Anyone tried mirtazapine?

[Dataunit]

I tried it the first time back in 2009, when I had severe depression, and thought it was the only antidepressant that helped (the others I tried were citalopram and fluoxetine, and they made me worse). Unfortunately, my dad forced me to come off mirtazapine as he thought it was making me sleep too much and said "you can't live your life like this". Erm, I couldn't live my life anyway with severe depression! *eyeroll* After involuntarily quitting mirtazapine, my depression became worse again.

I'm now back on it, as an off-label medication, to help with chronic insomnia that I've had since childhood. The psychiatrist said that, if it helped with depression, then he was happy to put me back on it for insomnia too.

Has anyone else been on it? If so, how was it for you?

[one_step_closer]

I was on it a long time ago and all I can remember about it is that it helped me sleep and increased my appetite. According to the place where I track my treatments etc I was on it for about a year and stopped because it wasn't significantly helping my depression. I rated its effectiveness as slight.

Are you hoping that it will help with both your sleep issues and depression? I hope you find it useful and can get the right balance with your sleep etc.

[Dataunit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by one_step_closer

I rated its effectiveness as slight.

Are you hoping that it will help with both your sleep issues and depression?

Out of interest, was there anything that helped you more than mirtazapine did? I posted because of curiosity about other people's experiences with it, whatever they used it for.

I don't have depression anymore; I've recovered from that. It's just lifelong insomnia issues that I've, until now, not found any doctors that were willing to take seriously. They all think it's a stress-related issue but it isn't: it's chronic, probably biological in aetiology, and affects me irrespective of mood. Unless I take something like mirtazapine (before mirtazapine, I self-medicated with alcohol and OTC sleeping pills), I don't sleep and then it really does lead to issues like depression and anxiety. Knock-on effect. But most doctors think it's the other way around and that it's the depression that causes the insomnia *eyeroll*

[Aardbei]

I've been on it for years and it's been the best medication for me to manage my depression and anxiety. It helps with sleep and it did make me hungrier, but I can't say it caused me to gain weight because I had issues with that before I started taking it.

I'm actually reducing it now as it feels like the right time to be medication free as things are stable :) let me know if you have any other questions.

[one_step_closer]

Mirtazapine was the best med for helping me sleep I think. Depression wise I'd maybe say Venlafaxine was the most helpful. We all react in unique ways though. I'm glad your psychiatrist is being supportive. Good luck with things.