Mirtazapine and Tiredness: What Users Say

• Mea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 28, 2021

Mirtazapine for Depression "TLDR: Alleviated body panic and sleeping issues. Do not take if you already have issues managing symptoms of depression. I was prescribed this for PTSD and because my sensitivity to noise disrupted my sleep. Sudden noises produced a sort of 'fight or flight' response from my body that was typically followed by an emotional response. Remeron dials down that nervous response. I haven't woken to footsteps while on it and I have become significantly less sensitive to surprises. Beware, your body will take time to get used to this medication. For the first week, I was horribly lethargic. After that, I had issues with anger and rage-filled outbursts. Always keep in mind that drugs are just a fraction of what it takes to be mentally well. To all reading this, I love you and I'm proud of you for being here."

• Coc...
• February 19, 2020

Mirtazapine for Depression "I was taking mirtazapine for around a year and had I been in a better space I would have gotten off it as soon as I realized it was causing certain effects on me. Minor side effects: sluggishness, major weight gain. I was prescribed this medication due to having poor sleep, but it made me have vivid awful dreams - sleep paralysis multiple times a night. I used to sleep for 14+ hours, usually in the day due to being worried about falling asleep for the nightmares. It caused me to miss lots of university - I was so tired and drowsy I could not physically get up. I wish I had been able to understand the effect it was having on my body and stop them sooner. I was severely suicidal. I made plans almost daily, even walking to the shop I thought about walking in front of buses. It was a truly awful time in my life, made worse by a medication which did not suit me. I’m glad it has worked for some, but if anyone I knew personally were to tell me they were taking it, I would advise them not to."

• Dan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 9, 2020

For Anxiety "I have been on this med mirtazapine for 11 days. I have anxiety, panic attacks, and PTSD. I have had very little anxiety and no panic attacks. I am on 7.5mg. I also suffer from health anxiety. It has also taken the edge off that. The only thing I don’t like is I am tired almost all day, but I will take that over panic attacks any day."

• ofr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 26, 2015

For Anxiety "Was prescribed mirtazapine after citalopram failed to lift my depression and anxiety. I must say I was in a deep depression, you know, the place where everything is gloomy and hopeless and you just want to crawl into some cave and die. 15mg for the first couple of weeks nearly made me give up hope on this drug. The lethargy, hopelessness, and anxiety deepened. I am into my third week and I have upped the dose to 30mg as prescribed, and I feel completely different. The anxiety is reducing by the day, I feel hopeful, upbeat and for once in eight months, I wake up in the morning with a spring in my step. The zombie days seem to be disappearing. Mirtazapine is working for me and I hope it works for anyone who has started taking it."

• Ann...
• November 14, 2019

For Anxiety "I wanted to share my experience with Mirtazapine. About two months ago, I started having severe anxiety. I was terrified. I went to the doctor. She asked me if I had any family members that took antidepressants for anxiety, as I have had horrible side effects from SSRIs in the past and my mom takes Mirtazapine for anxiety. So, we decided to try 15mg at night. The first day, I was pretty tired but nothing too crazy, just felt like I hadn’t slept much. The first week, I had a few mild side effects like increased anxiety, feeling kind of out of it. Then after two weeks, I started to notice the anxiety being lifted. I’ve been on it for almost a month now and feel like myself again. I’ve gained maybe 2 pounds, but it’s well worth it! It does make me tired after about an hour of taking it, but I’m not a zombie. I just have an easier time falling asleep at night, which is a bonus! Highly recommend giving it a try, it could be well worth the wait!"

• jef...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 3, 2014

Mirtazapine for Major Depressive Disorder "30 mg dosage. What to possibly expect based on my experience. Day 1: I was extremely tired. If I let my head hit the pillow, I would experience microsleep. I felt a little dizzy at times. Be careful around stairs if you suffer from vertigo. Functionality was delayed - my mind was in a cloud and it was difficult to work or concentrate on something that required deep attention. Day 2: I felt hungover. Hypersensitive to sounds, meaning that my mind would abnormally jolt to a greater sense of attention to a noise than before. The dizziness remained but at a decreased level. Day 3: Almost normal; just slightly tired."

• Anonymous
• February 21, 2012

Mirtazapine for Depression "I have been on Remeron for a little over 3 months for depression and anxiety. It has changed my life after years of insomnia and depression. I think I finally found what works for me. The first couple of weeks are rough though, I felt tired all the time, especially the first day, I slept 21 hours! It gets better after about 3 weeks. I am depression-free, and I sleep a whole lot better than I used to. If you are afraid of the side effects, don't worry, they will diminish after about a couple of weeks... just stick it out, it's well worth it. I have taken almost every antidepressant in the books, and Remeron is the only one that has worked for me. I think you should give it a try, it works for a lot of people!"

• Neo...
• July 23, 2019

For Depression "I suffer from severe depression and anxiety. I would cry randomly at home, work, in public. I couldn't be around large crowds, I would have panic attacks. Self-isolated and constantly had suicidal thoughts. My MD started me on Wellbutrin and I reached the max dose of 450 mg. It didn't help. After my second attempted suicide, my doctor prescribed me Mirtazapine 15 mg. It started working immediately. I take the pill every night. After my first dose, I woke up the next day super tired and lethargic. The second day, the lethargy was gone. By day 4, I felt like a new person. I started thinking more clearly and was able to manage my anxiety and depression. I still feel anxious and still have sad thoughts, but not to the point of feeling suicidal. I do have to work harder to keep my diabetes under control because of the increased appetite, but the benefits of the medication far outweigh the side effects. I know this medication affects everyone differently, but this drug literally saved my life."

• Neo...
• July 23, 2019

For Depression "I suffer from severe depression and anxiety. I would cry randomly at home, work, in public. I couldn't be around large crowds, I would have panic attacks. Self-isolated and constantly had suicidal thoughts. My MD started me on Wellbutrin and I reached the max dose of 450 mg. It didn't help. After my second attempted suicide, my doctor prescribed me Mirtazapine 15 mg. It started working immediately. I take the pill every night. After my first dose, I woke up the next day super tired and lethargic. The second day, the lethargy was gone. By day 4, I felt like a new person. I started thinking more clearly and was able to manage my anxiety and depression. I still feel anxious and still have sad thoughts, but not to the point of feeling suicidal. I do have to work harder to keep my diabetes under control because of the increased appetite, but the benefits of the medication far outweigh the side effects. I know this medication affects everyone differently, but this drug literally saved my life."

• Mat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 8, 2013

For Insomnia "I have tried many SSRIs which all left me feeling nauseated and with flu-like symptoms and had given up on medication until last week. I thought I would try once more with a new med. I went to a new doctor and she prescribed me Mirtazapine. Day 1, I slept 10 hours and felt very tired the entire day, although on Day 2, I woke up feeling great and cannot remember the last time I felt this good, since I have been struggling with anxiety and depression. Highly recommend this medication."

• Kes...
• June 2, 2020

For Depression "Took for about a month, starting on 15 mg a day. Never been so tired in my life. Went up to 30 mg because the tiredness is supposed to ease then. It did slightly but after a few days my skin was like sandpaper and eyes constantly watering, and both very sore. Didn't really feel better at all mentally, actually worse because I felt I had dropped about 50 IQ points and not able to think clearly to find solutions to problems. Felt despairing, too despairing to demonstrably show anger but there all the time in my mind, along with the worst depression ever. I needed to find something that I know I have to live with for the rest of my life. Took hours to wake up, a few hours where I would be sort of functioning, then go to bed very early, not just because of exhaustion but also because I couldn't do anything anyway because of constantly wiping my eyes."

• Kes...
• June 2, 2020

For Depression "Took for about a month, starting on 15 mg a day. Never been so tired in my life. Went up to 30 mg because the tiredness is supposed to ease then. It did slightly but after a few days my skin was like sandpaper and eyes constantly watering, and both very sore. Didn't really feel better at all mentally, actually worse because I felt I had dropped about 50 IQ points and not able to think clearly to find solutions to problems. Felt despairing, too despairing to demonstrably show anger but there all the time in my mind, along with the worst depression ever. I needed to find something that I know I have to live with for the rest of my life. Took hours to wake up, a few hours where I would be sort of functioning, then go to bed very early, not just because of exhaustion but also because I couldn't do anything anyway because of constantly wiping my eyes."

• Anonymous
• February 17, 2011

Mirtazapine for Depression "Remeron is a unique medicine, since its side effects are sometimes as useful as its antidepressant effects. This medicine literally saved my life. For many years, I was around 90 pounds, and never slept. Now, I'm a healthy 120 and I sleep about 8 or 9 hours per night. It did take a long time to get to this point. When I first started taking it, I was tired all the time and very worried about the ravenous hunger! But now that I've been on it 2 years, I no longer gain weight, I'm no longer tearful and miserable, and I've honestly never been happier. God bless the people who made this drug. It literally saved my life."

• Ish...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 13, 2020

For Anxiety "Mirtazapine helps with anxiety and panic, but the side effects are strong. Heavy sedation occurs after taking it (30 minutes and I'm knocked out), and extreme tiredness persists the whole next day. There are strong cravings for the first week, but they wear off (everyone is different). No sexual side effects noticed. Please do not rely solely on this or any other medication to cure your anxiety. It will help but seeing a therapist and reading helpful books to address the root issues and mindsets is important. Some recommended books are 'Complete Self-Help for Your Nerves' by Claire Weekes, 'At Last a Life' by Paul David, 'Dare' by Barry McDonagh, 'No Worries' by Sarah Edalman, and 'Rewire Your Anxious Brain' by Catherine Pittman."

• Mad...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 18, 2023

For Insomnia "I’ve been taking 15 mg of Mirtazapine for just over a week to treat insomnia following a chest infection. I am not depressed and usually sleep very well. However, this dose has made me feel so alert I cannot sleep at all yet am very tired. It did work for about 3-4 days then had the opposite effect. Has anyone experienced a similar reaction?"

• -D-...
• May 25, 2016

Mirtazapine for Depression "I have taken 15 mg Remeron for about 5 days so far and it already is a miracle pill for me. I am slightly underweight and had constant anxiety, but so far this medication has vastly improved my appetite and I just feel relaxed, but not in a drugged feeling way. I actually enjoy food and am no longer as picky of an eater as I was before, which is awesome. It also helps with sleep, as it certainly has a sedative effect after you take it. I was really groggy and tired the first day after I took it, but have been fine and energized every day since. I know every medication affects people differently, but if you are depressed and not worried about weight gain, give this a shot."

• mun...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 8, 2014

Mirtazapine for Depression "I have several issues and was given Remeron along with Seroquel and Tegretol. I take it at night and I sleep now, it's pretty amazing, but I'm so tired after taking it that I can't keep my eyes open no matter what. In the 3 weeks I have been on it, I have gained 3 lbs, which is awesome for me. I hope the sleepiness dies down some as it is a bit strong for me, but overall this is a great medicine."

• Mni...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 22, 2020

Mirtazapine for Depression "I was prescribed 7.5 mg Remeron along with 50 mg of Zoloft. I've only taken two doses, and it left me in a zombie state for two days. I slept, but I slept from 11 pm to 11 am, which is obviously unrealistic. Even after I woke up, I felt out of it, as if I was on drugs almost, and was exhausted all day. I also felt like my thinking was off and like I couldn't even form a sentence, it is very terrifying. It is almost like my brain can't process what is going on in front of me, even my vision felt off. I don't plan on taking this anymore."

• lit...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 21, 2019

For Anxiety "Ah, mirtazapine. What a wonderful little pharmaceutical. I tried other medications and had pretty awful side effects, but this one worked for me in a few days. I started on 7.5 mg (just to work myself up to it as I was pretty anti-medication) and gradually increased to 15 mg. Within a week, my anxiety (panic disorder and agoraphobia) was completely manageable, and I got the confidence to start doing exposure therapy as I wasn't in a constant 12/10 crisis. Main issues: weight gain (nothing crazy yet) and tiredness/confusion. But, I've increased to 30 mg, and this has helped with the tiredness/confusion and seems to be pretty effective. Would recommend and highlight if your symptoms improve in the first few days, this drug will likely benefit you."

• Lau...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 25, 2022

For Major Depressive Disorder "I've been Googling for weeks. They've been sitting in the kitchen. My anxiety and depression got bad, I couldn't even care for my kids, stopped leaving the house. I have health anxiety also, I Google everything, then feel 100 times worse. But last week, I just thought, what have I got to lose, and took 15 mg of mirtazapine. Woke up, felt a bit tired, but once up was okay. I didn't feel sad. I managed to clean the bathroom and do the kitchen, which is something I couldn't do before. When I'm talking about something now, I feel like I am in control, no crazy thoughts like I need to get out of here or I'm freaking out about stupid things, making myself worse. I was just getting out of control. Now I seem to think positively, and I'm not in sheer panic over stupid things. It got to a point I was checking my pulse, taking blood sugars, thinking I was ill. Remember, the mind is a very powerful thing. I never thought I'd ever take tablets because I'm scared of everything, but I'm so glad I did."

• bum...
• June 16, 2016

Mirtazapine for Depression "At first, I took Remeron and I was knocked out for a full day. I was underweight and had panic anxiety. This really helped me. After the first day, my body seemed to adjust to Remeron and by the 3rd day, I didn't have any tired feeling at all. It definitely helped me with sleep. I am now on 30 x 2 tabs a day and have been on this for years. I am actually afraid to get off of it. It has helped me through very difficult times."

• Mir...
• January 27, 2013

For Depression "So far I haven't seen anyone on here that's been on Remeron/Mirtazapine 45mg at night for more than 6 years. I've been on it for 11 years. I was put on this medicine in 2002 after my daughter was born. To save all the details my physical and mental health went out to rest somewhere leaving me in a body and mind that didn't belong to me. They tried me on every medicine available and nothing worked. The negative long term of this has been: weight gain, dizzy sometimes, dehydration and laziness. The positive is it gave me my life back. I, like others here, have found it's notorious for appetite. I could eat sugar right out of the bowl. I have had to make myself be more disciplined in my eating and exercise. I combat dehydration by keeping a cup of water with ice in it filled and drink on it all during the day. I am also moving into menopause so have to be very careful. I've heard some talk about the nightmares. Yep, have them too but only if I eat sugar before bed. Lay off the food 4 hours before you go to bed and it will get rid of those monsters under your bed. I have post-traumatic stress disorder and that causes most of my nightmares. Still, my sleep is awesome. I still have some anxiety from time to time but use Klonopin 0.5 to cut the edge off only when needed. I tried going off about 5 years ago and after about 3 days I couldn't sleep, think, or operate at any type of normalcy. I will have to add I also gained a concentration level I never had before. I went from a school drop-out that couldn't learn to a 3.9 GPA (40-year-old) who loves to read and learn! Compared to all the other stuff out there (and their side effects) I would have to say Remeron has proven to be the very best antidepressant I've ever taken."

• nia...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 2, 2020

For Depression "I’m on mirtazapine 15 mg. It works for me, but I’m asking my doctor to up the dosage soon, as I’m still not 100%. I experienced severe side effects on SSRIs (Prozac), so this is a good alternative (as it’s a NASSA). The side effects I experienced were quite bad lethargy and tiredness for the first 5 days or so, but after more than 2 months on it now, it doesn’t make me tired at all. I’ve also experienced weight gain, but that outweighs the benefits of this drug, so I’m happy to stay on mirtazapine despite that. Overall, I would definitely recommend this drug, especially to those who can’t be on SSRIs or SNRIs. (Also, I’m in the UK, so the insurance questions don’t really apply to me, but I pay the standard £9.50 or so for my prescription.)"

• nia...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 2, 2020

For Depression "I’m on mirtazapine 15 mg. It works for me, but I’m asking my doctor to up the dosage soon, as I’m still not 100%. I experienced severe side effects on SSRIs (Prozac), so this is a good alternative (as it’s a NASSA). The side effects I experienced were quite bad lethargy and tiredness for the first 5 days or so, but after more than 2 months on it now, it doesn’t make me tired at all. I’ve also experienced weight gain, but that outweighs the benefits of this drug, so I’m happy to stay on mirtazapine despite that. Overall, I would definitely recommend this drug, especially to those who can’t be on SSRIs or SNRIs. (Also, I’m in the UK, so the insurance questions don’t really apply to me, but I pay the standard £9.50 or so for my prescription.)"

• str...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 23, 2014

For Anxiety "I've been on Remeron for 3 weeks now, and I feel somewhat better. I could not take other antidepressants because they made me a ton more anxious and out of it, like I wanted to crawl out of my skin. I've had a really tough time the last year and a half, and I'm hoping that this works for me. The only problem I'm having is I just can't seem to wake up in the morning, and I'm still feeling very lethargic all day. I'm very sensitive to all medications, so I have to move up very slowly. I just moved up to 18.75 mg, and I'm still really tired, and I have a hard time functioning during the day. My doctor said he is going to slowly move me up to 30mg. I guess I am just wondering if anyone else out there has gone through the same thing I am going through."