1. Community
  2. Brain and nerves
  3. Mirtazapine

Switching to Mirtazapine

Posted , 7 users are following.

jehnyahl
jehnyahl

I'm weaning off Effexor XR atm with a view to moving on to Mirtazapine in the next few days. I did a phone consultation with my doctor (wasn't meant to see him for 3 months) to tell him that the effect it was having on my sleep was intolerable + since I'd tried citalopram and fluoxetine with any gains, he opted for this.

My concern is the weight gain, which is a side effect I wasn't aware of when he'd suggested it, or I would have asked for something different. I'm already on the wrong side of overweight, and it's a pretty key factor in my mental health because of my low self esteem concerning my appearance. Are there any suggestions for combating this effect? Or is it not worth it & should I just go back to my doctor and explain this?

1 like, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • Fudgeybear1
    Fudgeybear1 jehnyahl

    Posted

    Hi,I ve never had a problem with my weight,but I put half a stone on in the four months I was on them.the withdrawl symptoms are horrendous as well.i would think very careful about going on them x
  • norma72045
    norma72045 jehnyahl

    Posted

    Hi jehnyahl I agree with fudgybear I su gees you go back to see your GP to see about an alternative. I am tapering off Mirtazapine at the moment and I am really struggling,that's the thing they don't tell you about.You will find a lot of people on here against them.Do yourself a favour and go back to your GP.
  • susan53140
    susan53140 jehnyahl

    Posted

    Hi there,

    I put put on a stone within the first two months (I needed to), however I've lost it since coming off.

    I can't say it hasn't helped my depression but the withdrawals are really really bad. 

    I have to aree ... Try something else if you can. 

  • elizabeth59941
    elizabeth59941 jehnyahl

    Posted

    Hiya i would agree with all on here im of mit for 3 weeks now and the side effects are not nice go for something else i also put on 4 stone ov 10 years good look liz
  • steve1951
    steve1951 jehnyahl

    Posted

    Hi jehnyahi

    I have epilepsy and take 2 meds. I was having trouble sleeping, staying awake all night up to 3 days and couldn’t function. Besides not sleeping, my mood was negative. My Dr. put me on Mirt. and it has helped, but not as much as it use to (45mg). One big effect that made a difference is being able to dream. I swear I didn’t dream or remember a hint of one for 6 years while taking the combo of seizure meds. That’s one big plus for me, its like a luxury benefit, besides sleep. I’m retired, so I don’t have to get up go to work so I can understand the drowsiness as a negative effect for those that do. I wasn’t aware of the weight gain until I read the comments, I thought it was just me and my metabolism. I saw my GP (not neurologist) yesterday and my blood pressure was 96/58. And I wasn’t aware of the addiction since I’ve never tried to get off of it. For those in America, I had to look up what a stone is: 14lbs. Now, if I could just find a drug to treat lack of motivation…

  • gillian20097
    gillian20097 jehnyahl

    Posted

    It's made me feel like I can cope after 10 weeks of anxiety/ depression.I was in Citalopram which sent my anxiety off the scale and I started having intrusive thoughts.

    Been on Mirt 2 weeks and although it's early days,today has been the best day I've had since this nightmare started. It's helped my sleep but not my appetite yet,still struggling to eat. When that falls into place,I dint care if I gain 10 stone. I'd rather be a chunky sane happy chick than a anxious miserable skinny chick.Being mentally,emotionally we'll is the most important thing to me xx

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.