Does mirtazapine put weight on you?

Treatment and medication
1

I only started this tablet 6 weeks ago along with citalopram, 5mg of mirtazapine and 40 mg of citalopram. They help me sleep for first 3 hours then im awake all night. My question was though does it increase appetite or cause weight gain just by taking the tablet. I suffered bulimia in the past and don't want to go trough that again.

Hope someone can help me with an answer as I know nothing really about this drug, my psychiatrist just told e it would help with anxiety and not sleeping.

2

Sorry I meant 15mg of mirtazapine

3

Mirtazapine will almost certainly cause an increase in your appetite because of the affect it has on your blood sugar level. I'm not at all sure this attribute of Mirtazapine is healthy and, despite the effective calming properties of this drug, I'd be glad to stay clear of it. Possibly the only worse thing you could do would be to take a tricyclic causing heart damage, possibly permanent. All this you would should discuss with someone medically qualified, of course.

4

Hi Ella,

Just to let you know that this drug is one of the worst for weight gain. I personally put on 25 kg (55 lb) over 12 months and most of that was in the first 6.

I have always been trim and looked after my health and appearance until becoming depressed and then taking this medication.

The carb. and sugar craving were insatiable but I guess at least I am still here which may not have been the case without hospitalization and Mirtazapine.

Now that I am at the point of decreasing the dose the cravings have lessened and I am starting to loose some of this weight.

It is coming off a lot slower than it went on.

My treating physician told me that not everyone gain weight on this medication, but in my experience of attending get well groups at the hospital as now an outpatient, it seems to be the norm.

Hope that you are one of the lucky ones.

Good Luck.

5

P.S. Forgot to tell you that I am living in Melbourne, Australia.

6

Hi Ella

Sadly yes Mirtazapine does put weight on, for me it has been the most effective medication that I have been on. I was completely well for a few years and due to an incident just over 18 months ago I have gone back on it. My experience when I came off it before was that the weight did come off , as mentioned it was slower than going on but the end result was a good one. I am battling the weight again now but as I am recovering I have started to reduce dosage so I am positive that I will loose it all again.

Good luck

7

I put on a stone in weight in just a month of taking mirtazapine

8

Thank you all for your comments, I am also type 1 diabetic and the sugar cravings are a bit much .I it ry and resist but I don't wan to end up with bulimia again or problems with my diabetes.

Thanks Ella xx

9

hey ella! 

I have been taking 30mg of mirt for the months and it had completely improved my anxiety, i havea panic disorder and wouldn't sleep most night s / had attacks regularly.

The food cravings on mirt were intense for me for about three weeks, i ate a lot but three months on the food cravings have gone and i only put on about five kilos in total.

The pill itself won't make you put on the weight, it will just make you feel hungry all the time for the first month or so, i was super worried about gaining weight as i have always been slim, but if you just control the cravings (i used cups of tea and sugar free chewing gum) and do some exercise every day (i only do fifteen mins of Cardio with a half hour walk) you will find you hardly gain any weight at all, like i said the exhaustion and food cravings do fade away, you just have to hang in there and use all your will power for the first month or so.

I sympathise with your stress about the weight but just be wary and responsible, i havent had a panic attack since starting mirt and i had them weekly before, the benefits can really give you your life back and despite all the posts online about it being impossible to npt gain weight anti depressants have different effects on everyone so if you just eat healthy and stay sonewgat active you could turn out fine smile good luck! 

10

Thank goodness i know what is causing this weight gain. I have gained 5 kilos in about 2 and a half months. Was only taking this for insomnia. Was really getting to the point of dispare. I will now stop it, and just have insomnia instead. Where does itstop.

11

Hi again. Im in adelaide. We are neighbours