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does mirtazapine help with anxiety?

Posted , 10 users are following.

yvette45447
yvette45447

I was prescribed mirtazapine for anxiety, im not depressed but have anxiety and panic attacks, does this medication help with this?

1 like, 32 replies

32 Replies

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  • akhan1414
    akhan1414 yvette45447

    Posted

    Hi- I have been on 15mg Mirt. since July 2017. The reason I am on it ,is that I have a history of Panic disorder, Anxiety and depression resulting from anxiety. I have tried almost all the possible anxiety medications and and antidepressants but could not tolerate them at their therapeutic dose ( recommended minimum to be effective) due to side effects. Mirtazipine is the Only meds. that I have been able to tolerate at 15mg. I started at 3.25mg increased it to 7.5mg and then 15mg for almost a year now. I was experiencing panic disorder of the worst kind, due to some personal circumstances. But this medication has helped me with my anxiety and hence reduction in panic attacks and depression. After taking for about 9 months , I felt ,perhaps, It was not working. But I was wrong. because I started to experience panicky again when I reduced the dose to 7.5mg. So, upped the dose to 15mg and I felt better. My suggestion will be to try it for at least 2 months. Start it at 7.5mg and increase it to 15mg. Initially you may sleep much better than before, but after few months it does not help with sleep. And in my case I started to feel that I had a low grade depression. I did not want to increase the dose from 15 mg, instead with agreement with my Psychiatrist, I added a low dose of 5mg of Fluoexitine ( Prozac) in liquid preparation,  and it helped me with my condition and kept too many side effects under control.

    Hope this information helps. TC. and all the best.   

    • eileen43485
      eileen43485 akhan1414

      Posted

      How much weight did you put on? Maybe none,but with me massive increase 4 stones.
  • kim10000
    kim10000 yvette45447

    Posted

    CBT would probably work much better and not have the side effects etc that the drug does. Some people seem to have a lot of problems with these and with coming off it.
    • pixie22
      pixie22 kim10000

      Posted

      I found that the medications made it possible for me to engage with CBT and benefit from it, so i'd recommend a combination of the two rather than an either/or decision.

    • kim10000
      kim10000 pixie22

      Posted

      While meds are helpful whilst beginning CBT the general aim is for CBT to cause changes in the way one responds to triggers of depression, anxiety and the like without needing medication
  • james87669
    james87669 yvette45447

    Posted

    yvette, we all react in our own special way to any medication. I, like some on this thread have tried many different anti depressant/anxiety meds with varying results. I now take 30mg mirtazapine and 10mg escitalopram and all I can say is I sleep well and I have not had any major issues with this combination. I have had much better results from any of the benzodiazepines and had been prescribed Ativan up util recently when my psychiatrist would not allow me to continue ( I had been taking it for Years). So instead of one drug that worked well I now take two with mediocre results. If you can get any of the benzodiazepines your anxiety will be under control.
    • eileen43485
      eileen43485 james87669

      Posted

      I really don't know what benzodiazepines are,I could be on them! Chlordiazopide?

    • james87669
      james87669 eileen43485

      Posted

      If you mean Chlorodiazapoxide (Librium), yes that is a benzodiazepine. Not to be taken indiscriminately but on an as needed basis. I have used the more common types such as Valium, Xanax, Ativan with success. Can be habit forming but work well for the intended purpose.
    • kim10000
      kim10000 james87669

      Posted

      Received Medical Wisdom on Librium and all the other Benzo's you quote is that they should not be used for more than a few weeks and then tapered off using a relative dose of Diazepam [Valium] to replace the other drug and taper 1 mg at a time at the patients own comfortable speed. All this is explained in "The Ashton Manual'. Benzo's cause amnesia and other brain dysfunction when taken for long periods and are highly addictive. 

    • james87669
      james87669 kim10000

      Posted

      kim, I agree to all you have said. I have tried every established means to deal with my GAD and still say the best and most affective was Ativan at 0.5mg when needed. I had rapid results and no side effects. Now I take two drugs that are not near as affective and I have had uncomfortable side effects. 

      Of course benzos can be abused and great harm can follow but for those who can use them wisely the payoff is hard to match in the current market.

    • kim10000
      kim10000 james87669

      Posted

      James. It is not a case of abusing Benz's but of Benz's being so made that they result in dependence. One doesn't have to abuse the dose to become dependent. The tolerance that Benz's quickly produce means that the drugs need to be increased to have the same effect. This produces dependence.

      The only way to avoid this dependence is to taper off the drug by substitution of the drug taken, in your case Ativan. For this Diazepam is used in a comparable strength.  I have used it to stop taking Nitrazepam coming down from 10mg of Valium to zero in just on 10 months 1mg at a time every 1-2 weeks. I would not take any psychiatric drug now however I felt I would insist on CBT or a deeper type of therapy. Good luck with your own health.

  • akhan1414
    akhan1414 yvette45447

    Posted

    Following this thread...… I would agree that sometimes Anxiety/ Anxiety disorder or Depression is so very bad that one cannot engage in the psychological therapies. I did feel that after taking Mirt. 15mg for few months, I was able to engage with the Psychologist. Yes, we are all different and react in different ways to medication. The combination of Meds plus Psychological therapies is very much productive. As for Benzos- If one can use them in a controlled way they can be very useful and some consultants do not mind prescribing them. However long term use is counter productive. In that it may cause anxiety if benzos. are not in the body by causing many physical and Psychological symptoms. 
    • eileen43485
      eileen43485

      Posted

      What medication would be described as benzos?
    • kim10000
      kim10000

      Posted

      That should have been www.benzo.org.uk

      They have tables for reducing Benzos and a wealth of information on them by Professor Ashcroft.

    • eileen43485
      eileen43485 kim10000

      Posted

      Hi,I don't know what "Benzos " are know it's benzodiazepines. I've been on Chlordiazopide for over 15 years. I didn't know,still don't, but I heard they're the same as Lithium. Only read about that.

    • eileen43485
      eileen43485

      Posted

      Asked my doctor to help take me off them. He refused, said they're too addictive. If I had known chlordiazopide was Librium,I would never had even thought of taking them!

      Take care.

    • eileen43485
      eileen43485

      Posted

      Don't know what Lithium is. I meant Libriam. Don't know on my prescription it's called "chlordiazopide ".

      Thanks.

    • eileen43485
      eileen43485

      Posted

      I did look up your link,but it doesn't say what any of the tablets are called just benzodiazepines. I appreciate your help anyway.

    • kim10000
      kim10000 eileen43485

      Posted

      Benzo's are benzodiazepines.Chlordiazopide is Librium which is a benzodiazepine. 15 years is a long time.

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