Week 3 and a bit... :(

Treatment and medication
1

Hello all.

I'm actually looking for a bit of reassurance.

I was on Mirtazapine 15mg for 6 days and on a increased dose of 30mg for 19 days.

I am sleeping now most nights and my appetite has increased a little. My anxiety and expression have decreased a tiny bit but nothing major. I still feel very anxious,negative and depressed when I first wake. 

I've had some ok days and some bad days but haven't had no days where I'm feeling and thinking " normal" or believing that there is a end to feeling like this.

Am I expecting to much too soon? 

I would appreciate some good feedback as I thing my mind is a little to fragile right now to hear any horror stories.

Thankyou xx

2

Depression* not expression.

3

hi.I was on mirtazapine for about 11weeks but am now coming of them they were good for sleep but I had some really bad days feeling tired and generally very low I couldnt be bothered to do anything I even had to cut my holidays short because I felt so low. I no theres a lot of negatively towards these tablets but I think you need to give them about 4 weeks and if your feeling no better go back to your docs.ive reduced mine to 15mg every other day them ive been told to stop them and try somthing else. I hope whatever you do works for you.

4

Yes I've had days where I feel extremely depressed which I didn't before.

I really don't know what to do tbh. I just feel so very lost and scared.

I was in Citalopram before and it made my anxiety a million times worse.

I want to give this my beat shot because really don't want to have to start all over with another.

I wish with all my heart that I could wave a wand and make us all better xx

5

Hi Gillkian. I think it is early days yet. You have not been on them for very long, have you. They say with any antidepressants to give it about three months before improvements are noticed, but everyone is different. Glad you are sleeping. I was prescribed them for insomnia, and i didnt sleep at all. Dont take them now, back on sleeping tablets. Do you get any side effects from them.

6

I agree with Dave give them about a month to get Ito your system,then if you feel no better don't just leave it,go back to your Gp.Its no good staying on a tablet if it's not doing its job.

7

Mirtazapine makes everyone (well most people) very sleepy so that if your doctor hasn't told you to, you should only take it at night. Even then I was still sleepy in the morning. I am no longer taking it but if I had an appointment, say with a bank, in the morning I didn't take it in the morning because my thinking powers and reactions were not at their greatest.

I am no expert but anti-depressants rather than stimulating you have the effect of deadening your emotions. We get depressed IMHO because we are too sensitive to outside stimuli and the initial treatment is to improve one's mood by deadening one's reactions - well this effect.

Once your mood improves then you can be gradually weaned off the med (any anti-depressant). I was in hospital for a long time 7 years ago.

It sounds to me like your symptoms are much less severe than anything I had. But what you describe is, I would suggest, fairly normal.

I hope this helps.

Nick

8

Ive been on and off on mirtazapine, I do find my anxiety got wosrt at night when the effects of the anti depressant wore off, but appart from that which took on and off of two.years to completely wear off, but those tablets helped me A LOT, I found effects happened instantly but some tablets you dont feel effects till a few weeks to a month into taking.the tablets, as long as you dont have really nasty side effects then just stick with it for abit 

9

You know Vivien I'm not sure. I came off Citalopram after 8 weeks without tapering and started Mirt the day after(doctors orders),so I'm unsure if the things I have been experiencing are Cit withdrawal or Mirt side effects.

I really do want to give them a fair shot because I am seing improvements in some ways. I guess it's because of the 8 week on Citalopram and then 3 weeks on Mirtazapine and I just feel nothing is going to work. It's been 11 weeks of hell.

xx

10

It will be 4 weeks in 3 days xxx

11

I do take them at night Nick. I was sent to a lodge many years ago(13) because I was suffering as I am now. 

My depression is always brought on by anxiety. 

I hate that my thought process isn't what it was,,that normal thoughts like doing the washing up or making the tea aren't coming naturally but the negative ones are overwhelming me. 

I've tried distraction. I've tried pushing happy,smiley thoughts into my head,I've kept busy,I've tried relaxation teqniques and right now nothing seems to be working.

My doc said this is all the natural process and it will all fall into place eventually. I wish I had his confidence xxx

12

I'm not sure if I've had many side effects other than the drowsiness in the morning which doesn't seem to be lasting as long anymore..in fact it's getting less and less each day which I suppose is a good thing.

Im probably expecting to much and should be glad of the slight improvements. 

I just feel so detached and scared the majority of the time. Hoping that each pill I take will be the one that tips the balance to me feeling normal again xx

13

I was on Venlafaxine 75mg for 11 years and never ever had any side effects.  From time to time, usually about a year or so, I  would come of them.  I would cut down on them and I have never had any trouble with withdrawing.  After a while the depression would raise its ugly head again and so I woud go back on them.

As I said I was on it for 11 years but two years ago they just stopped working.  My GP tried me on several different ADs but to no avail.  Then last November she prescrbed Mirtazapine 15 mg. They worked more or less immediately.  I thoought it was the wonder drug!   However, they to stopped after 3 months.  My doctor then upped the Mirt to 30 then 45 mg but no luck.    Various people on here said I should give the drug time to take effect.  I gave each dose nearly three months but I was still bad.  I should say that I don 't suffer from anxiety just the depression  

My GP then  said I should go back on Ven.and put me up to 225 which was horrendous.

I then asked if I could go to our local hospital and see a psychiatrist as they are supposed to know more about the drugs.  Anyway long story short the Psychiatrist prescribed 15 mg Mrt. and 150 mg Venlafaxine.  I said  but they both stopped working and she said sometimes they don't do so well singly but they make a good combination.  I walked out feeling it was a waste of time but to my joy they started working in three days. and I was completelyt back to normal.  I wwas told that GPs aren't allowed to combine only Psychiatrists but I don't know if that is true.  After 2 years of trying different drugs I am a happy person again.

Love

Pat x

 

14

That's a fabulous story Patricia...we'll should I say that your happy ending is fabulous.

Ive heard many people had great results with combining two meds. I think I will give it another week and half on this dose(that will be 5 week in total)  and speak to the doc if I'm still not happy.

I am so pleased that your life has turned around. Successful stories of healing make my heart smile and gives me hope xx

15

Hi Gillian

I am sure the same will happen to you, you just have to be prepared to try the different drugs.  I do the think the SSRIs are a waste of time and so do lots of other people.  This year has been a nightmare for me and I never thought I would ever feel well again.   It's so wonderful to feel your old self again feeling happy and having lots of energy.

I will watch the posts and hope to see you feeling happy again.

Love Pat xx

16

I go to a choir on a Tuesday monring. Initially I was on quetiapine as well but with neither could I take the music in.

You might try doing things like Sudoku or other games - even playiing Scrabble with someone - even keeping on patients dot co dot uk keeps your mind active.

A few years ago I was going to a fairly advanced French class at the CityLit in London with 20- or 30-something City lawyers etc - combined with the fact that I hadn't spoken French for a long time I found the class very difficult. I was able to do the exercies at home but it was unable to think on my feet. I don't know if you are British and on one occasion we were asked by the tutor to think of a celebrity that we would like to meet. I couldn't think of anyone - I might have said George Clooney or David Beckham - but I could only think of Andrew Neil he TV political presenter. People laughed. He was considered so naff and I couldn't think of anyone else and say someone more cool. It was fairly painful as you can imagine.

More rcently this year I organised a French conversation class on a Sunday morning. Of course, speaking a language one has to be on one's feet. In fact, I organised the class and we met then at a local park cafe. I found that when I even took the mirt in the evening that I couldn't think of the right word - although at the time my French was rather rusty. Only when I didn't take the mirt the night before did this correct itself. I have just left the group after a stupid disagreement with an oaf, but I was able to hold forth using the vocabularly that I knew.

About 3 years ago I remember complaining to my GP about my memory. At that time I used to go to a weekly pub quiz. I used to pride myself for coming up with the answers to fairly obscure questions, yet the answers just would not come in the short time required.

I have a Maths degree and I would pride myself on my intellect and yet I suppose felt that I was losing my grip.

Now I am off mirt, quet, Lithium and Prozac things are great. But I wouldn't be in my current position without them, I believe.

But I do sometimes get very depressed but these are more reactive. But I was advised not to work agaiin (I was 55 at the time - I am now 60) as when one is working you might be upset by some action of another person - this might not be intentional on their part). At work you can't go home and get away rom the source of your "irritation" and even if you did the person or the work is there the next morning.

But, look, I was in hospital for 8 months 7 years ago and I was given ECT at the end of that time. I was therefore seriously illl even when I came out of hospital, so they had to try anything to get me better. Only now am I well to the extent that unless I told people they wouldn't know. In fact, I am only now going to things,like social events, where people don't know and, I don't think that I am a "Martian".

I don't want to go through all the things that I have been through because I will find it upsetting.

I have no idea what your diagnosis is, but I would say to you or anyone else here is you have to decide whether the effect of the drug is worse than the illness. When I was transferring from Lithium because it was killing me ie it was effecting my kidneys my psych gave me the data sheets of quetiapine and chloropromazine (I think) and asked me to decide which I wanted to go on, looking at the side effects. Fortunately I was in a state of mind that I could do this - my sister is a GP so that I talked to her as well.

17

My diagnosis is anxiety and depression(the depression brought on by anxiety)... I come on here,,,I read if I can relax enough to focus,,,I do the crosswords...I do everything I'm supposed to do,push myself even if I feel scared....somebody once said " feel the fear and do it anyway" and that's what I do but these thoughts and feeling won't always shift xx

18

Hi patricia read your post saying you take mirtazapine and venlafaxine i am on 45 mirtazapine still dnot feel  well i  feel they to have stopped working. Been taking this med for about 6/7 months now upped  from 30mg to 45mg  around about  June because i went down on that dose losing all faith of getting any better now as its coming up to a year now i went down big time didn't get out of bed,eat,sleep etc. Was put on citlopam and sleeping tabs till January. Saw a psychiatrist  was suicidal she put me on mirtazapine. just feel thay get you so far then Bang i feel so low every day is a stuggle motivation a 0,  im  crying for England. all the psyciatrist says keel tying had enough. please any advise x

19

Thank you. I think that your post must of done the trick because tonight is a good night  

I may crash again tomorrow but I will deal with that then.

Xx

20

Somebody was right. You want to try continuing doing the things that you previously enjoyed doing. For instance, when I came out of hospital despite the fact that I was still very unwell I went back to my orchestra and my choir. Preferably things that you did with others - rather than sitting at home on your own.