I've just been prescribed Mirtazapine

Treatment and medication
1

My gp prescribed these today for PSTD, a response to an attempt to run me over by a man who raped me 4 1/2 years ago and against whom I have an Intervention Order the police won't enforce.

He's prescribed 15mg and sd if they don't help or I have unwanted side effects I can just top taking them, but from glancing through this forum it seems other people wean themselves off.

Now I'm confused and can't contact him right now.

I'd like more info on people's experiences of going off this drug

Thanks in anticipation

2

I would think it depends how long you have been taking them. These meds cannot just be stopped. You are right you do have to reduce slowly.

Hope you get to speak to your doctor soon.

Take care

3

Thanks for your prompt reply.

He said to try them for 2-3 weeks and if they don't help or I have unwanted side effects to just stop.  Does that sound right to you?

I didn't mention to him that my counsellor has suggested a particular herbal drops remedy which I haven't bought yet from the naturopath she recommended.  I think I'll try that for a whlle and see how I go with it, not that I think all "alternative" remedies are safe, but this is lavender, valerian, lemon balm and something else innocuous, can't remember right now, but all the ingredients seemed ok to me.

I already use capsules with valerian & other things in to get to sleep and they work as well as tempazepam so I won't be taking them as well as the drops.

Thanks again:  do you use mirtazapine and how have you found it? I'm very wary of anti-depressants generally because I've had bad experiences with them, esp prozac, went off it fairly slowly but still became euphoric and sold my house, which was to be my superannuation for my old age, and spent most of the money ...... sitll feeling the financial effects of that 15 years later

4

Hi

what an awful experience.  Mirtazapine is a sedative drug and so helps you to sleep.

although, it will help your sleep, perhaps up to 6 weeks later, it may not in the longer term help your mood.  It also tends to put on a lot of weight, although at 15 mg, that's the minimum dose.

thinking of you and wishing you well.

Nessie

5

I don't think you would have too much trouble stopping this med after only 2 - 3 weeks, though I would probably take one on alternate days for a week first.

6

Watch out for an incredible appetite. Weight gain is to fast. I just stopped taking and even though I don't sleep as well now I had to stop eating so much

7

Just to say, weight gain with mirtazapine is not inevitable. I've been on it for 6 years and my weight has stayed the same throughout.

8

Thanks for sharing. I really liked the way it made me feel so much more refreshed everyday. Just couldn't get past the weight thing for me .

9

Was that deliberate on your part that you didn't put on weight? And if so how?

10

Well I do have to stick to low fat foods and not go mad with sugary things because of another medical problem, but apart from that I haven't done anything special. I didn't even know that mirtazapine was linked with weight gain until I read about it recently on this site. I've since done some research about it on the internet, and there seem to be several possible reasons, including increased appetite for carbohydrates and reduced metabolism.

11

Try everything before mirtazapine.....

12

More information please - why?

13

How long have you been on mirt? I took it for only one week and had no issues stopping it.

14

MY EXPERIENCE WITH MIRTAZAPINE -

Note - Much [but not all] of the following was in evidence prior to taking the drug but seems [SEEMS] to have become more intense and/or frequent. One thing the drug does definately do is act as a sedative/sleeping pill or sorts. Whether any benefits (and I can't detect any/much) are due to placebo, coincidence or the actual drug - I couldn't say with certainty.

- I take Mirtazapne (15mg) and have done so for around 2-3months (I decided to slpit the 30mg tablet that GP originally prescribed as the higher dose seemed to serve as a 'nock out' sleeping tablet (12+hours) and 'zombiefy' me throughout the remaining part of the day after finally awaking lazily mid to late afternoon.

- I feel groggy/lethargic/unmotivated; mostly throughout the day;

- As much as I like to sleep (it stops me thinking), it inadvertantly reminds me of what happens when I wake up. Awaking brings with it normally, intense and unrelenting thoughts & feelings of dread/misery/gloom/negativity immedately on gaining consciousness (this often causing me to want to 'force' myself back to sleep as a way of avoidance ..hence finally gragging myself out of bed post midday to mid afternoon);

- Also, on waking up aswell as at those lonely/solitary periods during the day ...I often can't stop thinking (OCD??) , ruminating over what I see as (or have convinced myself) are current stressors/negative life issues (its like my over sensitive and negative mind is recognising a danger/problem/worry and can't let go and goes around n around in circles searching for a remedy which can't be found or accepted. This then creates a train of spiralling depressive and increasing anxious thought that spills over into future fears ..as I see everything as 'doom n gloom' -  

All the aforementioned reinforcing a feeling of loneliness, pathetic'ness (my word), helplessness and being at an impasse ...AT IT'S CLIMAX I find myself yet again in crisis and have very dark miserable depressing uncontrollable thoughts and I wish someone would come get me and put me in psychiatric hospital or some place. 

Like a whale finally coming up from the dark depths to grab a moments fresh clean air ...these feelings relent for a while (normally of an evening) and I can even have a 'out of the blue' short lived happy/euphoric feeeling (not sure why) as I become a little more settled and safe feeling and am able to cautiously try [and I mean 'TRY'] and focus on a simple low energy activity/task, or watch a Netflix movie to distract myself, or contemplate in so far as my current life's negative circumstances and those envisaged in the gloomy future ...the 'glass [MAYBE] being half full instead of half empty'' so to speak!!!

Does this make any sense?

For me? I'm planning on weening myself of the 15mg I've been taking ..and I probaly begin the process over the Easter (I estimate it taking me 5-7days)

BEST WISHES AND PEACE TO ALL STRUGGLING WITH POOR MENTAL HEALTH!

[*Forgive any poor spelling or confusion]

15

I haven't even had the script made up yet and I don't think I will, because my gp said there's no problems going off it, in total contradiction to the info on this forum.

Why did you go off it after only 1 week?  My gp said it takes a couple of weeks to make any difference