Could Mirtazapine make my anxiety worse and trigger suicidal thoughts?

[Clarinha]

Hello,

I've been taking Mirtazapine for my anxiety for the past 3 weeks, started on 15 mg for 3 days or so then upped to 30mg for about a week and went back to the GP as I felt that although it helped me with anxiety at first (largely by knocking me out!), the anxiety had come back with a vengeance. The GP upped my dose to 45mg about a week ago and I haven't felt any decrease in anxiety, actually, I feel a lot worse and feel like I am descending into depression now. Have been really struggling for the past couple of days and have been unable to go to work. Today, had to even ask my partner to come home from work as I was so scared of doing something stupid, just felt unable to cope with the peaks of panic and anxiety, I feel awful and scared of being by myself!
I have given my GP surgery a call this morning to ask for my doctor to call me back, I think I need to stop taking this medication as it's just making me worse.
Have any of you experienced similar symptoms on Mirtazapine? Did you have to gradually stop taking it or did you go cold turkey? I would like to stop taking it altogether but have read some disturbing accounts of withdrawal symptoms.....this is really crap!

[nicola1980]

Hi i had the same reaction to mirt, it turned me into a suicidal wreck and i was quickly taken off it and put on venlafaxine x x

[Clarinha]

Thanks for your response Nicola! I spoke to my GP and she is weening me off Mirt now and wants to put me on amitriptyline (Endep/Elavil). I'm feeling a bit disheartened with medication at the moment though... Will see her tomorrow and see how it goes, have decided to take a couple of weeks off work to see me through this tough time, my current work is making my anxiety a lot worse!!
Anyone has experience of taking amitriptyline?
xxx

[karenp]

I was exactly the same, the first week was a dream where my anxiety just went but by the second or third week I started crying constantly and my anxiety got miles worse, I couldn't even sleep anymore and am now just starting out on Escitalopram, the newer version of Citalopram which is so much easier to tolerate.

[ElizabethJane]

Hi Clarinha I suggest that you taper the mirtazapine off gradually or cross taper with the amitriptyline. If you haven't been taking it for very long then you should not experience any withdrawal effects. It does seem to increase anxiety sometimes. I have not noticed an increase in suicidal
intention whilst taking mirtazapine. Amitriptyline is an older tri-cyclic sedating but good if other anti ds have failed. I was on dothiepin for fourteen years which is very similar. Mirtazapine has been good for me it has helped me turn my life around but it does not suit everyone. I hope it works out for you. EJ

[bignik]

Was on mirt 45mg for 7 months last year and was taken off it and changed to citalopram due to suicidial idealology , so from me I would have to say yes as it ceased when medication was changed. Should add as far as sleeep concerned it was very good. Amiltryptiline I was on 10 years ago for a year and worked very well but they wont prescribe me this time around as they say too old a drug and more used for parkinson disease related illnesses. I do recall it had a very sedating effect but nethertheless it was needed and worked for me at that time

[Almost]

When i started taking meds for my anxiety i started reading the warnings leaflets, and i have to admit i was taken aback by the side effects that are listed, albeit under "very rare", suicidal thoughts come up quite often. As long as you are able to chat to your psych/gp about the side effects that you're experiencing, then they'll be able to get you off it and onto one that will hopefully have a better effect.

I was up to 45mg on mirt for a year, i was also on venflaxine, but i came off mirt gradually - 30mg for 3 weeks, 15 for 3 weeks, then off altogether. Sure i had some bad days in the middle, but nothing very bad.

[karenp]

I have been put on Mirtazapine 3 times and I am fine the first week but I am not taking it again as I am becoming anxious and very weepy like both other times.This is just not for me! My dad is yelling making things a whole lot worse. He is saying do something. Move...Get motivated but I am too weak and a mess. I should be ok to just stop after a week hey. But this medicine just does not agree with me. I feel like an anxious zombie who wants to cry and cry and cry!

[Cherryade]

You have only been on the mirtazipine for 3 weeks so you should not have any withdrawal problems. I was on it for 8 years and had very little withdrawal symptoms.

[Pammie81]

Hi there I know this post is old but did you manage to feel better on mirtazipine? I'm going through the same I've upped to 30mg because mine pooped out on 7.5mg