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weight gain and loss with mirtazapine

Posted , 7 users are following.

gill50535
gill50535

this is my personal experience of weight gain and loss with mirtazapine.

i was taking mirtazapine for a total of 8 months, in the first 2 months i didn't gain any weight at all and thought i had got away with that perticular side effect, but no, in the last 6 months of taking it i put on a total of 21lb. sad as it turned out the symptoms i had wern't down to my anxiety so  decided to taper off the mirtazapine. i have been off it now for 2 months.i had slight withdrawal symptoms but nothing major and i'm now completely clear of the drug. so far in the last 2 months i have lost 7lb of the 21lb i put on. this has been done through diet though, people have said that the weight just drops off when you stop taking mirtazapine but i haven't found that, i have had to work at it. but i don't mind that. 7lb loss is stil half a stone of the weight i gained gone, i will keep going till the other 14lb (1 stone) has gone too no matter how it takes. and if i ever need medication again for my anxiety it will NOT be mirtazapine.

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  • Dizzygirl
    Dizzygirl gill50535

    Edited

    Hi Gill

    I'm sorry that you are having a hard time losing weight. I was on mirt for 2 months for severe panic disorder. I've had a chronic illness for 11 years and I ended up with crippling panic. I was only 6 stone 6 when I started. I gained 7lbs in less than 2 months and then as soon as I reduced the dose and completely came off it I have experienced constant nausea and upset stomach..so I lost 5lbs in less than 2 weeks. I've been off the mirt for a month and still struggle to eat. I also have ibs so that doesn't help. I know we are all different and have different experiences. Did you experience any withdrawal effects? Or has your appetite remained ok?

    • gill50535
      gill50535 Dizzygirl

      Posted

      hi dizzygirl. i did have some withdrawal fely a bit flu like for a few days, but that was it. i have stopped craving sweet stuff and carbs now too which was what made me put the weight on, mirt just wants to make you eat all the time, i never felt full. at least now i can control my food again i'm losing the weight. x
    • Dizzygirl
      Dizzygirl gill50535

      Posted

      Yeah when I was on mirt the sweet craving was terrible. I could literally eat anything sugary. The amount of sweets I went through in a week was shocking but as you said you just never feel like it's enough. I was scared I would end up getting diabetes or something.
    • gill50535
      gill50535 Dizzygirl

      Posted

      hahaha yeah me too, i even bought a blood sugar monitor,  iv'e been checked though and i don't have it.. wink x
    • norma72045
      norma72045 Dizzygirl

      Posted

      Hi Dizzygirl,I was like you ,I was 6st-10, I was put on Mirtazapine 45mg for  IBS don't ask me why,because I haven't got a clue,you just believe in doctors knowing what there doing. Anyway I was on that dose for over8yrs,and I went up to nearly 10st. When I started tapering off them my IBS pain got worse,so I've only managed to get to 15mg at present,my weight now is just under 9st and that's without exercise.

      But the main point I was trying to say is if you had IBS in the first place,that could be the cause of your Tummy feeling worse,and if you didn't have IBS this could possibly be WD symptoms.  It's a nasty drug for a lot of people to WD from.  But don't worry hopefully when it's totally out of your system,you will feel better.  And for some people that can be months.  Take care 

    • Dizzygirl
      Dizzygirl norma72045

      Posted

      Hi Norma.

      The ibs has always given me daily trouble but since withdrawing from the mirt I could barely eat at times and all my existing ibs symptoms are worse. While I was on the mirt even if my ibs was bad I still had appetite but now it's almost nothing. Thank you for your encouraging words. I hope it gets better soon because I'm down to 6 stone 7.

    • norma72045
      norma72045 Dizzygirl

      Posted

      I totally empathise with you,I hated being so thin. My IBS is chronic,so I live with every day,and like you say tapering off the Mirtazapine has only made the pain worse. At the moment I'm holding my own at just under 9st,but I would like to come off the Mirt,but I don't know if I could take much more pain.  I've been through everything diets,no dairy,no end of tests.  At the moment I'm under in my opinion the best Gastrologist in the country,and even he's at a loss now,he's given me Oramorph to take if the pain gets unbearable,but it constipated me so that's another problem then.

      I regret the day I ever took Mirtazapine,I've not heard of a good word for it.

      I do speak to a lot of good people who have had bad experiences of it so that helps.  I hope you get some relief soon,and please start eating again because you will feel just as bad without food as with it. Just start eating little and often.  You need to put a bit more weight on before the winter to build up your immune system.  Good Luck 

  • pixie22
    pixie22 gill50535

    Posted

    Another example of how we are all different in our reactions to drugs. I've been on mirtazapine for over 6 years and never gained any weight. I made no special effort to keep the weight off either because I didn't know about the weight gain side effect until recently. But when I tried only the slightest reduction I suffered severe withdrawal symptoms - perhaps because I've been on it for longer?
    • gill50535
      gill50535 pixie22

      Posted

      hi pixie22, yeah i was hoping the weight gain would pass me by but unfortunately not.. as for the withdrawal 6 years is a long time so any reduction in dose will be a lot worse.. i'm glad i was only on it for a shorter time. it's great if it's helping you though and with no weight gain that's really good. x
  • Jellbellkell
    Jellbellkell gill50535

    Posted

    Hey

    I gained 2 stone being on 45mg mirt for 2 yr!! 😱 I stopped through a 2month taper & best decision I made !! Meds didn't help me they just made me a fat zombiefied mess!!

    The weight dropped off me slow at 1st & did a water detox as I couldn't eat.. Over 2month I've lost 1.1/2 stone !! & feeling fab!! I can move my co.ordiantion has come bk & do not feel a zombiefied slug 👍🏼😜

    Onwards & upwards

    I will be starting yoga now I can move 👌🏼

    • Jellbellkell
      Jellbellkell

      Posted

      I drink 2ltr of water a day & has helped flushed my system out
    • gill50535
      gill50535 Jellbellkell

      Posted

      wow!!! that's really good, i was the same as you, the mirt did nothing for me either except like you made me a fat zombie. sad it's great not having to take it anymore and although the weight loss might be slower for me at least it's coming off.. and absolutely onwards and upwards.. xx
    • Jellbellkell
      Jellbellkell gill50535

      Posted

      Try the water detox Hun it will flush your system out & give your metabolism a push x
    • gill50535
      gill50535 Jellbellkell

      Posted

      i drink tons of it anyway hun, always have. i have a least a litre and a half every day plus tea and coffee on top..i'm a camel.. wink x
    • Calmer
      Calmer gill50535

      Posted

      Hi Gill/Jellbellkell 

      How did you taper off Mirt?  Sounds like you weren't struck with too many wd effects,  there are some lucky folk out there afterall !

      Sounds like you're both doing pretty good now though!  Think i'll be lining up the 2 Ltr bottles ready for wd soon!

      Wishing you well x

    • gill50535
      gill50535 Calmer

      Posted

      hi calmer, i was on 30mg then tapered down to 15mg for about 11 day's.i then tapered again to 7.5mg,i stayed on 7.5mg for about another week then i just stopped. i felt a bit rough for a few day's, flu like, but that was it..i didn't get any horrid withdrawal at all thankfully but i was only on it for 8 months and of course everyone's experiences will differ.. i wish you luck with your taper though..xx
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