New to Mertazipan

[hanshan]

Hi Phil,

As you say, it is early days, but the signs seem to indicate a change for the better overall.

Mirtazapine side effects usually start fading after one to two weeks, so here's hoping things will continue to improve.

[phil6]

Thanks Hanshan,
I hope so...
This morning I woke much earlier and the drowsiness was less. The down side was I did feel the early morning anxiety, but it wasn't too bad.
Phil

[loreen]

Hi Phil

I am pleased to read the side effects are lessening. You are giving me the courage to try an increase in dose. I am so scared of side effects after some bad experiences on ssri's.

Keep posting- I know it helps lots of people to know someone else is at the same stage as them.

Hope the morning anxiety improves for you. Mornings seem to be the worst time for a lot of us.

Loreen x

[phil6]

Hi Loreen,
I will keep posting....
Don't start me on SSRI side effects. I tried Citalopram, and stuck with it for 12 weeks. The side effects were horrendous. Not something I will try again.
This med seems to be a lot gentler. It also helps with sleep.
Today I have been quite anxious, but I am pushing on with this acceptance thing and this might be why.
I spoke with my GP who wants me to keep going for at least another week on 30mg as she says this would be the lowest dose for me.
Time will tell.... It is quite nice to get a good nights sleep.
Phil

[phil6]

Update.
I have decided to spend less time on the Internet as anxiety and looking for answers is becoming an obsession. However, I did say I will post some progress reports here so here goes.
This is day 7 on 30mg. I do get nice and sleepy about an hour after taking them at night and my sleep is still fairly good. I am though waking a bit earlier and feeling quite anxious. It is a very weird feeling... Not true panic, but a feeling that it is about to come.
I am not sure if this is me or the medication as I am very aware that my mind will find problems and I have great difficulty in trying not to believe my thoughts. This morning I feel a bit shakey and am thinking the Mertazapine is causing the feeling and the associated worry and agitation. But who knows. If I am able to think, "don't worry, it will pass, you will be fine..." Then I get a few seconds of feeling a bit more positive, but it doesn't stick.
I will go to the gym today and go for a lunch with a beer at midday with my old workmates... Though if I am honest I don't want to do either at this time.
It all feels a bit dangerous, like I am a few seconds away from some horrible panic, which hasn't actually come yet.
Phil

[phil6]

Update,
Coming up on 3 weeks on this med and 2 weeks on the 30mg dose. My anxiety is still giving me a hard time. I still get sleepy about an hour after taking it in the evening and sleep is still quite good. I do wake earlier now but not with any above normal anxiety. I think the drowsiness in the mornings is a bit less now and that might be why I feel my morning anxiety a lot more.
So, I don't think I feel any major mood improvement yet, but fingers crossed.
I am not getting any great increase in appetite which is well known on Mertazapine, in fact I do feel a little nauseous, but that was always the case with me and anxiety.
The other side effect fir me is a it take constipation.
Phil

[phil6]

Today, I wake feeling very anxious... Still a bit of tiredness, but it is quite worrying that this is a similar feeling to the side effects when I first tried SSRIs. A sort of brining, sharp anxiety which is making me feel very shakey.
I am not sure now if this is good for me.... The last thing I need to think!

[hanshan]

Hi Phil,

Don't give up hope just yet - ADs can take up to 4-6 weeks before there is noticeable improvement in mood.

That said, I found that mirtazapine was not able to completely stop my anxiety. Combined with pregabalin, it works well for me. This combination doesn't work for everyone, but it's well worth thinking about pregabalin if mirtazapine doesn't fully work for you. Its mode of action is different from SSRIs and the like.

[phil6]

Thanks Hanshan,
I know this isn't a good idea but I couldn't resist the temptation to go looking on the Internet this morning and there are so many terrifying posts about withdrawal symptoms from this medication.
I didn't like the idea of medication in the first place but I did feel it necessary as I got so low.
I just can't see how when you come off the drug you can avoid going back to the start.
There are so many bad stories of extreme withdrawal from Mertazapine.
I want to give it a chance but a part of me desperately wants to come off them.
I really don't know what to do.

[MrAndy]

Thanks Hanshan,
I know this isn't a good idea but I couldn't resist the temptation to go looking on the Internet this morning and there are so many terrifying posts about withdrawal symptoms from this medication.
I didn't like the idea of medication in the first place but I did feel it necessary as I got so low.
I just can't see how when you come off the drug you can avoid going back to the start.
There are so many bad stories of extreme withdrawal from Mertazapine.
I want to give it a chance but a part of me desperately wants to come off them.
I really don't know what to do.

Phil I would stick with it,it's far to early to stop cross that bridge when your feeling 100%
I was feeling well and came off sert far to early then had to go through horrible start up effects once again