anyone used mirtzapine (remeron) for anxiety??

[jlmwz316 91]

I visited psychiatrist this week, who decided to start me on 15mg of remeron (mirtzapine) once a day at bedtime.  She chose this med for me because I had bad experiences on other meds.   It is an snri.  I'm on day 3 today, and still working through the side effects that she said are to be expected in the beginning.  so far it makes me quite drowsy.  we will meet again in March to change it if is not working.    also starting weekly therapy.  wondering if anyone used or is using remeron (aka mirtzapine) and how it worked out ??

[Ninja Kitty 15]

I've been on mirtazapine for 3 yrs I'm now on max dose of 45mg per night, at 15mg per night i slept really well and felt drowsy the next day for the 1st 2weeks then it calmed down then by 1 month  was on 30mg and by month  2 i was on 45mg per night......... the dopeyness wears off eventually but I hope the Dr has made it abundantely clear that you should take it at bedtime and not during the day. I can't take ssri's etc and mirtazapine has been thee best anti depressant i have ever been on (although i take a lot of other meds as well on top of this). God luck and let me know if it calms down after a week or so.

 

Kitty xx

[jlmwz316 91]

thank you Kitty. It helps to hear your experience.  Today is day 7 on 15mg of mirtazapine.  the last 3 days, I've had scary dizziness in the evening, where I could almost not stand, and today I had the same this morning.  the doctor told me to expect this but it was rather scary.

   Yesterday day 6 was very good day - and I was feeling like the side effects might be over - I got alot done, and was panic free but after dinner in the evening, all of sudden I got very dizzy, I took my pill when I went to bed(as I always do), but I slept poorly.  which surprised me because the past 5 nights I slept over 10 hours on this med.  But last night I woke up several times- which was strange.  This morning I was great until I was getting ready for work and suddenly again, the spell overcame me, and I had to lay down, it is like a fog, like I am getting up suddenly in the middle of the night and want to crash - thats how i feels.  I know its the medicine, but its bad -  I paniced, throat closed up, could not breath and took a xanax.  still dizzy for a while then finally better - I had to stay home today because of it.  now I am good. I will take it again at bedtime and see what happens. Its only 1 week - is now the worst time???

thanks,

Jimmy

[Ninja Kitty 15]

The 1st few weeks leave you feeling dizzy/tired in all honesty within 2 weeks of starting it i was upped to 30mg the higher the dose the less dizzy you get, at 15mg it obvously helps calm you down some what but........... at 15mg it is llike taking antihistamines if you still feel dizzy etc after the 1st 2 weeks going back to your DR asap and asking for it to be updosed to 30mg is your best bet then you will sleep but the dizzyness etc will become less and the anxiety and depression will be lower (I'm not just talking from ersonal experience I used to be a pharmacologist so I know medication like the back of my hand)

 

All in all it's like all meds you have to give it beyween 2-6 weeks for the side effects of normal new meds to wear off but with Mirtazapine the higher the dose funnily enough the less dizzy and exhausted you feel and then sleep goes back to being really good.

 

Let me know how you get on post back here or feel free to pm me if you want more information...... and Gilly will back me up and tell you I used to be in pharmacology etc.

 

Good Luck

 

Kitty xxx

[jlmwz316 91]

Kitty. Dizziness improved last 2 days. Except 2 new things happened. Terrible lower back pain and can't stay asleep last. 2 nights. First 5 days on it I slept great. But now no longer. The back pain a side effect?? I am still on 15. Day 9. Should I wait or call the dr to raise it. I see doc March 16

[Ninja Kitty 15]

If your finding things not improving much now then maybe contacting your Dr before  your due to see him/her might be a good idea but the back pain in all honesty is possibly tension due to the anxiety and lack of sleep. Personally I'd contact my Dr for some info etc but that's just me, to be honest it's whatever makes you feel better/less anxious/sleep better. Nothing wrong with contacting your Dr, you also said your on xanax, xanax is a very powerful benzo but has a rly short half life, I personally stopped xanax and had it replaced by diazepam which i take at night along with my mirtazapine and then I use nitrazepam for sleep but I'm on crazy ammounts of meds . At the end of the day your Dr will take note that you feel the 15mg of mirtazapine isn't doing enough and that you feel you might need a higher dose.

So if you honestly feel that after 9 day's you don't feel good enough then you may as well give your Dr a call and just be honest about how your feeling and how your sleep is affected etc.

 

Good Luck

 

 

Kitty xx

[jlmwz316 91]

thank Kitty.  I left the doctor a message.   I was of course googling Mirtazapine side effects to see if back pain was there and I got mixed results.

On the internet I found different opinions and I was considering bailing on it after one week.  I am happy you replied because I go back and forth on whether I should take more or take less or just stop.  

 

The bad dizzy spells ended two days ago, now I kind of feel like I did before I started taking it, I get to sleep fast but wake up alot (3 or 4 times) and have really vivid dreams the past week.   the back pain and even my throat closing up seem to be worse the past two days, so perhaps the answer is as you said that its my anxiety coming through so  I need to go to 30mg.   Maybe my body already got used to  the 15 mg and just needs a higher dose for it to work.  I'll wait to hear from the doctor.  thanks again. I very much appreciate hearing from a real person who has taken this medicine that it does indeed work for anxiety.   I also need to trust my doctor and work on the real solution in therapy.

[Ninja Kitty 15]

That's good to hear that your taking my advice and accepting my information, mirtazapine is 1 of my many meds I take, primarily it is for anxiety for me and I am on 45mg per night...... it works like it should and keeps things  to a good level (I'm in therapy too etc etc)

my other medication for my mental health problems are 2 benzos (diazepam (valium) during the day & Nitrazepam for sleep) I also take pregabalin, sumatriptan the list goes on....all my other meds I was on before i  started Mirtazapine and I've been on Mirtazapine now for a few years I'e finally started reducing the doses of my other meds little by little (I have been on them for a very long time so im currently doing proper reductions with the smallest ammount each time)

 

Also maybe asking your Dr about another type of benzo that might help (something different than xanax) that has a longer half life but less addictive than the xanx is.

 

Good Luck and keep me posted xxx

[jlmwz316 91]

Its now been one month on mirtazapine and now on 30mg.  what I am finding is that it slowly "helps".  Its not like a benzo-- its slow. Instead of taking the pill and having it relax me on a particular day. I just take the pill every day, and slowly feel less and less anxious each day.  It requires a bit of patience which allows me to work on my skills in therapy - proper breathing - counting 3 or 4 times between each breath, and CBT, working on facing each day straight on, and letting the events of the day cure me. I found this a very good way to go - let the day itself, each thing that happens cure me - as its all in how I react to each thing.

 

My doctor switched me to 30mg yesterday.  I took it last night and noticed one thing immediately - in the middle of the night my legs and head felt "heavy", and I felt myself stumbling.  This occurred again when I woke this morning.  I didn't have that with 15mg.   She said to expect some discomfort in the first 4 days, but that it would be better and faster than the initial start up.   I definitely feel it more whereas with 15mg I was feeling like I was on benadryl all day, this feels "heavier". but since I just started on the 30mg I am going to give it go, and be patient. I believe it has helped.  my main measure of that is I haven't taken a xanax in 2 weeks. I still carry it with me, but have felt no need to take it. I am able to ride it out when I feel anxious and it is milder than it was before.  I am hoping with the 30mg these mild attacks get less and less.