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Mental health

Mirtazapine - I don't think I can take it?

4 replies

notusualmnname · 27/04/2017 19:13

Just been prescribed it in addition to the fluoxetine (but going from 40mg to 20mg) and diazepam I am already on. Had a panic attack at the GP surgery and I think he feels at a bit of a loss about what to do about me.

Only I don't actually think I can take it having read about how quickly it causes weight gain. I have had a range of eating disorders and I just cannot cope with weight gain.

I am feeling really despairing and don;t know what to do. I can;t face calling the GP to explain and ask whether I should still take fluoxetine at 40mg or 20mg.

Anyone any experience of any of this? In particular has mirtazapine actually done anything miraculous for anyone that would make me some carefree fat person (nb - I see nothing wrong in people with bigger bodies but having had anxiety about my size all my life I see plenty wrong in my body getting bigger).

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Ashers40 · 27/04/2017 23:01

I did put on weight with Mirtazapine but it worked so well I put up with the extra weight. Now three years on I want to lose it so I've come off it. My anxiety has returned although not to the same level as before and so I might end up on a different AD, but I'm not rushing into it. Can you ask to be referred to a psychiatrist? I don't think GPs are necessarily experts on ADs and side effects some of the time. There might be a better drug for you if you don't think you can tolerate weight gain. I'd really like to know if anyone has taken it and not put on weight??

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notusualmnname · 28/04/2017 07:18

I have been referred to psychiatry, there is a back story to all this but actually anxiety per se isn't my main issue. I have PTSD and have
flashbacks which get quite bad and a few weeks ago attempted suicide, have been feeling hellish since. So if it's main action is on anxiety I really don't want it. I can see why it was prescribed as was in midst of a panic attack in the surgery but some diazepam when I got home sorted that.

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Ashers40 · 28/04/2017 08:12

Really sorry to hear that, I'm not an expert but a lot of ADs are prescribed for an array of issues, depression, anxiety etc. PTSD surely needs some talking therapy as well? I hope you find something which works well for you.

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notusualmnname · 28/04/2017 12:22

I have decided to definitely not take it.
Took one last night as an 'experiment'. Slept well but:
Woke up with really bad stomach pains. I said I would meet someone at 9am.
Drove to their house in a bit of a daze. Chatted for about an hour and a half with a strong coffee but found it really hard to keep concentration and by the end was really struggling and was doing stupid things like repeating myself or forgetting words.
Driving home I very nearly drove straight off the road onto the common, was jolted back to reality as my car hit the bank a bit.
Got home and suddenly felt ludicrously hungry. Haven't been eating much the last few weeks especially, lots of days of eating nothing or just small amounts.
Have just eaten 2 bowls of breakfast cereal Blush. Prev bulimic and massive desire to purge but really scared of starting that whole nightmarish cycle.
But have decided for definite that even if the other stuff settled then I really don't want to risk going back to binge/purging. It is way too hellish/expensive/life destroying/gross when I get stuck in that.
This is definitely not a med for me.

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