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How long does it take for 30 mg of Mirtazapine to take effect

Posted , 70 users are following.

patricia85842
patricia85842

I have just had my medication increased from 15 mg to 30 mg. When I started taking the 15 mg it literally started working the next day. I am now into my sixth day of 30 mg and I am feeling worse. I would appreciate it if someone could give me their experience with this medication.

1 like, 115 replies

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  • jane96525
    jane96525

    Edited

    Hi Patricia

    All my fingers crossed for you too! Dont be too surprised if it takes several weeks to work though Patricia. Its very hard that, but theres nothing instant about these drugs unfortunately. I found it was 7 weeks before I started to feel better and many times I wanted to give up, but somehow just something stubborn in me wouldnt give up.

    Today Im on week 13 and off to the docs to see how much longer I should be on 30mgs............

    7 days on Mirtazapine isnt long at all, they take much longer to build up in your system, so give them at least another 4-6 weeks before you decide anything. My doc gave me diazepam (valium) to help me get through the early stages and i found they helped but as theyre addictive ( very nice, but naughty!) so I got off them after about 8 weeks as my doc warned me off them.

    I had tried Sertraline for a whole 2 days and it was a nightmare, as I felt like I was whizzing around the ceiling so Mirtazapine has been relatively easier.

    For me it worked better starting on 15mgs for 5 weeks building it up gradually in my system before upping it to 30 mgs.

    But everyone is different - dont be afraid to talk it through with your doctor or a friend or relative if it gets too hard, theyre only human like you........

    Jane

  • patricia85842
    patricia85842

    Posted

    I started on 15 mg and they worked overnight. I went back to the GP as she had asked me to and said I was feeling back to my normal self. She said she obviously didn't need to increase the dose. I was great for nearly 3 months and they just stopped working so I phoned her and told her that I had increased to 30 mg.
    • plainden
      plainden patricia85842

      Posted

      Hi, same as me,Mirt worked immediately FOR ANXIETY ,now afetr 6 weeks on it had a rough 2 days.Now feeling better-ish (not good enough for work) so i phoned  doc + he said to go to 30.However due to me improving throughout the day I wonder if we are jumping the gun by increasing it.The doc wanted to incr me to 30  weeks ago at last appt when I was feeling ok.By ok i told him i was still flat mood wise but anx had gone.Since I saw him my mood has lifted slightly but still not back to me.He wants me to start on 30 tonite but i must admit doubling dose seems daunting but then again I had no side effects whatsoever originally.What was yr outcome after increasing patricia85842 or anyoneelse?
  • stephen31686
    stephen31686

    Posted

    I started on 15mg Mirtazapine for a week, which I found ok, then I upped to, as directed, 30mg. I lasted 12 days then had to get in touch with my Dr because I just couldn't cope with the effect that they were having on me. Extreme tiredness and lethargy not wanting to get up in the morning and the initial sedating effect not lasting long after I went to bed but increasing as the night went on into the morning. I had increased appetite and bloating and the initial raising of my mood seemed to relapse into a continual low mood. My Dr wasn't available but the Dr I spoke to told me to reduce my dose back to 15mg. I was due to see my Dr after a month but won't be able to see her now for another 7 days. Having read a lot on the adverse effects of Mirt on these Forums, I'm beginning to wonder if I should continue taking them.

  • jane96525
    jane96525

    Edited

    Hi Patricia and Stuart

    I find I can relate to what you are saying. 15 mgs has a nice sedating effect, however in my case it wasnt enough to lift my underlying depression. As far as I understand it, the lower doses cause sedation, but the higher doses of 30mgs and above have a stronger activating effect on the production of serotonin ie the pleasure giving hormones. Unfortunately the higher doses are harder to take and like Stuart I had many adverse side effects for the first few weeks of taking 30mgs. Mostly it made me over hyped up and although tired found it difficult to sleep or to stay asleep as there was so much brain zapping going on.

    However these side effects wore off after about week 7 (which I understand is slow) and the depression is completely gone so I am glad I put up with it. My GP said to just grin and bear it because it would work in the end, and he was right. (easy to say I know)

    I saw him yesterday and he says I must stay on it for a further 5 months ie 6 months from when I felt 'normal' haha. which was a month ago.

    Everyone is different though, thats for sure and although my depression is lifted I am often irritable and hyper, but this is down to the side effects of the drug rather then 'me' and will pass when I finally come off it I know.

    Its all to do with weighing up the pros and cons I guess but there are no instant solutions to real depression. I have increased appetite too, but as I was underweight before I see that as a plus.

    I think Mirtazapine is a great drug compared with the others, they ALL have side effects, after all you are messing with your brain, and they dont really know why or how mirtazapine works yet!! but there doesnt appear to be an infallible one-pill-suits -all out there ...........

  • debbie188
    debbie188

    Posted

    hi

    I have been taking mirtazapine for about 18 months,I started on 15mg then up to 30mg and...then 45mg! this is about the third time I have been prescribed mirtazapine and I have always eventually had good results .It was prescribed this time following a period of time where I was bullied at work, it was devastating and I became very ill. This medication I feel helped me lift to a point where I was strong enought to leave. I am still on it but back downto 30mg. I think out of all the meds I tried it has been the best....the thing I hate the most is the weight gain...but I suppose its a small price to pay !

    • terry14810
      terry14810 debbie188

      Posted

      Hi, I had been on fluoxetine 20mg for 5 years for my depression and similar to you, I began being bullied, by a supervisor, at work, which started causing me anxiety. I saw my Dr and he doubled my dosage to 40mg. This was the case for a week and when I was issued a disciplinary hearing by my supervisor (for petty mistakes on my paperwork), I had a breakdown and was sent home. I saw my Dr again and he put me on 30mg mirtazapine, which I have now been taking for 6 weeks. I am holding out for it to start having the desired effect, but so far, it has only been good for sedating me, (I had not been sleeping properly for a while, so this was a good thing, causing me to sleep solidly for 10 or 11 hours). When I am well again, like you, I hope to sort  out my issue at work.
  • jacqueline59667
    jacqueline59667

    Posted

    Hey the exact same as me Debbie x not the bullying but meds great for me and I don't mind the weight gain very very small price to pay x glad ur better and I'm getn there x
  • patricia85842
    patricia85842

    Posted

    I am now into my eighth day on 30 mg Mirtazapine. I am feeling the worst I have felt since starting them. I

    couldn't face doing anything and spent all day until now on the settee. A this point you feel that maybe the drug isn't for you so reading all your messages about sticking with it is keeping me going.

  • stuarto
    stuarto

    Posted

    Hang in there Patricia, you really need a month to reassess, however this is one of the faster meds regarding onset of therapeutic action.

    It had been found in a number of studies all be it no comfort when you are in this position but if it makes you feel bad it generally will make you feel good if thatakes sense.

    No effects at all means your body is not bothering with it at all. You'll get there and if not try something else and ask your doc for something to take the she off while you start up again.

    Stu.

  • patricia85842
    patricia85842

    Posted

    Thanks Stu I am really doing my best to stay with it. Luckily I always feel well at night. I used to think I was

    over it but now I know that the bad feeling will be back the next morning.

    • june26145
      june26145 patricia85842

      Posted

      Did you stick with the Mirt? I started at 15mg for 4 weeks, wasn't doing anything to doc upped dose to 30mg. After 6 days felt I coulnd't go on and was hospitalised. Consultant said 15mg was never going to do anything and upped dose to 45mg. Now on 11th day of 45mg and have had rotten anxiety on 3 days interspersed with a few hours of feeling calm on a couple of days.  Feel very restless and cannot settle anywhere, nor relax to the point that I still have to take Diazepam on most days to alleviate anxiety, Please let me know your experience,
    • patricia85842
      patricia85842 june26145

      Posted

      Oh June I really feel for you!  I thought I would never get b ack to my old self but at last I am.  I was great on Venlafaxine for 10 years but then it stopped working. Then for the last 2 years  it'sbeen hell while I was tried on different drugs.

      My GP put me on 15 mg of Mitazapine which was great for about 3 months but then it too stopped working.  She then upped it to 30 mg.  I stayed on it for 8 weeks as people on here advised me to stick with it.  In the end I went back to the GP and I was put on 45 mg.  I felt terrible on that dose so she took me off it and put me back on Venlafaxine - 75, 150, then 225.  That was terrible so I put myself back to 150 mg but it didn't work.  I asked could I see a psychatrist at the hospital.  She said it didn'gt work like that I would have to be referred to the local mental health first and if they thought I needed it they would refer me.

      I went to CBT but I felt so bad I didn't get anything from it and it was mainly for panic attacks which I didn't have.  Eventually I had a letter from them saying I would have an assessment at home to see what my needs were.  One of the ladies on the forum said I would then have to wait several months to see a psychiatrist and I was already waiting 2 months for the assessment.  Anyway one day I couldn't stand it anymore so I phoned them to see if they could expedite it.  I then got an appointment at our local hospital with a lovel lady psychiatrist.  She said she was prescribing 15 mg Mirtazapine and 150 Venlafaxine.  I said but I told you neither of them worked in the end.  She said taken singly they sometimes didn't work but together they were an excellent combination.

      Well I couldn't believe it but after 5 days I woke up without that awful feeling and I am completly back to normal.  It is so fantastic to wake up and jump out of bed!  I used to stay in bed till about 3 pm then lie on the sofa for the rest of the  day until I felt good at night.  It's great to do the housework, go to the gym and do the garden as I couldn't imagine feeling like that again.

      I have a friend who was worse than me for 3 years.  We meet at our local open air pool in the summer.  Last year she was like a  zombie and this year she was back to normal and really happy.  I was going through an awful patch and she kept keeping me going.  so June you will get there they have just got to get the meds right.  It's a pity your psychatrist wouldn't try the same combination as me.  Let me know  how you get on,

    • jacqueline59667
      jacqueline59667 june26145

      Posted

      OI June I been there I'm now bak to myself I was on 15mg Mirt in jan then up to 30 I was also put on escitalopram 5mg during the day an excellent combination for me and ur psychiatrist was spot on mine told me that two antidepressants often wrk together to have maximum effect I hope u get the rite treatment soon x ps pat so glad ur better x
    • june26145
      june26145 patricia85842

      Posted

      Hi patricia

      Been to see the NHS psychiatrist today who was next to useless.  She is not prepared to add anything to the 45mg mirt and that I just had to wait until it works, could be 6-12 weeks.  If its that long, I will be dead. She hardly said anything, even my husband was disgusted.  How does she think I can carry on like this? I feel totally desolate and despairing.

      It's interesting what you say about the mix with venlafaxine. When I went to see a different doctor after being on 15mg for 26 days, he upped the dose to 30mg and said that after a week, I should add venlafaxine at 75mg and after another week, up it to 150mg.  He said that the combination of these two drugs often proved to work well.  Sadly, after 6 days on the 30mg, I couldn't face another day and went into hospital where the mirt was increased to 45mg with no other drug.

      So what can I do now?  Please help.

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