomach, particularly in the morning. Again, as I had this before I started Mirt, it is likely nothing to do with it - but it will be interesting to see if it makes the situation worse or better.
Other than that, the big thing this med is doing for me is the sleep. I am getting a good 7-8 hours every night, which makes a big difference. I don't know if it is actually doing that much for my anxiety and depression, it is just that sleeping better makes it all much easier to deal with. Hard to tell. I certainly am feeling jittery and anxious today, but that may be just a little blip. I am a bit trembly too, but used to have that with anxiety, so think it is that rather than the meds.
No more weight gain, for those of you worried about that - I maybe put on a 1lb or 2 right at the beginning, but no more than that.
I guess I keep going and see how I feel this time next week. The scary thing about this med, after I have stupidly read too much online and here about it, is it seems like people are fine for a while and then suddenly things get unpleasant. But by that stage the withdrawal is bad as you have been on so long...This makes me (when I am feeling more anxious) get a bit panicked about whether or not to cut my losses and get out now....Alternatively I could be fine and stay on this for the rest of my life with no issues...Oh well. Guess there is nothing I can do but wait and see....
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Re: Mirt Diary
Anxiousjomo,
I'm new here and because Im in the same boat like you, I decided to write, also I was reading your diary. It 24 days since im on Mirt 15mg...And I have the same concerns about it. What if it doesnt work and the fear about withdrawal.
I was pretty much ok last days, today I felt terrible. Hope this will pass. I cant say if its working, because my anxious and depressed feelings and fears were before meds also coming and going (few days alright, then 2 days or week horrible).
Take care and sorry for my english.
B
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Re: Mirt Diary
Betula,
Thank you - and welcome!
I think the important thing to remember is that our minds can create all sorts of the problems that we fear - and with meds like this it can mean we overreact to "normal" ups and downs, or obsess over things (as I was doing yesterday).
Those of us who struggle with anxiety/depression have a habit of "catastrophising" (meaning, we always go straight to imagining the worst possible outcome..).
I think we both have to give these meds chance to work - it is still early days for both of us. The worst thing that can happen is we have to come off, and so long as we do that slowly and carefully, there should be no problem.
Best of luck to you - and try to just relax and let it be (I need to take my own advice too!)
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Thank you! I think you're right. Im just wondering if 15mg is enough...but of course its to early to say. :)
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Its me again cause im worried. Today I feel really depressed and this crying spells are hard to take..could Mitr cause that, after 25 days on 15 mg?
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I am not sure if it could cause it - certainly I think that in the early days there can be ups and downs like this, and it will take a while to settle.
I am not having a great day today myself - woke very jittery and anxious, bad diarrhoea, finding it hard not to sink into the bad habit of obsessively worrying about how i feel, about the meds etc. Also a bit dizzy/groggy etc and slight headache. But I have to remember that I felt relatively fine yesterday. This too shall pass.
I would say you need to try and give it a few more weeks before making any decisions. It may be you need to go up to 30, or it maybe that the med does not work for you, but I think it is still too early to tell.
Take care of yourself, try to keep yourself busy so that the days pass as quickly as possible.
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Hey, thank you..like I would read myself..Its so strange, I was also feeling well past days, good sleep, normal appetite but constipated..then 2 days ago, suddenly bad feelings, also obssesing about the meds and how I feel, bad sleep and today diarrhoea and all is resulting in fear ..
And becasue of that im wondering is this realy my mental state or meds (I know that's my obssession, cause Im affraid of meds etc,,and would like to be off, but who wouldn't..)
Hope that will pass, for you too!
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Re: Mirt Diary
Nearly 7 weeks now.
Just to update - the skin peeling is fungal, and nothing to do with the meds. I am using hydro cortisone cream and is going away.
Irritability has not been much of an issue the last week. May have been more to do with the hot weather and stressful work.
One thing I forgot to mention, and is definitely the meds, is restless legs at night. These start about an hour or so after taking the pill and last for an hour or two. I was counting it last night and almost exactly every 20 seconds I get a rising up of that really unpleasant sensation (usually only in one leg) that makes me want to move it, then it fades away. Then 20 second pause, then again. Super annoying. I am going to try taking the pill later tonight (i usually take it just before 9pm and go to bed about 10pm) to see if I can fall asleep before the restless legs start. If that does not work, maybe take it earlier to get them out of the way. I had the same problem on Prozac (even though I took that in the morning) and it went away completely when I was off the drugs, so know it is a side effect.
Other than that - still slight tightness/headache and slight groggy feeling in head, but nothing major.
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Re: Mirt Diary
8 weeks: All good. Restless legs happens maybe once or twice a week. Some odd head sensations from time to time, but I am sure that is perfectly normal and it is just that I am more attuned to it.
I still get anxious and I still get depressed, but this has been taken down a few notches to a more manageable level. I made a mistake on Friday at work, which was very stressful to deal with, and I was anxious and down for a couple of days about it, but it never spiralled out into a panic attack or anything like that.
Sleep is still not perfect, but better than it was. My IBS is still pretty much what it was. I have noticed that a lot of my anxious sensations actually start from by gut, and seem to be triggered by my stomach feeling upset/potential diarrhoea, so I am going to try and work on my diet a bit more to see if I can find a way to help the IBS.
Speaking of diets - I have lost most of the weight I put on (I think I put on maybe 4lbs and have lost 2-3lb of that). Seems like keeping an eye on my intake, and exercising regularly helps to stop weight gain. Plus the exercise helps my mental health too, so it is a win/win.
So, at present, no desire to change dose or come off. I would say the 15mg knocks my issues down by about 20% which, luckily for me, is to a level I can cope with.
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Re: Mirt Diary
10 weeks
Have been struggling a bit the last couple of days. I am on holiday at my in-laws house, so am out of my routine and have lots of days of just hanging around.
Felt depressed and anxious for a couple of days now - withdrawn and hard to pull myself out of myself. Anxiety is not that bad, but I do seem to be trembling all the time. Also found myself obsessing over things (including the classic of scaring myself by thinking of suicide and then obsessing over how bad it was I had thought that, and how messed up I must be etc etc...all very silly I know). I am also doing classic catastrophising about the meds and my mental health etc.
I also find it hard to be in the present, and keep thinking about the end of the holiday next week and going back to work etc, and all that comes along with that...whereas I know I should be enjoying each day as it is.
Hopefully this is just all part of the process, and reflective of the change in circumstances while I am here. I suppose I am still only 2 1/2 months in as well, so should expect a few ups and downs, and for the meds to take time to work.
Other than that, regarding side effects - no real change. Still sleeping better, still have occasional restless legs, still feel like it is very easy to put on weight if I let myself go.
It may be that going up to 30mg would have a better effect on the depression and anxiety, but I am very reluctant to do that, both because I am sensitive to meds and can feel that the restless legs/stimulation etc would kick in more, and the sleep help would probably go. Also want to be on as low a dose as possible to make any eventual withdrawal easier. So will stay where I am for now.
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Re: Mirt Diary
I was worried about going up to 30 mg because I'm a terrible insomniac and didn't want to mess with what little sleep I was getting. I tried it, though, because 15 mg wasn't touching the depression (and usually won't at that dose), and I was pleasantly surprised. My sleep is even better on the 30 mg. It seems that dose has regulated my sleep to a more normal pattern. My anxiety also lessened but unfortunately it hasn't completely gone. Still bad in the mornings especially.
I do think, after nearly 3 weeks @ 30 mg, my mood is much improved. I was really hesitant to try the 30 mg but I'm glad I did.
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Re: Mirt Diary
Glad to hear that! I am doing ok - still ups and downs, and also struggling with bad jet lag (8 hours time difference flying east), which is not helping.
At present I have no plans to increase, purely because I know I have a tendency to get obsessive and anxious about taking meds, so don't want to increase the problems.
I tend to experience sensations that I am sure are totally normal, or caused by all sorts of things, and immediately assume they are related to the meds and a sign something terrible is going to happen....
very silly.
Just have to keep telling myself not to worry.
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Re: Mirt Diary
12 Weeks
All good - lost the couple of pounds I gained, so back to the weight I was when I started. No real side effect issues - I am tired, but would be anyway with a busy job, a small child and all the rest! Anxiety and depression are still there - just muted enough to mean that my other techniques (meditation, exercise etc) keep them manageable and much less intrusive.
Still have the odd bad day (or few days), but these have not yet ever got as bad as they did off the meds.
I still worry a bit from time to time about having the drug in my system - what the long term effects are, whether it will stop working, whether my brain is not functioning as well on it etc etc....But I have committed to this route, and I guess I keep going down this road until something happens that is dramatic enough to mean I have to change paths.
To anyone else considering this drug - I would say certainly give it a go, give it time (and expect a few days at the start feeling like you are half asleep all day).
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Re: Mirt Diary
Interestingly had a rough night last night - did not feel that bad but just could not fall asleep at all...was awake for pretty much the whole night. First time that has happened since I started on Mirt. Hope it is not a sign that things are stopping working....To be fair to myself, and the meds, I am in the midst of an incredibly stressful period at work - with a pile of pretty impossible deadlines - so it may be understandable that I am having trouble sleeping...
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Re: Mirt Diary
Had a good night yesterday, and then another bad night last night of about 1hr sleep or so. Partly can blame noisy neighbours having a party, as well as work stress, but am getting a little concerned that the mirt is stopping helping my sleep.
I would be reluctant to go up to 30, not least because when the 15mg is at its highest in my system about an hour after I take the pill, I get restless legs, which suggests to me that if I go up a level, those sort of issues are going to increase.
Anyway. Hopefully this is just a temporary blip. I am not feeling that anxious - though my chest is tight and I am obviously a little stressed, on edge and very very tired....
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Re: Mirt Diary
Well - had magnesium and turmeric before bed, wore and eye mask and ear plugs and slept for a straight 7.5hrs without waking once...So hopefully all is ok
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Re: Mirt Diary
So I had another brutal night last night. I think I maybe got 1hr sleep in total, but maybe not even that. I think the mirt has stopped having its sedative effect. Maybe what is happening is my body is used to that histamine like effect, and now it has worn off, it is like withdrawal? I dont know. But I just could not fall asleep at all.
I took a Valium at about 2.30am to see if that would help, but as usually happens with that med, it just made me depressed and full of suicidal thinking. I need to remember never to take it again...
I don't know what to do. I dont feel that anxious, so don't know if the mirt is still helping with that, but this week I have had brutal insomnia one night, then being so exhausted I pass out the next, then insomnia again. And the insomnia is from 10pm to 7am.
I don't think going up on the dosage is the right idea. It is apparently more activating at the higher dose. Plus, what if it just gives me another 3 months of sleeping ok, then cuts out again, but this time it is even worse because I was on a higher dose?
And I don't think I want to stop taking the med - it does feel like it is helping a bit with the anxiety.
I don't know. I just have to find a way to sleep again. Everything is manageable when I have slept.
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Re: Mirt Diary
More potential issues emerging, which I will ask about in a separate thread. But about a month ago I had severe abdominal pain for about 10hrs, but I put it down to having gone for a run on an empty stomach. Then last night I had really brutal pain, all around my abdomen - very sharp stabbing pain - lasted all night and was getting worse, so went to the hospital at about 6am. They did blood tests and urine tests that came back fine, and the Dr said he could not feel anything wrong etc. They gave me codine but even though only dulled the pain. It is now 12pm and the pain is still there, but dulled a lot, which may be the codine or it may be going away.
My concern is that abdominal pain is one listed side effect of Mirt...
What with this and it no longer helping with sleep (or doing that much for my anxiety and depression), I am starting to think it may not be working for me...
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Re: Mirt Diary
14 weeks
Still struggling with insomnia. Managing a couple of hours sleep a night, which is really taking its toll. I am exhausted and full of anxiety that I know comes primarily from the lack of sleep. Chest tight, body jittery, hard not to obsessively think about how I am feeling and what I am going to do. Hard too not to feel down about the future, and how this is all going to progress.
I think we can safely say that any sleep impact from the Mirt has now gone. It has been about 2 weeks now of insomnia - difficulty falling asleep then, if I do, waking up quite soon afterwards and rinse an repeat. Ranging from no sleep at all, to about 4-5hrs if I am lucky.
With the anxiety, it is hard to tell whether I would be worse if it was not for the mirt, or if it has just stopped working. I am reluctant to come off in case it is the latter, or in case this is just a blip. But if the former, and I have already determined that going up a dose is not a good idea for me, then the sooner I start to withdrawal the better.
I have an appointment with the Dr next week, so will discuss with her then. However she, like most GPs, has no real idea about these medications. I suspect she will recommend going up a dose.
It is so frustrating to have had a month or so of feeling really good, and sleeping well, only to have it all taken away from me.
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Re: Mirt Diary
It goes like that for me but im glad I didn't rush in and come off the Mirt thinking it had stopped working because I pick up again.
Rotten when we feel well then back it comes again, cruel almost.