Worried about mirtazapin

[joanna28]

Today its 3rd week on 30 mg o mitrazapine still feel crap!!! how long should i give a go with this meds???

[hanshan]

Hi Joanna,

Sorry to hear that it's not kicking in. You know the standard reply - four to six weeks for an AD, although mirtazapine is supposed to be somewhat faster acting. Don't give up hope just yet. Is it possible to get a small supply from your doctor of a benzodiazepine suitable for panic attacks to be taken as needed (not every day)?

[JT69]

Hi Joanna,

Sorry to hear that you are having a bad time of it at the moment. There is light at the end of the tunnell and you will improve...it just takes time. I know how frustrtating it can be as you think you are heading in the right direction and then all of a sudden bang it comes back. I always used to think of it like climbing the stairs you will get going and get higher and higher then you might take a few steps back again but eventually you will carry on until you get to the top!!

I have been taking mirtazipine for around 3 years now. I previously (like you) was on citalopram and had come off it as I had felt much better but then I nose dived again and had to go back on it...this time it just didnt do its job so I ended up on mirtazipine and that really turned me around...but like you I went through the ups and downs, started on 15mg then increased to 30mg and eventually it kicked in and I was sleeping much better and feeling much more positive.

I am on a very low dose at the moment as my gp is reluctant for me to come off after having such a bad time so i take 7.5mg...I also take pregabalin for anxiety as I found I needed help with this after a while too so the combination works well for me.

Please hang on in there and you will find that the good days will become more than the bad ones.

There are a few of us take mirt on here so I am sure you will get more support from the others.

You take care and I really hope you begin to benefit very soon.

Jo.x

[katy2104]

I am in the same position as Joanne. I have had some reasonably good days but then it all comes back ie. today. My concern is that I feel irritated and then the anxiety starts again. I feel like I am taking it out on my kids especially my 15 yo daughter. I know she can be difficult at the best of times but where as before I was ill I would just tell her to tidy her room and that would be it. Now it's like I tell her but feel the irritation of her not helping me and I feel like I could loose it and it bothers me that my emotions are not in control. This is making the anxiety worse and then I feel very low.
I just need to know this will either get better in time or that this mirtazapine is not right for me. Don't know how much more of this I can take as some days I have felt like I am making progress and then it feels like I will never get back to feeling like me again. Is this normal? I remember when taking citalopram after a while I didn't know I was taking anything, however with mirtazapine my head physically feels like it has a brick inside instead of a brain!!! Could this be me still getting used to meds after 2 weeks at 15mg and 3 weeks at 30mg?????

[JT69]

Hi Katy,

I found at first when taking mirtazipine it made me really irritable and angry and I would fly off at the smallest of things...it did settle after a few weeks and apart from the weight gain I had not much in the way of side effects...unlike when starting with citalopram the increased anxiety made that really hard to get through.

I would give it a bit longer and see if it starts to kick in as it is still really early days for you.

I hope you feel better soon.
Jo.x

[katy2104]

Thanks Jo, I will persevere. I think I am worrying that this is how I am going to be now, and I hate it. It all adds to the feelings of panic and anxiety as it makes me feel like a horrible Mum. I just want to function normally again (I know with everything that's happened it's hard). Also all the info seems to say 2 - 4 weeks so then you start to worry it's not going to be a successful med and will have to try something else. I really need to get back to work as been off since beginning of July and starting a new med would make this impossible so I am pinning all my hopes on Mitazapine.

How long do you think I should give and when (if) it finally kicks in, do you feel like you are taking anything?

Thanks for you support xx

[JT69]

Hi Katie

I had 5 months off work when I was bad the last time...didnt help that I went back on citalopram and it didnt work as my GP kept increasing the dose hoping it would work and in the end I was starting to panic about work too and ended up coming off cit and going on mirt in 1 week!! The withdrawal was awful and then the new meds side effects so I had a couple of pretty grim weeks!!

I would certainly give it a couple more weeks before thinking of changing. You know you are taking it as (well for me anyway) it makes me drop of to sleep really quickly but apart from that I dont know any difference but remember I am on a very low dose now.

Try not to worry about work (I know thats easier said than done) but in my experience it just made things worse...you cannot rush these things...you will go back when you are ready. What you are going through is just one of those things and you need to let things take their course.

Big hugs to you and post away for support

Jo.x

[joanna28]

Hi!!! God when is this going to end???????????it feels like this is it-this is my life now!!???? i cant live like this!!!! im on and off work non stop!!!! i started of 15 mg of mitrazapine then they increased to 30 mg and since yesterday im on 45mg of this weird medication!!!!
i feel worst then ever, i feel depressed and my anxiety is kind of not going away. I worry for everything now-job,money,my life, etc!!! I have never been like this. My GP is ignoring me, shes just increasing the dose and there is no benefit from doing it. Im not sure if this meds is for me???? Ive been on it since 26th of september so thats almost 2 months. I thought I was better at some point but then since 2 weeks I feel weird-shaky,and cant stop thinking when is it going to end!!!!! I get an anxiety attack even thinking that I mite be depressed!!!! seriously this is crazy!! I dont see the point of anything anymore!!! I went to A&E 2 days ago coz my anxiety attacks where getting worst and all they could say was ,, go to see your GP!!!,, and my GP is useless. It feels like there is nowhere to turn for help. I cant be even bpthered to do anything. seriously is this it??? is this going to be my life now??? I had plans to have kids and now im scared of even thinking of becoming pregnant.

---------- Post added at 14:08 ---------- Previous post was at 14:04 ----------

Hi Joanna,

Sorry to hear that you are having a bad time of it at the moment. There is light at the end of the tunnell and you will improve...it just takes time. I know how frustrtating it can be as you think you are heading in the right direction and then all of a sudden bang it comes back. I always used to think of it like climbing the stairs you will get going and get higher and higher then you might take a few steps back again but eventually you will carry on until you get to the top!!

I have been taking mirtazipine for around 3 years now. I previously (like you) was on citalopram and had come off it as I had felt much better but then I nose dived again and had to go back on it...this time it just didnt do its job so I ended up on mirtazipine and that really turned me around...but like you I went through the ups and downs, started on 15mg then increased to 30mg and eventually it kicked in and I was sleeping much better and feeling much more positive.

I am on a very low dose at the moment as my gp is reluctant for me to come off after having such a bad time so i take 7.5mg...I also take pregabalin for anxiety as I found I needed help with this after a while too so the combination works well for me.

Please hang on in there and you will find that the good days will become more than the bad ones.

There are a few of us take mirt on here so I am sure you will get more support from the others.

You take care and I really hope you begin to benefit very soon.

Jo.x

thank you so much for your support!!! im so worried about everything now!!! please read my post above.

[JT69]

Hi Joanna,

I am sorry that you still feel so awful...I cannot believe your GP is not being supportive...you say you are now on 45mg of mirtazipine did your GP increase the dose again?

Do you have any diazepam or anything to help with the anxiety until the mirt settles down? I only ever went up to 30mg as this with the pregabalin helped me so not sure about the dose increase...i do know some people on here take 45mg but I think this is the maximum dose of it. I would insist that your GP listens to you if you do not start to feel any better after a few more days.

I feel for you... it sounds like you are going round in circles at the moment and you just need that "good day" to break the negativity etc...bless you!!

Hope you manage to find some peace.

Take care
Jo.x

[joanna28]

Hi Joanna,

I am sorry that you still feel so awful...I cannot believe your GP is not being supportive...you say you are now on 45mg of mirtazipine did your GP increase the dose again?

Do you have any diazepam or anything to help with the anxiety until the mirt settles down? I only ever went up to 30mg as this with the pregabalin helped me so not sure about the dose increase...i do know some people on here take 45mg but I think this is the maximum dose of it. I would insist that your GP listens to you if you do not start to feel any better after a few more days.

I feel for you... it sounds like you are going round in circles at the moment and you just need that "good day" to break the negativity etc...bless you!!

Hope you manage to find some peace.

Take care
Jo.x

Hi Jo

Yes my useless GP has increased the dose to 45mg and yes this is the maximum that you can go on on this medication. I went to A&E last thursday coz i was eeling very panicky and dizzy and low in my mood. All they could say was to go to see my GP I was sitting there at A&E and crying coz I dont see the way out of this situation. Believe me Im just so fed up with it all!!!!