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In defence of mirtazapine

Posted , 28 users are following.

oldboy
oldboy

I keep reading on this forum how mirtazapine is an evil drug; how people want to get off it as soon as possible etc.  Very few posts saying it helps them.

I appear for the defence , M'Lud. 

I was on SSRI antidepressants for some time.  They countered my extreme anxiety well, but I had bad insomnia probably caused by the  AD.  I tried various drugs for the insomnia (zopiclone,  amitriptyline etc) but with little success.   My doctor suggested mirtazapine but I declined as I had read about its weight gain side effect.  However eventually I changed my mind out of desparation.  The mirt was miraculous: it completely solved the insomnia.   I felt "normal" for the first time in months. 

"But what about the side effects" I hear you say.  Well, I did get back my appetite - but no more than it was before I became ill.   I gained a little weight, but no more than I had lost.

I did have difficulty getting up in the morning and feeling groggy after that, but those lessened with time. I take the minimum mirt that allows me to get to sleep - about 11mg,  and I think that keeps the side effects down.

Mirtazapine is like a knife in that it is not evil in itself, it is how it is used that matters.   The people who say it is evil have perhaps been on the wrong dose.  Mirt tends to be more sedative at low doses; more activating at high doses.   Do not throw out the baby with the bath water!

I get the impression from reading posts on this forum that mirt is best used (at low dose) to counter insomnia or where an SSRI antidepressant has not been tolerated.      

             

     

6 likes, 79 replies

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  • Berniemandalay
    Berniemandalay oldboy

    Posted

    Well said, every medication works different for each and every one of us, they had to try me on a hell of a lot before they actually got it right nearly 2 years it took them thought it would never end was a deep dark tree trunk no way up to the nice branches, then they tried 30mg Mirtazipine and it started to get better and seen my way to those branches, I had good days and bad days more good than bad but all of a sudden my branches started to break till the trunk pulled me in again I was put on 45mg a couple of weeks ago it's just the waiting game for the nice branches to pull me back again, as for side affects the good far outweigh the bad 
  • Tadger
    Tadger oldboy

    Posted

    Hi old boy I was on martizipine for over a year and it was the best anti d for me it gave me my life back and for the w.d it was fine my anxiety came back after 4years so I've been put back on it again and getting on fine put on weight but other than that OK 
  • karen05577
    karen05577 oldboy

    Edited

    I was happy to find this post while researching weight gain on mirtazapine. I have been on this drug for a little over 8 months. I began on 7.5 mg and am now at 15 mg. along with 75 mg. Effexor XR. I was prescribed the mirtazapine to counter-act the effects of the Effexor. This combination is doing exactly what it was prescribed to do, and I cannot imagine wanting to come off of it. Of course things can change with time, so there may come a time when I need to come off of it, and I guess I"ll have to deal with it then.

    I had lost over 20 lbs. due to severe gastrointestinal issues, and I was experiencing severe sleep problems due to anxiety and depression in addition to the gastric issues. The mirtazapine helped (although did not completely alleviate) the sleep issues, and I was able to regain the weight that I had lost. I now have to watch very carefully what I eat in order not to gain additional weight, but I've had to watch my weight all of my life, so that is nothing new for me. I'm now at a good weight for me, so I'm happy, and I follow a strict glucose and dairy free diet.

    I have said all of that to say this...I am sure that I'm not the only person who is happy with mirtazapine that researches these forums. If all I saw was negativity I think it would scare me half to death! I appreciate knowing that there are people who are doing well on mirtazapine. I also search the forums on Effexor XR for the same reason. This is my experience only, and I certainly don't discount the bad experiences that others have experienced, but I hope that this could possibly help someone like me who is interested in balanced user reviews of medications.

  • irena67
    irena67 oldboy

    Posted

    how are you doing now?

    are you still on Mirt?

    my question what kind of side effects you had and how long did they last?

    I have been taking Mirt for 2 weeks and weakness in my legs are killing me.but for 2 weeks I didn't have anxiety attacks and my appetite is fine.

  • jonny79
    jonny79 oldboy

    Posted

    Hi I am new this is my first post.

    I have been on Mirtazepine almost 3 months now and do not feel any better. I was on escitalopram for around 10 years after the death of my father, it kept my anxiety at bay and life was good. In march this year I had a breakdown due to work stress. I changed my job but the anxiety had came back with a bang after speaking with my GP he suggested trying Mirtazepine 15mg at night. The fist few weeks i felt a little better and was sleeping good and then i woke one morning with jitters and massive anxiety my GP upped the dosage to 30mg and to be honest i have felt rubbish in the mornings since.

    Every morning is the same I wake fine and in minutes the jitters and anxiety are back and stay with me most of the day. I still get up and go to work but my quality of life is rubbish.

    I have joined the local gym but have little enthusiasm to go and have actually lost weight due to not eating much through the day.

    I also take two doses of propanalol at 40mg morning and night, I am at my wits end so any advice would be gladly appreciated.

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