Can your body get used to Mirtazapine?

Hi Madeleine

I took Venlafaxine for 12 years with no problems.  Then sudddenly, like you, they stopped working.  I think they call it "pooping"!.

From then on my GP tried me with various SSRIs but to no avail.  I then asked if I could go and see a physchiatrist.  The psychiatrist put me on 15 mg Mirtazapine and 150 Venlafaxine.  I told the psych. that I had been on both these drugs and they had both stopped working.  She said but it works as a combination.  Well they did and I was over the moon.  However, after a year they stopped working too.  I then saw the head psych. who was going to give me Lithium, which I wasn't keen on.  But as I was having an operation on my thumb, which I had broken, he said they didn't like to prescribe Lithium.

Anyway he put me on 225 mg Venlafaxine which only worked for about three months.  I haven't been back as I don't want to take Lithium.  I have the odd good day but most days I feel down.  Unlike before I don't stay in bed I make myself do things.  Twice a week I do voluntary work at the hospital and this helps.

I hope you have success with whatever method your offered.  Please let me know how you get on.

Pat xx

Yes, mirtazapine is well known for 'pooping out'. I managed just over three years on it before all my symptoms returned. It did a very good job for those three years but once I realised they were no longer working, I took myself off them (very slowly over a period of 4-5 months). They are hard to get off for many people so you need to do it slowly.

As previously stated it does wear off. Unfortunately I wasn't told this and was on it for many years. Symptoms got worse so it was increased. This only exacerbated the already 'painful' anxiety. Only this year was I told by a counsellor that the Mirtazapine can become ineffective. I'm now trying to come off it. My symptoms of anxiety have gone. I'm also reducing the Venlafaxine. My experience tells me that GPs are clueless, they just want to write a prescription. Have you tried reducing doses to see if it helps? This mus be done very slowly but it worked for me.

Good luck

Hi Everybody, thank you so much for all your advice, I know now I'm not going mad.   I think I will have to bite the bullet and go back to the G.P. but appointments with them are usually weeks away, so I will just continue as usual until I see her.   Will keep you posted.

Madeleine

Hi - just to finish off my story.   I saw my GP who didn't agree that Mirtazapine could stop working, but then she didn't argue either.   Anyway as a result of me pressing her, she is tapering me off it, 15 mg a week (I keep reading that this is too drastic!).   In a week's time I will finish it, and start with Fluoxetine, I'm keeping fingers crossed this will work.   I have to say tapering it hasn't been too bad, apart from my irritability and a headache that will not shift.    Thanks for all your support, Madeleine.

Hi I've noticed the same thing, I started mirtazapine back in January, 15mg, then it suddenly had no effect, so I increased it myself because I couldn't get an appointment , to 45, and it seemed have the same effect as when I first started taking 15mg, just hoping I don't have to up it again