I have been taking Mirtazapine for the last 6 months after having had a bad (but short) experience with Citalopram. For the first 4 and a half months or so was on 15mg and this seemed to be helping initially with the anxiety, although didn't seem to help that much with my get up and go/motivation. Then it seemed to stop working and at doctors suggestion put it up to 30mg for about 2-3 weeks which didn't seem to help and then up again to 45mg where I've been for the last 2 and a half weeks or so. It doesn't seem to be working for me, everytime I raise the dose I get a brief 3-4 day period where things get better and then it seems to fall back down again.
It certainly helps me get to sleep but I'm not convinced it's helping my anxiety just maybe slightly sedating it. I've also started feeling very down the last few days although wonder if that could just be from the furstration of not feeling better. I'm tempted to wean myself of them. I know they take a while to work but have been on 30mg or higher for 4-5 weeks now and can't say I feel any better. I could cope with the tablets making me feel tired if I didn't have the anxiety as well.
Would be interested in hearing if anyone had a similar experience with Mirtazapine and if they did what did they do and what was the result?
Thanks in advance for any replies
hi i was on mirtz for over a year and the only thing i found they were good for was sleeping..i had headaches no motivation with mirtz which made me depressed.. i have no tapering off and now on sertraline which are so much better for me. maybe go see your doctor and see if they can change u over. is a struggle coming off mirtz but if u taper over makes it easier.. goodluck
Thanks for the reply Julie. If you tapered off how long out of interest did you take from which dose?
no worries were all here to help each other, i was on 15mg then upped to 30mg i tapered off by taking 20mg in first week then dropped to 15mg for 4 days had vivid dreams , wasnt to bad then stopped them and went straight onto sertraline which helped with the with drawel.. felt like i had flu coming on for about a week but gone now
Mirtazapine seems a very inconsistent drug by what I have read on here. I went up to 45mg but down to 30mg now. I'm also on another AD. I want to come off mirtz if I can. It's awful to think your getting better then the depression comes back. I was put on it for sleep and appetite. It helps me sleep but still no appetite!
Thanks Kat. I find it helps with both my sleep and appetite but just not convinced it does anything for the anxiety other than slightly sedate it. I agree it's very furstrating though, everytime it feels like it might be about to work when upping tjhe dose it all just comes crashing back down (for me anyway).
Out of interest again was Sertraline the first SSRI you ahd tried. Doc initially put me on Mirtazapine as had a bad experience with Citalopram for 12 days or so. So just wondering if you found Sertraline worked when other SSRIs didn't?
i have more engry so far so good. im not to sure what ssri are isnt mirtz a ssri?
Have you read any of the other stories on mirtazapine on here? It seems a very up and down anti depressant.
Have read them and it does seem to be a drug which gets varied responses. I didn't read anthing which exactly chimed with my experience so I thought I'd just ask the question. Like you I can't help wondering at the moment that I might be better off Mirtazapine.
Apparently not, it's ether a SNRI or a tetra-cyclic AD according to what I've read.
I know what you mean. Do you feel that you still need to take something for your depression/anxiety? If you do then go back to your doctor and what they say.
I was on Sertraline but it did nothing for me neither did any SSRIs. I was on Venlafaxine which is a SNRI for 10 years at 75 mg. Unfortunately it stopped working and I was on Mirtazapine. Just llike you I was good for several months on 15 mg then it stopped working too. I was on 30 mg for 8 weeks as I was told to stick with it. Eventually I was put on 45 mg and that was awful. GP took me off it and we tried Venlafaxine again but it isn't working this time around.
Are you feeling any better pat?
If you check the internet you will find a big chunk of people, not all but a big chunk of people on mirtazapine had nasty side effects, it didnt work, made things worse. There are the odd few who think mirtazapine is helping them but they are very few and the ones who do say it helps them seem a bit naieve. Mirtazapine imo shouldnt be prescribed at all and is a nasty ass drug. They say its not addictive yet you have to "wean" off it. Its not addictive yet if you just quit cold turkey you may get massive withdrawal symptoms.
Thanks for the info Patricia, I'm sorry you seem to be struggling to find something to work for you as well and wish you the best for the future. Your experience with Mirtazapine sounds very similar to mine. How long did it take you to get off the Mirt if you don't mind me asking?
Why would people who take mirt and it works for them be naivenaive
Not today Kat. Even the pool didn't work. I have had a couple of good days. I will let you know how I get on on Thursday. Is the Ven working for you yet? I realy think it's the Ven that's my problem.