Starting Mirtazapine handhold

[rubyslipperss]

Hi I've had a pretty bad year and this last month has been particularly bad - I developed tinnitus and this triggered insomnia which sent me into a spiral . My GP has given me mirtazapine 15 mg and zopiclone and told me take them together but wouldn't that knock me out too much ?

Also aside of the weight gain ( I'll chose sleep over weight gain atm ) though this does worry me, did people find it difficult to come off ?
Could do with some positive stories if possible as I hate taking new things .

I wouldn't take zopiclone very night. its addictive

id start with the mirtazipine and if that doesn't knock you out then trial it with zopiclone.

what strength zopiclone were you given?

I was never able to take the mirtazipine when prescribed but ive had zopiclone issued for as and when needed and generally speaking it works. just makes it hard to actually wake up in the morning

Thanks for reply - I've been given 7.5 so can break in half . Yes took 7.5 last night and woozy today but I haven't had more than 3 hours a sleep average for a week so can manage that .
Normally I have managed my insomnia for years with herbal stuff so this is quite a lot to take for me . Good idea just to take the mirtazapine on its own though to see what happens I guess as can make you feel quite groggy I've heard. Luckily, I'm off work at the moment. !

Bumping - does anyone else have any advise or positive stories ?

I've been on mirtazapine twice and it's the only antidepressant I can take. I wouldn't say it has an impact on my weight but helps my mood. Both times I have been on it has been during depressions that have been particularly tricky to treat and it's has given glimmers of light to the dark allowing me to start to get back into the world again

The second time I was on it I lost over a stone in the first 6 months making me underweight. I was on a restricted diet and having to walk for 2+h a day because of an allergy and generally unhappy baby. I then went on lithium as well, stopped breastfeeding, went back to a normal diet and stopped the daily long walks and gained about 10lbs in a month then settled around my prepregnancy weight and a year later probably 5-7lbs higher.
My lifestyle went much more sedentary and did more comfort eating so I think that was the drivers rather than the meds.
I've been on a medication notorious for weight gain for about 12 years now and not seen any effect of that. I gained half a stone not long after turning 30 and the weight after having my daughter. I'm now somewhere between the two.

This is what my GP started me on for severe anxiety. The zopiclone stopped working and I had bad insomnia.

Now, I take the Mirtazepine at night with Magnesium Glycinate and Ashwaganda supplements and sleep great. Anxiety is under control too.

I'm on 30mg BTW. Im finding Mirtazepine gentler than Sertraline and Effexor.

Hope this helps.

I've just got off the phone with my GP and was offered mirtrazipine again but I found I was extremely drowsy and angry and reactive in the morning and my weight flew up so I've chosen to try sertraline and a short course of zopiclone along with my propranolol 40mg x3

Thanks @FartSock5000 glad to hear that's all helping . Would you say the mirtazapine helped straight away with sleep ?

Took my first one last night ! Felt tired and woozy but wasn't sleeping so took half a sleeping tablet with it . Then slept for 9 hours with one wake up . The good news is I wasn't bothered in the slightest by my tinnitus which usually keeps me awake but VERY groggy this morning ...

I I hope you get on with sertraline better .

I haven't tried mirtazapine but I do know people it has worked for. I know someone who finds it a godsend.

I've taken zopiclone a lot. I do think there's some times where you're physically exhausted but have such bad insomnia that you just need to knock yourself out. But you'll get much better quality sleep if you can avoid it, so I'd recommend looking into taking magnesium and tryptophan an hour before bedtime and see if that and the mirtazapine is sufficient.

I don't recommend letting yourself have too many sleepless nights in a row trying to avoid zopiclone though. Sleep begets sleep for one thing. Missing too many nights can badly affect your mental and physical health for another.

I hated it. It gave me nightmares and I was so woozy in the mornings. But my mate is on it and swears by it! Horses for courses I suppose. I hope it works for you OP

My friend has been on mirtazapine for about 15 years. She’s not overweight in the slightest and finds it works very well for her.

Mirtazapine was amazing for me, slept brilliantly, worked on my mood and came off it after 18 months with no issues at all.

Mirtazipine is amazing for insomnia. I was prescribed 30mg but found my sweet spot at 15mg. You do need to watch out for weight gain. I managed no weightgain for about six months by eating fairly low carb, but then fell into a pile of carbs and put on a stone very quickly. That's not inevitable though.

I'm a mental health nurse. Start with the Mirtazpine first as it's not as strong or addictive. I assume you've been given 15mg? It's more effective for sleep at lower doses, but loses this effect as the dose increases.

If you're finding it doesn't work, I'd take Zopiclone as and when needed, as opposed to regularly.

Mirtazpine doesn't cause weight gain. It can cause increased appetite, but if your mindful it will be fine.

The most common side effect is morning grogginess/hangover type feeling, but you typically get used to it after a week or two.

I've taken Mirtazpine for years and it helps me :) It gives me dry mouth so try and stay hydrated!

Don't be frightened of using the Zopiclone. Lack of sleep significantly outweighs the risk of just taking it in terms of your mental health.

Also do not drink while you take Zopiclone. It's dangerous and can affect your breathing.

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I'm on 15 mg and I only have a strip of zopiclone so I won't be able to use it regularly. My main issue is insomnia. I fell into a bit of an anxiety insomnia hole on Tuesday and was completely deregulated . I'm not under pyschs just very good GP.
I'm at bit worried about not using the Zopiclone but will try tonight .
It was nice in that I did feel pleasantly woozy - my fear is being awake all night but I guess I won't find out until I try !

Mirtazipine was awful for me. I took one tablet (can't remember the exact dose) and felt like I was drunk/drugged for about three days. Conversely I hardly have any side effects with Sertraline.

Mirtazipine helped with my insomnia but it made me constantly starving. I put on weight so I had to come off it. I would eat dinner and an hour later felt like I needed another meal!

What did you use for insomnia when you came off it ?

Thanks I don't care right now as long as I can sleep !! I did feel more hungry today but I've lost 1.5 stone in the last couple of months so not the end of the world atm if I put some on .

I was on Mirtazapine for a while. I used to sleep thorough the night in a way I hadn't in years. It also didn't have some of the sexual side effects of many other antidepressants, which also makes you feel more normal

I had to come off it because it caused athralgia which became unmanageable which was a real shame and it was working well otherwise

I am on antipsychotics now and they make me sleep. I’m on olanzapine and also sertraline and lamotrigine.

I take 7.5mg of mirtazepine (I just halve the 15mg tablet), it's actually meant to be better for getting you to sleep at this dose. Does the trick.

One thing I'd say is, I find it impossible to get off but have made my peace with this small dose as frankly it's helpful to get off to sleep easily.

I have tinnitus too, I can completely understand because I had the same reaction as you at first.

Just know it gets better. You readjust to the new normal and then over time you tune into your own thoughts rather than the sound. I sleep easily, honestly. It will happen for you too.

Mirtazapine really helped my sleep, I have 15mg. Maybe try that on its own initially? At first it zonked me out, now it just helps my brain relax

Thanks that's really positive. Are u in uk ? Lowest dose seems to be 15 mg prescribed but many people seem to do 7.5 so I guess could speak to GP about that. I suppose it's trial and error . It made me feel better reading your reply .