Coming onto Mirtazapine

[ElizabethJane]

Hi I am not bi-polar either but I find a combination of mirtazapine 45mg and lithium 1,000mg works well for me. I took a while to settle on mirtazapine but it hjas been by far the best of all the anti depressants I have taken. I have been on seroxat, duloxetine and dothiepin to name a few. It isn't easy to withdraw from either but I found the side effects lessen with time. I've been on it four? years now and do not have the munchies any more. It can increase anxiety/agitation in some people. I also do not sleep well sometimes but we are complex individuals≥ If your doctor has suggested you try it then give it a go? Best wishes. EJ

[swanlinnet]

Good on you PsychPoet and to everybody who has contributed to this thread

I have heard about Citalapram and how it really is a volatile drug of treatment for some people.

Although I have not used Mirtazapine my friend Tom only a week ago switched from Citalapram to Mirtazapine. Before switching to Mirtazapine he was wide awake with insomnia at all hours'. Today he is really contented as such since beginning Mirtazapine.

The only very, very, serious downside is .... I no longer have a freind who I can speak to in the early hours of the morning during my own insomnia He is sleeping like a baby !!

Good luck Psychopoet ....Vince

[NoPoet]

Hi everyone, thanks for the reassurance. A major part of my anxiety is constantly seeking reassurance and this has done the job. No-one can say how I will react to this med but it can't be as bad as the cit!

[lauz_lea]

Just make sure you don't allow yourself to read negative posts/threads on this site or any other, you really can convince yourself that it won't work or won't help, and DON'T read the side effects, let someone else do that for you so that they what to look out for.

Nothing could have made me any worse than I felt on Tuesday (mentally, not physically), and if that's anything near how you've been feeling, the Mirt can't make you any worse as all the SE's that most complain about are physical.

I will GLADLY put on some weight, I will GLADLY sleep 10hours a night, I will GLADLY have entertaining dreams - but I will NOT suffer if I don't have to, hence my decision to reduce the paroxetine and start mirt.

[NoPoet]

Lauz, another masterfully written post. I am keen to get onto this med as I have been ridiculously obsessed with the anxiety for weeks and I need some mental breathing room. I just cannot stop obsessing. I hope the mirt will help with that?

[Elen]

Lea has gone to bed poet, post mirt, lol.

Try and stop over-thinking what is going on Poet but the mirt will help with this as well.

Take care

Elen

[NoPoet]

Hi, I guess because I'm having CBT it has encouraged me to think more about things. I've had to think of dreadful things to say to myself for my exposure therapy. Trouble is, while this stuff terrifies me if I see it as images or memories in my head, when I actually hear my recorded voice saying the same things to me, it doesn't bother me that much. My coping strategies really work against things people (or even I) say, it's the things I think that are frightening. Still, it's very early days, I'll probably have the hang of it in a week.

[lauz_lea]

Elen was right, I was fast asleep after taking my Mirt when you posted last night. But I had another good nights sleep, although I got a bit hungry and came down to get some fig rolls and amusingly my legs felt like I was walking through treacle.

So far (only 3 days I know), I've had no bad side effects like I did with paroxetine, which I am still taking. Mornings are still not my best time of the day, but they are better than they were a few days ago, probably partly to do with a good nights sleep. Afternoons and evenings are "normal". My mind is calm and no rushing/negative thoughts and no obsessing about my mental state which had developed from the paroxetine to disturbing degree.

I am making silly, amusing mistakes with speach, reading, writing/typing and vision but they're easy to laugh off (like getting a knife and spoon to eat dinner last night instead of a knife and fork). It's not bothersome or troubling in the least.

I've got a busy day ahead of me today which isn't worrying me cause I know it will do me good to get out of the house and away from the computer and experience real life. I've got a morning at school with my daughter, followed by the doctors, then a few hours to myself before picking up my daughter from school. I don't feel the sense of anx that this might usually cause.

Anyway, off to get ready for my busy day, so will update later.

[Elen]

Lea what a fab post.

Have a great day honey.

Elen

[NoPoet]

Hi, Lauz, what dose you on again?

Well my doctor has prescribed me 30mg of mirt, saying it's the standard starting dose. He told me it is one of the most sedating ADs although he did say it was a very effective second line treatment. He told me I shouldn't have messed around with my dose of cit and my relapses were all caused by this. In fairness that was a good point.

He then demanded my therapist write to him with her qualifications and reasons for recommending mirt, and also explaining why she hasn't written to him about it!