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My experience with Mirtazapine. Anyone else had this?

Posted , 5 users are following.

Guest
Guest

Hi all,

Apologies for the long post.

I guess I should give a quick run down. I’m a 31 year old male from Australia. I have been dealing with anxiety and depression for around 15 years now. I was managing for a good few years but I was using marijuana to cope. My use became out of control so I decided I needed to give it up as it was just putting a lid on everything. I went to a mental health clinic for support. I finally stopped smoking weed and left the clinic feeling some what positive.

I have been out of the clinic for around 1 and a half months roughly. Since being home I have become worse.

I thought my antidepressants at the time (lexapro) weren't helping me as well as they should so I suggested a medication change to my gp. My gp called my psychiatrist and as he was going on holidays he said she could handle the change of meds. I got switched over to mirtazapine 15mg at night. As the days went by I started feeling worse. I know these meds take time to work so I kept going with them in hope I would start feeling better. Since starting and the two week mark on mirtazapine I have irrational anger, noise sensitivity, increased negative thoughts, head tightness, poor memory and concentration and some dizziness and vision disturbance. I kept telling myself that things would level out soon but they haven't. By around the 4 week mark My thoughts have become totally negative, I barely want to speak or be around anyone but I am scared of being alone and I constantly think of suicide. I got my psychiatrist appointment pushed forward as this was all worrying me. I described this all to him and he believes I have borderline personality disorder, so he has taken me off mirtazapine and back to lexapro and added seroquel morning and night.

I have gone from at least having a little hope, making plans and doing things to not wanting to leave my bed and having constant feelings of hopelessness, despair and it's like my mind constantly thinks of suicide. I don't think I really want to commit suicide but it is now just always there. I also get what I would describe a burning sensation in random parts of my body.

Before the medication change I would let anxiety get the better of me but I started to learn to challenge it and not be as scared of it but this feels different to anything I have ever experienced so I don't believe this is just purley anxiety

I guess I am looking for clarification from others who have had a similar situation. Am I right in saying that the mirtazapine wasn't agreeing with me and all of these newer feelings and sensations should subside once the lexapro kicks back in? I was not as bad until the medication changed. I know a clinic cannot totally fix you but I do feel my home environment doesn't help me that much and maybe I should push to go back at least to see if this all levels out. It's quite distressing and worrying for me.

Thank you for reading and thank you in advance for any replies.

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • Patient_Mod
    Patient_Mod Guest

    Posted

    Hi Ryan08

    You are not alone in this, and there are people out there that can help.

    If you are having these suicidal thoughts we strongly recommend you to speak to someone. The Samaritan offer a safe space where you can talk openly about what your are going through.

    They can help you explore your options, understand your problems better, or just be there to listen.

    Their contact details are on our patient information leaflet > https://patient.info/health/dealing-with-suicidal-thoughts which also offers lots of other advice on how you can access the help you need.

    Please do reach out - the team at the Samaritans, and the other people in our leaflet, will understand exactly what you're going through and will be able to help.

    Kindest Regards

    Patient

  • henrich_05890
    henrich_05890 Guest

    Posted

    It is very possible that myrt just got your situation worse, and this med is not for you. There is a geneteic test that can clearly tell that . I've never used that service myself, so it is not a recommendation of this particular provider, but I am sure you can find similar test lab in Australia. 

    It is 3rd month I am on 15mg, and noise sensitivity, negative thoughts and even some short memory loss happened to me too, but usually this happens after bad night sleep, so I am trying to avoid any sleep disturbance, and planning to taper it off.

    btw, I used to be a medical marijuana user consuming at about 5-10mg THC/day and I noticed that mixing AD and weed could result a pretty awful experience. Not sure if you still mixing those two, but this can contribute too.

    Moderator comment: I have removed the link(s) directing to site(s) unsuitable for inclusion in the forums. If users want this information please use the Private Message service to request the details.

    http://patient.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/398316-adding-links-to-posts

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  • frazzled
    frazzled Guest

    Posted

    Hi Ryan.  I'm sooooo glad you reached out to this board.  We are here to help as best we can. 

    Copied from your post

    " I know these meds take time to work so I kept going with them in hope I would start feeling better. Since starting and the two week mark on mirtazapine I have irrational anger, noise sensitivity, increased negative thoughts, head tightness, poor memory and concentration and some dizziness and vision disturbance." I still have to wear blublocker sunglasses all the time when I'm outside and sometimes when I'm in front of the monitor because of visual disturbance."

    I have been on Mirt for over 20 years and experienced everything you mentioned.  At 15 mgs it is usually given for sleep and that may be causing the dizziness, lack of concentration, visual disturbance, etc.  I know cause I had it all. Mirt NEVER helped me with anxiety tho -- it was xanax that prolonged my life.

    Every thing you listed are side effects of Mirt whether going on or coming off (I'm coming off now -- the thots of suicide subsided but are not completely gone). You're going to experience restarting the Lexapro too.  I have a network of people I call when I've got what I call the "blue meanies"wink.  This is what you need RIGHT NOW. 

    Patient, in the other post has given you a network to contact -- DO IT.

    Before I had a network, I went to far as to pull all my pills wondering if I would die if I took them all  My fear was it wouldn't kill me.  I was told over and over again to call someone on the phone or get out of the house (go for a walk and cry if necessary).  You must divert your mind from those negative thots -- it's the drug causing them.  If you must go to hospital go but do REACH OUT in some way.  Keep posting here too cause we are all in this together and we're here 24/7.

     

  • frazzled
    frazzled Guest

    Posted

    Two of our replies are being moderated.  Wait for them.

     

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    Thank you all for your replies.

    Its comforting to know that what I am experiencing is some what normal. Whilst you are in amongst the feelings and emotions of these things its hard to ever see the end of them.

    I am interested now to try a DNA test and see if that can provide any insites for me.

    I can't wait for this to go away. I thought things were bad before this..

  • Ohman
    Ohman Guest

    Posted

    Hey Ryan08, 

    I completely hear you! 

    Prior to me taking Mirt I had a more hope... then when I started Mirt my whole life felt miserable - I was down, depressed, angry, frustrated, annoyed.... oh & the right head & grey cloud thoughts! And Anxiety was still there! 

    I was told to stop & go on Lovan (not wise to stop Mirt due to withdrawal) ... 

    unfortunately now I'm stuck on Endep cause I suffered serve insomnia! 

    Your life will pick back up... you just need to believe in yourself... meds are one part of it, but your mind is the other... 😊

    P.s I'm An Aussie too! 

    • Guest
      Guest Ohman

      Posted

      Hi ohman good to see another aussie on here smile

      Thanks for your reply. It's comforting to know its not just me thats felt this.

  • cindy43957
    cindy43957 Guest

    Edited

    hey

    i had a panic attack in january and was given martazipine as anxiety most always accompanies depression i will be honest and say it was all of these things in the first couple of months but i persevered and carried on taking it

    i am now a new person or should i say the real person within me came to light but ill say i am so happy but ive still got a good way to go but every day i am becoming better and better and ibam aware of all my flaws which helps! anything i did not like about myself i changed i believe mirtazapine really did help me get where i am today 6 months on this and im on my road to a real happy peaceful life 

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