has anyone Not put on weight while on mirtazapine 15mg

Posted , 8 users are following.

Hi all. Ive been prescribed mirtazapine 15mg for depression/anxiety. Ive read lots about how people have put on lots of weight. Im now very anxious about taking it as Im very weight conscious as it is

1 like, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi

    Been on 15 mg for 10 months only put the weight back on I lost before going on it

    Just eat well and exercise

    Hope this helps

  • Posted

    I too can reassure you. I've been on 30mg mirtazapine for 6 years and not gained any weight.

    Pixie xx

  • Posted

    Hi , I read alot of forums about ppl gaining weight, mainly women , but apparently the Mirt makes you crave sugar, and for me , it definately has helped me get my appetite back, but like Wizard , I have only gained back the weight I had lost in the year before I started taking Mirt*

    Its a healthy weight I am at now, and I havent gained any in the last week... So surely you will gain a few pounds, but being conscious of it , Im sure you will manage it well.

    V

    smile

  • Posted

    is no getting away from it, mirtazapine does cause weight gain for many people. I put on a stone and a half when I first started on it. I then came off it for 10 days and dropped half a stone but felt awful so went back on it. I didn't gain any more weight. I have been on it for 3 years now and my weight stabilized at one stone more than when I started. However, I ate pretty much what I liked (around 2600 calories a day) and did not put on any more weight. Now I have decided I waant to lose the weight and it has been no problem at all. I am doing it slowly, eating 1800 calories a day, and I have lost 5 lbs in 5 weeks. I will carry on until I have lost the whole stone. It is no more difficult to lose weight on mirt than without it. You need losts of willpower either way. It's a great drug for depression, and for a while I was just happy that I wasn't depressed any more, and the weight did not bother me too much.

    My advice is not to worry about it too much. You will probably gain a bit to bigin with, but after a few months your weight should stabilize. This is the time to diet if you want to. Wait until you stabilize and then diet. Good luck!

  • Posted

    I think the best thing to do is just continue eating healthily as I'm sure you do already. Like with all antidepressants you need to give it a few weeks before you get the full benefit for your depression/anxiety. I hope it works well for you, as it did for me.

    Best wishes xx

  • Posted

    i have been on 30mg for two months now and my weight and appetite is fine , made no difference , so i think every body varies
  • Posted

    Hi Beckij

    Yes, mirtz is a weight gainer...It would be nice to give you hope and say every person has different side effects, though with mitz your pretty much gauranteed to gain weight.You will notice when you take mirtz you will crave carbs..Taking it at night before you go to sleep may help reduce your eating, though mirtz triggers signals in your brain to eat and your belly will prepare for food..If the body doesnt get what it wants it will hold onto any energy suppply you have.This has to do with the peptide signal and the belly..The only thing that has helped me is eating ALL BRAN at night when you get the munchies..this will reduce any bloating and give you a full feeling and is great for digestion...it does help..None the less, there is short term and long term weight gain with mirtz..You wont loose weight, you can manage the weight to a point that when you stop taking Mirtz your body will naturally drop the weight accordingly..Another thing that will definatly help is drinking Plexi Slim. Plexi Slim was originally for diabetics, as it balances sugar in the blood and causes and doctors noticed weight loss in paitients, so it is now available as a drink formula for weight managment and has good minerals- I think the ALL BRAN and Pexi Slim combined will asist you with weight managment smile

    • Posted

      Australia, thank you for all your amazing information , it has educated me so much and helped ease my comfort while taking mirt. I am a lot more calm now, and not so worried about all the side effects like I was in the beginning.

      The interesting thing now is what you have suggested eating to help with the munchies. I have chosen the all bran approach. It is a great snack , and definately is better than chocolate fudge cookies. Lol

      I wonder about how long it is recommended , if you know, to be on Mirtazapine. My doctor wants me to stay on it at least 9 months. I suffer from extreme anxiety. Mild depression, I say mild because it comes and goes , and insomnia. I've never been a normal sleeper. Ever.

      Since I've been taking mirt* now for over a month I have not had anxiety even once. Its like it vanished into thin air. And depression is no where in sight. My thought is wow! I read on here that some ppl have been taking mirt for up to 20 years, !! 12 years, 5 years. I didn't realize it could be a life long medication. Then there's ppl who hate it and even want off it due to weight gain. Well I for one , dont care much about the weight gain, I believe I definately have an anxiety disorder , which has affected my eating, (basically anorexic) and sleeping. And caused my depression, and this Mirtazapine has been a savior for me.

      Its given me back a sense that I'm alive again.

      Anyways , just rambling now , but again., thanks for all of your insight smile

      V

    • Posted

      Hi Vixxxen

       Your much welcome and its wonderful to hear that you are getting the results from Mirt..how amazing is it that you can live daily without anxiety- who would think that you would start coming back to a normal feeling of life...great isnt it..I had the same affect wit Mirt, my anxiety was intense and Mirtz was a mircale in itself smile great with the munchies..and yes great to have a laugh ..humor never fails the heavy hearted :D :D....I think people would be suprised what surpasses through other peoples  thoughts, even the most "normal kind" ahah..never be to hard on yourself!! anyhow great to hear that your getting better and glad i could help,...must admit there are many folks on here that have some great info and have also helped me much ..then theres the wonderful scientist, docts, psych ect and the faith that makes it all the helpful smile

    • Posted

      Hi australia2014. Sorry I have to disagree with you - not everyone has carb craving and weight gain with mirtazapine. I've had no such effect during the 6 years I've been on it. Perhaps I've been lucky, but I suspect I'm not the only one. It just goes to show we are all different in our response, and you don't know how it will be until you try it! Everyone tells me that lower doses of mirt have a greater sedative effect, but I've found the opposite to be true for me as I'm gradually reducing it now I'm better.
    • Posted

      Hi pixie, are u tapering off mirt completely ?? Are u worried at all about anxiety or insomnia once u are off it ?
    • Posted

      I agree with you about the weight. Not only do some people not gain weight, but those who do can often lose it again whilst taking mirt. I have counted every single calorie I have consumed and researched the amount I need to stay the same weight according to my height, age, current weight and activity level. I have lost EXACTLY the amount of weight as a normal non medicated person would have, based on the well known calculation that you need to under eat by 3500 calories to lose a pound of fat. I blaame my weight gain entirely on the increased appetite I had when I first started on mirtazapine, and not any change to my metabolism caused by the drug. Eating used to be a chore for me, and mirtazapine gave me a normal appreciation of food.
    • Posted

      Hi vixxxen222. I've agreed with my psychiatrist to reduce from 30mg to 15mg and then wait until I see him next (July) before reducing further. I do hope eventually to come off it completely. He suggested alternate nights of 15 and 30 but that gave me weird feelings so now I'm reducing one night a week, and getting used to that. I do wake up early after the reduced dose, but I haven't noticed the anxiety coming back yet. I've felt so much better in the last year, I wanted to reduce the medications, and this is a start.
  • Posted

    I have been on Mit for 5years now, yes you gain some weight but is still ok. my only 

    problem thou is it increased my Cholesterol level even with diet and sport my cholesterol is still high

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.