Mirtazapine vs Seroquel

[Kardian]

Hello everyone - I'm new here and am very glad to have found this forum!

I was prescribed 30mg Mirtazapine last month for panic disorder, but I haven't taken it yet due to fears of having the same experience I had with Seroquel. For those that have tried both, is the sedating effect the same or does it feel different? I understand that Seroquel is an anti-psychotic and Mirt is not, but I've had no other experiences with medications that have an extreme sedating effect.

With Seroquel, I felt like my blood pressure went very low. I'd wake up just fine, but I couldn't stand up - I could barely move my legs and would have to roll out of bed and crawl to the bathroom. I don't want to go through that again.

Also, I've read that 30mg of Mirt may be too high of a starting dose. My psychiatrist gave me the option of starting at 15 if I wanted to, but I need the therapeutic benefit of the 30mg. Can anyone describe their experience of starting at this dose instead of the 15?

Thanks in advance for any replies!

[aprilmoon]

Hi
I'm on Mirt,and another antipsychotic,Olanzapine, which I take in a small dose (5ml) at bedtime,for anxiety.
I was on 30ml of Mirt,but have taken it down to 15 about 3 weeks ago,and don't find this dose over sedating at all,I found the 30 made me feel over drugged up,and actually, I haven't found Mirt to be very good,in my experience, with anxiety, hence the Olanzapine.
I know this hasn't really answered your question,but hope it can be of some help.
I think it would be a better idea to try the Mirt at 15 first,because you may find,like myself,that you don't need the higher dose,or at least,you have the experience of it.
Good luck

[hanshan]

Hi Kardian,

I agree with Aprilmoon that it's fine to start off at a lower dose. You can easily decide to increase the dose if you want.

Generally, mirtazapine is regarded as one of the easier ADs to start off on. Mostly there is some drowsiness that usually goes in the first few weeks. The other common side effect is weight gain, which can creep up without you noticing, especially in the first weeks - it is possible to control, however, if you keep a watch on your weight. Not obsessively, but every few days or so.

I don't think the kind of low blood pressure side effects that you describe are common with mirtazapine. Good luck!

[Kardian]

I think I will start off on the 15mg. Thanks Aprilmoon and Hanshan!