Mirtazapine

[Lori35inRI]

Who here is taking / has taken this med? Other than emetophobia, I am a bit of a hypochondriac (90% of my anxiety stems from my fear of there being something horribly wrong with me that I don't know about). As I also said in another post, I have chronic nausea and therefore not much of an appetite at all. Needless to say, something that can calm me down, settle my stomach a bit and make me want to eat more - sounds like a wonder drug to me! I just want to know people's experiences. I have been doing some research on my own, but I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and I want to talk to her about the possibility of it working for me. I am very concerned with the drowsiness, lightheadedness side effects as I work in a busy law office and have to be on my toes.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

[tanechka1984]

I'm taking it for years and I experience two side effects of this drug - hunger and deep relaxation that lasts for about an hour (body gets weak). I know a few people who are on it and thru have the same experience. And no nausea.

[Lori35inRI]

Thank you! I am always nervous when trying new meds so it helps to hear from those who take it. I did get a prescription for it this morning so I will probably start it Friday night (when I don't have to work the next day). I am looking forward to being able to eat more and put a little weight back on that I've lost recently because I can't eat enough to do it on my own.

[jptk]

I have been looking into this medication too. I have been taking anti depressants for over 10 years now and they don't seem to help anymore. Is it true that Mirtazapine also acts as an anti emetic as well as an anti anxiety medication?

[bailey123]

I started taking this med on Monday (it's Thursday night) I have slept through the night since I started it (something I haven't done for years!) can't say whether there have been any side effects to be honest because I am inclined to imagine a few more than are probably there as I tend to get myself in a state about anything new. Felt pretty woozy theorist day, better the second, better again today. The only thing that I can report is that it hasn't really improved my appetite but this may be due to the fact that I have had a routine of not eating for so long that I do t really recognise being hungry anymore so I guess that's the next thing to change. It is hard taking something new, actually sticking within may be the hardest part, but am sincerely hoping that it is worth it!let me know how you get on in the early days and we can swap notes, makes me feel better knowing that someone else is starting off within too! Best of luck x

[Lori35inRI]

Thanks! I tend to give up pretty easily, so I am going to do my best to stick with it. I will let you know how it goes. Thanks for the reply.

[paulinek]

I took mirtazapine and found that the higher the dose the lesser the side effects, something my doctor confirmed was true. I started off on 15mg and found that i slept like a log once i was asleep however in the half and hour or so before it sent me off to sleep i would get something like restless legs all over my body and would toss and turn in bed into all sorts of funny shapes and in the morning i felt ever so sleepy until mid morning, it felt like i had had no sleep at all, however these effects wore off after a few weeks so well worth perservering as the positives of the drug outweigh the negatives. ETA i was worried when my dose went up to 45mg that i would get more side effects but i got none.

I also found it made me ravenously hungry all the time and never got full, so for me this was a problem as i was a normallish weight to start with so ended up quite overweight, my appetite did return to normal once i was off them though.

They have anti emetic properties, so yes for an emet with anxiety and eating problems they are definitley the dream drug

[4077girl]

The first ttime I started taking it it really really helped me. I was extremely underweight and it helped me gain a lot of weight (too much, actually). I was also sleeping 12-13hours a night, but I felt fine during the day after the first 4-5 days (and just tired the rest of the days). I've read mirrazapine is as good as zofran on chemo related (I think?) n/v. be careful, though; it made me crave absolute junk all the time. Sugar and carbs. I tried taking it. A second time and it didn't help my anxiety and I got fat and felt horrible if I didn't eat candy and pasta!! But it did really help me out of a very very bad place when I was younger. No side effects other than the appetite changes.

[Lori35inRI]

I'm starting it tonight (2 days later than I planned on) and I'm already starting to work myself up. This sucks...

[bailey123]

One week on! Trust me, if you're anything like me, your head will give you more problems than the medication!

[Lori35inRI]

Thank you. I feel like such a jackass because I still haven't tried it yet. I was so excited because I just can't wait to feel better, but like an idiot I read the insert that comes with the prescription and read the horrible things that are VERY unlikely to happen to me and it sent me into such a panic Sunday night I just about made myself sick. My husband said to just wait until Friday when I don't have to work the next day and he'll help me get through it so I just don't keep procrastinating.

Now I've had a very queasy stomach the last 2 days - I think it's my punishment for not just taking the damn pill.

[Cupcake x]

I tried to take it but it just made me really drowsy. No nausea from it whatsoever though! I slept for like 15 hours straight the first time I took it. I couldn't deal with feeling so tired because I have a 2 year old (she was 1 at the time) and sleeping for hours on end just isn't an option for me LOL! I would like to try it again over the summer though when my fiance is off work (he's a teacher) so I'll have more time to be able to sleep off the initial drowsy feelings it gives without having to worry about not being able to tend to my little one.

Good luck with starting it. I don't think you'll have any problems. Working yourself up before starting a new med is 10x worse than any side effect you'll feel. That's how it always is for me!

[kam00096]

I spoke to a psychiatrist about this yesterday and she says that it does have an anti - emetic effect. She also says that it works a bit better for depression rather than anxiety so it depends how you're feeling. I'm sticking to a higher dose of citalopram at the min as my anxiety's out of control but we're keeping the Mirtazapine as my second option if I feel the citalopram's not for me.

[bailey123]

to be fair, the first 3 days i felt really sleepy all day but by day 4 i felt ok, this is the longest i have stuck with a medication (its a bit sad to be proud of that as its only been 8 days!) and although i have to have the most ENORMOUS fight with myself every night, i have still taken it (its no easy feat when you are also surrounded by people telling you that you shouldn't be taking them...just sort yoursef out...blah blah blah!) the only side effect that i can really report, and it may just be me and have nothing to do with the med, is that i am having the most awful dreams, really vivid and realistic, anyone else had that or is it just my mind going into overdrive?! as someone who has always been very anti-med i would honestly say to give it a try if you have trouble sleeping, as to the other results, that remains to be seen!!!

[Lori35inRI]

I just keep doubting myself... I have never been diagnosed with depression, but I think I am "sad" because I'm not the outgoing, bubbly person I used to be. I only feel comfortable around certain people now and I don't do much socially anymore. My anxiety has taken over and completely ruined my life - it's only getting worse as time goes on. I have tried a couple anxiety meds and they actually made me worse where I would go to work and cry all day. I've used Xanax when it's very bad, but I don't want to take it daily.

My biggest concern is my almost constant nausea and non-existent appetite. I need to put some weight back on.

[bailey123]

You sound so like me! My days are sometimes taken up with just remembering who I was, I don't recognise myself anymore, I am living apart from my husband (and have been for 3 years) because I thought being back at home would make me feel safer/better and I no longer see any of my friends. Food is my constant thought and I am always worrying/being told about my weight. My anxiety and emet has blended into what it now being called depression. Personally, I don't even know what it is. In my darkest hours, my saving hope is that I WAS a different person before, it's my head and my fear that has made me this way so if I made myself this way, anytime soon I can change myself back. Now I've just got to find out how!

[Lori35inRI]

Exactly! I am a huge 80's metal music fan (I don't know how popular that is where you are) and I listen to it a lot still (1) because I still enjoy the music, and (2) because it makes me remember a time when I was SO happy. I too am in constant concern with my weight. As a former anorexic, I don't ever want people to think I am resorting back to that behavior. When I am really n* and don't eat (or eat very little), I feel so guilty! I feel bad for my husband, too. We've been married almost 4 years and I am very little of the woman I was when he married me. The emet has gotten 100% worse for me this year. I need to get some sense of normalcy back.

[bailey123]

I don't think my husband (who incidentally is a huge 80s metal fan!) recognises me either, physically or mentally, I almost feel like I duped him into marriage. I have occasions where I plug my iPod in and dance by myself like an idiot and I almost feel like a fraction of my old self! Have spent today trying to find if there is ny trigger than explains why I have gone so downhill in the past 2 years but have found none. The food issue is a real double edged sword for me as I find the more I am encouraged to eat, the less I do and as soon as someone draws attention to it, I stop! I don't care about what I weigh, I just want to look better so the supposed side effect of the med making you put on weight can't be a bad thing! As for wanting to get back to normal, I guess it depends n what normal is, I may have over thought it too much as I'm not sure what that is! A day with 3 meals, no panic attacks, a drink with a friend and being able to share my bed with my husband may sound normal to some but it's a fantasy to me!

[Lori35inRI]

I guess "normal" for me is a day without constant fear. I want to not worry about anything happening to me, or my family - things I have no control over. My job causes me A LOT of stress and that definitely contributed to my downfall. the partners are now talking about dissolving the firm, so I may have unemployment to contend with. That part is not so bad (as, like I said, they are a major cause of stress), but it's not having medical insurance that petrified me since my husband's job doesn't offer it either.

When people bring up the food thing to me, it just makes me feel even worse.

I'm so sorry for my rants. Thank you for your responses. It's nice to "talk" to someone who understands.

[ashley11]

I also took this. It helped me sleep at night and one of the main reasons my doctor put me on it was because I was n all the time and it acts like an anti emetic. I was actually able to eat. I am on a different med now and my doctor said I could use it of I have a panic attack and can't sleep. I did that for the first time this past weekend when my daughter had been s. she was with my husband and sleeping but I was so worked up I couldn't relax and within 20 to 30 minutes I was asleep! I never had any bad side effects. Good luck!

[Lori35inRI]

So I took my first dose last night. I didn't notice getting relaxed or sleeping any better. I think maybe because my anxiety was in overdrive last night... The only thing I notice today is that I was very tired for about 2 hours after I finally dragged my hind end out of bed at 11:00 a.m., I was somewhat "snappy", dry mouth where i just want to keep drinking, and I had very little n* today which has been great.

Question though to those who have taken this - when does your appetite pick up? I want to be able to eat more.

[bailey123]

Takes about 3 or4 days for the tiredness to go away but I'm not sure when the increase of appetite kicks in, I think I am eating more but mnot sure, stick with it if you can hope you feel better soon x

[4077girl]

For me the appetite was the very first day. I could tell when I'd forgotten to take it because I wouldn't feel like eating junk food for breakfast.

[paulinek]

I can't remember when the appetite increases but when it does you will know about it! You will be able to eat a 14 inch pizzafollowed by an entire cheesecake and still be hungry lol

[Lori35inRI]

hee hee That definitely has not happened! I have been taking for about 1 1/2 weeks now. I do notice I sleep somewhat better, the drowsiness hasn't been too bad, but I often have a "swimy" head feeling - sort of lightheaded. I have noticed just a SLIGHT increase in appetite and my n* has gone way down. So far I have to say it's not too bad.

Thank you all for the feedback!

[paulinek]

Well done for starting and sticking with them, i know what you mean about the swimmy feeling, i started work at half 8 which was a bit of a killer, and i remember feeling pretty spaced out until about 10ish but it does definitely go off after a bit.

You will really feel the benefits shortly, i know i kicked myself for having left it so long to get them! I was on them for about 18 months i think and found them veyr easy to come off of which was good as i know some tablets are tricky to stop taking, the only downer for me was the weight gain but tbh i would take them again as i would rather feel better and be a bit podgy than thin and miserable