Mirtazapine help?

[Llh1979]

Hi
Just looking for stories on mirtazapine the doctor keeps offering it to me and I keep refusing but I think its finally time to take something
I've tried sertraline and citalopram and both sent me absolutely crazy
Anxiety is high all the time with feelings of constant nausea and not sleeping well
Thanks in advance

It helped me a lot. The first week I was a bit zonked out but that was it. Its amazing for sleep!

It did increase my appetite for the first few months but with some control that settled down again.

I’ve been taking Mirtazapine for three years.

If sertraline and citalopram sent you crazy, you may find that Mirtazapine works for you. I did not get on with SSRI’s at all - I tried fluoxetine, sertraline and citalopram and they all sent me a bit mad. Turns out that SSRIs are too activating for me - my symptoms were high anxiety and insomnia (which the SSRIs only made worse!) so I needed something more sedating.

Mirtazapine has worked absolute miracles for me. It completely calmed me down and totally sorted the insomnia out! I hope it works for you

Thank you both
@Killerpinkflamingo did you find you put weight on ?
The SSRIs made me suicidal with nausea vomiting diarrhoea and panic attacks after never having them before I take propranolol with stops my heart racing but that's all it does
I have a good few days and I'm like ok I've got this then I'll end up anxious again and I spiral into nausea no engery and no appetite it's a vicious circle

Mirtazapine will sort out the sleep problems, I last about 30mins after taking it before I'm asleep.
I did put weight on, I was also on high dose steroids though so that didn't help. I have however lost 2.5 stone over 5 months, still taking it. So it's not a foregone conclusion that you'll put on weight, if you're careful, but it does increase your appetite. I think the important thing is to fill up on low calorie foods (salad/veg) - that's how I've lost weight. I tried just eating less and was ravenous all the time, so had to do a diet where I wasn't hungry!

Mirtazapine worked amazing for me, I had citalopram and it very nearly sent me over the edge. I was on mirtazapine for 6 months and straight away I was able to sleep! It gave my body and mind chance to recover (was sleeping a couple of hours a night before due to extremely high anxiety and heart palpitations)

I'm sorry you're suffering OP.

Mirtazipine has worked very well for me and I haven't gained weight. I think I was less than a week in before I began feeling less anxious and more hopeful. Am prescribed venlafaxine alongside it, the 2 work well together for resistant depression/anxiety.

Just from another perspective- I stacked on a stone in 12 months, and found withdrawal from mirtazapine quite hard. Like the anxiety and insomnia I had beforehand but tenfold. Finally after just over a month I feel more like myself again.

I think like all drugs it effects everyone differently- and the weight gain for me was the worse bit. But, it did make me sleep like a log!!

I did put weight on - it really did make me starving hungry to begin with! But I found that the crazy appetite does settle down after the first couple of months.

My DH takes it, and has done for 5 years. It saved him from a really tricky place. He'd previously tried SSRIs but struggled with side effects.

His anxiety caused awful sleep issues and he was in a cycle where the lack of sleep fuelled his anxiety. It really helped him to sleep which made an enormous difference.

He found it gave him the nibbles in the evening for a few months. We found that having slightly smaller meals and planning for a few healthy snacks for the evening helped.

Good luck OP

Thank you everyone
Did it actually help with the anxiety symptoms or just sleep the slightest thing that worries me now sends me into high anxiety

This site might help OP, I think its the one I explored before starting https://www.everydayhealth.com/drugs/mirtazapine/reviews

My anxiety was through the roof, I had mental health nurses coming to see me everyday and I honestly don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t been offered it. I was on it for 6 months and been fine ever since. Really hope you find what works for you.

Thank you all
My anxiety is silly I end up panicking over things that would never normally bother me before or that I'd just brush off but it takes me days to get over it once its kicked off it's like some kind of come down

I was given some about 6 months. Worked brilliantly, but did increase appetite. I took it daily for about 3 months and now have some in the cupboard for the odd occasion when I need it. However the Dr said that not everyone is able to stop and start it so easily, so I guess I was lucky with that.

My anxiety was the same, every little thing was feeling like a really big deal but it never went away, I just kept piling more on top and working myself up until I ended up with a breakdown. Before that I never used to worry about anything really, it was exhausting!

@Ty36 this is just like me I have about 7 things happen in a 2 week period in november early December the doc tried me on sertraline and it brought in my 1st ever panic on and I havent been right since tried citalopram and that sent me crazy aswell and now I just cant get on top of it I have a few good days then something minor makes me over think and boom nausea no sleep and days of feeling hopeless

Yeah, it’s horrible, I really feel for you. If I did get any sleep before I was woken after a couple of hours to major panics and heart palpitations. I tried citalopram and one other before the mirtazapine and they were both awful for me. The mirtazapine just made me dizzy about 10 mins after taking it (so then I just took it when I got into bed) and I slept the whole night, and after a short period of time I just started improving day by day and after 3 months I felt I didn’t need them anymore but the doctor said to stay on them for 6 months and then reduced my dose down for me to come off them. That was about 3 years ago and no issues since

@ty36 thank you
You have put my mind at rest a little they think i have more of a worry anxiety which does seem to fit the bill
I take propranolol 20mg twice a day I understand the worry will still be there I just wont react the way i do now

No probs, I was on propranolol initially which helped a bit with the palpitations, but it didn’t stop the anxiety

Yes the propranolol helps with the effects of the panic attacks but not the anxiety itself

Well I've had the prescription for a week in my handbag but not yet took 1 had a bad week again with worry over the kids going back to school even though i didnt think I was worried about it
I may start on sunday night after mothers day with the kids

It’s been a life saver for me. I take it about 30 minutes before bed. It does make you tired although I didn’t get the groggy feeling the next day like some medication makes you feel.
I put on weight but needed to. I suddenly had an appetite which I hadn’t really ever had!
It took a while to realise but the anxiety is mostly gone! For me it stops the physical signs of anxiety which in turn helped me deal with the mental side of it.

Good luck!

@Reinventinganna thank you
I take propranolol for panic attacks and that helps with the physical side of those I'm just sick of not sleeping and feeling like a impending sense of doo the doc wants me to start on 7.5mg for the 1st few weeks as I react badly to SSRIs

Lots of people find that the side effects such as increased appetite and sleeping are more evident in smaller doses.

I didn’t like it. Sorry. Made me really grumpy and bad tempered.

Chlomipramine is amazing for anxiety.