Mirtrazapine not helping me sleep

Hi Rachel....we should keep each other company hahaha! Ok....slept about 7 hrs last night but woke up twice for short spells. Amazing dreams...very detailed! Woke up a bit groggy but not as bad as yesterday. It's now about half one and I feel very awake. No anxiety. No increase in appetite so far. A little bit irritable at times but mainly mood ok. Still not going outside the house, but feel like it's on the horizon.

am still on 50mg sertraline too but will stop that on Sunday. So far, so hopeful!

From my point of view, I recommend so far but very early days and we are all different in our reactions to ADs.

I hope you feel confident to make the choice that is right for you. Will keep you posted. Xx

I wake all the time through the night on sertraline iv not felt normal on it for the whole nearly 12 months. Did you? I feel tired all the time like a heavy head feeling. It sounds like your doing well as switching can be very hard for some people. Did the dr add the mirtazapine when u was on 50mg ? My doctor said he would at 100mg as long as iv been at 100mg for at least a week. Iv not noticed any different going from 200 to 100 I don't think as yet. I'm not in bad depression but I'm very flat in mood and feel like I'm watching my life rather then living it. I'm so worried il crash.

God when you say watching your life rather than living it...spot on! I feel exactly the same. Sertraline worsened my insomnia too and I haven't done well on it.....it's not until I have started reducing it that I have noticed how numb and glum I was on it...felt much more alive and able to think and do things when dose reduced. Tired and heavy head...yes. I spent all week at work then slept or lay about all weekend. I don't have kids but am teacher so need to work on Sunday's...wasn't happening and I fell behind. To be fair, I was like that before sertraline but sertraline did not help one bit. Started mirt when on 50mg on docs orders. When you say you are not in bad depression....I said that because I wasn't crying all day like last time, but it is still bad when you are like a hollow shell replica of yourself, not wanting to do anything etc etc. If you are like that, I was too but soldiered on until I just couldn't get out of bed any more. Just because I'm not crying doesn't mean it's not too bad.....and if you are the same, don't fall into same trap as me....if you are feeling like a spectator in your own life it is not good....I'm the same. Sorry if I'm not coming across well...a bit muddled and drowsy. Take time off if you can...I haven't driven for 2 months....too scared. Are you going to try the mirt? It's worth a punt I think...so far it feels better for me. We will keep in touch here if you like and support each other. I really hope you start to feel a bit better soon x 

I feel into server depression with ptsd while pregnant so they but my on fluoxetine then when we was 6weeks old they upped the dose and I went insane it was an emergency so the quickly stopped it and put me into sertraline and just kept putting it up. Iv got a lot better over time but yes as you explain I'm a empty shell and iv no interest in anything but I can function and care for my children so I suppose it's helped but not enough or in the right way. I also do feel more now I'm in 100mg not as numb. I slip in and out of fog all day like my world just slips away from me, have u experienced that? It's like been half asleep. It sounds like uv done the right thing by changing your medication and it's great that u can still work even if it is a struggle (depression is so hard)

Oh Rachel you poor thing...that sounds dreadful. You have been through the mill! I was like that, just getting through the day for months until one day I just couldn't. You must be a strong person! I thought I was until this hit again. I'm glad you don't feel so numb coming down the dosage. Yes I felt like that too....a bit like a ghost. Just absent and not thinking anything. The sertraline helped at first but only for a short while...I felt great with lots of energy but couldn't sleep so they kept upping the dose and then the anxiety started. Io feel very different on mirt....still not sleeping through the night but when I do sleep it feels like good sleep and I wake up ok. Still very drowsy and weak....everything takes an effort. I think I will start taking earlier tonight...at 6pm rather than 9pm as I didn't get to sleep til 2am and feel groggy through most of the day. That wouldn't be good for you with the children I guess. I am still doing things in the house, but not as much and doing them more slowly and taking breaks in between. They say that 30mg is less sedating and better for depression so that may be better for you. Are you feeling any better today? I hope so. I am just gonna keep posting my experience in case it is of help. 

Take care, Ang X 

I think it's very helpful to others when people note their experiences it's also very thoughtful of you. I felt good on sertraline at first but then it stopped working I guess so they upped it. Do u see a phyciatrist? I feel ok but I feel like my head goes all fuzzy and I get weird thoughts, I also forget things.

I'm worried I'm doing the wrong thing as I'm not as bad as I was but after this long I suppose it would natural get better too. I don't really want to go anywhere I feel kind of scared but don't know why (the world seems different) it's like been really bored all the time and nothing gives u much joy should I just wait it all out or take a new med I don't know but I don't want to be like this its dull but I don't want to go back to the awful derealisation I had before and panic attacks. I think it sounds like your doing great 👍🌞

Its good to read other people's experiences of depression, you both describe feeling as i do - i thought i was the only person in the world who felt like it. Have been in this hole for over a year with only 5 occasions where i have felt back to normal but it never lasts more than 4 hours or so. Every day i live in hope and every day i feel let down that it doesnt happen.

x

Oh dear sounds like you're in withdrawal from Sert, did you do a slow taper or just stop taking it?  If you just "stopped" there is only one way forward and that is to take a little step back, and take again and do a slow taper ... Mirt' won't be able to cover the WD from another other AD.  

It's just mind blowing that doctors won't tell us this stuff, so blurry hard for anyone having difficulty with health, to then be given bad advice ~ why oh why doctors aren't giving out leaflets re WD beats me.  

For an informed choice see the following on this forum.  Best wishes SSK

For advice on tapering Mirtazapine slowly at the recommended rate of no more than 10% every 3 or 4 weeks, even this is too much for sensitive folk, I prefer 5% ! Anyway please see the following which is within this forum, 

For advice on tapering Mirtazapine slowly at the recommended rate of no more than 10% every 3 or 4 weeks, please see the following which is within this forum, 

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/depression-resources-298570

and then click on the link "REDUCING AD'S USING 10% WITHDRAWAL METHOD".   

Hi I did suddenly stop and against the advice of the doctor. I've been having a rough time recently and just felt like there was no point to taking them. My doctor did say that I had been experiencing withdrawal symptoms but hoped that the mirtazapine would help. The main reason for starting it was to sleep but I still can't sleep for more than 2 hours and I wake up feeling like I haven't been asleep. I am also worried about the weight gain with mirtazapine - I put on 4 pounds yesterday despite only eating half a bowl of soup. I'm due to go back on Monday and might see if I could switch back to sertraline as it was working for me.

Cold Turkey does cause severe wd symptoms with insomnia, poor you.  Do you have soem Sert left?  Why not ring the doc or speak to the pharmacy to see if you can start up the Sert again, if you want to - if as youu say Sert was working for you.  

If you stop the Mirt now after just a few days you will be ok to "just stop" but once it gets hold of you it is very hard to wd from, for most.  And again, yes, you are right, Mirt is used for anorexics also to help them to eat, is renowned for dreadful weight gain, belly fat, and of course lethegy with it's slow release sedative that seems to last 24/7 for me!

Hope you overcome the insomnia, so hard to come off AD's CT

Best wishes

I was very against going on anti depressants initially because of the difficulties withdrawing. I've also suffered with eating disorders in the past and I'm worried that weight gain will tip me over the edge again. I was already slipping back into old habits and now I'm too scared to eat more than a mouthful as I am so worried about putting on weight. I am a healthy weight for my height and usually very active but I've been unable to work out following surgery and can't resume my normal workouts for another month yet at least. 

The doctor has just called to check in with me and my husband (he needs to sort out all his medication having been diagnosed with cancer and there seems to be a lack of communication between GP and hosiptal). He's asked me to keep trying the mirt over the weekend and then he'll reasses. 

 

Wasn't good for me...far too drowsy through day..couldn't function. Then awake every 1.5 hours at night. Put weight on even though appetite didn't change. I am off it and all meds now....4th day in and feel better...more myself. Good luck on your journey xx

I think being on the pills is making me more anxious because of the weight gain. I have discussed with the doctor trying without meds - initially after my diagnosis I had therapy only but got to a stage where I couldn't cope at all in November. I've been signed off since then but going back to work next week. So at my last appointment we did talk again about stopping all meds but he was concerned that with all that I have going on that I might go back to how I was. I'm also waiting to go back to therapy which they stopped while I recovered from surgery. It's so hard to know what to do 😕