Mirtazapine

[mat]

So it's 3:10am  and now another night after taking mirtazapine  I'm still quite wide awake ,  at first mirtazapine did help me sleep but now I'm struggling and I'm noticing for the first time in around a month now my mood is dipping  again  and I'm starting to get easily angry at stupid little things.

I know I have only been on the new med for a few weeks, my mood has been great, sleep has been great but now I can feel it starting to slip away.

I'm very anxious about asking my GP for more meds to help me sleep,  I guess I'm stuck !!

[Sweetpea]

Matt I urge you to go back and talk to your Dr. There are many different meds to try and you should not have to feel like this. You have given this med a good time and its not working for you. We are all different and sometimes have to try a few different meds to find the one most suitable to help. S x x x x

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[nocaph]

I'd be careful to switch meds if you can try increasing the dose.  I was on Mirtazapine 15mg and it offered temporary relief from my depression before it stopped working.  And then I switched meds, for several years, and nothing worked.  Then, over 3 years later they switched me back to mirtazapine and tried 45mg and my depression disappeared for a LONG time.  It's a shame no one thought of that and spared me all the trouble I went through.  If the med has shown promise and you can try an increased dose, do.

[Catbrian]

Mat.... sorry to hear you're feeling so bad.  Insomnia is the worst and quickly contributes to many more complicated MH issues.  You do need to chat it over with the GP.  Maybe the dose of Mirtazapine can be increased and there is nothing wrong with asking for sleeping tabs to use when things are difficult. If you don't, in the long run, things could start to feel worse.

I'm only on a low dose of Mirtazapine, 20mg, and have been considering an increase.

I hope things turn out okay for you

[mat]

well i have my cbt session later today  so ill bring it up then,  does seem to be affecting my mood for the better, its just my sleeping and anxiety which is still holding me back.

I guess i just have it in the back of my head that the GP will think i am being to pushy  in asking for more medication,  i never usually ask for help with things so its pretty hard ,  basically I am good at hiding things.

[Catbrian]

I feel the same, Mat, whenever I ask for sleeping tabs.  I was addicted to Diazepam about 13-15yrs ago.  Despie my GP knowing this, he has been prescribing me a sleeping tab, confident I'm not abusing it.  Try not to do the GP thinking for him.  If I were in your position (which I have been)  I'd put the ball in the Doc's court.  Tell him your problem, show you're aware of dependence (which my GP likes) and see where it goes.

When I started Mirtazapine, I was also just new on Quetiapine (a mood stabiliser).  Some nights I felt like I was on speed.  My mind racing and sleep the last thing on my mind.  Almost over night, I went from 12 hrs plus of sleep per day to 4 or 5 if lucky.  Insomnia is one of the worst.... as if the long nights are not difficult enough, the lack of sleep does catch up and usually has a detrimental effect on our MH.

How did your CBT session go today?

[mat]

Actually went ok was in and out in like 15 minutes due to my progress which I have been making in my life in the past month or so , such an amazing improvement compared to the  two months ago when I tried to end it all compared to now.

We agreed that I would go back in December  and agreed to try and improve on the things I'm trying to do the now, eg getting in contact with old friends, staying in contact with them,  my oly reservation is that in trying to get back in contact with them they think I'm desperate.

The loneliness does kill me. I would love to spend time with others doing what other 21 years olds are doing rather than constantly being in my room 7 days a week.


Got the doctor tomorrow at 330 to get a script and will try and ask for help with my sleeping (again)

[mat]

Back from doctors and I'm really pissed off  and that's putting it nicely  never met a dr that comes across as if she is unwilling to help as much as her. It was a struggle for her to even give me a new prescription for my mirtazapine .

As soon as I went in I told her I needed a new script for them and something to help me sleep if possible, she started to go on that my meds don't run out until next week and that I should come back next week for a script,  it was the way she was saying it really annoyed me , I told her that I'm back at work next week  and could not come , TWICE  she then reluctantly gave me one with a little smile,  I already told her that the MIT has lifted my mood  and that the past month has been great apart from my sleeping that the MIT helped for the first two days and that was it.

As she gave me the script for my MIT  I asked her  will they help me sleep she said yes,  and off I went .

Basically she ignores me wanting help to sleep after already telling her that the MIT does not help me .

I left saying a polite thank you and headed straight outside I was so annoyed  I was going to go back in and ask for another appointment but I decided against it because how angry I was  , I would of said something that I would regret so ill phone tomorrow.

Now sitting down trying to calm down !

[Got]

Now your task it to be proactive and to start to do your own research on learning how to combat your sleep problems. You will not find a solution by relying on a GP unless you are very lucky.

Mirtazapine is a good sedative, if you are still having problems sleeping then you quite possibly have a sleep disorder. Drugs aren't helping you sleep it seems, and any hypnotics or benzodiazapines will stop working after a while and you run a real risk of addiction.

Seroquel (quetiapine) is one possible solution, but you are then using antipsychotics and they are not without risk. You could also ask to be switched from Mirtazepine to trazadone to see if that makes a difference.

I have had a sleep disorder for over ten years, and the best advice I can give you is to learn as much as you can for yourself. There as many non-drug solutions that you can pursue and you should pursue those first before you try to knock yourself out with chemicals.

I hope this advice helps, sleep problems are awful.

All the best,

Steve

[Becks87]

Hi,

I started taking Mirtazapine just over a week go now, i am sleeping much better at night now which is good, as i no longer have to lay there thinking instead of sleeping, but i have been getting a LOT of "head shocks" and its so annoying, i used to get them as withdrawal symptoms when i came of sertraline. I have also noticed i have been very angry since taking mirtazapine, anyone else feel like that? And will it get better with time?

xxx

[Catbrian]

I can totally appreciate why you feel annoyed.

[bookletters]

Becks, it's normal to feel snappy and angry, at the beginning of new treatment all sorts of symptoms can give us trouble. But it will pass for sure xx

[Catbrian]

I totally agree with Book.

Hope everything is going okay for you

[Becks87]

Thank you, and i hope so i don't know how long my partner will put up with me lol xxx

[bookletters]

Hey don't be too tough on yourself Beck, you're ill, it's not your fault girl :) xx