Mirtazapine

[Aardbei]

I have been on various anti-depressants throughout my life and at the moment my mood seems to have stabilised which is obviously really good. However, I'm still quite anxious and have crippling insomnia so my doctor wants me to try switching from my current medication (escitalopram) to mirtazapine.

I have been reading up on mirtazapine and it seems a lot of people experience weight gain while on this medication. This really worries me as I'm already slightly overweight and I have a feeling if I did gain weight on it, it would cause me to become quite depressed again as I'm not my body's biggest fan at the best of times.

I was just wondering if anyone else on this medication had any tips or experiences that could put my mind at ease? Thanks.

[Tig]

Hey,

I have been on Mirtazapine on a few occasions and like you, shared concerns about my weight and the potential of weight gain. I won't lie to you, it does in my experience increase your appetite but I guess it's about balancing that out and sticking to a healthy diet. If you know in advance that you are going to be feeling more hungry, you could think about what foods would be better for you to eat and which are going to fill you up more. (Boring I know!)

I think it is that it increases your appetite that causes the weight gain, rather than it being a chemical thing that however little you ate you would still gain. Hope that makes sense!

Also, hope it works for you. It worked really well for me the first time and I've seen it work in a lot of people :) x

[Aardbei]

Thank you for your advice... I tend to overthink stuff like this and get very anxious and I'm now really worrying that I'm going to put on a ton of weight - I haven't even started on it yet!

I'm trying to think of it in a positive way and maybe it'll be what pushes me to sort out the fact that I'm overweight in the first place by making me eat healthier/do more exercise :)

I'm just overreacting and I'm glad it's not a chemical thing that makes you put on the weight.

[Jetforce]

Agrees with Tij, but mirtazapine also helps you sleep in most people, which hopefully will help make you refreshed after a night

[sherlock holmes]

If you can't sleep then mirtazapine is definitely the drug for you! Boy, you'll have no problem sleeping. You might feel for the first week or so that you literally cannot leave your bed, but it will settle down.

I did gain weight on it, but only because it increased my appetite and at the time I was in hospital so could not exercise. Hospital food is crap and I supplemented it by buying chocolate. If you're sensible with your diet then you shouldn't gain weight.

[Bellatrix]

I didn't gain on it. In fact, I lost a fair bit.

It gave me back pain and made me sluggish during the day.

Try it, you can always switch if you don't like it.

[Aardbei]

Thank you all so much, I feel a lot better. You know when something gets stuck on your mind and you can't stop worrying about it? That's what happened with this but I'm trying to be realistic - even if I do gain a bit it's not the end of the world and the benefits of being able to sleep will make it worth it.

[sunshine100]

I've never been on either medication but when I was on citalopram i had awful issues with insomnia. I think I lost about 6 weeks where I was just so out of it I couldn't remember anything or function properly.

How long have you been on escitalopram? I found that once I stuck it out through the first 4 months things got better, and by 8 months I was almost functioning normally.

Sorry to hear you're having problems, i remember how tough my experience was. Good luck!

[~Grace~]

Mirtazapine was a good medication for me, it really helped and if it wasnt for the weight gain then id be on it now. I really hope it helps you x

[Aardbei]

I've been on escitalopram over a year and have had insomnia for that entire time but now I have a full-time job the lack of sleep is becoming a real issue. My prescription came in the post today so I'll see how I get on.

[GambitC13]

Hi! I also am on Mirtazapine, have been on it for a year or so. I did gain weight, not a silly amount but I did. I think it does aid sleep, certainly depending on the dosage. It has levelled my moods out quite a bit. I did feel dozy and a bit high the first couple of days! I hope it works for you, let us know how you get on with it. x

[not_so_insig]

I was on mirtazapine, but it made me feel nauseous after every dose. So I quit taking it.