feeling the worst I've felt in a long time

[Jingo]

Saw psychiatrist 10 days ago who swopped me from escitalopram to mirtazapine (previously on fluoxetine) I feel terrible. Exhausted, terrible dreams, difficult to function at all.also very dark thoughts and low mood coupled with exyreme irritability, hardly an advert! Telephoned psych yesterday as due to increase dose from 15 to 30mg a day. Told me to carry on. Due for next.psych appointment at end of April. I could really do with some encouragement if you'vr hot any to spare. Thanks Jingo

[Dubai]

Jingo,

I am sorry you are not feeling well.

Did you taper escitalopram? what was your dose before the switch and for how long were you on the meds?

[SmilingAlbert]

I don't know much about escitalopram I'm afraid but Mirt is very tolerated by most people, and often works quite quickly.

As Dubai says, it could be that the escitalopram needs tapering rather than a rapid switch. But Mirt should start helping quite quickly - the optimum dose for sleep is 15mg for most people.

Just take a deep breath, and try and focus on something else - e.g. a good book, TV show etc. - you will get through this .

SA

[Jingo]

Dubai and Smiling Albert, thanks for your quick reply. I was on fluoxetine 40mg for 15 months then escitalopram for 5 months. Dr advised a straight swop onto mirtazapine. Hope you're right that it will improve. It's been pretty frightening at times. I even felt as if I was passing through the fibres of my sofa yesterday. It was if I was being absorbed by it. Had to get up and move around to shake off the feeling. I have never experienced that before. Thank you so much for your kind words. It means such a lot to me. Jingo

[keggsy]

Stick with it Jingo. Mirt 30mg has helped me. Not perfect by any means but my mood is better from being on it. Less anxious than I was too. Sleeping still not how I would like, but manageable. Dry mouth from dissolvable mirt tablets is annoying and hunger pangs need watching but compared to the few horrendous days I had on citalopram, mirt is different league.

[kellybb]

Hi Jingo,I personally think it's the Ecitalopram withdrawal symptoms that's causing the problem and not the Mirtazapine.The majority of psychs don't acknowledge the fact that there IS such a thing as withdrawal and therefore whip people off their meds cold turkey causing all sorts of problems.Much better to come off it slow,not of this skipping a day crap docs seem to use,reduce dose by 10% every month using liquid meds works?.By the way,15mg of Mirt has a less stimulating effect than 30.Never needed 30 myself and don't have anxiety anymore,had it constantly on CItalopram.

[Jingo]

Thanks Keggsy and Kellybb. I feel a bit brighter today thank God. I think you could be right about coming off the escitalopram in one go: nasty and not to be recommended. I shall stick with it and see how I go. Very different from yesterday when I felt that there was no hope of a life without this terrible mental pain and anguish. I came pretty close to thinking that the only answer was to opt out. Scary.

[keggsy]

Jingo, many of us have been to that point of wondering whether it is worth carrying on, existing rather than living.
It is worth carrying on as there will be ups, downs and in betweens for all of us in all our lives.
I still go to bed each night, scared of how I may or may not sleep. Took a zopiclone last night and loathe myself for it - first one in a fortnight.
Support from friends and family is important.
Adjust, accept, carry on is my motto at the mo, trying to live in the present. The future and the past concern me a bit less than they used to.

[Jingo]

Wise words. Thank you. I try not to think about all the time I've wasted in terrible diztress. All the moments I've missed with my family. Losing contact with friends, having to leave work. I don't look too far ahead and just try to live moment to moment.

[keggsy]

I understand. Life can be unfair frequently. But often circumstances, feelings can improve, sometimes predictably sometimes not.
We cling to that hope and even when we cannot see it, its because our thinking is flawed.
We need to be kind to ourselves and you are so right about living as much as possible in the here and now.