I wouldn't recommend it

Treatment and medication
1

I really wouldn't recommend anyone going onto Mirtazapine unless either you're in an institution where you don't have the capacity to make the decision or you have tried EVERYTHING else.

For people who Mirtazapine has worked for, I am really glad for you.

For me, I had exactly the same side effects from the first week of the medication to the seventh week, with none of the benefits. I used to take 30mg at night, and would wake up extremely weak and without the energy to actually get out of bed (\"Hungover\" is the best way to describe it).

I was getting even less done during the day (like having a wash, tidying up, cooking) then I did before I went on it, and my suicidal thoughts increased dramatically. I would also snap really aggressively for no reason whatsover. Considering I was switched to this by my local Crisis Team, it's done nothing but made the crisis worse!

*HOWEVER* Yesterday I was diagnosed with Bipolar, and was switched to another anti-depressant along with a mood stabiliser. I already feel fantastic just not being on Mirtazapine anymore, although the side effects in my case might have continued because the medication was causing me to \"Rapid Cycle\" from elated to depressed, quite often a few times in the same day. If you are given it as a medication for bipolar, maker sure they put you on a mood stabiliser too.

But whatever the case, if you are just about to start it, prepare to be completely knocked out, possibly for the whole duration on it! And I would recommend trying to ask your doctor if there are any alternatives!

2

Hi there...sorry cant get my typewriter to write your name.

I took Mirtazipine for 2 weeks, i started on half a 45mg tablet, and then increased it to a whole tablet.... I agree with Ronian (sorry cant get your name)....They help you to sleep at night.......though pretty pointless, considering the god awful nightmares it gave me, and leaving me feeling tortured throughout the day. Strangely though, My appetite increased...yes, ate 3 meals a day and some snacks...though I could control it, but felt a bit out of control with the appetite thing.

Then yes, Id switch from being okay, quite happy doing whatever, to like well I would only describe it Like Jack Nicholson out of the \"Shinning\"....does anyone know what I am on about????

Its like type, type , type, and SNAP!!!!!!!! Sccccccreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaammmmmmmmmmmm!!!!! Yes, so while on holiday, indeedy, I had had enough....thought stuff it, the sunshine will work.......It did not really and coming off was not as bad as stoping the citalopram.......though the lonely ...(I WANT TO BE ON MY OWN AND fFFFFF OF...******bLEEEEP BLEEP BLEEP!) feelings were and are still consistent. The suicidal thoughts have not stopped either, but if i make it to 3ish each day, I know I am through the worst...thats until, (hmmmm) about 11pm at night.

Okay, there, told you all.....Mirtazipine........should be called \"Madisfine!!!!!\"......And, been back for ages, and have not heard from my cpn.......(Well, I have had enough of all of them!!!!!) They have made me worse ,, professionals?????Sorry, but I never ever want to go for help ever again. I think my duvet cover is the best help I have.

Yes Ron is right....mirtazipine was designed as a drug to stabilise appetite in Anorexics, \"Zispin\" was prescribed to my friend, who never managed to recover from the disorder. Was also in an institution and had difficulty taking it also. The nightmares play on your emotions too, and you do have awful nightmares, Like delusions that Jack Nichosons little boy had in theat film.

Mind you now, I am like the girl in the exorcist, yes I feel like, I am posessed by some evil nasty demon, and about to head spin and vomit green stuff. There , think thats the best way to describe it.

3

I agree with you about the nightmares. Well- I didn't really get nightmares, but the dreams were always extremely vivid. They knocked me out enough to get to sleep, but it wasn't a restful sleep, if you see what I mean?

Tiny Tears, did you say that your CPN hasn't been in contact with you? Get in contact with your GP as soon as possible- I'd highly recommend a free advocacy service called speaking up too, ring 01223 566258, or go to speakingup.org . If you're seeing a CPN that pretty much means you can use them. They just meet up with you before a CPN appointment, or psychiatrist appointment, or anything else like that. They help you go through what to say, then come in with you and speak up for you if you're too nervous to talk or can't get it across very well. I used them yesterday and I can't praise them enough- they encourage you to say as much as you can yourself, but they'll chip in if you get stuck. You can also ask the CPN/Psychiatrist for time out to have a chat with your advocate if you don't think things are going very well.

Hope you're doing alright and take care

4

Ronius, thank you for your advice. I may tyr that later...I dont know what to do to be honest. Fed up trying and failing.

See, I like my CPN, but I feel that people create there opinion about something and thats it. Sorry, and no offence to them if they ever read this, but my head is too sore from banging it off some crazy paving, to even mustar up the energy to deal with any of it.

I am going to leave me alone , (for some tim e, with my issues, and see if I can manage my moods better). if all fails I will keep that last post oyou sent in mind. More now than ever,I dont actually want to talk to any of them. I feel like I could turn up with blodd squirting out all pours, head spinning , vomitting purple/green stuff. And the response i would get would be

\"DONT WORRY, YOUR FINE\".

5

It's annoying when the services are like that! I walked into A&E a few months ago saying I felt like I wanted to kill myself (cause apparently on NHS Direct and just about every site you go on, feeling suicidal is a medical emergency).

The Crisis Team spoke to me a bit then let me out, and within an hour of being let out I was back in hospital because of an overdose.

My response then? From paramedics: \"If you can take those tablets, you can get yourself up\"(When I was scrabbling about trying to get up), \"Don't think you're going to see the Crisis Team again because you've done this\"(Which I think is the same as telling someone just cause you've had a heart attack don't think you're seeing a heart specialist), and from the Crisis Team: \"So what's changed since we last saw you?\" (I took a lot of F****G tablets). Then they let me out again.

I go to a local self help group, which was set up by someone exactly because there were no mental health services around here. It's a lot better then anything the NHS could come up with. The Samaritans are good too- they have an e-mail address, which I use very regularly!!

6

This is the problem with this illness though. If you are anything like me, you (Like I have done in the past). Swallow the pills, and let fate decide........if you are anything like me, you dont tell anyone.

The last time I felt like this, and I am wrining this in the hope I dont do it again...to selfishly help me (and my girls). I was a student in my 3rd year.........bought 2 bottles of wine and a packet of paracetamols, and anaddin extra. I took 24 paracetamols, and some anaddin.....Felt fine the next day.....Could not have cared either way...Wasnt even sick ...just very lightheaded and sleepy.....carried on , (well got up at about tea time) Had to hold onto things to get myself to shops......bought some food....(Like crackers and went to the health food shop for olives and coleslwa) Oh and some wine.

Went home, put on a good film, Had my snacks and wine , went to bed, and decided that fate had decided that I should fight my crap thoughts, and carry on.

At that time I was oblivious as to how dangerous I had acted. But in the back of my head, I knew it would take a lot more to kill me.

\"Ive taking some F****** Pills\"would not get reported by me. But you are brever than me, and it made me sorry but it made me giggle.Not at you, but with you.Thanks.

7

Dear Ronius I have read your posts regarding mirtazapine. I expect that your diagnosis of Bi-polar has altered your psychiatrists view of your illness. I am not mad enough to be unable to make an informed choice about my medication and for me in the most part mirtazapine has worked well for me. Just because mirtazapine was initially designed to treat a different illness does not mean that it cannot be used in some cases of depression. The main thing in all this is finding what works for you as an individual what will work to stabilise your mood and lift your depression. I myself suffer from severe reccurrent depression and at the moment am taking lithium prothiaden and mirtazapine. The mirtazapine was added to boost the other drugs as it works in a different way. I'm on week three of this new regime. It hasn't given me the lift that it did previously so I'm waiting to see if it will work. I wont give up on it yet inspite of the side effects. I've had the vivid dreams weight gain and brain fog in the mornings. My psych even asked if I was hallucinating! I trust that he will make the best decisions about my medication. If this does not work he'll try something else. He has talked about adding in risperidone (which is an anti psychotic) Anyway enough of my ramblings. I wish you well thankyou for your informative posts.

8

I don’t wish to revive a dead thread- but I’m looking at this old post from me (I think my username was Ronius, anyway it should show whatever random username has been allocated for me both for this message and my OP).

18 years on, I can still say Mirtazipine was a mistake. I feel like I never got back the energy I felt like I lost on it. Putting on 3 stone in 3 months was still a huge frustration for me, however Quetiapine caused me to put even more weight on since.

A year ago it turned out I had autism and ADHD, after years of feeling like I moved from diagnosis to diagnosis. I mask heavily which made it harder to detect. The good news is this feels right and explains a lot more than Bipolar or BPD ever did. The bad news is, while the ADHD can be treated to some extent, the autism can’t be “treated" as such. A good analogy is it’s just like it turns out your “brain" has been running iOS all this time when society’s brains run on android (I prefer Linux to Mac OS, however think more people would understand the iPhone analogy). There isn’t a “fix". Living in society is naturally draining, and all you can do is mitigate that and put in time to chill out and stuff.

To anyone else who is 20 and reading this- I’m sorry life is so hard. Society and schools have gotten better at identifying mental illness and conditions such as autism (despite the government wanting to turn back the clock because it’s "diagnosed too much”, which I think is a good thing, if it’s diagnosed early enough then like in any other system like software design, the fix is nearly always cheaper than fixing it later down the line). It might feel like you go from diagnosis to diagnosis, you might start feeling like you’re a hyper-chondriac or the condition is psychosematic. All I can say is persevere as far as you feel able to. You may feel like a fix isn’t perfect but "good enough”, especially in a system like the NHS. I hope you find whatever you need to function better.