Mirtazapine for Major Depressive Disorder User Reviews (Page 4)

• hos...
• July 15, 2021

"I am a 30-year-old female with no chronic health conditions. I started taking Remeron when I was hospitalized in May of 2021 due to increased frequency of panic attacks, suicidal ideation, and no appetite, I could no longer work. I tried several medications since 2010 - sertraline, paroxetine, duloxetine, citalopram, combined with lorazepam, diazepam, or clonazepam - bad side effects, and depressive symptoms returned. I eventually tried lamotrigine, which gave me a rash and swelling of lymph nodes. I tried lurasidone, which seemed to help but was too expensive to continue without health insurance. After 5 days in the hospital and taking Remeron, I felt stabilized in a way I didn't think was possible. I am now able to cope with day-to-day stressors, sleep well, have the energy to do things I used to avoid, haven't gained weight, and have no issues with sex drive at all. I have had none of the terrible side effects I had with SSRIs, anti-psychotics, or benzodiazepines. This drug truly changed my life, I feel like a different person."

• Zap...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 11, 2020

"Started this med, mirtazapine, zonked me out. The following day, I was hyper, very irritable and angry. Made me feel groggy and heavy-headed all day and the next. I tried to persevere, but once I guess I had got enough in my system, the terrifyingly real nightmares began. I can barely believe the mind is capable of creating such intensely vivid experiences with little to no separation from reality. It kind of felt as though one moment you were thinking logically, and the next you were still in the same place as you were in reality, i.e., in bed asleep, but it was as though I had awoken from sleeping and then was lost in my own bedroom in this awful, terrifying nightmare. I could not risk going back to sleep for a long time, I was so scared of being transported back to hell. Sounds crazy, and I would not have believed it had I not experienced it. Never again. But I think it would have been effective but for that, and increased pain. It may be okay for you."

• Rov...
• December 16, 2015

"Two great benefits are one, not being depressed or very little, and two, sleeping very well. The bad side effects are unfortunately also very extreme: eating voraciously at night, getting up in your sleep and hitting the fridge, and the other is the inability to be awake and be efficient at work in the early morning hours. The latter has been particularly detrimental to my career. Everybody is different, yes, but I've seen many people posting some or all of my symptoms on various webpages. My wife and son are very concerned now for almost 10 years, and nobody is suggesting better alternatives. While the benefits are still there, the overeating and tiredness have gotten worse every year. I feel trapped. It's either go insane or be fat and jobless."

• NAE...
• August 10, 2015

"I have taken almost everything for depression, and Remeron has helped the most. The first dose of 15 mg knocked me out from 10 pm to 4 pm the next day. After 2 weeks, my depression was GONE. I have to take Celexa with it, or I feel extremely anxious. Taken together, I feel... dare I say it... normal. The only negative is weight gain. I've always been skinny and unable to gain weight and have never gained weight on any other med. I've gained about 20 lbs on Remeron without even eating more and have been unable to lose weight on a low-carb diet. Low-carb seems to help me not gain more weight. Start a low-carb diet as soon as you start Remeron to minimize weight gain!"

• Cho...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 22, 2016

Mirtazapine "I slept like the dead when I took this, which was great 'cause I had horrible PPD and hadn't slept in weeks. But I gained 60 lbs in two months. I would retain so much water I felt like I was going to explode. Plus, anorgasmia, so I discontinued it after 9 months. Horrible withdrawal."

• Jay...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 23, 2021

"I've been on a bunch of antidepressants - sertraline, fluoxetine, fluoxetine + mirtazapine, venlafaxine + mirtazapine - but about 5 months ago, I changed to just mirtazapine and increased the dose to 45 mg, and it has been amazing! I didn't really believe that any antidepressants would actually work until I went on mirtazapine. I've been hospitalized about a dozen times for psych reasons in the last two years + a couple of suicide attempts, but I haven't even been to the emergency department since I've been on mirtazapine 45 mg. I hear a lot of people talking about weight gain on it, but I've actually lost a fair bit of weight on it because I actually want to get out of bed and go do things. I'd previously been on quetiapine, and that made me hungry & caused weight gain, but I haven't had that at all on mirtazapine. Love it so much, don't plan to ever stop taking it."

• kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 17, 2019

"I have been on mirtazapine for approximately 4 weeks. In those 4 weeks, I have been able to sleep through the night for the first time in months. I've been able to eat healthy amounts. I've gained 7 pounds, which makes me no longer underweight, and have just had generally more upward moods. Although mirtazapine hasn't worked for my anxiety, after about 7+ medications, mirtazapine is the first one to significantly help me sleep through the night and be able to get up in the morning and have a routine. I can't believe how this antidepressant makes me feel. If you are afraid of the weight gain, try it anyway. The only negative things that have to do with this drug for me are that I get sweaty at night and have had a few nightmares, however, they are very tolerable as I've never been actually scared of my nightmares. Please try this medication, it may change your life as I've barely been on it a month, and it's changed mine."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 17, 2020

"Amazing drug, really helped with my depression and insomnia. Takes a good 4 to 6 weeks to fully kick in and start working. The first two weeks I had terrible headaches and stomach pains, but they lifted eventually. The only major side effect I've suffered from it is that I've put on 3 stone in six months while taking this medication. Even though it's the best drug I've ever taken for my major depressive disorder, I'm going to have to come off it as I can't afford to put on any more weight."

• Bri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 8, 2020

"I have been a small woman all my life. I exercise 6 days a week and eat very healthy. Mirtazapine made me gain 10 pounds in the first 3 weeks of using it. It also makes me very irritable. I’m going to discontinue use."

• sha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 30, 2015

"My life was about to end a few years back due to OCD. I wished to die a couple of times. I had lost all hopes of recovery, but this medicine came into my life as a miracle. I took it for 5 months and have now gotten rid of it. I have stopped taking it more than a year ago, and I am a completely healthy person now and enjoying a wonderful life. It does not have any special side effects except weight gain or dizziness."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 29, 2021

Mirtazapine "Just wanted to give an update on Remeron 15 mg taken nightly. I'm a diabetic type 2 and spoke to a few doctors regarding its safety and efficacy with diabetes. Although most SSRIs somehow interfere with diabetes, I took the plunge and decided to still try it again because it worked so well. Could not have made a better decision. I sleep much better, though using 75 mg Seroquel and Stilnox MR as well. I've had a bit of brain fog in the morning, but it subsides at about 10 in the morning, and then I'm great to go."

• not...
• March 23, 2019

"I was given this med to deal with depression, insomnia, and anxiety. The first night I took 7.5 mg, and yes, I slept, and slept, too much. Was told to bump up to 15 mg, and the first day and night I felt good. Now a month later, I am more depressed than ever before, shaking, feel like I have the flu, and can't sleep more than 2 hours. Worst part is the horrendous heart palpitations, my heart literally skips beats now. I won't even talk about the 7 pounds of weight gain in a month. I wish it had worked as it seems to help some people."

• Sea...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 25, 2018

Mirtazapine "I took this because I was severely suicidal and depressed due to seasonal MDD. I started it because my mother was worried, and I thought if I went on medication, it would let her relax a little. It helped me sleep and completely erased my suicidal thoughts and urges. I got a restful full night’s sleep every night. At the start, the downsides were an inability to focus, feeling extremely tired during the day, and having my suicidal thoughts and urges increase drastically. These only lasted like a few days, then everything was okay again. The only side effect that didn’t go away was weight gain, but I’d rather be heavier and alive than skinny and dead. I only went off of it because my depression is seasonal, so I don’t need it at this time of year, but I will definitely start again in the fall."

• Aar...
• March 20, 2015

"What can I say? I've suffered from major depression all my life, well, since I was 18. I had been on numerous medications, nothing seemed to work. Then my doctor said to try these, mirtazapine. The low levels didn't work. I'm on 45 mg and have been for 9 years. They help you sleep, give you a great appetite at night, basically, they stop you from thinking you're going off your rocker. I still get highs and lows throughout the day. I still think I'm bipolar with the mood swings, example: Jekyll/Hyde. They really do help in so many ways, but the withdrawals can be bad. I get severe stomach cramps, feel nauseous. Also, it feels like you're losing your mind, and your anxiety levels can go up."

• Ell...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 21, 2016

"Have been prescribed 15 mg Mirtazapine with Lamotrigine for severe bipolar depression/unipolar disorder GAD. Just to say if you're taking this medication with another as I am, unwanted side effects may be greater. Restlessness in legs and arms, cold sweats, vivid nightmares/night terrors, no appetite, no mental stimulation/dullness. These unwanted side effects should weaken over time since this medication is still pretty new in my system. I wish lots of luck to those who are really trying to treat their depression (if you've mentally been to hell and back). You're not alone, look at all these reviews!"

• Mic...
• September 3, 2017

Mirtazapine "After years of being on depression medication and mood stabilizers, my body stopped responding to my typical medications. My doctor called me in Remeron to try out. I took this drug for 2 days and had to stop due to extreme anger and dark thoughts that are not typically me. My other half also went on this drug for a very short time because of the same issues. This medication is horrible."

• Hol...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 5, 2016

Mirtazapine "So far, I'm very happy as my nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and anxiety have subsided. Not much relief from depression yet on day 5, but I understand it takes time. It does make my tongue numb for a bit after I take it, and I've had vivid dreams every night on it."

• JS8...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 19, 2019

"I was prescribed mirtazapine by my VA physician and took it yesterday evening for the first time. I slept for about 12 hours and woke up feeling awful. I felt lethargic and not myself. I was very irritable and felt like I was occupying someone else's body. I know it sounds strange, but that's the best I can describe it. The worst part was waking up at 1 a.m. after a terrifying dream that demons were attacking me. I seldom have dreams like that, but it scared the poop out of me. I also heard my phone alert me that I had an email from a co-worker, but when I woke back up, there was no email whatsoever. Am I losing my mind?"

• M J...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 25, 2020

"This is the first review I have submitted. I’m doing so to save someone from the bad experience I had from this drug, mirtazapine. Was prescribed this to help with anxiety, depression, and sleep. The first night I slept quite well, but things became steadily worse after that. It gave me a sort of sleep paralysis where I would wake up but not be able to move my body. Also gave me tremors, restless legs, and pains in my joints. The doctor suggested increasing the dose, which made things worse still. So after 6 weeks of hell, I came off it and switched medications. It took another few months for the withdrawal effects to stop (muscle twitches, etc.). It may be perfect for some, but this was not a good match for me."

• lou...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 12, 2016

"This medication is brilliant. After trying various other antidepressants for depression over the last few years with no success and worsening of symptoms, I was giving up hope of ever getting better. Sleep has improved, appetite has increased, but after the first month, the sugar cravings have subsided. I have put on about 5 lbs, but it's a small price to pay to finally reach the light at the end of the tunnel! I am genuinely happy for the first time in a long, long time. There were some side effects at first, which subsided after a few weeks: fuzzy head, sleeping too much, massive appetite, dry mouth; all of which have subsided. Started on a 15 mg dose and now on 30 mg, as the lower dose made me drowsy through the day."

• Emm...
• June 3, 2016

"Seemed to help the depression, but the tiredness left me unable to function. I was on this for a year and was unemployed for most of it, this meant it didn't matter that I found it impossible to wake up before lunchtime. No matter how early I took the pill (6 pm), I would be sound asleep 20 minutes later and could easily sleep 15-16 hours on these. I recently got a job and could not wake up enough to function at work. I had to stop taking them, and now I can easily wake at 7 am and last the entire day at work. I would consider these more of a sedative than an antidepressant."

• Red...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 28, 2021

"Twelve weeks in using Mirtazapine for clinical depression, or MDD. My disorder started in January 2020. I am now taking 15 mg at night and sleep 8/9 hours. I had a couple of vivid dreams in the beginning, but no longer. I wake up energized. I run high energy, so my anxiety is still present but not as severe. I’m able to supplement .25 mg/day of Clonazepam, taken PRN. Hoping I will need this less and less given more time. Also, I’m trying to regain some weight, but it seems I’ve leveled for now. I eat a healthy whole food plant-based diet, so calories are low. Also, I eat smaller portions than I used to. I will have to remain on Mirtazapine indefinitely, and I’m good with that if it continues to help me have better days and nights."

• Mic...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 13, 2021

"I have to say with total honesty that Remeron (mirtazapine) has been a miracle drug for me. I suffer from major depressive disorder, severe with psychotic features. This drug was put to the test when my husband abandoned me and the resulting divorce I filed for came about. The stress I have been feeling these past couple of months is something that would almost certainly trigger an episode for me. Like some kind of miracle, I have not felt a single bit of depression at all! I have had some breakthrough psychotic symptoms at times from the stress, and that’s always a scary experience, but nothing that has prevented me from working or living out my daily life. I am totally grateful that I was put on this drug. I’m 31, and I have suffered with this condition since I was 11, and it took 20 years to find a drug that worked for me, and I am truly grateful that I can find some relief from that nightmare."

• Bee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 17, 2021

"I was diagnosed with BPD, MDD, and GAD. I was on multiple medications (Venlor, Lamictin, Dopaquel, Stilnox, Urbanol), and my psychiatrist took me off everything and put me on just mirtazapine (15 mg). I have never felt better! I sleep peacefully and feel happy when I wake up. My anxiety has decreased significantly. The only side effect I have experienced is an increased appetite - coming from someone who, the majority of the time, had barely any appetite, this was also an upside for me. (Please take note I'm still in the first month, and others say this decreases over time). Will never go back to the other stuff."

• fat...
• October 18, 2016

"Nine months ago, I was prescribed this in combination with venlafaxine to treat major depressive disorder, anxiety, and complex PTSD. Initially, I did not notice any side effects, but about three months in, I suddenly gained so much weight that none of my clothes fit. It seemed to almost happen overnight, and whilst I was struggling with the fact that I had nothing to wear, I started to get hot flushes, pee my pants without realizing, and sweat like a sauna at random moments, especially in my groin area. Lovely. Add to that - memory loss, freaky (exhausting) dreams, fingernails that split if you look at them, and trembling hands... what do you get? A fat, sweaty, smelly, trembly lump who is now too depressed and anxious to even go out the front door. I quit."