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Mirtazapine/Zispin/Remeron - is it all that bad?

Posted , 4 users are following.

EmeraldLupie
EmeraldLupie

Hi there, I'm new to Zispin - 5 weeks at 15mg - I've heard horror stories about people piling on weight despite watching their diet and exercising. I've put on about 2. 5kg in 5 weeks but I think some of that is due to Christmas in lockdown 🤔 I also feel very tired the next day and struggle to get out of bed. I'd happily sleep until midday if I could 😂Some nights I only take 7.5mg as I'm thinking I should discontinue the medication. I had an eating disorder as a teenager and this weight gain and feeling of helplessness is triggering for me. I found I was much more groggy and hungry after the lower dose!! Does anyone have any positive stories or reviews that might boost my confidence in this drug? My doc gave it to me because I had awful anxiety and some insomnia. Also, it's meant to have lower sexual side effects. I also take Lamictal 100mg.

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • MT74795
    MT74795 EmeraldLupie

    Edited

    Hi EmeraldLupie,

    Everyone seems to be different when it comes to Mirtazapine weight gain. Some hardly any, some a lot. I put on about 4 kg over a few months, then stopped gaining weight (and have been taking it over a year). You'll have to see what your experience is. A lot of articles say that lower doses of Mirtazapine cause more sedation than higher doses because the anti-histamine effect is stronger than the noradrenaline (norepinephrine) effect at low doses (like 7.5 mg), at higher doses the latter becomes more dominant. After experimenting with different doses, I now take about 10.5 mg (cutting pills) which for me seems to be a moderately happy medium between effectiveness and side effects. However even at lower doses I found the excess morning grogginess improved gradually over time. I still fall asleep quickly at night after taking it, and I tend to sleep a bit longer than I used to (when I can), but can now also get myself out of bed when I have to be up earlier, and feel OK once I'm up and moving. Everyone reacts differently.

    • EmeraldLupie
      EmeraldLupie MT74795

      Posted

      Thanks MT74795 😊 Yes, I'll just have to tough it out and see how I get on. It's great to hear you put on only 4kg! Well done 🤗 Did you manage to loose any of those kilos after? My sister in law takes 15mg nightly and 30mg on nights when she's very anxious to help her sleep. She hasn't put on any weight after 10 months taking this medication. The morning grogginess wore off after about 2 months for her so I'll give it more time. I was hungry the first 3 weeks but that has worn off thank god but I have noticed some water retention 🤔 I find the Lamictal amazing for stopping me going into a deep depression but it's not amazing for anxiety.

  • steve89553
    steve89553 EmeraldLupie

    Posted

    I've been on 15mg for nearly 3 weeks. At first i found them highly sedating with morning grogginess akin to having taken a sleeping pill. At 2 weeks that had gotten much better. I have always had a tendency towards tiredness and sleeping in though. I also have had some mood disturbances, abain not unusual for me but maybe a but stronger and faster coming on than usual. I've read elsewhere that a higher dose can be more of a stimulant. I had been switched from Venlaflaxin because i told my GP I had no get-up-and-go and I needed that in order to return to work. I think most find the early weeks on this quite rough so its probably worth sticking with it for a month before making any decision.

    • EmeraldLupie
      EmeraldLupie steve89553

      Posted

      Hi Steve, thanks for your reply 😊 Do you find you've more get up and go with Zispin? The mood disturbance might also be withdrawal from the Venlafaxine - it's notorious for causing bad withdrawal symptoms. I took it a long time ago and quit cold turkey - that was lots of fun 😅 I hope you are feeling alot better now and work is going well for you 🤗

    • steve89553
      steve89553 EmeraldLupie

      Posted

      Thanks. I'm feeling less groggy but my anxiety and aggression is still there. I feel about the same as before I started so it hasn't helped with my get-up-and-go. I need to be firing on all cylinders as I need to get anther job urgently. I'm actually thinking of stopping but cant get hold of my GP. As I have only been on 15mg for four weeks am I likely to experience any withdrawal? I know about the Venlaflaxine withdrawal and have experienced that before. There are those sensations at the moment but only slight and I don't think that is responsible for the aggression and grogginess. I was on 75mg Venlaflaxine then dropped to 37.5mg and i havent had issues before doing that. Thanks fir replying. How are you doing?

    • EmeraldLupie
      EmeraldLupie steve89553

      Posted

      Hi Steve, I'm really sorry to hear that. It's so hard when you put so much stock in into these meds and they don't help much 😔 I'm sleeping alot better but think that's because I'm basically put into a chemically induced slumber!! I've got a bit of fluid retention in my legs, headaches and I'm very irritable. I think that is the medication. Have you tried Lexapro? It really helped my anxiety but I was paranoid about weight gain and it made me a bit tired so I asked to change and came off it. Which is ironic as now I'm sedated and I've gained 2.5kg lol... To be fair, the sedation has worn off and some of the weight was the mince pies and constant supply of sweets over Christmas. I tried Brintellix and it was great for boosting my energy and mood. It did a number on my stomach though but I've stomach issues because of Lupus so it's not all the meds fault. I suppose we have to find a med that works and the side effects we can tolerate. I'm getting CBT for my social anxiety and its helping!!

    • EmeraldLupie
      EmeraldLupie steve89553

      Posted

      Hi Steve, how is withdrawal from the Mirtazapine going? I hope you're doing ok!

  • joshuapryce1987
    joshuapryce1987 EmeraldLupie

    Posted

    I think you should consider addressing the triggers to anxiety it will help you in general terms.

    • EmeraldLupie
      EmeraldLupie joshuapryce1987

      Posted

      Hi Joshua, yes, you are right! I'm going for CBT which I'm finding very good. I have worksheets which I complete to help with my anxiety triggers. Hopefully, one day, I can come off the Zispin. I hope you are well 😊

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