Lowering my dose from 15 mg to 7.5

[Nahdia]

Hello everybody

I've not been on here for a while.

I've been on this medication for coming p to 4 months, and it's been brilliant, with helping me stay calm and wonders with my sleep.

However, I have gained a mighty 20 pounds in these four months, I am not as hungry anymore, but can't see to shift the weight. Going to stat the gym as well.

I have an appointment with the doctor tomorrow and want to speak to him about coming down to 7.5 mg so that I can still have help with my sleep.

Is is still likely to help me with the sleep, and will it help with shifting the pounds?

I know it's all a trade off and I'm not complaining, all your experiences and help would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Nahdia

[Ingenious]

I tried going down to 7.5mg for similar reasons (doing well, and unable to shift the extra weight regardless of exercise!). My GP was happy for me to do 7.5mg for a month with a view then to coming off totally, just told me to break each tablet in half.

It didn't work out for me because after a week I started to feel a bit crap again, so I went back up to 15mg and have stayed there. I do hope to try again, maybe after summer (as a side effect, Mirtazapine totally cures my hayfever, so I'm in no hurry).

My GP didn't think remaining on 7.5mg all the time was an option, only to use it as a stepping stone to coming off - so be interested to know what your GP says.

I think in hindsight my feeling rough after a week was just a withdrawal symptom and really I ought to have stuck it out.

Please do let us know how you get on.

[Nahdia]

I shall indeed keep you posted. Did your sleep suffer, or was it merely feeling crap during the day?

It's a bummer, not easy getting used to them and then difficult to get off them.

Nahdia

[ElizabethJane]

Hi Nahdia it is good to hear from you again. I'm glad that you are feeling much better. Your mental health is the main priority here I know from personal experience that the weight gain can be depressing and difficult to shift. I am on a rigid weight loss programme in attempt to lose 10lbs. Any reduction in the mirtazapane will depend on how well you adapt to the new dose? You will still sleep well on 7.5mg. My mirtazapine journey has been mainly on 45mg and then two attempts to withdraw from the drug. Had to go back on it because I relapsed. My weight 'problem' disappeared for a while when I came off the drug completely. Unfortunately I became suicidally depressed again so opted to stay on it and try to control my weight. I wish you well Nahdia. Please keep posting and let us know how the reduction/weight loss is going? EJ.

[LAURA48]

Hello Nahdia - tbh would stay on 15mg if it is working well for you. I know about the weight gain as I was prescribed over xmas after being on Prozac 40mg before and looked like a walking skeleton. So the weight gain was fine!

I would take note from Ingenious re dropping the dose - and tbh I would sooner be a bit more rounder and have my mental wellbeing than being skinny and miserable.

I am now nearly 10 stone - and I am eating what I want to. I want to get well first then address the weight issue.

Hope you get sorted but stay with it 15mg - don't mess about with dosages if you don't have to.

Good Luck Laura

[MrRedShirt]

I agree with Laura - if it's working to stabilise your mood then I'd stick with it and work out other ways of dealing with your weight, or put up with the gain.

Also, I'm no doctor, but I've seen some folks state that the sleep and appetite side-effects are more prevalent at lower doses, so lowering your dose may not actually help - But I say again, this is just anecdotal.

[Monostich]

I take 7.5mg every day and have been for a few weeks now. I sleep better on this dose than I did on 15 and 30mg.

I found it extremely easy going from 15mg to 7.5 mg too but everyone is different.

Good luck with it - I am going down to 3.5 mg in a week or two and then hopefully come off the medication altogether.

[Ingenious]

I shall indeed keep you posted. Did your sleep suffer, or was it merely feeling crap during the day?

My sleep was fine (in fact it has been brilliant since I started mindful meditation), the feeling crap was more a mood thing, the world started to "feel" a bit harsh like before I was on the tablets. I panicked and thought I was slipping back to pre-medication depression. I'm sure it was just a withdrawal symptom and if I'd stuck it out I would have been fine.

Like the other posters, being overweight and happy is always preferable to being skinny and miserable. But we want perfection, we want skinny AND happy

[ElizabethJane]

I would be cautious. I had terrible anxiety and low mood when trying to reduce the mirtzapine. I did successfully withdraw the second time but only with the help of diazepam. As you have only taking mirtazapine for a few months then as the others have said I would stay on it. I understand completely feeling well and wanting to be slim and feel that is part of getting my life together again. Good luck. EJ

[Nahdia]

Thank you everybody, unfortunately my doctor cancelled his evening surgery so I don't see him until next Wednesday now. I will bear this all in mind when I speak to the doctor, all of you guys have been a great support, it's a real shame about the weight issue, but as we all agree good mental health is more important than anything.

I'll post again soon xxx