hi
ive recently started on mirtazapine like everyone i feel groggy and tired in the day and oh boy headaches however, this is better than the suicidal thoughts
please can anyone share a success story and how long before side effects got better ?
Hi Charlotte - not sure if you’ll see this as a few days since you posted but… YES, Mirt has very strong start up side effects. It’s funny how easy it is to forget how bad they were. I switched from Sertraline to Escitalopram (both SSRIs) and started taking Mirtazapine at the same time, so it’s not totally possible to work out which start up side effect was from which, but I have a pretty good idea. I kept a diary so have a record which I always refer back to as I find it helps. The first few days of starting on Mirt at 15mg I was literally a zombie - terrible headaches, tired all day (but not actually sleeping), just totally zoned out. After 4 days I tried increasing to 30mg but this actually made my insomnia worse (I found it too stimulating, which it is at higher doses) so I dropped back to 15mg two weeks after first starting it. Within about another week or so (so three weeks from initially starting it) I was able to go to the hairdresser and do basic stuff like that, but I would say it took about another month before I really had a turning point (so about 6 weeks after first taking it). But like I say it did gradually improve throughout those 6 weeks.
My experience of Mirt has been very positive to treat the severe episodes of insomnia and anxiety I have - not an exaggeration to say it literally saved my life. It does however have side effects that are annoying- the weight gain is a big one, not being able to drink, some other niggly things which are probably unique to the individual and of course as with any AD it takes a long time to come off it because most (though not all) people need to do a very slow taper.
By two months into taking it I was feeling much, much better and really noticed no side effects at all from that point onwards (except the weight gain which is admittedly awful). It can be hard to believe that might happen when the start up side effects are so strong, but your body does acclimatise to things. Not sure how you’re feeling now but I would suggest giving your body some time to adjust and seeing how you feel then - every day can feel like a year when you feel so crappy but it will get better xx
Hi am about to start taking aswell, so do update. can share the ups and downs..