Mirtazapine

[Kath131]

Hiya,  I've been on Mirtazapine 30mg for about 6 months prior to that 15mg for about 2 years.  I am 63 and because of health issues started going to they gym 3/4 times a week, I am overweight and feel that I should have lost more weight than I have considering the length of time I've put in the gym.

Unbeknownst to me I recently read that anti-depressants do put weight on some people.  So as I am not feeling as low as I was and would like to lose some weight I'm thinking of packing up the anti-depressants and I know this means weaning off them slowly.  Yes, I know speak to your doctor. 

But I am just asking if anybody has had experience of Mirtazapine and did they put weight on?

Thank you.
Kath  :smile:

[SteveW]

Mirtazepine is famous for being number one for weight gain. Some people say that the majority of the weight gain is in the first four weeks but there is a steady increase as time goes on. By 9 months 30% of people taking Mirtazepine report weight gain.

This touches on a situation I met many times in the past. We would get female schizophrenics free from hallucinations and delusions on antipsychotic drugs. They would experience drug induced weight gain and decide to stop the drugs. Then after a couple of weeks they would go crazy again. We would restore them to sanity again but we would be on a merry go round that lasted some years with some women. One woman I knew put it with crystal clarity. "I would rather be thin and crazy than fat and sane."

You need to ask yourself whether you still need an anti-depressant. Coming off Mirtazepine and sinking back into depression would be a disaster. If you do still need anti-depressants you should probably think in terms of changing from Mirtazepine rather than giving up anti-depressants. The drug with the reputation for causing least weight gain in my world is amitryptyline. However all
antidepressants are better with weight gain than Mirtazepine, although Paroxetine runs it a close second.

One thing I should say is that using conventional weight loss methods you would eventually lose weight even on Mirtazepine. I certainly wouldn't be thinking of coming off Mirtazepine while you are still in a difficult situation with your sister.

Love

Steve