Mirtazapine - weight gain!!!!
Posted , 67 users are following.
Hi,
I've never posted on a forum before but wondered if anyone could give me any advise.
I was diagnosed with depression just before christmas, I had quite a traumatic year with a series of bad events occurring, I was also getting married which I think was the only thing keeping me going, looking back now I realise I was slipping into a depressive state for about 2 months before I finally broke. I fell into quite a catatonic state being unable to function at even a basic level, it was as if my brain had just shut down.
The doc started me on sertraline but this made my anxiety so bad that I couldn't even go into my back garden, unable to leave the house or speak to anyone for a month, he then gave me citralopram, this reduced my anxiety but gave me insomnia, so I spent another month sleeping (or rather not sleeping) on my sofa and only getting a few hours of sleep here and there.
So my doc decided to try mirtazapine, my depression has reduced dramatically but I've have gained a lot of weight, which at first I thought was a welcome side effect compared to anxiety and insomnia but now this is really starting to lower my mood again,
When I was at the beginning of my illness and was unable to function, eating didn't even enter my head and I lost around a stone and a half (my usual weight sticks around 10 - 10 1/2 stone) to 9 stone, I looked really unwell at this weight, but since being on mirtazapine I have gained 2 1/2 stone in the first month (I'm into my second month now) and it's just staying there. I have tried changing my diet and exercising but I'm stuck at nearly 12 stone.
I look overweight, none of my clothes fit me and the worse part is that I look 6 months pregnant and because I am only just venturing out again after months of solitude, a lot of people think that I am pregnant and that's why they haven't seen me, I'm struggling to keep my smile and tell people I'm not as I am infertile and this has been one of the issues that led to my depression in the first place.
I'm not sure if anyone can help, I guess I'm just looking for advise on losing the weight or whether I should change my meds (again!!!!)
5 likes, 147 replies
cat196111 bekstar
Posted
Hi bekstar from my understandings staying on mirt and trying to lose weight is pretty difficult I'm on mirt and also gained weight my choice was to get off mirt.so I'm tapering down from 30mg to 15mg for 2weeks then stop.so if its weight your concerned about that's the easy way out but talk to your Dr if you decide to do so.good luck to you ??
kadie2016 bekstar
Posted
Hi please can you give me an update on how thing's turned out for you? I hope alls well. I have always been no more than 9 stone and have put over 3 stone on since starting them 10 months ago and have been accused of drinking whilst pregnant in pubs when im not pregnant. I tried to stop them a few weeks back but got in a bad state of depression a few days after. the waight gain is really really getting me down, i am going to the doctors tomorrow to try and get something else.
sharon12462 kadie2016
Posted
Hi kadin I put lots on too.. I managed to get over a stone off while still on it bt the constant battle with cravings made me have a relapse & was pt on venlafaxine. . I feel mirt has done alot of damage I'm struggling so much right now .. where venlafaxine should be working ?? I wish u luck x
kadie2016 bekstar
Posted
oh no im sorry to hear that. Im really annoyed that the doctor don't warn people of the horrible side affects. I stopped mine yesterday and have gone straight on to citiloptram. ive booked a for 6 weeks time to focus on and hopefully be better by the time I go. Im dreading the next few weeks as Ive seen all sorts of horror stories from people coming of them but it need's doing one day so just want to get off them ASAP and never have them in life again. Thankyou for your reply
Soundman74 bekstar
Posted
Hi bekstar
My doctor gave me Mirtazapine as a SLEEP AID. She won't give me sleeping pills because they are addictive, yet my weight has really shot up, I'm going to speak to another doctor about coming off it.
jenny_55468 Soundman74
Posted
NCNana jenny_55468
Posted
Stigsmumma bekstar
Posted
Hi bekstar,
I know this post is from a while ago and has many replies (of which I skimmed the first few) and I was wondering if the weight gain ended in weight loss by itself or you had to put in extra effort?
I've just come off 2 months of mirtazapine where I gained 16kg in 8 weeks (3 kg in one week) . I have to lose said weight in order to get back to normal size. Like you where you said you looked pregnant. I have the same issue, I've had people come up and ask me what gender the baby is and when I'm due.
Anyways I figured there was no harm in replying to see if you managed the weight loss by working out or just doing the usual sort of thing
NCNana bekstar
Posted
I had the same experience. I had been loosing weight but was not unhappy with it wasI have been technically considered "obese" for the past 50+ years of my life, in excess of 200+ pounds, 5'2 1/2" inches. I had lost two adult children to cancer within 14 month and their illness started it, as well as my own diagnosis in 2007. I lost is slowly over the years but I was down to 131 which was low for me and my doctor put me on this medication for weight gain, and she said it would help me sleep. Well it did give me an apetite, which I really didn't want. But, like you, I notice a significant benefit in my depression so I really don't want to go off it. I have gained a total of 10-12 pounds and seem to be stable now after starting it almost 2 years ago. I have noticed that my cravings have gone away. But I cannot seem to take off these pounds. I can't get in the clothes that I bought last winter at my lowest weight and I really want to get back in them. My pain doctor has added Gabapertin for fibromyalgia pain and it is also known to make you gain weight so I am stuck. I need to figure out if I neeed all these meds as my weight i just as much an issue with me as the other things they have been successful in treating. I don't think I've been any help but to validate that I believe it gave me weight gain but tapered off after 6-8 months.
nicole45956 bekstar
Posted
Yes I have recently been taking mirtazapine and within 2 weeks iv gained 2 stone plus looking like I'm pregnant is there anything to help stopping this accruing as we take these tablets to seek a better result but we are actually beingging replaced with another issue. What can I do
ccliz bekstar
Posted
Hello-
Your situation was practically my same situation. SSRI's do not work for me. My doctor put me on mirtazapine, and it has changed my life - sertaline did not work for me. I feel so much better - but the weight gain and increased appetite is definitely noticeable. In 3 weeks I have gained 6 lbs. I am also in peri- menopause, so in 3 years I had already gained 15lbs - from my typical slim build -,but now with gaining 6lbs in 3 weeks, I am borderline-BMI. I cannot afford to keep gaining weight like this. I guess I need to speak to my doctor - but not sure what to do, as my bigger sizes are getting snug.
I hope you are still doing well - but your story really resonated with me - that I had to reply!
andypenn bekstar
Posted
I was put on mirtazapine 4 months ago, I've always had stomach problems and struggling gaining weight. Unfortunately I've had 2 failed spinal surgeries and I can't exercise as I'm not allowed to lift anything heavy, my left leg has lost all sensation and is numb from the hip down. I've never been above 12-13 stone even at 6'4. I'm now 17 stone in 3 months. None of my clothes fit, my weight has gone on my stomach and hips, yet you can still see my ribs. Oh and I've grown a pair a woman would he proud of! I'm speaking to my pharmaceutical specialist on monday about something to counteract as I'm literally on bed rest. I'll update Monday for you and see what he says. Good luck 🙂
NCNana bekstar
Posted
Just here to weight in again (no pun intended) from my post several months ago about this medication. I did gain about 13 pounds over the first 8 months but have not gained anymore since then; however, I cannot seem to take it off either, even with not eating that much. I'm not technically on a diet as in not eating certain foods on purpose but my appetite is not excessive either. I stay within 2-3 pounds, up and down, and seem to be hovering there. I would like to take off the 13 pounds but this medication worked well for me and I do not want to mess with it at this point.
Lilolobob bekstar
Posted
I've changed onto mirtazapine from citalopram and I am at uni studying at the moment. The last week I cannot stop eating. I'm not a big eater at all but I'm eating three days my normal amount and it makes me feel crap thinking how big I'm going to get. It took a lot for me to come to the doctor and accept medication because of my past experience bit now I seem to be stuck and I just want to know if it will pass in a few weeks or do I need to change?? I have Gained 2 stone in two weeks xx
clara03993 bekstar
Posted
This forum has helped me realise that it's not just me going through the same, it's us all.
I've been on the drug for 2 months and have seen my weight rocket - I've maintained a healthy weight for YEARS. Near the beginning, I will admit that I ate and ate, that feeling has lessed now, but sadly I just seem to be piling on the pounds no matter what I do. I eat healthy (I always did, bar the overeating at the beginning) and have started exercising, but there's not even been a lb loss. I wouldn't mind if I was eating bad, but I'm eating a healthy balanced diet, and yet nothing!
I was prescribed the tablets for sleep and it's helped, but my doctor is rubbish and just treats me like a number. I wanna come off them, but what if I relpase again? I was refered to the Mental Health team at my local hopsital, but they said I wasn't deemed mental enough, so I have no support anywhere. I'm getting into a vicious cycle, I'm sad beause I'm gaining weight and I'm gaining weight because I'm sad.
NCNana clara03993
Posted
i had posted several months ago and these are the first responses I have seen since then and many are telling the same story. I definitely lost a lot of weight and primarily due to depression from having lost two adult daughters to cancer 14 months apart. I had been seriously overweight for the past 45 years of my life after marrying and having children. Without even trying, I lost about 85 pounds over about a 4 year period. I had hoped because it came off slowly that it would stay off. I had weight 220ish for years and found myself down to about 134. I was put on this medication for several years, to managed my weight loss AND to help sleep. But not only did it do both of those but I found it made a big difference in my mental wellbeing, my attitude, etc. So I have not wanted to go off it. But I now, after almost two years of being on it, have been battling 147-149 for months. I do not eat excessively, although I don't eat all the right things either. I seem to have developed a craving for ice cream/sherbert and was eating it probably 5 out of 7 nights a week. But calorie-wise, there was no way I was eating enough to have gained this weight. The other part I am sure of is that I get no exercise. I'm 69 years old and have suffered with fibromyalgia for 35 years. Have had two knee replacements and just had reverse shoulder replacement. I'm not an invalid by any means and do climb several flights of stairs off and on all day in my home. But I mainly SIT! Which is not helping. So my metabolism is definitely playing a part. I would like to try to go off it and see how I deal with my sadness/meloncholy/depression, whatever, and see if I can get these 15 pounds off. After reading all of these comments I am convinced that it is this medication. I wish all of us could get off it!
andypenn clara03993
Posted
I was on 30mg at night, they were red pills with a line in the middle so I halved them and started taking 15 for a month. After that I did a day on day off basis for 2 weeks then - 2 days off again for 2 weeks and now I'm off them. I feel fine mentally, can sleep fine if not better. I'm not a doctor but I did speak to a pharmacist. My view is get off them they are poison. This is coming from a 26 year old man who struggled to put a pond on and put 5 stone on since just before Christmas. Maybe go back to your gp and ask for a swap but I felt better mentally and was sick of eating crap. Ice cream & shortbread biscuits were dangerous. 6ft6 and 17Stone... Shame I've got severe spinal issues. 2 lots of spinal surgery an epidural that didn't work and I saw the neurosurgeon yesterday and I need more surgery. Not the best life for a 26 year old! Good luck anyway!