Just been prescribed Mirtazapine

[mcxuk]

Hi guys,

I've been feeling depressed for a while now and went to the doctor this morning. She has prescribed me with Mirtazapine (30mg) however I have no knowledge of this medication apart from what I've read on Google and that just seems to indicate that I will have vivid dreams and put on loads of weight. Has the weight loss happened to everybody? I am unhappy about my weight and managed to lose a couple of stone by going to the gym however I'm worried that this will set me back - I appreciate though that my health is more important than my waistline.

I'm taking my first one tonight, I might use this forum as a kind of diary if thats ok?

Mike

[BobbyDog]

Not everyone gets vivid dreams from taking Mirtazapine. It helped me greatly with insomnia for quite a long time. I am not sure if Mirtazapine slows the metabolism down, I think it may do. I take it at night and get the munchies about 30 minutes after, but if you are aware of the possibility that it could cause weight gain, going to the gym will probably counter act it.

[Ingenious]

I had weight gain and vivid dreams on Mirt but these were small things really in the great scheme of things since the drug was the most effective antidepressant I've ever taken. You can't put a price on mental health and if you put on a few stone and/or have some barmy dreams, that's a good trade IMO.

For me the peak of the dreams was 2 - 4 weeks in, after that they went back to normal, and I have to say they were not unpleasant (in fact I kept a dream diary!). As for the weight gain, I found that Mirt gave me the munchies and also made food SO enjoyable, so although you might get fatter, you'll enjoy doing it.

Some people here have reported that with some self control they have kept a stable weight with Mirt, so if you keep your gym regime up you may be OK.

[hanshan]

If you have a successful gym routine, continue it with mirtazapine. Monitor your weight, and you should only need to make the smallest adjustments to your routine, if at all.

[mcxuk]

Thanks guys. I must admit I'm looking forward to, hopefully, a good nights sleep tonight. It was like a can of worms in the doctors though, once I started talking about how I was feeling I just couldn't stop.

[mcxuk]

Well, took the first tablet last night and fell asleep about half an hour later. I woke up a few times in the night but could not get out of bed when my alarm went off this morning. After hitting snooze a few times I got up and felt like I'd been drinking heavily all night and was suffering from a killer hangover, complete with furry tongue. I have felt hungover all day but presumably this is normal for the first couple of days.

I did also have a rather bonkers dream that I was in 'The Bill' as well!

[tessasuzanne]

Hi Mike,

I too have just been prescribed Mirtazapine, although only 15mg. I have taken 2 tablets so far. After the first one I felt a bit dizzy/drunk/lethargic and went straight to sleep at 8pm! Apart from waking up a few times in the night I pretty much slept through until 6:30am and didn't find it too difficult waking up. I found I had a much clearer head the following morning, whether this was due to a much needed long, deep sleep, or the new medication I'm not sure, but I'm feeling hopeful about the new drug!
I am a little concerned about the weight gain aspect, but at the moment I am indulging in my food it as I haven't had an appetite in what feels like forever! But I have asked my husband to kindly monitor my weight and encourage me to do more exercise, which will not only help with weight control but also boost my mood!
I hope you find Mirtazapine helpful!
Tess

[shropshire_lad]

I've had two spells on Mirt... first time around 5 months on upto 45 mg and had a beak of 7 months. I've now been back on between 7.5 and 15mg for the past 12 months, mainly to help with my chronic insomnia with some anxiety. It has been a god send, rarely need diazepam or zopiclone anymore and function pretty well on the whole.

Weight wise, I'm probably about 7 or 8 pounds heavier, although I've upped the weight training recently so some of this will be muscle mass! It does give you an intense appetite at times although this lessens with use. Only other things to report are vivid, but normally enjoyable dreams and occasional brain zaps when I first close my eyes on retiring, again I quite enjoy this light show too!

Thought about coming of them again as my sleep is very stable at the moment, but think I may just reduce back to 7.5 mg for a while and see how I go.

Overall I must say mirtazapine has been a real blessing for me... help me through some dark times and improved my sleep more than any other drug.. bar none... and believe me thats some endorsement as I've tried pretty much every insomnia drug!

[JT69]

Hello

Mirtazipine is the best AD I have taken and it totally turned my life around. I did gain 2 stone and was over-weight to begin with so that was not good but tbh I feel that my mental health is much much more important and I have now managed to lose the excess i gained. I also had the dreams you describe but most were enjoyable. I found it had the least amount of side effects in comparison to the other meds I have taken.

I now take 7.5mg and have done so for a good year or so now as my GP is reluctant for me to come off completely given the awful time I had when I first became ill this last time.

Good luck with them and hopefully you will benefit as much as I have done.

Jo.x