Anybody had these side effects, due to Mirtazapine?

Around three weeks ago i was prescribed 15mg of Mirtazapine for one week and then after seven days up it to 30mg, (persistant insomnia and depression). Everything seemed to be going ok until 4 nights ago when i became aware of a niggling (not severe headache), i took my 30mg nightly dosage and went to bed, what happened over those following three days i can only describe as the most frightening experience i have ever had.

After around 30 minutes or so my airways started to wheeze constantly and causing me to cough uncontrollably, this inturn drove the air out of my lungs and for the life of me i was struggling to breathe in, it seemed i could only breathe in a tiny amount and this made the coughing worse, this started on a friday evening so i basically had to put up with it all weekend, it got worse, rapidly worse, by the time Sunday came around i had had very little sleep and the suffocation issues were so scarey that for the first time in my life i thought i was going to die of asphixiation (im 49), late sunday afternoon i decided that i would haul myself to the local store (bear in mind its 100 yards away and the whole experience to get there and back due to severe breath shortage was just over half an hour), something in my mind told me to buy an over the counter anti-histamine type pill (Piriteze), after returning home i took one as per packet instructions and within an hour my breathing returned to something like normal.

That was yesterday, i took another piriteze today (not took Mirtazapine since Friday night/ early hours Saturday morning, anyhow after a trip to the doctors today he has told me to recommence with Mirtazapine but not to exceed 15mg, ive done as he said but in my minds eye after the weekend ive had im a little nervous to say the least that i get a repeat of the suffocation, im just wondering if any others out there have had the same experience.

Good god, Martin, that is terrifying!  I wouldn't go anywhere near mirt again!  Actually, I'd step down to 7.5 mg for a week or so and then off.  There are other ADs to try if you need to, but I'd say mirt is not your friend.  You'd be lucky to come off it now anyway because it is one of the cruelest of ADs to get off of once you are truly dependent on it.

Have you tried one of the OTC sleep aids to help you with sleep?  Mindfulness meditation can be very helpful to aid sleep and stress.  There is a tapping technique that I have used when I have insomnia and after three rounds or so I fall asleep.  I'd be happy to send you info on that through PM.

I'm glad you weren't harmed ultimately by this episode!  Mirt should have worked for insomnia right away, though it supposedly works for depression only at higher doses (30 +).

OMG that sounds like an adverse reaction and I would have taken myself to the ER instead of the grocery store and what is wrong with your doctor telling you to continue taking it with those side effects. 

Hey Betsy can you send me the tapping technique thru PM.  Someone mentined it works great for her anxiety.  Please and thank you.