Mental health/mirtazapine

[MessyNDepressy]

I’ve just been prescribed Mirtazapine 15mg today and was wondering if anyone could share their experiences with it?

For context, I was previously on Citalopram for around 18 months due to anxiety and depression. It stopped me having panic attacks and did help my mood sometimes but I did still have depressive episodes. Side effects which didn’t go away were insomnia, excessive sweating, dry mouth and restless legs. I stuck with it for so long as I feel I was a much more calm person on it, however, the insomnia just became too much and was causing me to be more anxious and depressed.

I have weaned off the Citalopram over the last three weeks as per doctor’s advice. I have been very up and down over this time (for example, awful day on Monday, good day today) although now I am fully off it, I’ve had a few moments where I can feel myself getting angry at things I wouldn’t have cared about before. For example, DS just accidentally hit me with a ball and I had to bite my tongue to not tell him to f*ck off which is really unlike me.

I am due to start the Mirtazapine tonight but I am wary due to reading others experiences. It seems to be a wonder drug for some but awful for others. Three weeks ago I was all for it but I don’t feel anywhere near as bad as I did then. Other than the random feelings of anger, I actually feel quite a bit better. I seem to be sleeping better. Although, my mind is good at only focusing on the last few days, like I said Monday was an awful day.

I tried it once to help me sleep. After one tablet I felt like I was raging and vowed never to take it or anything else like that again. I get if you’re depressed it might be needed and probably takes time to get used to it but I felt out of control!

I’ve been taking it for a while. 15mg to start, daily. My sleep improved instantly which was amazing.
I put on a lot of weight quite quickly which was the only downside.
i now take it every now and again if I need to sleep.

I slept for about 16 hours the first time I took it and felt like a zombie for the rest of the day. I was not safe to drive for a very long time until I was used to it.
I was also extremely hungry all the time at the beginning. The food noise was insane. I was eating butter out the tub.
Gained a lot of weight.

I went up to the maximum dose. I have been on it a few times, usually with another anti-depressant from a different class.

It did help with sleep and my mood did lift for a while.

Everyone is different so try no to let other people's experiences determine if you take it or not. If you try it and don't like it then you can try another medication.

Mixed experiences for me. It's really effective as a sleep aid, but I'm not sure it completely does the job as an antidepressant. And if you go higher than 30mg ime it negates the sedative effect.

Been on it a long time, 8 yers maybe, most I’ve taken is 15mg. Put on a lot of weight, 2 stone, and been unable to lose this weight no matter how hard I try. Upside is that it instantly helped me sleep, calms intrusive thoughts. I decided to lower dose to 7.5mg and this is generally enough for sleep, although I still struggle with occasional insomnia. When I tried to come off it a year ago, I tapered off, once I got to no dose, the “only” side effect was severe insomnia. I didn’t sleep at all for weeks and weeks, in desperation I went back on mirtazapine, I don’t really want to take it but cannot sleep otherwise.

Thank you for the replies. I went back and forth for about 2.5 hours and decided against taking it tonight. My sleep has been better so I think I will just take it a day at a time and I have the tablets there if I need them.

I take it, it helps me sleep. I’m on 15mg. I need to take Pramipexole alongside for restless legs. I haven’t gained weight on it.

Mitrtazapine was pretty good for me, I was on it for seval years but found after a few years it wasn't as effective, I was switched to Venaflaxine (also I don't have to titrate off Setraline it was a straight swap due to similarities or something?!)

The thing with anti depressants is, there are a)many different ones and b)what works well for one person may not work at all for another..

Take citalopram, I was at one point on 40mg, and I had to come off it because it massivly increased my self harm urges and suicidal ideations. But for one of my friends it's the best one they've tried.

I've been on a few (fluoxetine, citalopram, trazadone, lofepramine, Setraline and now veneaflaxine-ahem and also a few anti psychotics-olanzapine and quitieapine) and it's taken many years to find one that suits me best but eventually you get there xx

My experience with mirtazipine was that it got me through my divorce - it helped me numb out my ex husband’s awfulness and get sleep.

However it made me very foggy in the mornings at first. And when I say it numbed me out i mean COMPLETELY - total flatline on the emotional side. Also made me insanely hungry.

But it did help me . I am off it now.

It made me sleep 12-14 hours a night which was wonderful for a week but it became ridiculous and it didn't help my mood. I'm 57 and I needed HRT not SSRi's but I'm a firm believer in meds for mood but you need to find the right one.

Fair enough. No point in taking medication you can do without.

I just wanted to add, probably for other readers, that I LOVE my Mirtazapine! I take 30mg alongside a hefty dose of Venlafaxine. Adding the M really made my medication more helpful. I've been able to gradually reduce the V from the maximum safe dose, but am likely to be on the current scrip for the rest of my days now.

If I have a serious downturn or stop sleeping, I take an extra 30mg Mirtazapine. It does help me relax, and I feel calmer and happier the next day.

I gained quite a bit of weight when I first started the Mirtazapine. I stopped gaining after maybe three or four months, and just let myself be fatter for a few years. Didn't want to add another thing to worry about, so bought some bigger clothes 🙃 I've now been very gradually reducing - am only 9% above my settled weight before starting antidepressants, and am optimistic about being 'slim' again by next Spring. As an ex-anorexic I never diet, so I must be proof the weight does eventually get lost again!

It’s a long time since I’ve taken it but I was prescribed it in conjunction with another antidepressant to help me sleep. It helped but not enough to justify the insane hunger and carb craving. I couldn’t walk past a bakery without buying half the shop. I’m large framed and was rather overweight before taking it but the 3st I gained in 3mo was ridiculous so I came off it. A subsequent psychiatrist told me he didn’t prescribe mirtazapine to anyone even remotely overweight and usually only to the very underweight. I hope you get things sorted.

Yes, the hunger was something else.

It is also prescribed to cats as an appetite stimulant, which makes a lot of sense.

I take a 7.5mg (half a tablet) Each night as a sleep aid primarily. It has really helped me. Have done for about 2 years. I was getting to the point where lack of sleep was intruding on my day to day life, and it helps me get a decent sleep most nights. I started in 15mg, but that was too much and made me a bit groggy. I am overweight but have neither gained not lost

Effective antidepressant, but in all honesty they all work, it’s finding the one that suits , often used when sleep is an issue the weight gain is an issue for many, it stimulates the appetite

Thanks everyone. I have read that a lot of people gain quite a bit of a weight. I’m not overweight and wouldn’t mind gaining a bit but ideally not 3 stone!

I’m going to try some natural stuff, Ashwaghanda and St John’s Wort (I’m aware of the interactions with other meds which isn’t an issue). Plus exercise, sticking to a routine etc. I’m not entirely hopeful that it’ll work but I guess it’s worth trying just now when I don’t feel too bad compared to previously.

My anorexic cat was prescribed this and started eating straight away.

@AllieCat5

That is very interesting what you just said about your psych.

When I went back to my psych to complain about the insane hunger and subsequent weight gain he said I was underweight when he prescribed it to me. Ie he saw weight gain as a positive, for me.

It was amazing for me. If I ever needed it I would go back on it.

Glad you are aware of the possible interactions of things like St John’s wort, please make sure you don’t use it at the same time as a prescribed antidepressant it can cause serotonin syndrome which can actually be life threatening . It can also reduce the effectiveness of contraceptive pills

Yep me too. It was hideous and I ate the next day as though I hadn’t ever eaten anything in my life. It was a disgusting thing and one tablet was more than enough for me.

I loved it. It really helped me through a tough time. I did gain weight though. 2 stone. When it started to bother me I knew my MH was on the up so I weaned myself off them (following GP instructions).
I remember people referring to the hunger as 'The Mirtazapine Munchies' and were they right!

After only taking one tablet I decided that St John’s Wart is definitely not for me! It caused the most insane menstrual cramps I’ve had in years and I started bleeding the day I took the tablet even though I’m not due. I think my hormones have always had a part to play in my mental health so I don’t want to mess with them.

Just taking it a day at a time for now and the Mirtazapine is there is I decide I need it. I actually forgot not to take my Citalopram yesterday (I need to bin the old tablets) and had a really poor nights sleep again. Hoping tonight will be better!

Thank you again to everyone for your advice and sharing your experiences.

That’s fascinating. I had no idea. Although, to be fair, my cat Frank was a chunky boy (15lb of pure white soppiness) so I never had that problem. I know that sounds massively overweight but he was just a huge tomcat; Cats Protection thought he ran away from his owner as a kitten and lived as a stray for a year or two (so didn’t have his bits snipped till he was rescued!).