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Mirtazapine question/help please

Posted , 5 users are following.

j80131
j80131

Hi I've just been prescribed Mirtazapine and am a bit worried after reading some of the reports on here. Most here seem to start or only be on a low dosage and still have problems. I've been told to start on 30mg. No blood pressure etc. tests, just a perscription

I struggled with weight problems for a few years which added to my depression but have finally managed to loose one stone, but its taken me a whole year, so the thought of weight gain oviously worries me. I also have a low blood pressure which worries me. Just don't know what to do now.

0 likes, 18 replies

18 Replies

  • carole66603
    carole66603 j80131

    Posted

    Hi if you read up on the side effects of mirt you will see the main side effect is weight gain due to a craving for sweet stuff. Also i have found they do lower b p slightly in some people. Everyone is different but i would ring the pharmacist as they are more in the know about side effects than doctors who just prescribe and dont read the leaflets. Hope this helps.
    • j80131
      j80131 carole66603

      Posted

      Hi Carole, Ive read the side effects thats why Im so worried. As you say doctors just dish out perscriptions. The only side effect he mentioned to me was feeling sick or getting a headache which he said wouldn't last and to just carry on. I told him I already suffer with headaches which he just seemed to ignor.
    • tony15730
      tony15730 carole66603

      Posted

      be prepared to be overwhelming tired when you start. Definitely take it in the evening. Take it as early in the evening as you can to reduce the tiredness the following day. I thought they advise to start at 15 first. Lease check with your pharmacist as go's often don't have a clue about the effect of drugs they prescribe.

      Also I don't put on weight easy (I'm an ectomorph) but I put on 4 to 5 pubs in 3 weeks. The stuff makes me hungry. It's not unbearable so if you take note you can stop yourself, I could once I realised anyway.

      On final thing , do you have young kids? Unless you have someone, hubby or boyfriend etc to help with them just make sure they are safely in bed before taking the tablet because once asleep a lorry in the room won't wake you.

  • Desperate_now
    Desperate_now j80131

    Posted

    Hi I advise you keep a diaryI to discuss of any possible side effects you feel may be as a result of the medication. I was only on 15 MG's but my Gp stopped them (and not because i because I asked to) i had swelling to the feet and legs, I also developed muscle ache in both arms legs and feet after 5 weeks both these side effects were listed in the patient leaflet that is issued with the medication. I know everybody is different, I didn't have any headaches or feeling sick. 

    Hope you can tolerate the medication it did work on my depression and anxiety in the 8 weeks I was taking it.

    • tony15730
      tony15730 Desperate_now

      Posted

      Hi Diane, I've been on mirt several weeks. I had to work up slowly to 15 mg cos the sedation was so overwhelming.

      I also have really achy arms and legs. It feels like the aches you get from flu but obviously no cold symtons. Tbh I thought at first it was down to feeling so tired on mirt. No swelling though.

    • teresa21490
      teresa21490 Desperate_now

      Posted

      Did your gp swap you to another anti depressants? Have you had any side effects stopping the mirt ? 
    • Desperate_now
      Desperate_now teresa21490

      Posted

      Yes he has put me on 75 MG's Venlafaxine, this is my 3rd day in without mirtazapine, up to now the only thing I have noticed is I am not sleeping quite as well, I am waking every hour but going straight back to sleep. So fingers are crossed. My feet are still swollen but seem to be settling and the muscle aches are settling as well.. All good up to now.
  • la12
    la12 j80131

    Posted

    i was on it for a year and yes it does increase your appetite, you just have to watch out for late night binging, i would go in the fridge or pantry and eat anything i could find, but being underweight due to chronic fatigue this wasbt initially a problem.

    all the side affects listed i all ready had even before i took any medication so didnt notice any

    never start any drug on the maintenance dose unless it is medically necessary, iwould start on 15 for about 2 weeks and then up it to 30 give it a month and youll know if its right for you. never take it in the day, you will want to sleep , about an hour and a half before bed gives it time to work. it is in my opinion much better than any of the ssri drugs, well tolerated many people seem to get little if any side affects. if you want to stop taking it after a while come off slowly you can break the 15 mg tablets in half. if your on 30 mg taper off over about 10-12 weeks, on 15 mg 3-5 weeks.

    • teresa21490
      teresa21490 la12

      Posted

      Can I ask did you have any side effects when you came off mirt. Did you manage to sleep ok ? 
    • la12
      la12 teresa21490

      Posted

      not really towards the end i was only taking 1½ a day and tapered very slowly over about 6 weeks. i was determined to come off them as after ayear i felt they werent helping any more and my doc wanted to put me on pregebalin for anxiety and fybromyalgia, i'll give that a go for a while. i was having trouble sleeping before the mirtazapine but found them to be ineffective after about a month, i think your body gets used to them after a while.
  • mandy54873
    mandy54873 j80131

    Posted

    hi , after a terrible time with fluixitine i have started on mirt 2 days ago, I take it at 8.45 and go to bed at 10am and wake up at 6.30, feel a bit tired to begin with, keep posting as we are taking it at the same time and we can see how we go, from other posts it does make some hungrey, you just have to monitor this if you do have cravings, but people say it works and that it makes them feel happy again and for the sake of 6months or so on it, they can cope with a little bit of weight gain, I do tend to drink alot of coffee, so I have not felt too tired during the day, but its only two days I am trying to be positive that hopefully this will work.
    • teresa21490
      teresa21490 mandy54873

      Posted

      Hi Mandy. I started on mirt about 10 days ago. It has not increased my appetite at the mo. But I completely lost my appetite when the depression came on for about three months prior to taking it. So I am hoping my appetite will improve. As you say there are a lot of neg things but there are a lot of positive comments about taking it and I want to stay on it till I feel I am over this horrid depression. It makes me tired but I am hoping this will wear off after another week or so. Do you have anxiety has it helped if you have? What dose are you on ? 
    • mandy54873
      mandy54873 teresa21490

      Posted

      I am on 15mg, I have my appetite back which is good as could hardly eat when taking fluoxitine, I feel a bit sleepy in morning, my anxiety levels have already decreased but its so early to say as not in my system that long, but I noted from one person that they fely better after 3 days??

       

    • teresa21490
      teresa21490 mandy54873

      Posted

      I am def staring to feel better and I have not felt so tired today.lets hope we do well on it 
  • j80131
    j80131

    Posted

    Thank you for all your replies, I was so worried after reading the reviews I went back to the doctor and told him I wasn't going to take them. Hes now prescribed Venlafaxine telling me the only side effect was feeling tied and possible headaches. Not what I've read now though, Ive started taking them and will see how it goes. Anyone else been on Vemlaxine?
    • Desperate_now
      Desperate_now j80131

      Posted

      I've just started on Venlafaxine after being on Mirtazapine for 8 weeks. I have had 5 tablets and up to now no side effects. One thing I have noticed is that I am now wakkng up during the night but do go back to sleep fairly easily, but the dreams caused by mirt have subsided. I also need to see how I go as the mirt had stabilized my mood. I am interested to know how you go on with Venlafaxine. 
    • j80131
      j80131 Desperate_now

      Posted

      Ive now been on Venafaxine for 4 days (2 tabs per day) so still early days not too bad so far, had bad headache after first day and kept waking up during night seems to be getting a bit better but do feel tied a lot, bit muzzy headed and not eating so much which is a good thing as Ive been trying to loose weight.
    • tony15730
      tony15730 j80131

      Posted

      Velaxifane is an snri (Serotonin, Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor) but only at mid to high doses. The sides with Venlafaxine depend very much on dose. The reason is the gap between when its start blocking the reuptake of Serotonin to when it blocks the reuptake of NorEpinephrine (nor-adrenaline to me and you).

      At the lower doses it is very similar to an ssri and will only increase serotonin to a therapeutic level. At a certain dose the max serotonin level is reached. After that any increase in dose only increases the nor-epinephrine levels.

      So basically

      Low doses = Serotonine increase

      Mid to High doses = serotonin + Nor-Epinephrine increase.

      Bottom line is a low dose may not give much release for you if previous ssri's did not work BUT higher doses may still help because thats when the benefit of the Nor-epinephrine kicks in.

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