1. Community
  2. Mental health
  3. Depression

I sleep the entire night, but wake up frequently and just dream?

Posted , 6 users are following.

Beezwax
Beezwax

Hi, I've been on the anti depressant mirtazapine for just over 2 years now and I am currently coming off it because of the negative affect its had on my insomnia and its just made me feel awful throughout my days. I used to have trouble falling asleep, but now I can get to sleep incredibly easy. Yet instead of waking up rested, I feel exhausted. I vivid dream the entire night and its honestly driving me mad. I must wake up on average 5 times a night, possibly more and I never feel that I actually get into deep sleep because the night feels like it lasts forever and I just remember every single dream I have... I can wake up and fall back into the same dream within minutes. Its like I am always mentally conscious even though my body is not. I've been having this problem a while now and hope that coming off the mirtazapine will help. Does anyone have any advise? Thank you

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • hypercat
    hypercat Beezwax

    Posted

    Hi I used to take mirtazapine as my main ad but found it made me incredibly sleepy and spaced out during the day and as i was working at the time I had to stop it.   I changed to sertraline but kept a very low dose of mirtazapine to help me sleep.

    I find it does help me sleep even though I still wake up quite a bit.  I also get vivid and very nasty dreams with a few real nightmares but I consider it an ok trade off.   I think everyone dreams all night whether you remember it or not and I wouldn't think remembering them is the cause of your exhaustion.

    Maybe a different ad would suit you better?  If they are making you feel like this then I would see your doctor and ask for a change.  You obviously don't need them to sleep anymore. 

     

    • maria_1963
      maria_1963 hypercat

      Posted

      It is a strange tablet Mirtazapine , it seems to differ from one person to the next , how our body an mind deals with it , i have never had any weird dreams taking it , i must have been on it at 3/4 years approx , was prescribed it to help me through the night but it never did what my GP hoped it would do - carry onto the daytime , i was sleeping fine night , then very low in mood daytime , since then i was put in care of the local mental health team an prescribed Venlafaxine for daytime - i personally don't think the combo of Mirtazapine an Venlafaxine works for me as i am still low in mood , heighten this year with the sudden death of a friend late last year , to help me cope during the night in 2015 i was prescibed Promethazine to take along side Mirtazapine , i was given it as an when i asked for it by the psychiatrist at the CMHT , since then it was put on my regular prescription , last time i saw her ( few weeks ago ) she gave me a prescription for a few extra of Promethazine so i could double the dosage as an when i wanted. I find it interesting to read other people's stories with the Mirtazapine , there are still alot of AD's i haven't tried despite being on AD's for over almost 20 years , the one i was on for a very long time was Seroxat but that stopped working after a few years , take care , keep safe xx

    • Beezwax
      Beezwax hypercat

      Posted

      Thank you for the advise, I agree that it just makes you feel awful in the daytime. I wake up very frequently in the night and I never feel like I'm in deep sleep, if that makes sense. That's my understanding on why I feel so fatigued throughout the day. I've seen my doctor and I'm being changed to another AD and its sertraline that you mentioned. So fingers crossed smile

    • hypercat
      hypercat Beezwax

      Posted

      Hi sertraline was the 3rd ad I tried and it works fine for me.  I started off on 100 mgs and it didn't do a thing,  but when it was increased to 150 mgs it really helped.  

      I hope it helps you but with all med it's a case of trial and error.  x

       

  • ann55375
    ann55375 Beezwax

    Posted

    Im on mirtaz and dreams can be so awfully real, some nights sleep better than others.   Taking 5 mg diazepam in night also helps but i really want off all this.  Not easy to do.
    • Beezwax
      Beezwax ann55375

      Posted

      I feel for you, I kind of feel detatched from reality a lot of the time on mirtazapine and I often think I feel better in the evening. It pretty much messes up my day. My goal is to come off of them all, my next step is to get some therapy because I've been relying on drugs too long without actually solving the problem. Wishing you all the best smile

  • tina89895
    tina89895 Beezwax

    Posted

    Hi I had horrendous dreams on mirt, waking up in panics, sweats and yes they did seem so real, even seeing people in my bedroom that weren;t there, hearing people coming into the house that weren;t there.i became even more aggressive and angry like I was a different person so decided to wean myself off thempsyc agreed to this too as didn;t seem to be doing anything just making things worse. Been off for over a year now still get weird dreams ar times, still get aggresive too but not so violent. Weight gain is beginning to go now too.  Just make sure you come of them slowly.

     

Back to top

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.