I was initially on Mirtazapine (30mg) for 8 weeks for depression and anxiety. And I did start to feel better, although the blurry vision and the derealisation side effects started to make me anxious again. I think the light head was the anxiety not the tablets.
Went back to work and made an appointment with the Doctor to see if there was another antidepressant with no side effects as I didn't think the Mirt was working.
He told me how to gradually come off the Mirtazapine and then to start Citalopram. Those days copming off the Mirtazapine were fine and the 3 days I took nothing I felt great again! Well what an awful reaction I had to the Citalopram ! Heart thumping, sickness, mind racing, pins and needles, total insomnia for 3 days and the anxiety attacks were awful! I actually phoned NHS Direct.
When I spoke to the Doctor , he said that I had a reaction and the tablets obvousily didn't agree. In a knowing smile, he said that I should perhaps go back on the Mirt and that I came off them too quickly.
I am now on no medication , but can feel the awful anxiety still there fron the Citalopram episode and am wondering if I will slip back to square one again if I don't take anything. The Doctor has given me a prescription for 15mg 1 week and thereafter 30mg. Perhaps the side effects weren't that bad and as the nurse said \" only got bothersome because I was feeling better\".
So I'm thinking that I will go back to the Mirtazapine and perhaps they aren't that bad!
Hi If I were you and was going back on the Mirt I would start with a realy low dose probably half a 15mg tab as these are not easy to get off of when you have been taking them for a long period of time, I was on 45mg for ages and it has taken months to get back down, I am now on a qtr of a 15mg which has not been to bad untill this weekend when I have had headaches and sicky feelings, I am hoping this is not the Mirt but I suspect it is from reading others experiencies.
As far as I know there is no easy fix for Anxiety and depression, it has taken four and a half years to get where I am now and I am still not entirely free of it.
i have spent 3 months on citalopram, had hardly any sleep,actually chewed holes in my mouth, my doctor has changed me to mirt 30mg.
i am at my wits end now!. i am due to go for counselling on the 21st of this month, beginning to think im not going to make it til then , can't stop crying, and to be honest i just want to end it all
I've been on Prozac for 20 years and had my ups and downs.However for 6 months despite trying different doses(agreed with my Dr) i went from bad to worse and understanding \"Fubars\" feelings.
After various tests my Dr put me om MZ and aonce daily Beta blocker---what a difference--i'm now getting bak to a normal functioning hman being and enjoying lfe.
Actually i'm going on holiday on Saturday,something i could not have
contemplated 2 months ago.
Stick with your Dr and they WILL find the right tablet(s),combination and you can get back to living a happy,fulfilling life with\"controlled\" depression and anxiety.
YOU WILL get there FUBAR,let me know how things progress.
Fubar - I know it is hard, I was crying all the time at one point in my depresson. I had no energy and no inclination to do anything. I have a grandson who I adore and I where I used to cherish the time with him it became a huge effort just to pick him up and take him to the park. I almost cried a few time in front of him - I was wondering if I was fit to be around him. He was one of the only things though that stopped me from considering ending it. I am so grateful now - I am almost back to normality I thnk!. Life DOES improve. I used to try and just do one positive thing a day - not always successful and I lost track of the number of days I just wrote off and went back to bed. Mertazapine did help and although I have posted earlier about how hard it is to come off them they helped me through a really bad time. I paid for counselling privately and although it was expensive it did hep although to be honest it took ages for me to realise it was helping. Please hang in there - it will get better eventually.
As you read the Doctor put me on citalopram on my request that I change mediaction and I had the worst two nights of my life! The Doctor said that you should not have those type of reactions. Hopefully the Mirt will help you, it has me.
You will get better and as my friend keeps telling me \"Be Kind to Yourself\"
I am currently on 15mg, still have anxiety problems but am able to cope - I think! I am also back at work. I am off for Counselling today with the NHS mental health team - cognitive therapy, my friend said it really helped her and she didn't need the medication.
Its good to know there are others going through this.
Hi all, have been reading this topic as my partner has been on Ciprilex/Citalopram for 2-3 months and his depression has actually become worse! After much gentle nagging from me, he went back to the doctor and has today been prescribed Mirt to take at night time as well as the Ciprilex which he will take in the mornings. At first I wasn't sure what to think as I had never heard of Mirt (been on Citalopram myself for years) but after reading some positive comments on here I am hoping my partner will start to feel better and back to \"his old self\" very soon.
As for myself, I have been on Citalopram for several years now and have found it has turned my life around...unfortunately it seems most anti-depressants do make you feel quite \"ill\" when you first start to take them, but side effects do tend to wear off after a week or so....so anyone experiencing side effects, give it a few weeks.
Have been back on 15mg for 2 weeks (had a week break from mirtazapine to go on to citalopram - bad reaction!) and suddenly the anxiety /panic has been awful ! Doctor , pharmacist said they take 3 weeks to get an improvement and that the low dose was causing this. I took the 30mg last night , feel heavy headed, don't know yet about the anxiety! Anyone else had this? Thanks
Ive just read through your experiences and a question if you wouldnt mind me asking (dont want to jump on your thread)
I have been diagnosed with depression / anxiety today and have been perscribed Mirtazapine. By the sounds of it these will really help me (ive been crying for no reason, and unbelievably scared of...nothing!) but im really concerned about the side effects.
I have to go away with work on tuesday for a really important meeting over 2 days. Whilst i struggle to concentrate at work at the minute anyway due to the anxiety, i am still managing to function whilst im there. As crazy as it sounds, i actually feel a bit better being at work. What i dont want to do is start taking these pills and then become ill or un-able to work / travel.
Would you recommend that i start taking them immediately or wait until i return next week?
Thanks in advance and sorry for jumping on your thread.
I hope you all feel better soon! Never had an idea what people go through with depression until it hit me in the face like a sledge hammer!
I also felt better at work (usually). The only thing that you may find is they can make you a bit groggy in the moring. I did adjust after a couple of days; I never actually lost anytime off work because of them although I had plenty of sick days with depression. I think they definately helped me when I was in a bad place; my main problem is now I want to stop them I am having to wean myself off them very very slowly.
From my personal experience; if you start them now you should be adjusted by Tuesday. However, everyone is different and some people here have had very different experiences.
Good luck with whatever you decide and I hope you start to feel better soon.
Im still really undecided on taking them. Maybe its the illness but as soon as i start thinking about taking the pills i get anxious and feel sick (like right now!)
Obviously everyone is concerned about me and wants me to take them to get me better but im just really scared of the side effects so i dont know what to do.
Your post has given me the confidence to start, however, im not going to start them before my trip away. I just keep thinking \"i want one last NORMAL weekend\" before i drift off into oblivion. Which im sure will lead to \"just one more\" and then another one more, and another....
Being scared just seems like a way of life at the minute! Scared of taking the pills, scared of not taking them. How are we supposed to decide??
Hope you have a good away meeting Tues and next week. Work as a distraction was a blessing to me even though I thought I hated it!
I never read anything about Mert. until I tried to come off them!!
I wasn't scared of the tablets, but I never 'cashed in' my first prescription, wasn't sure if they would help.
I had stopped eating tho and lost so much weight, I was really consious of my clothes not fitting and just felt I looked a mess! I read somewhere online (not a site like this) that the mert caused weight gain. I called the doc straight away!! 8)
I had reached a point where I didn't care what the tablets did, nothing could be worse than the numb feeling of the depression and the feeling that peole were looking at me thinking how skinny I was!
They did seem to help me and the weight crept on slowly. I gave up smoking about 4 mths ago and now, well I def am starting to think I have perhaps gained enoguht weight back now :-)
I don't always feel great but I am definately so much better than I was, the situation I was in has eased and attitude towards problems is much more positive. I had some counselling as well and that held me for a while and then did seem to kick in and help. I had to get in privately as I work away from home a lot and the docs only do Mon/Tues between 10-4! The expense eventually outweighted the benefits but again, it did help at the time.
When you are depressed every decision seems to be the wrong one and life just seems to be a never ending spiral of problems, I would use them again if I felt like that again. Don't be scared, just try to do one positive thing a day for yourself. Whether this is taking the tablets or something else only you can decide. Eventually all those little positives do add up and life will seem better again - promise :-)
Have you had your trip away yet? It could be that your worry about taking the tablets is more than the reality of being on them, however your anxiety about them might mean it is better to wait and cope with your work commitments.
I have been on Mirt since November 2008.First up to 30mg then in March up to 45mg. I have not felt unwell on them and I have managed to keep working with less anxiety than I was facing prior to being on them. I have felt more able to face the day and concentration is better.I do not feel in a 'fog' half the morning like I used to.
Of course though I cannot deny the side effects of the weight gain( just want to eat all the wrong things) and I do feel very achy and have started on rosehip and also cod liver oil to try and counter act that, also dreams were very vivid on 30mg better on 45mg. The positives for me still far out- weigh the negatives.
Would be intersested to know how you go on. Rayne.
I'm on 30mg at the 10th day on the mirtazapine I have had a continual headache and dizziness (last 4 days). I feel so anxious as well, I thought I was getting better! Don't want to eat much either.
I'm not sure whether its the medication or me - too scared to go back to the Doctors , i'm sure they despair of me! He asked me what I wanted to do ? How am I suppose to know in my state of mind!
15 mg of what? Everyone on this page is listed as "guest" so i have no idea who is posting what ??? are you on 15mg of Mirtz? and if so how is it working? i am on Celexa (Citalopram) and want to go back to Mirtz... so your answer would be a great help to me.