Mirtazapine - side effects

[Monostich]

My appetite has stayed completely normal on Mirt and I've actually lost 3 stone in weight since I've been on it. I make sure I do plenty of exercise every day and I only eat 3 times a day i.e breakfast, lunch and dinner.

[Belleblue]

Thought I'd add an update in case anyone else is increasing their dosage from 15mg...

I've taken 30mg a day for just over 3 weeks now and I am noticing an improvement in anxiety symptoms. The sedation side effect on first taking the tablet I'm not 100% is still there as I'm still sleeping better than before. Though I'm not sure whether I'm sleeping better now because my anxiety symptoms are decreasing. But on waking I'm nowhere near as drowsy as when taking 15mg.

The increased appetite is still there and I could eat a horse at any point of the day. Thankfully me for and the horse I haven't done. So I'm still trying to work on that one!

Just thought I'd post this from Crumble to give some hope to rocklover and myself of course

Belle x

[maltloaf]

Hi all. Interesting reading all your comments on Mirtazapine. I started taking a 15mg dose just over a week ago and at the end of this week have been advised to increase to 30mg. Since starting them I have experienced similar side effects to most on here, but has anyone else had "restless legs". I cannot sleep because of this and have to get up after about a hour of tossing and turning and keeping my wife awake. After having a paracetamol and a drink of tonic water the it eases and I am able to get to sleep. Then I dont wake up until quite late in the morning. I am on sick from work at the moment so can just about cope with the main symptoms, dizzy, heavy legs, light headed etc. I have not driven my car as I dont feel safe. I was taking citalopram until starting on Mirtazapine and these had seemed to have stopped being effective. There is a plus to the side effects though. My sex drive seems to have returned, big style, so there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, lol.

[Belleblue]

I had restless legs now and again when I first started on the mirt maltloaf. It's a weird sensation and quite annoying isn't it? I have been on mirtazapine at 15mg for three weeks now and don't get this side effect any longer, so hopefully in time you won't either All the best.

Belle x

[john@e]

I've been taking 30mg Mirtazapine for almost 4 weeks now and, whilst I prefer it to Citalopram, am experiencing quite severe knee & ankle joint pains.
I'm only just starting to get a reasonable nights sleep, but my overall impression is favourable when matched against Citalopram as that only seemed to have a limited effect on the symptoms of Depression I was experiencing.
I think it worthwhile continuing with Mirtazapine, despite the side effects, as, overall, I feel better on it.
Hope this makes sense!!

[maltloaf]

Hi all. Further to my earlier post regarding restless legs, I went to see my Doc yesterday and he has prescribed Pramipexole alongside the Mirtzapine to see if they help ease the symtoms. I hope so cos its driving me insane.My legs dont feel likethey belong to me sometimes and its such a strange feeling. I hope you are correct Belleblue because the Mirtz seem to be working well on my anxiety. We live in hope

[Belleblue]

I've been on mirtazapine for over seven weeks now at 15mg. Some of the initial beneficial effects have lessened now and I think I need to increase my dose. I have tried 22.5mg and 30mg but each time I increase dose the I get the most awful restless legs, much worse than the minor restless legs I got when I first started the mirt. And just as Maltloaf described it feels as though my legs don't belong to me either.

Has anyone experienced this when they increased their dose??

Belle x

[ZHBully]

Hi Belleblue,

I've been on 15mg, then 30mg mz'pine. My own experience was that once I got over/used to the sideeffects at the 15mg dose (4 weeks), I went up to 30mg. From then I haven't experienced more side effects.

But we are all different, and thankfully restless legs wasn't one of my side effects.

Hope you find something that works for you,
Zee

[Belleblue]

Hi Zee and thank you for your response. When I take 15mg I know that it won't kick in for approximately two hours. So I usually relax, read or whatever until I feel tired and ready for bed. Once in bed I fall asleep. I took 30mg last night at 9.15pm and was sleepy two hours later but the difference was that I couldn't get to sleep for another two hours or so. I could stay up I suppose, but I feel way too drowsy to do anything, so there's no point.

For me the 30mg dose is less sedating than the lower doses. However in the morning I still struggle to get my feet on the floor at that dose as on the lower doses. I also feel a bit more depressed and slightly apart from everything on the higher dose. I wonder do you get new side effects each time a dose is raised?? I don't know whether I should persevere or just stick to the lower dose.

Belle x

[Belleblue]

I think I'm going to stop taking the Mirtazapine. It's been about seven weeks now and the initial boost seems to have gone. I'm feeling flat and slightly depressed and more anxious