Antidepressants

[bluemarie87]

I have been diagnosed with pnd and anxiety and insomnia I have been on many medications and currently on anti anxiety medication and sleeping tablets and I've been on seetreline 100mg for 6 weeks and even though I think it's working for my depression I have been advised by my psychiatrist to switch to Mirtazapine 30mg. Apparantly this is known to make you sleepy as well as being an antidepressant.
I am worried if I switch I will have bad side effects coming off one and onto the other. And also that because I'm feeling better I don't want to rush into switching medications if the negatives o it weigh the benefits BUT I also know I can't be on sleeping medication forever. Been on it 3 weeks in total.
My question and post is probably to ask people's opinions and advice and if anybody has been on either and if anybody has been in similar situation.

Any replies are welcome as I feel lost!!!!

I switched from 2000mg sertraline to 45mg Mirtazapene as the sertraline did nothing for my depression.

I slowly cut down on one whilst building up the other. I had a couple of weeks of side effects, but nothing as bad as when I started sertraline.
It was worth it for me as the sertraline wasn't working at all.

@PorpentinaScamander thanks for the reply. What side effects are we talking? I can cope with headaches but not the anxiety to the extent of the sertreline!! Did you have pnd?

Nausea mainly. The occasional bit of diarrhoea, although that could be a physical symptom of my anxiety.

I did have PND 10 years ago. Did 2 years on citalopram and was fine.
Then wham. Last year the depression hit me like a ton of bricks. Then anxiety kicked in. But it's a general depression and anxiety this time. DC are 15 and 13 so definitely not PND.

You can take both - I used to take sertraline in the morning and mirtazapene in the evening. It didn't help me sleep much as it made me very restless and fidgety.

That fills me with dread. I just want to be able to sleep without medication and feel like I am back to myself in some sort of shape or form. Pnd is horrendous. My baby is 8 week old (9 on Thursday) and has spent the day crying ALL day. I swear he can pick up on me not being right!

Sorry, my message want overly helpful (was feeding my 6 month old while typing!). Lots of people do get on well with mirtazapene - I may well have been fine except I then found out I was pregnant so stopped taking it. There are other options too. I hope you find something that helps. I'm sorry you're having such a tough time; those first few weeks are awful but I found life definitely got better about 10 - 12 weeks.

I hope so because I spend most days regretting having a baby and I don't want to feel this way. It isn't fair on him and he deserves a mum who can cope and loves him no matter what. The crying goes through me and I feel myself getting so angry and then I look at his face and I feel so guilty for feeling so angry and feeling so low. I really hope it does improve soon because I'm scared I'll feel like this forever. My relationship is becoming under strain and my family and friends are all doing everything to help me but I can't help the way my mind is working.
Every day I wake up I'm filled with dread. Every night I go to bed I'm filled with dread. Every time the baby cries I'm filled with dread.
I'm doing cbt, taking my medication and trying my best but I just feel so lost!

I've been on Mirtazapine. It was the only one that worked for me after taking several different ones. It can increase your appetite, so worth discussing with your GP if you're already over-weight.

It absolutely will get better, I promise. One day you'll look at your baby and he'll smile at you and it will be the best feeling ever. You're doing a great job and clearly love your baby to bits as you're getting all the help you can.

I'm not overweight I'm only a size 10 and I would happily be fat and happy than slim and depressed. I know what you're trying to say though! Any tips to get an 8 week old to sleep. They have not napped once today and I am losing the will to live!

I remember those days all too well. I used to go out for a walk with the pram - even if DS didn't sleep, it felt a bit better if I was outside. Plus if you put the hood up and the rain cover on, you can't really hear the crying (disclaimer: obviously I'm assuming DS is fed and otherwise fine just overtired!)

@bluemarie87 I had PND after my lil boy was born 3 yes ago and had exactly the same thoughts you have listed above. It really is the worst and I'm sorry your having to go through it. I started sertraline and after two weeks of side effect hell I felt back to myself.

Fast forward to now and two attempts of coming off the medication I have ended up in a bad place again, basically the same thoughts . I tried to go back on sertraline but the side effects, mainly increased anxiety, were too much so speaking to my GP I have switched to mirtazapine.

I am only a week in but can't say I've experienced any bad side effects from starting the new medication. I can't say they 'knock me out' like a lot of people report but my sleep is fine now. Insomnia wasn't my main issue though. I maybe feel groggy for an hour in the morning but not sure if that's the medication or just being woke by a toddler at 6am! I think the main negative side effect is weight gain but same as you I'm only a size 8/10 so not a big concern of mine and would rather be happy and a bit bigger. The withdrawal from Sertraline has been worse - light headed and dizzy, feeling a bit off it. Nothing unbearable though.

Has the sertraline worked for your PND? If it has then maybe worth sticking with it and slowly weaning off the sleeping meds? I've never taken sleeping meds before so can't really help much with that sorry.

This is just my experience and everyone is different. X

11 hours of crying. Fed. Bathed. Changed. Clean clothes. Cuddled. I am losing the will to live!!!! No wonder we get pnd. This is a fucking nightmare!!!!

Have you got good support from partner, family and friends?

It's so hard and there is no wonder with the sleep deprivation, crying and hormonal fluctuations!

Have you spoken to your HV? They might be able to offer some advice to the crying and identify if there's anything behind it like reflux etc. It sounds like your doing an amazing job. Your baby won't be picking up on you feeling bad because you are still doing everything you would if you weren't feeling bad it's just to you it feels a hundred times harder but as mum's we just carry on no matter how hard it is.

This isn't permanent and you will come out the other side no matter how far away it feels right now.

FYI. My psychiatrist is altering my medication as of tomorrow to Mirazepine so hopefully it works. I wish coming off sleeping medication was that simple but insomnia doesn't work like that. I was awake for 9 days at the beginning of my labour so trust me when I say I can't but wish I could. Been in hospital all day as my little one had a suspected infection, hence being inconsolable last night. Feel horrendous!!!