Been given 15mg mirtazapine for insomnia and anxiety

[Jsp]

Hey everyone. My doc gave me this about a month ago after going over 72 hours without a wink of sleep, but I never took them. I'm still having a lot of trouble sleeping and anxiety symptoms e.g. racing heart and chest pains, which are getting in the way of college. She said to take it at about 8pm at night.

I'm scared to take it :( what are everyone experiences on it? One of my main fears is that it will mess with my heart :/

[buckeroo]

hello jsp, im on mirtqazapine, there great, but if your overweight,be very careful as they make you put loads of weight on.ive put 2 stone on in the 2 months ive been on them, but i really needed to, im still underweight but only just, for the first week or 2,you sleep and do you sleep lol. 12 hours. take it 1 hour before you go to bed.note they take a couple of weeks to really kick in. hope this helps in any way.

[Jsp]

Thanks for your reply, buckeroo.

I'm actually underweight, one of the things which I find good about these drugs is that it makes you put on weight! I've been trying to put on weight for years but I've never succeeded.

The drowsiness is worrying me too. I have to go to college 5 days a week and I'm learning to drive, I don't really want it to effect any of that :( maybe that's why my doctor told me to take it at about 8pm as that's about three hours before I actually get into bed.

[hanshan]

Plan a weekend when you don't have to do anything much (hard if you're full-time college, I know) and start on Friday night. They're not fast-acting like benzodiazepines, so need an hour or two to take effect. 8.00 pm is a good time to take them if you plan to go to bed by 10.00 pm.

Everyone reacts differently, but the daytime sleepiness wears off within a week or so. After that, they usually work well for sleep and help many people (not everyone) with anxiety. Apart from the initial sleepiness and dizziness, most people seem to find them easier to start than other ADs. As mentioned, weight gain is common, but fortunately that seems to be a plus for you.

Good luck!

[Tufty]

I started taking them 2 days ago and it's been OK. I have to sleep about 2 hours after taking 15mg, I just can't keep my eyes open and I sleep OK, after the first one I didn't feel safe to drive the next day and felt dopey all day, but not in a scary way and today I feel less dopey and able to drive and do things.

I take mine about 8 so that I can get up by 8 the next morning, though that wasn't possible yesterday.
Sam

[Jsp]

Plan a weekend when you don't have to do anything much (hard if you're full-time college, I know) and start on Friday night. They're not fast-acting like benzodiazepines, so need an hour or two to take effect. 8.00 pm is a good time to take them if you plan to go to bed by 10.00 pm.

Everyone reacts differently, but the daytime sleepiness wears off within a week or so. After that, they usually work well for sleep and help many people (not everyone) with anxiety. Apart from the initial sleepiness and dizziness, most people seem to find them easier to start than other ADs. As mentioned, weight gain is common, but fortunately that seems to be a plus for you.

Good luck!

I was thinking of doing this actually, so by the time it's Monday some of the morning drowsiness would have hopefully worn off. The main thing is that it will help me sleep, but I don't want to feel out of it all the time.

I started taking them 2 days ago and it's been OK. I have to sleep about 2 hours after taking 15mg, I just can't keep my eyes open and I sleep OK, after the first one I didn't feel safe to drive the next day and felt dopey all day, but not in a scary way and today I feel less dopey and able to drive and do things.

I take mine about 8 so that I can get up by 8 the next morning, though that wasn't possible yesterday.
Sam

That's great you got over the drowsiness within two days! Have you had any other side effects on it? How is your sleep?

[karenp]

I used to take my 15mg pill about 8pm too or even when I hopped into bed and I would be out like a light. I only had tiredness during the day for a couple of days, apart from oddly enough sometimes around 2pm but a bit of fresh air soon woke me up again (:

[Tufty]

I think it's too early to tell re side effects, I still feel drowsy today, after 2nd tablet last night, but I have driven a couple of times and don't feel compromised.
The first night my sleep was great and I slept for 10 hours, last night I remember waking with aching jumping legs and not being able to sleep, but my partner has not recollection of it and I didn't get out of bed so it's no big deal. Definitely no increase in anxiety which was my main worry.
Sam

[hanshan]

Restless legs can be a side effect of mirtazapine. They usually come on a couple of hours after taking it, and don't last more than an hour or so. If possible try to arrange taking the mirtazapine so you sleep through them. I seem to recall reading somewhere that pregabalin is good for restless legs, so maybe the two will cancel each other out.

[SarahH]

I have always had restless leg syndrome...it's a nightmare Sam. I ease it by getting out of bed and standing on a cold floor (even outside on the patio) for 10 mins. The coldness seems to ease it Just a suggestion x