How long before mirt kicks in?

I see that you asked about coming off mirt only a few hours ago.    Now you asking about continuing.  

You say you have been talking to a psych doctor.  He/she should have told you about how mirt works.

Antidepressants are not "quick fixes" - the benefits may take weeks to appear, and you may get worse before you get better. 

I think moving up to 30mg after only 4 nights at 15mg is premature.

30mg may help more with depression, but may help less with insomnia. 

Best wishes.

Hi Gavin, 

It takes one to two weeks for MIrtazapine to begin working, faster than SSRIs.  It is an odd one in that it effects different receptors at different concentrations.  It has the highest affinity for histamine receptors which is why at low doses (I think below 15 mg) it is sedating and helps people sleep.  The next highest affinity is for norepinephrine so the mid dosage range is more useful for anxiety.  It has the lowest affinity for serotonin receptors which is why it may take going above 30 mg to have any effect on depression.  This is likely why your doctor is bumping you up so soon.

Beware, however, that mirtazapine has quite a reputation for being very difficult to come off of.  Because of this, one should consider the fact that this drug gets its hooks into you fairly quickly and can be hard to come off should you find it isn't helping!  Surf around on this site and you will find many a story there...

Have any of your doctors gone over other options with you?  It turns out that there are several causes of depression that have nothing to do with a defficiency of serotonin.  Low vitamin D levels can be tested for and easily supplemented with D3.  Same with vitamin B12.  Omega 3 fatty acids can have an impact on depression.  Some find they actually feel better avoiding simple sugars and improving diet, staying away from processed food.  Intestinal flora can impact mood as well, amazingly!  Having an out of whack population of bugs can cause depression and anxiety!  So, taking a good probiotic is important!  

And then there are therapy methods such as cognitive behavior therapy that help a person deal with the thought processes that cause depression.  But as you can see, depression really requires a holistic approach, considering all of these things!

So, I'm curious what all you have tried up to this point.  Antidepressants don't fix a disease process, as there is no known or proven disease process that causes it, contrary to what the psychiatric community persists in communicating.  ADs alter mental states, which may give the desired result for some.  There is a cost, though, in that you can't just stop them if you decide you don't want to be on them anymore.  They aren't like aspirin which leaves your body when you stop and ceases to have an impact. ADs cause withdrawal with abrupt cessation, and withdrawal is usually far worse than the presenting condition the drug was to address.  They must be tapered very gradually to come off successfully, much more gradually than doctors would have you do.  So, just giving you information up front so that you can go in informed.

eleanor