Mirtazapine weight gain

[HadEnoughNow1]

Has anyone successfully not gained weight on mirtazapine? I’ve been taking it for two months or so now and have put on a stone, which is the weight I always used to be before getting such bad anxiety and depression so not too bothered. But am worried I’ll continue piling it on…

Thank you it's all a bit anecdotal really then, when I I Look at my weight on nutra check it's rather depressing and honestly, I didn't feel I was eating enough to explain the weight gain. 10kg in 6 weeks is a gain I have never had.

This makes me wonder if I should continue with the drug. It's really hard. I don't want to keep switching.

I've been taking it since October and its not given me an appetite at all, I'm still struggling to eat much, can't eat meals and just have snacks every so often.

Vets prescribe it to dogs & cats as an appetite stimulant.

Might be worth trying a low carb/keto diet to see if it helps with full switch.

I gained about 3.5 stone then stayed there til I stopped taking it.

I've put 4 stone on with it. I'm on 30 mg, not sleeping now but the depression is manageable. I would love to come off it but am terrified of the depression coming back.

I've been on it for almost three years and it's helped me sleep and anxiety but yes it gave me an appetite for the first time in my life!

In the first three months I put on at least a stone, so I started calorie cutting and cutting out processed foods. I lost loads of weight, way more than I'd put on, and have maintained ever since - so weight gain and constant hunger aren't inevitable if you can be strict with yourself.

However, I am terrified about coming off, the insomnia side effects especially. I need to do it but always give up. I sort of wish I'd never started.

Thanksmirty I have decided to stay on it after initially stopping it and am glad I did. I feel much better and have lost a tiny bit of weight. Still got 7kg left to get back to pre mirt weight. It's good to hear you managed to loose that weight plus a bit more.
How do you ignore the hunger though? It seems to be worse in the afternoons.
I have heard coming off is very difficult but, I am not worried about that just now.

Honestly, I eat WAY more food than I ever used to, in fact I never seem to stop - but I used to live off quick beige and processed crap. I now have lots of "whole foods", and use Fitbit to measure calories in and out. I think it's improved my gut bacteria and mental health overall.

I've posted about this before on MN under other usernames I think but in case it helps you too somehow?

• Breakfast for me is all bran and a few cups of tea with almond milk (lower cal than milk and long-life), followed by a few lattes with fresh full fat milk to get some protein in.

• Lunch is a huge plateful of cauliflower rice, beetroot, onions, carrots, along with boiled eggs or cheese.

• Dinner is massive - I know MN likes to take the piss out of the "huge salad" thing but really, I go for it. I have about three plates full of fresh and frozen veg mixed together and steamed in the microwave. So I might cut up three or four carrots, a leek, small potato, cabbage, then add frozen peas, sweetcorn, broccoli, beans, spinach, onion, tomatoes, just anything else I have - along with protein like salmon or chicken. And I make myself eat really slowly so it takes at least half an hour.

• Meanwhile throughout the day, I have grown comfortable with feeling mildly peckish before mealtimes, but I don't let myself get really hungry ever, it's not worth it and I need the energy. So I have snacks like frozen grapes, cucumbers, lettuce, pickled onions, pickles, bananas, oranges, popcorn. Lots of water and tea with almond milk. (While maintaining and exercising I also have chocolate biscuits, dried fruit, ice cream etc, but I really appreciate them instead of mindlessly wolfing down like I used to!)

I'm on a different one now, put about 4 stone on with that, a little more than with the Mirtazapine. I've thought of coming off, but feel the same, terrified of being back there, anxiety and panic attacks in my case. I said to my doctor I'd take the extra weight over my panic attacks coming back.

Just bumping as I'm wanting to come off mirtzapine due to weight gain but worried about insomnia. I literally take the tablet and wait to feel sleepy then get overwhelmed into sleep. I wouldn't do that without the tablets..

Those who stopped

• how did you taper
• has it helped lose the weight gain?!
• how do you sleep?!?!?!?

Thankyou

I tapered by reducing from
30mg to 22.5mg for 3 weeks, then to
15mg for 3 weeks then 7.5mg for 3 weeks then stopped. I didn’t have any side effects from reducing the dose. However when I stopped completely the lack of sleep for the first 1.5 weeks was excruciating. However I pushed through, and now I’m just about back to normal in terms of sleep (it’s been 3.5 weeks since I took mirtazapine now).
I stopped because of the constant hunger. Mirtazapine made me obsessed with food and I never felt full after eating. I managed to not put on too much weight but it was torture resisting food all the time! I’ve lost half a stone since stopping with no effort or dieting at all. My appetite went back to normal 3 days after stopping.

My friend gained 3 stone.

Sorry no help here not sure if there's anything you can do.

Thanks @HadEnoughNow1 for sharing your experience. I'm so scared about lack of sleep (and functioning) but if I know that's temporary that will lhelp. I can't go back to how I was but after 2 years on it I'm really hoping mood wise I'm more stable. I think it was lack of sleep that made me anxious (wondering if it's all peri tbh)

I dont think I'm obsessed with food BUT I have clearly put weight on. I have been steadily for years so really really hoping coming off it will help with weight loss goals.

@OneMoreStepAlongTheRoadIGo maybe try doing it when you don’t have too much going on…when you have a quiet couple of weeks. It is only temporary but might last longer for some people than others I suppose.

Blimey this is worrying as I have already put on at least 5 stone cos of my drinking! I only started taking it on Friday. So far it’s given me very vivid dreams & I sometimes feel a bit sick, although that could be due to lots of other issues including my HRT.