Mirtazapine 15mg to 30mg and back again
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I would really like to hear others experience of different doses for anxiety.
About 7 weeks ago i started having a few panic attacks and 24/7 anxiety. I stopped sleeping for a few nights and was prescribed Xanax, which helped but made me nervous from an addiction perspective. a week or so later, a Psychiatrist put me on Citalopram and initially it made my anxiety worse. I understand that it is a side effect in the early days, but my Insomnia was so bad and driving me crazy, that i needed something to help me sleep. So after 6 days on Citalopram, I was asked to switch to Mirtazapine 15mg. The first night was great, i slept for 10 hours and though i had some side effects (nightmares, sweating, jelly legs) in the first week, these settled down and i started to feel good. it really felt that the anxiety has gone away. I did also start some counselling and eating healthy, exercise, supplements etc. as well.
After 3 weeks of progress (I started meeting with friends and thinking about returning to work), my doc suggested increasing to 22.5mg because 'it was unlikely that 15mg would be a long term effective dose to help me recover fully'. A few days into the 22.5mg dose and i noticed that i was starting to feel a bit light headed. After 6 days, i had a mini panic attack and the anxiety returned. My doc suggested i increase to 30mg, which i did and held it for 9 days at that dosage. But i didnt feel any better. I felt more on edge and my sleep was more broken - waking up 3/4 times in the night and awake early every day. Mood low especially in the morning, back pain getting worse, jelly legs all morning/afternoon and after taking the pill in the evening.
Having read alot of info about Mirt, including this forum, i told my doc that i thought 30mg and even 22.5mg are too activating for me. I think that my issue is anxiety and not so much depression and i have read that higher doses can increase anxiety. She did agree to try this, though she said that we may need to introduce an SSRI to complement the Mirt 15mg.
I am now tapering back down to 15mg. My doc suggested 4 days at 22.5mg and then 15mg. I am on day 4 and so i should move back to 15mg today. The jelly legs and nervousness had improved a little at 22.5mg so far.
I would be really interested to hear other peoples experiences of taking 15mg vs higher doses for anxiety. Also any views on my situation. Thanks.
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