Mirtazapine for Anxiety User Reviews

• Hel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 15, 2023

"I started taking this medicine two weeks ago. I feel all it does is give me hunger pains, I am never full, and I have only gotten a couple of full nights' sleep since starting it. I have also developed a shake in my leg whilst driving, seemingly another side effect. I am just wondering if anyone else has the same experience whilst taking it?"

• Anonymous
• March 30, 2023

"Only started taking mirtazapine due to severe insomnia, but now nearly 3 years on, I have the insomnia again and the weight gain is unbelievable. It's like being on weed. The intense cravings for sweets/chocolate haven't stopped, I'm afraid. It just gets worse. I'm also 30 weeks pregnant and am now not allowed to come off it even though it doesn't do anything for me anymore except make me gain nearly 2 stone this pregnancy. I've tried so many times to come off these antidepressants, but the withdrawals are similar to severe flu. Do not take this medication."

• Mir...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 24, 2022

"Do not ever take these for anxiety. I wish I’d done more research on the way an SNRI works. It increases norepinephrine, which is okay if you're very depressed, but it will make your own anxiety far worse! The sleeping effect wears off pretty quickly too, and they’re horrible to try and taper off of."

• Lir...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 16, 2022

"I received this 'medicine' as an anti-depressant pill. I have never had such a negative experience. It feels like death. It caused side effects of paralysis. Basic inability to move. It's poison. I believe that FDA-approved 'medicines' which are no less than poison. I don't have enough words to describe how much I warn people against using this stuff. I opened an account here just to warn people from this poison. Please don't go near it. It should be outlawed, and all doctors who give this pill should be punished and behind bars. This is not a joke. I have never experienced such an inability to function at the most basic level."

• gun...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 22, 2022

"Be VERY careful with this medicine. My psychiatrist prescribed me 15 mgs and told me to ramp up to 30 mg in less than 2 weeks. The first time I took it, I had a panic attack (which I hadn't experienced in more than a year). The next day, I felt sleepy but a bit better overall. Then, as I began to take higher dosages, the side effects kept becoming more apparent. Very strange thought patterns, I was irritable and didn't want to connect with anyone, and oddly enough I had really bad constipation. One day at the peak of the dosage, I woke up and tried heading into work. As I got started throughout my day, I began having horrible panic attacks. One would fade into another, and it went on for a few hours. I ended up calling out because of it and nearly went to the hospital. After that day, I stopped taking it cold turkey. It felt like my mind was in a vice, and I was losing it. Be careful."

• Hol...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 22, 2021

"I was prescribed mirtazapine for anxiety and panic attacks after citalopram and escitalopram made me really poorly, and I could barely function… well, started on 7.5 mg for a week, then up to 15 mg for a week, then 22.5 mg for a week… had diarrhea, nausea, post-nasal drip, which made me feel like I was going to gag all day long (Halls throat sweets, 1 pack a day!!!), high anxiety and panic, so told my doctor I wanted off… she told me to just stop then as I hadn’t taken them long… so I’m now 5 days off them and have had nausea, diarrhea, flu-like symptoms, sneezing in my sleep, no appetite at all, but the worst thing I’m experiencing is emotional blunting!! I don’t feel anything about anything, and I’m not handling it very well. I just want to feel like me again. I’ve never had this, and I hope it doesn’t last much longer!! Please seriously think before starting this med because it’s been a rough ride from start to finish and beyond!!"

• Do...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 5, 2021

"I became obsessed with a single thought and could not probably function. This pill actually drove me insane, I thought I was going crazy, losing my mind. I would be scared to go to sleep because I had horrible nightmares and woke up sweating and confused. I felt dizzy spells every few minutes and nearly passed out in public. I would cry randomly and then feel pain in my brain. I felt like I was in a personal hell. Please stay away from this drug."

• Hor...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 21, 2021

"I became so angry with everyone, horrible drug and didn't even help with my mental health…"

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 2, 2021

"Everybody is different, as they say, and my body is racked with panic disorder. I'm not going to say this is a bad drug, but it has a property that some people should be aware of. I kind of stumbled into mirtazapine because I read it had mild side effects that include eating a lot (good) and sleeping a lot (good), which sounded like a welcome change to me. But I would just say that for those with panic disorder, I'm fairly convinced now that it's not good to stimulate the nervous system the way mirtazapine does. It's probably great for people with depression though. Mirtazapine strengthens the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the fight or flight response. So, I'm going back to Lexapro, which worked for years. All the tricyclic antidepressants and SNRIs stimulate the nervous system a lot, and after a year of going through a bunch of these, I haven't had a decent night's sleep the whole time. Mirtazapine kept me up at night and I still can't eat much."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 25, 2021

"I do not recommend this medication. I have been on Sertraline, which helped my anxiety and OCD a lot, but sadly, it has lost effectiveness. I’ve also been on Citalopram, however, it didn’t do much other than decrease my appetite. The doctor then suggested Mirtazapine, as it can help with sleep, which I was getting little of at the time, and also work as an appetite stimulant. Yes, it works well as a sleep aid and helped me to gain the vast amount of weight I’d lost, but I’ve felt the lowest I’ve ever felt on this med. I went up to 30 mg, triggering a dream-like state, I believe to be derealization. It has increased my anxiety to the point where I constantly feel on edge. It has also made my intrusive thoughts, something I was beginning to control, 100x worse. I am now coming off it to go back to Sertraline as my doctor thinks it will work as I haven’t been on it in over a year."

• Awf...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 19, 2021

"Took mirtazapine for probably around 6 months, and it was horrible. Didn’t help depression or anxiety at all, just makes you put on weight, mood swings, being rude to people, and constantly being tired enough to sleep for 12+ hours… no thanks. I’m on venlafaxine now, and it works wonders so far!"

• Jes...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 9, 2021

"I was given 7.5 mg Mirtazapine 14 days ago for depression and anxiety. I take it at bedtime. I stay very sleepy until around noon the next day. I've been having terrible nightmares since taking it. I had two last night that I remember vividly. I'm stopping this medication, and I'll call my doctor Monday. It's now Saturday, and I can't risk another horrible nightmare. I'm wearing a heart monitor because I spent six days previously in the heart hospital for my heart condition, and I recorded symptoms after the nightmares. I feel sure the Mirtazapine is causing the nightmares, and I'm praying they stop when I stop this medication. I'm an 85-year-old woman who recently lost my beloved husband. Now I'm actually afraid to go to sleep for fear of having another horrible, stressful nightmare or night terror! I know this can't be helping my situation because now I'm having trouble clearing my head of these terrible dreams, and I'm feeling extremely tired and weak during the day!"

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 3, 2021

"Disclaimer: This is based on my own personal experience with mirtazapine, and I am aware that not everyone will have the same reaction and experience as myself. I would not recommend mirtazapine to anxiety and OCD sufferers. I decided to come off sertraline and try 15 mg of mirtazapine in the hopes that it would better manage my anxiety and OCD. Oh, how wrong was I? This medication made me feel incredibly emotional, overly sensitive, and angry at everything. I would cry multiple times a day, and I became depressed while taking this medication, resulting in intrusive thoughts, which are very distressing. But the worst part about this medication is the withdrawals! I decided after 4 weeks that I would stop taking this medication as I saw no improvement, and it did nothing to help my anxiety and OCD. Incontrollable shaking, high anxiety, suicidal thoughts, nausea, trouble eating, and sleeping are just some of the withdrawal symptoms I am still dealing with as a result of this medication."

• Mr ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 22, 2021

"Man, 6 ft 4, 15 st, 27 years old. Was prescribed this 15 mg after being admitted into the hospital with bipolar disorder (anxiety symptoms). I can honestly say I've never had such a bad reaction to a medication. Following coming back home, I have suffered more with anxiety, panic-induced attacks, and paranoia. This is the good bit. What follows, after just 6 weeks, was the worst feeling: parkinsonism, severe stomach pain, and sleep-induced paralysis. In the first few weeks, I had flu-like symptoms, I suspect this was the adjustment period. Following this, not a single benefit this medication has given me for my conditions. The doctor has decided to take me off of these due to symptoms. Do not recommend."

• Dre...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 26, 2021

"Amazing variety of results here. Mine seems worse than most. It seems I have to give this drug months to work, after 2 weeks, the side effects are impossible to ignore. I was prescribed 15 mg before sleep to help with anxiety and insomnia. I cannot stay awake the next day at all. I've slept over 20 hrs on multiple occasions already. If I can stay awake at all, I am far too groggy to function at anything close to a normal level. Work and everyday events are impossible. Driving is out of the question. Even walking around is a challenge at times. A long-time friend asks if I'm drunk when he sees me (I suspect he's only 1/2 joking). There is no way I'll be able to continue taking this for much longer with this level of impairment. I can't find a job that allows random 6-hr naps, so unless these effects disappear very soon, I am no longer going to be employed. Did I mention the munchies? Oh my god... For those for whom it works well, I am happy, I don't think I'll be one of that group."

• Cha...
• August 24, 2021

"I know everybody is different. I started taking them nearly 3 months ago, on 45 mg, and my anxiety has gotten worse, my depression is at the lowest, dark thoughts, can't eat, always on edge. Extremely moody."

• Tyl...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 24, 2021

"Was prescribed this for GAD and PDD. Dosage was 15 mg before bed. Took my first pill at night, and about 15 minutes later, felt extremely heavy and weak. Felt as if I was severely stoned. Laid in bed and was extremely restless. My legs could not get into a comfortable position. I feel as though every crumb in my bed was a boulder. Finally managed to fall asleep and woke up feeling like a zombie. I knew I would be groggy the next day, but nothing could prepare me for this. I felt as if I was still in a dream. Took everything out of me to get out of bed. I switched to tea 2 months ago because coffee was giving me anxiety, and I had to have 2 coffees this morning to feel 'normal.' I went about my day exactly like a zombie, having no motivation or energy. I struggle now with energy and can't understand why my psych would give me this. All I wanted to do all day was sleep and wake up feeling myself again. That evening, I had severe depression and really dark thoughts due to the way I felt."

• Hud...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 7, 2021

"My mother is 95 years old. Her doctor recently prescribed 30 mg of mirtazapine, why, I have no idea. After taking two pills, she totally lost all sense of reality around her and became a dementia patient. Before this happened, she took care of herself, she read a new book every few days, she watched her favorite TV shows, she loved where she lived. Two pills, and all of that is gone. She doesn't know where she lives, she no longer reads, and she now sleeps 21 hours a day. She doesn't communicate on the phone or remember how to use things or where her washer and dryer are at. Everything is new to her. I live next door, she told me she had never been there before. It is very sad that this drug took my mother from me and my family. We were always amazed at how sharp she still was at 95. Do not take this drug."

• Rff...
• July 4, 2021

"Bad experience with mirtazapine. Heavy side effects."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 11, 2021

"I took 15 mg of this med for 2 1/2 weeks. The first week was fine. Never felt happy or sad, I was like in a void. The second week started feeling nauseated every morning. The last night I took it, I woke up at 5 am very nauseated. Went to the kitchen to make coffee, and I just didn’t feel right. I was wobbly and felt like I was out of my body. Went downstairs to the TV room hoping it would pass. When I started to go back upstairs to the kitchen, I felt completely out of it. My last thought was, “How am I making it to the kitchen?” I can’t remember anything after that until I woke up on my kitchen floor with an egg-sized bump on my head and a bruised arm! It was scary! I would be careful taking this!"

• Ter...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 13, 2021

"I took one 15 mg before bed for anxiety and insomnia, went straight to sleep. I woke at 2 a.m. to go to the bathroom, I struggled to walk there as I was very wobbly and disoriented. Went back to sleep. I had horrible dreams all night that woke me several times, then I couldn’t wake up. When I finally woke, I was in a daze all day with blurred vision, and I was being clumsy and couldn’t focus on anything. I will not be taking any more, just speaking to my doctor, as obviously not the right one for me."

• N0p...
• January 2, 2021

"I’ve tried over 6 antidepressants over the course of 3 years, and this one, mirtazapine, just about sent me to the emergency room. I took it before bed as instructed, but I never got the sleepiness side effect. If anything, I felt hyper all night and could barely get up the next morning at lunch. My eyes refused to open, I went from my bed to the couch and was essentially half-conscious because my body refused to start going for the day. We took my BP to find it was very low for me (I have hyper POTS), and soon began to have trouble breathing. My doctor instructed I go to the ER, but miraculously I began to feel okay again. I stopped immediately, but being a complicated medical case with several issues and heightened intolerance towards medications, we later found that I should never have been put on this to begin with. I hope it works for others, but from my experience, I would never recommend this to anyone, especially those with complicated illnesses and/or sensitivity to medications."

• Loo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 28, 2020

"I was put on this drug for anxiety as I was going for gamma knife surgery on a recurring benign brain tumor. I was put on 15 mg to start with, and in a couple of weeks, my dose was increased to 30 mg. With the gamma knife treatment, there is a slight risk of seizures, and around 5-6 weeks after the treatment, I had 2 focal seizures within a week of each other. I then decided to read the side effects on the mirtazapine antidepressant, as even after I’d had a craniotomy, I never had any sort of seizure, one of the side effects was seizure. I then read down the list of side effects, and nearly every one of them I had. For weeks, I’d been thinking it was the side effects of the treatment I’d had, I never thought it was anything to do with any of the meds I was on! Lesson learned: always read the side effects. I’ve ended up going cold turkey to get off it, a lot of headaches and prickly skin, starting to lose weight I’d gained, and I had joint pain, but nothing like my experience on this!"

• Lea...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 25, 2020

"I've been on mirtazapine 15mg for a good year and a half and in July, I got upped to a dose of 30mg as I had started to feel dodgy again (even though I wanted to come off it completely). I had bloods done and I have low folic acid and iron so am now on supplements for that and I think that was the problem to begin with. I can honestly say it's the worst thing they could have made me do was increase the dose of mirtazapine, my legs are so cramped and achy I literally can barely stand, I feel lightheaded, can't concentrate and my appetite has pretty much completely gone. I'm anxious it's something else but got checked yesterday and the doctor I saw thinks it's the medication. I feel rough as poo! Waiting for my GP to call and will as I am thinking of telling them I'm going cold turkey, can't wait to get away from it! I'd rather grin and bear the withdrawal, can it be any worse than I already am! Before I started taking this awful drug, I was 9 stone 6. I'm now over 11 stone. I would NOT recommend this drug to anyone!"

• Lau...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 24, 2020

"I was given this drug for stomach pain that was attributed to anxiety. This drug is awful, easy to take but hard to get off. I took it for 3 months, gained 24 lbs, and was so angry I couldn’t cope, and peppermint oil sorted the stomach issue out. I’ve now been tapering a year and only at 10.8 mg, avoid at all costs. Find Facebook group Remeron should be illegal if you need help."