Mirtazapine for Insomnia User Reviews (Page 4)

• Osc...
• March 24, 2015

"I have been on mirtazapine for just over a month. Like others here, I had trouble sleeping - only a few hours a night. This became unbearable, and I couldn't function in my work or daily life. I was tearful and miserable. I went to my doctor, explained the situation. I didn't want antidepressants as I tried them before with dreadful side effects. Long story short, I relented and thought I'd try mirtazapine for a week. I'm now into my 5th week and sleeping well most nights. I have a few night sweats and some weird dreams, but I'm starting to feel human again."

• Anonymous
• June 5, 2024

"I was placed on 30 mg to start. Big mistake! Bad dreams, sweating through the sheets, a zombie! Cut back to 7.5 mg and went to sleep peacefully for 8 hours, but woke up groggy. Will be reducing the drug to 2.5 mg and expect to have a 'perfect 8 hours of sleep'. I am a 100 lb female with low drug tolerance."

• Anonymous
• August 16, 2012

"After breaking up with my long-term girlfriend I started having the worst bout of insomnia in my life. I had always been a bad sleeper, but over about 3 months I was averaging about 2-3 hrs of disturbed sleep a night. To cut a long story short, doctors gave me many different sleeping pills and then antidepressants. Though the antidepressants helped my mood I still wasn't sleeping, so eventually I was given Mirtazapine. After about 3 nights, I started sleeping like I used to when I was a kid (I'm 37 now). Felt completely natural without the slightest feeling of sedation. I'm pretty happy as well, though that could just be because, at last, I'm sleeping well. It's been 3 weeks now without a single bad night, miracle!"

• Hip...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 6, 2021

"It has been 18 years since I have slept with the deep sleep that this med offers for people with true insomnia. For the past week, I have slept for a minimum of 7 hours of deep sleep a night and feel amazing. I had no idea that this was possible for me. I cannot believe this is how “normal” people feel every day! Very happy to have tried this medication. Friendly advice is to try this med when you don’t have any obligations the first couple of days if you need an adjustment period before the work week. I’m not tired at all the next day now, and I’m on day 7. After 18 years, I’m finally sleeping! Yes; 18 years!! There is hope out there. Don’t give up trying to find it!"

• AJM...
• March 14, 2015

"Mirtazapine has been a lifesaver for me. I have had trouble falling asleep on and off over the last two and a half years, mainly because I've been unhappy at work. Just recently, I was on zolpidem for 2 months and then switched to mirtazapine when I realized my sleep problems weren't going to get better in the short term. A couple of years ago, things were so bad that sleeping tablets didn't even work, and mirtazapine was the only medication that got me to sleep. I function normally after about the first 8 days of adjusting to this tablet - day 1 I feel like a zombie, but by day 3, I start to feel less like that. Just stick with it for a few days, and you will adjust, is my advice. The dosage I take is 30mg or 45mg."

• nol...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 20, 2016

"I started mirtazapine a little over a month ago. I played with the dose at anywhere from 7.5 to 15 mg and settled on 3/4 of the 15 mg or about 11 mg as my sweet spot for getting anywhere from 7 to 8.5 hours of sleep a night. I have not gained weight on it and have had no side effects except for feeling a little groggy the first half hour after waking. I was able to successfully taper off Lunesta, which I had been taking for about six months after a bout with severe insomnia, with the mirtazapine, and I prefer the more natural mirtazapine sleep over the Lunesta. It also works every night without fail. Great drug for insomnia!"

• Ams...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 20, 2019

"Destroyed my life. Got it because of insomnia/burnout. Side effects came on slowly, so I didn’t understand it was the drug and not me. Became very depressed, couldn’t get out of bed, loss of memory, loss of concentration, more and more anxiety, panic attacks, derealization, depersonalization, hallucinations, nightmares, heart palpitations, problems with my teeth, change of personality, loss of empathy, confusion, loss of identity, crying all the time, racing thoughts... Got always told these are symptoms of my depression, which I didn’t have. Was so deeply in this drug trip that I didn’t understand what was happening to me."

• Ale...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 18, 2019

"This was prescribed for my insomnia resulting from anxiety. Give it a couple of weeks to work. I had a couple of poor nights of sleep during the first two weeks, but I’m glad I was patient with it. This removed the burden of insomnia while I focused on treating the anxiety. I attribute my recovery to the combination of this drug, CBT, exercise, meditation, and good sleep hygiene practices. I was able to gradually come off of this drug completely. I recommend coming off of this very slowly. Insomnia is tough, but hang in there, you can beat it."

• Sha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 5, 2016

"I was prescribed Remeron at 7.5 mg for persistent insomnia. I have had episodic insomnia for years - usually of comparatively brief duration (3 mos) and occurring following a major life change (i.e. death of parents, job loss, etc.). A short course of Zopiclone did the trick in those cases, but this time things were different. Over the course of many months my sleep quality and duration changed significantly. Despite a good sleep hygiene practice, I was taking 2+ hours to get to sleep, awakening 2-3 times/night, and getting less than 4 hours sleep. Remeron began working for me from the first night and has improved in effectiveness over time. I take it 1 hour before bed, fall asleep in 30 mins or so, stay asleep all night, awaken naturally"

• em8...
• November 30, 2014

"I love this med, literal life saver! Having trouble sleeping for many years, only sleeping every 2 sometimes 3 nights. I was like the living dead, a real life zombie, couldn't think or function & could not deal with stress. Since the first night I took this, it's turned my life around. I feel alive again. I only take one after trying to sleep naturally. If I don't fall asleep within an hour or two, I take one 15 mg tablet. Usually half an hour later & it's lights out, don't remember a thing. I do notice if I try to go to the bathroom before I've fallen asleep, I do feel slightly groggy, a little drunk, but that's long gone by the morning & I function & deal with stress better than I ever have before. No weight gain yet, need to gain some anyway."

• Bri...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 18, 2016

"I have been using Mirtazapine for over 10 years. I started with a dose of 15mg which worked wonderfully for insomnia. However, during the first time of using it, I was suffering from anxiety. My doctor increased the dose to 30mg, which I was on for a few years, until the anxiety became worse. He then increased the dose to 45mg, which I found to be too strong as I noticed dizziness started to happen. So, I halved the dose to 45mg, and everything settled down. The dose was a little low, so I went back to 30mg and have been on this dose for the last 6 years. I do not experience side effects such as weight gain, dizziness, or photosensitivity. I have been on it for quite some time and do not plan on stopping as it works wonderfully."

• Ton...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 8, 2025

"This medicine helps great with sleep. I had a burnout during Corona, there was no relaxation for my intense job. The first two nights, you can sleep almost the whole day. I think if you are going to use it for only insomnia, I would recommend starting with a quarter at least for a few weeks. This was enough. When I want to come off Diazepam, I increased the dose to 7.5 mg. I am on it now for 2 years. It also helps me with anxiety. I take a low dose, 7.5 mg. So it helps but does not remove it completely. It also helped me come off Diazepam, 2x 5 mg Diazepam. I also tried Lexapro, an SSRI, but that did not do anything for me. I tapered Diazepam, but it was pretty heavy. I will use mirtazapine for at least another 6 months to a year. Then I will taper this down as well."

• dep...
• February 13, 2020

"This medicine is horrible for insomnia. I have tried it, and yes, it knocks you out and lets you sleep and stay asleep for 9-12 hours... but the side effects are horrible: you will feel like a zombie for the next 5-6 days."

• Zef...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 7, 2025

"I’ve had trouble with a cycle of insomnia/sleep debt for a few years now, and I’ve tried a number of meds without much help. I’m a recovering addict (almost 20 years!) so I didn’t want to mess with any benzodiazepines or sleeping pills like Ambien, etc. I saw how awful it was for my sister to try to stop taking those and didn’t want any part of it. Mirtazapine has worked the best of all meds I’ve tried (i.e., Trazodone, Risperdal, etc.), and it also had the added bonus of decreasing my depression and anxiety as well. The only side effect I’ve really noticed is that I’m craving weird foods, like onion soup and salt and vinegar chips. Interestingly enough, though, my sugar cravings have decreased significantly, so this may not be such a bad thing!"

• yes...
• September 9, 2016

"I've been in recovery from opioids for 14 months (which my doctor prescribed for chronic hip bursitis - worst thing ever). Anyways, I take 15mg of mirtazapine and sleep like a rock. I take it 1 hour before bed, and I don't wake up once in the night. I used to toss and turn from pain every hour and woke up exhausted. Now I sleep straight through and my anxiety is gone. I never considered myself a depressed person, but I can say my mood is even better. If you can't sleep, I would definitely recommend this!"

• the...
• July 13, 2015

"I have never been able to sleep more than 6 hours, even when I was young. As I aged, I began having trouble sleeping more than 3 hours at a whack. My doctor prescribed Mirtazapine 15mg at bedtime. It has changed my life! I sleep a full 5 to 7 hours most every night. I actually feel normal. I have tried various antidepressants for the last 25 years, Effexor works best for me."

• Edu...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 9, 2023

"A dose between 1.875 mg and 5.625 mg taken when needed helps me fall asleep between 20 to 90 minutes after taking the pill. The higher the dose, the faster I fall asleep. Doctors usually prescribe higher dosages than that, but higher than 5.625 mg triggers undesirable side effects such as being unable to wake up for 12+ hours, feeling brain fog, and experiencing a lot of hunger the next day. With a 1.875 mg to 3.75 mg dose, I am able to sleep well for as short as 6.5 hours without bad side effects, so I can take it even when I need to wake up early for work. Usually, I take it at most 4 times a week and really try to not take it more often than that. It seems to build tolerance and then require a higher dosage. It was very hard to get it prescribed, which is sad, as I struggled with very bad insomnia for 4 years, often not sleeping for 3 days in a row. Also, I am not depressed and don't take any other medication regularly."

• Ged...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 1, 2016

"I started taking this when I was coming off Valium. I was getting 3 hours of sleep and waking in cold sweats. I added mirtazapine, and I started getting a full 8 hours. Small doses of this work better for sleep than larger doses. Prescribed 7.5 mg, but found my 'sweet spot' at about 5mg after chiseling off a little bit of the pill. This is excellent for sleep. Some people can get great sleep on 3.75 mg. The higher doses are used more as an antidepressant. If you are suffering from insomnia, I would definitely give this a try."

• fas...
• May 9, 2015

"This drug works fast. I'm 14 years old and have been having sleeping problems, tossing and turning and can't fall asleep, anxiety - can't even go in the car, eating and weight problems (loss of appetite), depression which is taking over my life making me suicidal, PTSD, and OCD. My doc first prescribed Zoloft, didn't do me any good, just made me feel so much sicker with its horrible side effects, and made me feel more suicidal and hopeless so I stopped. But my doc then prescribed me this Remeron. First night? Out like a light in 30 mins. Woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. Started eating breakfast, went from 82 lbs to 89 in a week (good news for me). If anyone as a teen has my symptoms, consider Remeron!"

• Nig...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 13, 2014

"I experienced insomnia due to the stress of repeated night wakings from my baby coinciding with my husband leaving for a week at a time for work. I began with 7.5mg and it worked like a charm from the beginning. Some drowsiness in the morning but nothing a cup of coffee wouldn't cure. I gained 7 lbs but I am keeping track of calories now and that is almost off again. Could not say for certain if it was a result of this medicine because that happens if I am not paying attention anyway. Baby still wakes at night at times but I can go right back to sleep on this. I would recommend it to anyone with sleep issues."

• 28Y...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 8, 2015

"I have struggled mightily with insomnia due to anxiety. Been on 7.5 mg for just over a year, and have made significant progress in that time. Feel very tired normally within an hour or so of taking it and generally have slept well with far fewer exceptions. Not sure it really does anything for anxiety/depression. But I also am taking escitalopram during the day. Would certainly recommend mirtazapine for anyone struggling with insomnia."

• Len...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 6, 2020

"I have low mood, anxiety, and insomnia. 15 mg of mirtazapine has really helped with my insomnia and anxiety. Mood is better but not brilliant. I have no intention of stopping this medication as really good overall improvement. It’s taken as suggested till 4 weeks to get overall benefits. Would 30 mg improve my mood further? But reduce sleep benefit? Thanks."

• Pha...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 29, 2021

"Mirtazapine is amazing for sleep. It’s the only antidepressant that actually increases REM sleep, the deeper restorative part of sleep. I was on a low dose of amitriptyline for sleep, but with long-term use, there is a risk of dementia due to anticholinergic effects and also heart damage due to QT prolongation. Mirtazapine has none of these, and can be safely prescribed with SSRIs as it doesn’t increase serotonin but rather blocks certain serotonin receptors. Anyway, the biggest risk is weight gain, but I found I didn’t gain any. Yeah, you do get cravings at times, but what I did was reach for an apple rather than a chocolate bar. The effect does reduce with time. If anything, it forces you to eat more healthily. Take it a good 2 hours before you go to bed so you can get up in the morning. I take 3.75 mg and sleep well every night."

• Sha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 14, 2023

"Just to let you know about this drug, I've suffered for some time with anxiety problems, obviously suffering from insomnia with this GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) palaver. It's amazing for sleep in small doses. I take a quarter of a 15 mg tablet (3.75 mg) an hour before bed and I can easily get a good 8 hours of sleep if not more. I'll give it a 10 for sleep issues."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 15, 2021

"I was prescribed APO-MIRTAZAPINE 15 mg at night this week. I took one quarter of the tablet last night, and my night was spent waking continuously after dreaming that cockroaches were all over my body. The dreams felt so real that they were terrifying. I was scared to go back to sleep. I'm reading a lot of positive comments, but I am scared to take this again. Did anyone else have this sort of reaction on commencement of the drug?"