Beating mirtazapine lethargy

[LittleMissAlone]

Hi Julie

I'm a bit back to square one too, the rain doesn't help! I can't decide whether to feel cross with myself or give myself a break.

You did so well yesterday, dentist too! You've no reason to think you're going backwards. Don't forget not sleeping properly is skewing how you feel.

I'm annoyed too because I did that hypnosis and I think deep down it won't help either.

Anyway, I'll have some lunch and then tackle the outside world again.

Are you eating well? That will really bring you down if you're not.

Chin up!

[Catsjulieanne]

I'm eating better than I was (the only Mirtazapine side effect that has done me any good). Was down to 7 stone and after 3 weeks on Mirtazapine I'm not far off 8. Need this shakiness to stop, it wasn't too bad yesterday especially taking into account I was at the dentist, it's totally freaking me out, I'm clumsy and heavy handed and just want it to stop.

[LittleMissAlone]

Sorry to sound as if I'm stating the obvious, but have you been over doing caffeine? That can give you the jitters and increase stress.

[Catsjulieanne]

I wish I could blame caffeine but I don't drink coffee or tea. It began when I started Mirtazapine 3 weeks ago, it's awful. Doctors tomorrow for all the help he will be (will just say bear with it).

[LittleMissAlone]

I'm not a doctor but I doubt he'll say to bear with it because most people who can cope with mirtazapine don't really have very unpleasant side effects. Let's hope he suggests something different for you.

I was on sertraline for 6 weeks just before Christmas and that really didn't suit so the doctor took me off. Beyond frustrating and upsetting because you can see all that wasted time. However, you've managed to look after your kid do the dentist and everything! That's a lot! I'm not a parent but could not have done what you've done.

I'm so chuffed with myself! I set a target of getting on a free hopper. Because of my anxiety and not knowing when it was due I bottled it again. However right by where I live there's a chemist and the nice lady there said I could go in whenever I wanted because of my condition. That was about early March and just now I said I go in and I did! I got teary, and there were others in there but I didn't care! I felt absoluelt fine, despite it being very hot in there. I told her about the hypnotherapy (I did another one too this pm)so whether that's helped I don't know. She genuinely seemed pleased to see me and said I was doing really well.

Let me know how you get on tomorrow. If I can regain a bit of confidence anyone can!

Don't drink tea??!! ☕️

[Catsjulieanne]

You did so well x What's a free hopper? Thing is if the doctor wants me to change meds, would he make me reduce off Mirtazapine first or just start another one straight off? Either way I'd be scared of even worse side effects from stopping one and starting another. I have just got back from picking my son up, spent some time with him and dropped him at his dads. I have sat down and overwhelming tiredness has hit me, but don't want to lie down as I barely sleep at night anyway. It's a vicious circle. Why was yesterday not too bad, first time I felt thank god it's easing, and today I just feel rotten. I'm so scared I will never feel better x

[LittleMissAlone]

Hi Julie

Today another day!

The hopper is a bus the NHS puts on free for NHS staff. Sounds great, but it's not reliable and can be very stressful! Today I'm GOING to go on the damn thing. There's two an hour and I live v close to the route.

When I came off sertraline I had 2 days of half a tablet and then nothing for a few days and then mirtazapine. Sertraline made me feel so bad (bed bound) that anything was preferable. You've only been on mirt for 3 weeks, so withdrawal symptoms will be minimal. If you feel as bad as you say, coming off will be a doddle! Honestly, don't worry about that. I was surprised when he said only 2 days withdrawal and I was ok. I don't know what new meds will be like for you though.

Did you try a relaxation YouTube thing? There's loads of them and very helpful. I understand if it's impossible though. When I was first ill, in the first few days, I couldn't sit still for love nor money.

Good luck at the doctors today!

[MyNameIsTerry]

Here is the GP's switching guide:

http://www.gpnotebook.co.uk/simplepa...?ID=1651179592

That matches what I've seen on several local trust docs issued to doctors in their regions.

With some of these meds you can just switch the next day or cross taper under supervision. Where meds work on Serotonin, there is going to be some overlap even if they work a little differently so this is supposed to make the switch less harsh as you are not going all the way to 0% before starting the next one.

Plus it takes a while for a med to be eliminated by the body. For instance, LittleMissAlone's Sertraline would take much longer than those few days to be eliminated so she had the benefit of some of that still in at the time.

[Shazamataz]

Here is the GP's switching guide:

http://www.gpnotebook.co.uk/simplepa...?ID=1651179592

That matches what I've seen on several local trust docs issued to doctors in their regions.

With some of these meds you can just switch the next day or cross taper under supervision. Where meds work on Serotonin, there is going to be some overlap even if they work a little differently so this is supposed to make the switch less harsh as you are not going all the way to 0% before starting the next one.

Plus it takes a while for a med to be eliminated by the body. For instance, LittleMissAlone's Sertraline would take much longer than those few days to be eliminated so she had the benefit of some of that still in at the time.

This is so interesting Terry, thanks for sharing. It's a wee bit off topic but as I am having no real success on Mirtazipine I am thinking of coming off and was going to speak with my psychiatrist next week. I will have been on it 10 weeks and she says its fine to just stop it!!??

[LittleMissAlone]

Hi Sharon

You could quite quickly taper it down I guess. I was on it at the beginning of the year for about 2.5 weeks and suddenly stopped (thinking wrongly I could go it alone) to no bad effect, but 10 weeks is of course a lot longer. I've been on mirtazapine for nearly 3 months now to no side effects, but I'm hardly living a normal life. I'm happy to stick with it, though I'm only on 15mg and arguably I should be in higher.

Minefield city, but I'm trying to go down cbt type routes too, at the mo hypnotherapy via YouTube!