Mirtazapine for depression and general mood.

[[jo...]]

Hi, some of you may have read that I started on mirt at 7.5 mg recently for sleep. I was wondering if anyone had experience of 15.mg for depression, anxiety, mood etc. This has been a problem for me and I am considering updosing. The 7.5 mg helps with sleep sometimes but not that great others. Thanks!

Edited June 23 by [jo...]

[[So...]]

So, with mirtazapine, it will likely not effect depression until 15mg and above.  Perhaps it would even have to go to 30mg.  Mirt is a very strange drug, effects many many receptors and effects them differently at different dosages.  I honestly see it used for anxiety and insomnia way more than depression, just because the lethargy it causes can actually make depression a bit worse at the lower doses.

 

Do what you need to do, of course, I would just reccomend maybe only going up on the doses 1mg at a time every week to fully test the waters and be safe.

 

When the time is right to come off mirtazapine, please also taper off 10% a month and check out Surviving Antidepressants.

 

Good luck 👍 🙂

[[jo...]]

1 minute ago, [[S...] said:

So, with mirtazapine, it will likely not effect depression until 15mg and above.  Perhaps it would even have to go to 30mg.  Mirt is a very strange drug, effects many many receptors and effects them differently at different dosages.  I honestly see it used for anxiety and insomnia way more than depression, just because the lethargy it causes can actually make depression a bit worse at the lower doses.

Do what you need to do, of course, I would just reccomend maybe only going up on the doses 1mg at a time every week to fully test the waters and be safe.

When the time is right to come off mirtazapine, please also taper off 10% a month and check out Surviving Antidepressants.

Good luck 👍 🙂

Yeah if I do use it I will be sure to taper it. Thanks!

[[So...]]

Oh, did you not start the mirtazapine yet?

[[jo...]]

32 minutes ago, [[S...] said:

Oh, did you not start the mirtazapine yet?

No, I have it prescribed but have only used a few low doses for sleep so far. Depression and anxiety are a big problem though so I'm considering it.

[[in...]]

I got Mirt earlier last year as well. By that point I had just tried Citalopram and Escitalopram. Non of them helped. Not even a bit. So I wasn't anywhere near in shape to try Mirtazapin.

Keep me posted on how this goes, because I'm still curious to know. It would be much appreciated. Thanks! Have a good night 💯🙏

[[jo...]]

Will do. Not sure I'm gonna take it yet as I'd rather stay med free. Might have to give it a try though.

[[Ho...]]

Just chiming in here! A social worker told me that mirt was created to help seniors with memory issues to eat. They'd forget, but mirtazpine ups the appetite. If you're having trouble eating, mirt will help with that!

It's an unusual drug because it has different affects at different strengths. At lower doses (15 mg and under), it helps with sleep. It really makes you drowsy. But at higher doses, that drowsiness abates.  At that point it stops helping with sleep, but can help with depression. It's commonly used in addiction clinics for benzo withdrawal. 

It's murder to get off from, because even at tiny doses it affects histamine receptors. If I had it to do over I'd still take it, because I'd lost 40 lbs and couldn't eat a thing. I've gained it back and am almost off the mirt but had to taper using a liquid.

Benzo depression is so tough to treat! I tried and never found anything and after several attempts, didn't want to go through another day of even more burning and dizziness, but that's me. 

Many, many people have found relief with an AD, but honestly it seems to happen later in their recovery. For me the mirt took a tiny edge off, and I mean tiny. And I never could take more than 15 mg. Yet sometimes a tiny help is something!

Warmly,

HCHC

[[jo...]]

6 minutes ago, [[H...] said:

Just chiming in here! A social worker told me that mirt was created to help seniors with memory issues to eat. They'd forget, but mirtazpine ups the appetite. If you're having trouble eating, mirt will help with that!

It's an unusual drug because it has different affects at different strengths. At lower doses (15 mg and under), it helps with sleep. It really makes you drowsy. But at higher doses, that drowsiness abates.  At that point it stops helping with sleep, but can help with depression. It's commonly used in addiction clinics for benzo withdrawal. 

It's murder to get off from, because even at tiny doses it affects histamine receptors. If I had it to do over I'd still take it, because I'd lost 40 lbs and couldn't eat a thing. I've gained it back and am almost off the mirt but had to taper using a liquid.

Benzo depression is so tough to treat! I tried and never found anything and after several attempts, didn't want to go through another day of even more burning and dizziness, but that's me. 

Many, many people have found relief with an AD, but honestly it seems to happen later in their recovery. For me the mirt took a tiny edge off, and I mean tiny. And I never could take more than 15 mg. Yet sometimes a tiny help is something!

Warmly,

HCHC

Thanks HCHC

[[So...]]

Yea for sure, hotcolds point was the point I was trying to convey as well- if you are trying to treat depression and anxiety at the same time that would be hard from mirtazapine bcuz at the effective doses for depression mirtazapine becomes stimulating, almost like wellbutrin. 

 

I understand your effect to remain drug free and that is very valiant and one I also have tried to do, only you can make the decision if you are in dire straights enough and understand the risk of fully of whatever drug you are trying... BUT we also have to be able to keep going in this and trying a pill is better than a dark alternative for some. 

 

It's a super hard decision and balance and one I have struggled with too dealing w severe symptoms. 

 

I will say just bcuz I wish someone would have told me this, mirt is incredibly hard for SOME people (maybe not you) to get off of bcuz of the receptors it touches (noradrenaline, serotonin, histamine, and opiod receptors)  but also there are people out there who have been able to quit it no issue just like with benzos. 

The choice is yours but I have faith you will be able to make a good decision and please remember, nothing about this is ideal but we also have to do what we have to do

 

[[jo...]]

2 minutes ago, [[S...] said:

Yea for sure, hotcolds point was the point I was trying to convey as well- if you are trying to treat depression and anxiety at the same time that would be hard from mirtazapine bcuz at the effective doses for depression mirtazapine becomes stimulating, almost like wellbutrin. 

I understand your effect to remain drug free and that is very valiant and one I also have tried to do, only you can make the decision if you are in dire straights enough and understand the risk of fully of whatever drug you are trying... BUT we also have to be able to keep going in this and trying a pill is better than a dark alternative for some. 

It's a super hard decision and balance and one I have struggled with too dealing w severe symptoms. 

I will say just bcuz I wish someone would have told me this, mirt is incredibly hard for SOME people (maybe not you) to get off of bcuz of the receptors it touches (noradrenaline, serotonin, histamine, and opiod receptors)  but also there are people out there who have been able to quit it no issue just like with benzos. 

The choice is yours but I have faith you will be able to make a good decision and please remember, nothing about this is ideal but we also have to do what we have to do

Thanks SoapyBits. Your right it is a tough decision I've been pondering it for a while now. I could really do with a window because it's getting rough sometimes. An AD could help as it targets my most troubling symptoms but I'd love to get through this drug free if possible. Being dependant on another drug and having to deal with that at the end of this isn't ideal.

[[So...]]

Of course! I am just big an informed consent because I went to rehab before getting the facts about all of this and I didn't have the choice to be put on 4 medications in there, they just did it and told me they were harmless drugs.  Which, okay I understand that benzos do more harm typically, but the information I was told about being able to quit them whenever and that they didn't have wd was entirely incorrect and got me into a lot of trouble when I tried to stop mirt abruptly when I got out last year. 

 

Anyways, I digress, yes just wanting to always make sure that people know what they're getting into before they get into it, I'm not anti drug at all though, my celexa and klonopin surely helped me through a tough time in my life when I needed them, the klonopin part probably wasn't worth it, but not all drugs are bad for every person is my point and had klonopin not harmed me I'm sure I'd be saying that was worth it as well.

 

For sure, make a slow methodical decision, and as they say, start low and go slow ❤️. Good luck!

[[jo...]]

18 hours ago, [[H...] said:

And I never could take more than 15 mg. Yet sometimes a tiny help is something!

Hi HCHC, can I ask why you couldn't take more than 15. Was it by choice or were there symptoms?

Edited June 24 by [jo...]

[[jo...]]

I notice an uptick in physical symptoms whenever I taking Mirt. I haven't been taking it long. Normal?

[[Cr...]]

16 minutes ago, [[j...] said:

I notice an uptick in physical symptoms whenever I taking Mirt. I haven't been taking it long. Normal?

What symptoms are you noticing? If you have been getting more sleep lately you might also be more perceptive to symptoms that were already there.

Of course, new symptoms can be a sign of start-up side effects from Mirt as well.

[[jo...]]

Hi Crono, there all pre existing I think. They die down then come back often. But I notice when I take the mirt they uptick a little. Twitches cramps etc.

[[So...]]

Yes, a lot of the time I have correlated symptoms to something I took, but they were just random I would look out for things like new symptoms or a drastic worsening of current symptoms.  If you are feeling like your CNS is on fire, you will know and that is probably a sign to be more cautious

[[Ho...]]

7 hours ago, [[j...] said:

Hi HCHC, can I ask why you couldn't take more than 15. Was it by choice or were there symptoms?

Hi @[jo...],

I tried to take 30 mg but my skin started burning more and I had more anxiety. My pdoc tried a number of AD's on me and I had a similar response. I guess that's just me. 

I had an uptick in symptoms too even at 15 mg and was worried it would spiral out of control, but it never got worse, and it helped my sleep. Now that I think about it, I suppose the uptick in symptoms must have leveled out too. I was pretty miserable all around, so it's honestly a bit hard to remember the symptoms. I do, absolutely do, remember feeling a difference in being able to relax a bit more. I would doze on into those toxic naps over and over. Don't have those anymore, thank God.

I also notices when I tried to up my dose from 15 mg to 30 mg, I was no longer as drowsy, and frankly that didn't please me any. The best thing about mirt was that it made me sleepy. 

[[...]]

7 hours ago, [[j...] said:

I notice an uptick in physical symptoms whenever I taking Mirt. I haven't been taking it long. Normal?

By my experience, we can feel an uptick in symptoms when starting mirtazapine or any new treatment. It's only expectable but shouldn't stay long if the medication is right for you. I felt some symptoms worsening for a couple of weeks plus some new ones but it never felt too much and subsided eventually. 

[[Ja...]]

Saying jonwil,..how’s the mirt feeling now buddy,.is it still hit and miss with sleep

[[jo...]]

Yeah I was just saying in another post. It knocked me out first night and hasn't done much since.

[[jo...]]

Really need some releif. Been rough day in day out for over a month now since my last window. with maybe a couple of not as bad days.

Been over thinking it as well thinking the mirt might be getting in the way of a window. Thought's are all over the place about it to be honest.

Do I keep increasing the dose to see if it helps with mood stabalisation? Do I stop taking it? F'k knows what to do for the best.

[[jo...]]

So, I used the mirt on occassion for sleep but think I'm gonna use it properly at a higher dose for depression as this is becoming a serious problem for me. Has anyone here started mirt at 15mg off the bat? Did you have any problems? Thanks!

[[jo...]]

I'm concerned I might be on the wrong AD. I keep reading horror stories about mirt and how hard it is to come of of etc. Does anyone think an ssri would be safer.

Has anyone had any sucess with Lexepro? I here from some that this is the least problematic.

I understand all AD's come with potential downsides but would like to reduce the risk if possible.

I'm also interested in learning more about the different effects of ssri's vs  tetracyclic from people with experience.

[[Cr...]]

You want to hear from people that used both types at separate times? There are some but that definitely will narrow the amount of people capable of giving you responses.

And yes, Lexapro is generally the ssri with the least side effects and quickest onset of action. But you can just as easily find horror stories about Lexapro after you have already started it.

When I started Sertraline in withdrawal I knew I wouldn't succeed unless I committed to not looking up horror stories. I looked up all the potential risks beforehand and then I agreed with myself to take a chance knowing the potential upsides/downsides that come with my decision. After that I only read the success stories until I became more stable.