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Opinion about Mirtazapine

Posted , 6 users are following.

prider90
prider90

Hello all !

I have some question regarding  mirtazapine.

I wanna take it exclusively for weight gain & appetite. ( I'm an ectomorph with high metabolism). 25yo 1.74m 66kg. I eat approx 3000kcal of clean food  & workout 3times per week.

My question is: If I try 30mg for 6 weeks ( i heard lower dosage has nasty sedative effects ) how do i withdraw ? Because i dont wanna have those sides u have at a lower dosage.

Many thanks ! 

 

0 likes, 25 replies

25 Replies

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  • Calmer
    Calmer prider90

    Posted

    Hi Prider

    I can understand why you might want to take Mirtazapine as a last resort for weight gain, but please do read that leaflet and know that you are taking a strong drug that is mind altering, at any strength, 15, 30 or 45 mg.  One person on this forum only took 7.5 mg for 12 weeks and had terrible withdrawal.

    Also be aware that most doctors recommend starting at 15 mg not 30 mg, and if necessary work up to 30 mg after several weeks, which gives your mind and body time to adjust.  Very many people have had bad episodes when going up to 30mg with anxiety and nausea. Yes the slow release sedation is stronger on the lower dose, but it does ease off once your body has got used to it.

    Mirt will only increase your appetite whilst you are on it, and thinking logically, if you only want to stay on it for 6 weeks, that increase will stop after that time, again "obviously".  Is it worth risking your mental health for.  At least you will have lots of info' and advice from this forum to help you make up your mind.

    As a rule of thumb, to withdraw the best advice is to reduce Mirt by 10% every 3 to 4 weeks, which will go some way to reduce WD effects.  Being on for only 6 weeks you may get away with quicker, but : "You won't know if you're in the unlucky minority until it's too late.  (It can take 2 weeks to feel any effects of wd then BAM - it hits you).  It's a lot easier to taper slowly than to put your nervous system back together again after it's injured. It's a Humpty-Dumpty situation. Once your nervous system falls off that wall, there's not much that can be done to put it together again.

    So, harsh as it sounds, I'd steer well clear of Mirt if I were you, you sound like you have a healthy mind, sleeping well, no anxiety, blessed, unlike most people on this forum, including me, who have to take it.

    Anyway, let us know what you decide, and if it works for you - I hope you have an easy ride Prider I really do, but be caustious with this little "megga" drug.

    C

     

    • prider90
      prider90 Calmer

      Posted

      many thanks for your answer and I wish u well ! After what u said, i think its not worth the risk. Do u happen to know other alternatives for increasing appetite and/or slow down metabolism a bit ? I tried Peritol ( cyproheptadine ) but i was sleepy all day I couldn't workout properly. 
    • lauren56321
      lauren56321 prider90

      Posted

      BTW I've lost 2 stone on mirtazapine doesn't always work for appiete it really isn't worth the risk just to eat more tbh x
    • lauren56321
      lauren56321 prider90

      Posted

      You want to put wieght on eat food and meal shakes like slim fast for extra carolus you'll put wieght on in no time 6 meals and 2-3 shakes a day x
    • Calmer
      Calmer prider90

      Posted

      Hi Prider

      "Sleepy all day"  - good job you didn't take the Mirt' as that would blow your socks off with "fatigue" to start with.  

      No I'm sorry, I don't know much about increasing appetites, but I'm sure there are plenty of "drugs" you could discuss with your doctor.  REALLY ... so many people would love to be that slim, but I get it, I really do.  

      So you go to the gym to work out ... what about the Protein shakes that everyone who is bodybuilding raves about, even my son.  He buys Kinetica brand, to help him bulk out, seems to be working.  Yeh, that sounds right, get yourself a good trainer for advice and go the natural way.

      Kick the Mirt out, you can do it smile

      Wishing you well too.

       

    • prider90
      prider90 Calmer

      Posted

      Protein shakes got me some kidney stones and i've stopped taking them. I only take multivitamins and some creatine. I'll try to eat more and see whats next smile
  • mvwaugh
    mvwaugh prider90

    Posted

    I have been on Mirtazapine 45 for 8 weeks and haven't gained or lost weight. I am on it for depression along with Venafaxine. I eat normally for me and probably have about 1800 calories a day and I am aged 74 so! As for withdrawing I have not got to that yet. Maggie

  • Teejade
    Teejade prider90

    Posted

    I've been on Mirt for 2 years and it's only in the last 6 months I've actually gained any weight . I'm now day 5 in my WD and I have actually cold turkey stopped at 30mg. I found that I couldn't function on 15mg and the sedative effect was to hard. I tried 15mg for over 6 months and it didn't get any easier so I think it depends on the person really and how you tolerate the drug. Obviously the longer you are on it the worse the WD are going to be but I think it also depends on ones mental state in the process. Do you have any anxiety or sleep issues? Because if so this drug can make them worse. So far I'm not experiencing any really bad WD but I wouldn't say it's a fun experience either. No sleep for nearly 3 days, lots of heightened emotions, agitation and just a general feeling of being run down. It's only early days too, I know from doing my reading it gets worse after before it gets better.
  • betsy0603
    betsy0603 prider90

    Posted

    I'm with Calmer, and am glad you have reconsidered!  the weight gain doesn't happen within 6 weeks in my experience.  I was on mirt for 6 weeks with no weight gain and the improvements failed so venlafaxine was added.  Since it wasn't helping me, I decided to taper mirt and have been doing 10%, and even then I feel WD though tolerably.  Even though I am now at 19 mg, down from 37.5 mg at the top end, I have now gained 9 pounds and can't stand it!

    How about adding lots more carbs to your diet?  Carbs cause insulin spikes which lead to fat storage, so you might be able to flesh out better with carbs than protein.  I once had a boyfriend who was of slighter build and no matter what he did, he couldn't pack on muscle, so just may be your fate, unfortunately.  Of course, age makes it easier to gain weight LOL!   It just might be the kind of weight you want.

    Yup, don't play with this serious psych drug to gain weight.  It isn't worth it! 

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