Mirtazapene

[unequivocallyxo]

Hi all,
Today I have been prescribed mirtazapene. I have never taken an antidepressant and I'm feeling very very apprehensive.
Can anyone share with me their experiences, good and bad, and give me any indications of what I might expect. I want to improve my mental health and want to go into this armed with whatever info I can!

I took this in conjunction with other medications and found it to be ok. I have been changed to something different now which I hope will be good! I have known other people to have taken mirtazapine and found it effective.

It will make you feel quite tired - that’s the most common side effect . It can be quite draining the first few days but does wear off. The good part of that is that it can have an effect settling anxiety quite quickly , although the antidepressant effect takes a bit longer.

It will make you put on a load of weight. It’s given to anorexics to make them eat.
But it will make you sleep like a baby. I take them every so often when my insomnia gets too bad but I won’t take them regularly because I don’t want to get fat.

Yes it can make you gain weight! That's partly the reason why I have been put on something different! I take two other psychiatric medications that are notorious for weight gain so my psychiatrist felt that new medication would be more effective!

Thanks everyone for your replies. I've heard this about the weight gain and I'm self conscious as it is, I'm not "fat" but it's one of the things that contributes to my self esteem/anxiety issues!

Apparently the reason my dr went for this one is that I struggle sleeping. I'm not sure that the side effects are going to be worth falling asleep easier though..!

I took the first one and was seriously sedated. Couldn't talk properly and struggled getting up to bed. It was like a fog rolled over me. I was spaced out for two weeks to the point that I couldn't drive or look after my children. But then it got better. But I still got very tired as soon as I took them and was gaining weight fast. I think that this was an extreme reaction, and I was very sensitive to them but it can happen, especially on a lower dose I hear. But, I needed a rest and I got one!! Good luck with them OP. X

I was prescribed Mirtazapine a few years ago for depression and insomnia and it really, really helped me. I immediately slept better so felt much less tired and much less spaced out. In fact, it just made me feel normal again for the first time in months. It didn't make me fat. Best decision I ever made for my mental health.

Weight gain. Urghhhh. I was anorexic as a teenager and still struggle with the whole idea of being 'fat'. So I stopped taking it.

I do still have some. I very occasionally take 1/4 tablet when I want a good night's sleep, and it has that effect in spades. It knocks me out until well after lunchtime the following day, so I can take it only when the DC are with XH.

When I was taking a full tablet daily, it quickly lost the sedative effect, and just made me fat.

I'm not going to start the course tonight, I am genuinely worried about not getting up for work tomorrow! I think I'll try it tomorrow night when I can sleep in as long as I need, as DP can watch DS.

As for the weight gain, I suppose I will have to try it and see. If it's not worth it, I don't see myself staying on it.

I have gone from a 10 to a 12 due to my medications, but this has been the effect of 3 different kinds so if I was just taking one then I doubt I would have really noticed!

Mirtazipine was initially good for my mood and sleep. However i put on weight very quickly.
If your mood will be affected by weight gain I would suggest monitoring your own weight. If you see a marked gain after a week or two return to the GP.

Have been taking |Mirtazipine for about a year now, I do sleep well most of the time but I also have nightmares occasionally not sure if this is due to the medication. As for the weight issue, I have gained quite a bit of weight without changing my diet, but now am on a strict eating regime.

I take it at night. It generally helps me sleep, but occasionally I do have a bad night. I’m overweight for my frame which should be a size 10. I have found it difficult to lose weight so my GP took me off it for a while, but I plummeted into severe depression ,so went back on it. I also take Sertraline am. I guess I need my mental health to improve before I can even think about weight, although I do try to eat as healthily as possible.

I was on this (30mg) for around 5 weeks and put on over a stone in weight.
It really helped my depression and anxiety (the only medication I felt helped) but I didn't like the weight gain so came off.
I lost some weight and then my mood and anxiety got bad again and I couldn't sleep properly.
I tried Citalopram again ( I was on it previously for 2 years) and the side effects were awful so I stopped.
Went to see doctor yesterday and decided to try Mirtazapine again but at a lower dose (15mg) to see if this stops the increased appetite/weight gain.
Only on day 2 so fingers crossed I can keep my weight under some control.

It does knock you out very effectively, also weird very vivid dreams, but I find all antidepressants have the crazy dream thing. Tbh I was prescribed it but only take it rarely if I need an early night. It makes me feel heavy and my legs ache.

For me it seems to have a dulling effect, no anxiety, but no real feelings about anything really, feel a bit zombified if I'm honest. I should go back and try something else, but I tried quite a few when I had one and none seemed to really do anything apart from give various side effects.

Hope it helps you though, everyone reacts differently.

One=pnd

Anyone who's experienced weight gain - do you think this was a direct result of the drug (ie no change in appetite/hunger) or increased appetite (or both?) I'm going to take my first tonight and weighed myself just to see what the effects are. I think now that I'm aware of it I should be able to control it somewhat.

I feel fickle for caring this much

Increased appetite. I was starving all the time and sometimes having to come downstairs to eat in the middle of the night.

It increased my appetite (though the starting point was zero appetite, as my divorce meant I was down to 6 stone). A bit of weight gain/increased appetite was possibly no bad thing - but I am so used to controlling my weight that it was a bridge too far. I'm now about 7.5 stone, but it's in my gift to change that, if I want to. When I was on mirtaz, I lost all control. This, for me, is the worst possible outcome. And far worse than being depressed.

Thankyou all so much for sharing your experiences. I wish I could weigh in (no pun intended here) but I have no experience to share with this!! I hope whatever you are all doing now, whether that be taking meds or working through without, you are doing well

Mine was increased appetite

I take it regularly have done for a three years, my anxiety is practically zero, I'm a life long bad sleeper, this does the trick.

Think the first few weeks I felt a bit groggy in the morning but soon wears off.

Can't say I've had any weight gain.

I'm quite happy to take it for the rest of my life. I do have a history of thinking I'm fine and dumping the meds, then by the time I realise I need help, I'm too far gone and takes months to get back to normal.

Well I took my first last night and I was out of it today. Slept until about 1pm (!) and been groggy all day really, a bit spacey. Could go to bed now and I think I'd sleep through! No mother adverse side effects as yet today. No hunger out of the ordinary. Time will tell.

I've been on them for two weeks now I take 30 mg they've made me sleepy at first but it's not so bad now but have not kicked in fully yet.