Venlafaxine and mirtazapine

[LouiseC63]

Hi there, I've been taking venlafaxine 225mg and mirtazapine 30mg for many years. This winter was my worsed by far and for the first time I suffered severe anxiety so the shrink put me on prebalin 75mg x 2 daily for 2 weeks but it started to make me feel depressed, so she changed me to Risperdal 1mg, well I only took one at night and it was way too powerful for me and I didn't sleep for 3 days and felt proper off my head on it, so stopped taking that. I usually suffer worse with depression in the winter and the doctor usually ups the venlafaxine but wasn't prepared to this winter stating i was at the top end and couldn't increase any more, hence why i was then given an appointment with the shrink.

I am due to start anxiety management on Friday and actually looking forward to it.

I seen the same shrink twice then last week I seen a different oneas the other one had left and as my depression has now taken over the anxiety she suggested i start to take 375mg of venlafaxine, to which I questioned this as I was under the impression that you could only increase ven to 375mg if you were hospitalised, please can anyone verify this. So she said as i was anxious about doing that maybe we could increase the mirtazapiine tomg this I agreed to do, but haven't got the pescription yet.

I was amazed at how she was giving me my options, I mean I'm not qualified, yet she is, but she was asking me what I wanted to do.

I am at present on a bit of a health kick, trying to excersise to see if this helps with my condition. I know you increase weight with mirtazapine and wondered if I could possibly alleviate this, or is it inevitable?

I just want me back.

Any advice about what I've put on here would be great.   

[Pip]

I can't be of any help with regards to your medication as I don't take either.  I can't remember the name of the first anti depressant as I was taking that back in 2005 to erly 2006.  We moved so had to change doctors and the one we got registered with is one of those that doesn't believe in depression and wouldn't prescribe anti depressants.  Her 'help' was to go to Relate.  We knew they wouldn't help as they were clueless how to help with part of the reasons of why I suffer with depression.  I was raking Citalopram for a couple of years but that was stopped after I had done a course of CBT.  That helped a bit but the Citalopram didn't so she took that as I didn't need an anti depressant as she wasn't listening to me.  I'm now on Sertraline which helped for the first month.  Unfortunately I got cellulitis in my right leg three weeks ago so my mood has been up and down but that is getting better so I'm hoping I'll feel better generally.

I'm hoping one of the other members, stevewellam, sees this thread as he knows far more than I do on anti depressants and dosages. 

It does sound like the psychiatrist you are seeing wants you to have more control with your medications and anything that can help you.