Guidance Please....??

Treatment and medication
1

Okay here goes. I've been reading the threads on this site for many months and have found everyone to be encouraging and knowledgeable but I'm unable to find an answer about long term mirtazapine use and how it helps, rather than it's hundreds of side effects! Please enlighten me... 

So quick background (as quick as I can anyway!) 

I have been depressed about a year but only addressed it just after Xmas when I found I couldn't cope anymore. 

After being stubborn about meds for a couple of months I was prescribed citalopram in March and at first it was amazing. I couldn't believe how happy I was I'd forgotten what that felt like nothing seemed to bother me or get me down it was fab (I've since thought this might have been a 'mania high' side effect I have just hoped not ha!) 

Anyway this sustained for a couple months then I crashed and slowly went back downhill to a point where I didn't see the point in taking the pills anymore. I assumed I'd just have my dosage upped (I was on 20mg which I think is low) but the doctor switched me to sertraline 50mg. This was about a month ago. 

I was on them for about 2 weeks with no sleep at all, I've never had insomnia like it felt like a zombie all day but too alert to sleep at night. My depressive symptoms didn't seem to subside either but I figured it was early days for that. 

I went back to doc on Monday didn't see my regular doc as on leave and I thought maybe I'd get something to help me sleep but she switched me to 15mg mirtazapine instead.

My sleep has improved I'm sleeping through the night which is great and yesterday I was up and about and I went out for a swim and felt good but today I woke from 10 hours sleep still feeling tired, on edge, irritable, slept two more hours then still felt the same had another hour and I've woken up still feeling miserable, groggy, horrible. 

I am trying to find an account of someone who's been on mirtazapine a while but can only find people either withdrawing or only on it a few days like me? 

Please tell me if it gets better, how it gets better please? All I can find are side effects no good accounts?! 

I'm so sick of feeling like this (I'm sure you all relate) I used to be so bubbly and happy and now I'm just boring and miserable. I feel like everyone else is having a life and I'm just sitting in bed day after day. I'm supposed to be going to the races tomorrow and v festival next weekend both things I was looking forward to so much and had do much fun at last year but now they just fill me with dread and fear. I can't keep cancelling on my friends. Most know my situation but I fear people are starting to lose interest and feel like I'm not helping myself and I could just snap out of it but I can't! 

Please tell me some good things about mirtazapine .... !! Thank you 

2

For lots of people Mirtazapine does help.  If you look at the reviews for it on drugs .com you'll see it scores quite highly.

Generally it is acknowledged as having fewer side effect for most people.  The most common side effects are sedation and increased appetite.  It's only your 1st day so not suprised you feel groggy.  The sedation does wear off after a little while but for some people (me included) it doesn't ever wear off completely so there is an element of sedation all the time on it, manageable but it's there.

Like all ADs it takes 2-4 weeks to feel any benefits from it in terms of depression, but it should help you sleep straight away.

I've been on it for 7 months but am currently tapering down from 45mg as did not feel it was working for me, but as I say it does work for lots of people.  There is a natural bias I think for people to post about bad experiences (what have got to post about if you feel fine) so I would not get too disheartened by what you read and just take it a day at a time and see if it helps you.

3

Gs are not specialists in psychiatric disorders. I presume that you are being prescribed meds by your GP. I would suggest that you ask your GP to see a psychologist or therapist regarding your problem.

Either you have a serious problem in which case you should see a psychiatrist or you need to talk someone about your "issues".

It seems to me that you have self-awareness regarding your problem - your posting here suggest this.

I have been through the system and therefore know of which I speak.

But I am not a specialist and therefore anyhting I say must be taken with that in mind.

4

n my case (and everyone is different, so you may get lots of different answers), I was in the pits, so much so that I was so suicidal, I ended up being stiched back together by a plastic Surgeon, I was put on 45mg of Mirt, after years of tricyclick SSRI`s etc, etc; the worst was Paraoxatine (Seroxat) which made meviolently suicidal, if guns were legal in the UK I`d have been dead aged 38 (I`m now 51). The Mirtazipine worked for me quickly, lifted my depression in 2 or 3 weeks, and I have been taking them ever since, and although I go through the occasional low period, I`m glad to say I Haven`t had a suicidal thought for years.

Everyone is different, but I found Mirt to be the most effective antidepressant, and I can honestly say it worked very well for me.

Hope you find the answer to your problems, Goog luck,

Best wishes

Paddy

 

5

Thank you that really helps, I'm so glad it worked for you and fingers crossed for me too smile thank you so much. 

6

Thank you. I should have mentioned I had 12 weeks of CBT therapy whilst on the citalopram and I did feel that really helped and when I'm feeling particularly low I refer back to my notes for this. 

I'm exploring the possibility of private counselling at the moment. 

Thank you. 

7

also, being sectioned on my 40th birthday really made me stop and think about my life. Mirtazipine, is only part of the answer, but it will hopefully enable you to gather your thoughts, and make the other practical changes that may also need attention.

paddy

8

It will take about a month or so to properly kick in so give it time...it lifted me out of a big black hole..good luck 

9

It will take about a month to start working properly so ur have to bare with it for a while...

10

Thank you, that's very comforting to know smile 

11

It's the best one I've been on and I've been on them all. The sleepiness in the morning does ware off slightly but I found going to bed a hour early helps alot as I had to be in work early morning x

12

Hi Nicki

I've been on 45mg Mirt for just over 4 weeks now. When you say it takes about a month to start working properly, can you tell me how you know it is working.  What are the signs of this? I don't really feel any different you see and would love to know what is supposed to happen.

13

I say about a month but can vary from person to person took me about a month...when it kicked in I felt happier, didn't want to hide away more chatty to people when I was depressed I rarely wanted to even speak to friends etc. Was less anxious etc. Ur know when it will kick in....give it a bit more time and put pressure on urself depression is a awful illness x

14

Thanks Nicki.  Did you find the mornings worse, especially on waking.  I feel deadful when I wake up, another day to face and how can I fill the time when I don't want to be in the house.

15

Yes mornings are worse with anxiety and depression and also when I'm about to go to sleep also x

16

Hi I am on mirtazapine about a year 15mg i find it helps me sleep but not much else, i understand about going places as i am always filled with dread and fear so just avoid it to be honest, as a lot of people have said everyone different and hopefully you will feel bit better with time xx

17

Hasn't that got any better in the mornings? How long have you been taking Mirt and what dose are you on?

18

Hi June i feel dreadful every morning for about two hours and i am only on 15mg, understand that feeling another day to face xx

19

It did get alot better and it's a really great drug...I was on 30mg. I've taken myself off them as the weight gain started making me more depressed and I was hitting the gym etc and I've always been tiny. Not everyone gains weight though 

20

Thank you colleen. This is my confusion - I can't see that mirtazapine has helped many people other than in the area of sleep. I'm concerned about weight gain as I'm a comfort eater anyway and have slowly gained two stone since feeling like this as it is. I think I will talk to my usual doctor when he's back from leave. Let's hope we both feel better soon, I hate this lack of interest in everything. It's like I'm numb. I don't want to do anything or see anybody, when they try to help it just irritates me because it's always 'try and get out you'll feel better' and I just want to scream that they don't understand but it's not their fault.