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Mirtazapine


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hello

I've taken lots of different meds over the years for what seems to be GAD and bipolar disorders. And depression.

I started with lithium (along with ludiomil and depas) for 10 years, then zoloft, xanax and zyprexa for 5 years (zyprexa started to not work out), then paxil, solanax and risperidone from 2007 until recently (I tried stelazine too and some other antidepressants during the day).

I'm finding it hard to stay off of paxil, every other med that my doctor suggests have one or more undesirable side-effects (headaches, muscle pain, etc).

My doctor prefers I try more up-to-date medication because of paxil's long-term use side effects, and I agree with him, from what I've read too.

So, as I have trouble sleeping and during the day feel anxious and irritable, he thought it best to prescribe a single medication that would minimize all that.

Like Abilify, Effexor and Remeron (Reflex, where I am). None of them appeared to have worked without a side-effect. Another doctor suggested Seroquel but although I slept well, during the day I would cry and get nervous. Also, my original doctor doesn't think Seroquel is good.

So I am trying Remeron/mirtazapine 15mg one more time. I slept well last night and today I woke up with an appetite. All right!

Then...I realized my throat was sore...and it still is, and I've taken bufferin and had some cough drops which usually do the trick, but nothing.

I read that a sore throat is one of some of the serious side effects of this drug, that it may mean the blood's white cell count may be low and the body is unable to fight off infections.

I'm worried and anxious at the moment, that's why I came here to share this a bit.

Am I worrying too much? I know I will talk to my doctor first chance I get about that. In the meantime, I just find myself unable to go back to paxil again. With paxil I still feel depressed and very sleepy and unable to think coherently or concentrate or willing to do things.

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Hi Myworld, welcome :-)

I'm afraid I know nothing about various drugs and their side effects... I just wanted to welcome and tell you sometimes it takes a little while but eventually someone usually offers something helpful. Hope you feel better soon!

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Hi, myworld,

I take mirtazapine, I began 7 months ago and I'm happy to feel no side effects, except for weariness (in the evening) and a bigger apetit than before (I put on 5 kg during the first 1-2 weeks, but then I controled myself and didn't put on more). Mirtazapine is my first and only med, so I can't compare it. But I write you to let you know that it can work... I hope you'll be better soon and the side effects will either disappear or attenuate... In any case, you should consult it with your doctor as soon as possible.

Wish you good luck!

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HI Myworld welcome to the forum...

I am bipolar and PTSD I have taken most of the meds you have said but although they didn't work doesn't mean that will be you situation. Don't get caught up too much in how a med works for others. They don't work the same for everyone. It is like a recipe your Pdoc has to add and tweak all the time to get the right result. So the best i can say to you is , keep a journal, be aware of the meds you are taking especially for the side effects but dont focus too much on that and tell your Dr how the journal is going and what is the Dr trying to accomplish by introducing more meds(long/short term). Some meds are given as a secondary use and others are off label. So keep the communication open and make sure you can contact your Pdoc if you feel something major is going on with your meds and you cant wait till the next appt.

Hope this helps a little.... good luck... :D

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Hi and welcome, myworld.;)

Is your mouth very dry? - that can cause a sore throat.

But as you say, mirtazapine can (rarely) lower your white blood cell count (neutropenia) - this could be picked up with a blood test, in which case you'd obviously have to discontinue. I wouldn't worry just yet. Let the doc know about it, as you plan to do and then hear what he says. If you're otherwise healthy your body will soon replace those white cells (when you donate blood, you lose a whole lot of all blood cells and your body replaces them.)

And watch out for that appetite thing - I did not have Lala's self-control and put on 10kgs in 2 months.;) I was also on Efexor at the time so that probably intensified the carb cravings.

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for welcoming me and for the tips.

I'm glad Mirtazapine worked for some of you. I tried to stay on it for 3 days, but along with the sore throat, cold symptoms followed making it worse and I ended up having a bit of an emotional crisis yesterday...it all went downhill and I didn't see it coming.

Well I'll have to accept that this medication is not for me. I'm back on Paxil...my doctor also suggested Lexapro as an antidepressant. I tried it for a week (before Mirtazapine) but it left me very tired and very very sleepy. He suggested it because he thought it would be milder than Paxil. Maybe it's just weaker, I don't know.

He says I shouldn't change meds too much. I know, but I believe there must be something out there that might be better. I wish to be able to concentrate and have coherent thoughts and not just being there semi-doped...I lose faith and get desperate at times like these.

I'm also thinking of going back to Zoloft.

Anyway, thank you all for taking the time.

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Hello again,

How are you? I hope you'll let us know how are your meds working.

I have another question: Is it you who deside to change the med, or the doctor (based on the side effects)? I mean... I'd like to know if your side-effects are serious also from the point of view of the doctor, of if it's "only" your feeling that "this is not worth to take"... Because I know that ADs begin to have positive effects after a quite long time, so... there might be a possibility that you didn't give them a chance to give you more that the side effects (which can be somtimes only temporary!). I can't know it; it only came to my mind as an option... that's why I'm asking.

To Luna: My self-control is horrible :(:) , so it's probably only because the cravings became less strong. (I try at least to do some exercise to burn the calories, but this is also quite hard for me - sometimes I love it, sometimes I'm so lazy that I don't even try... (And the weariness, that I still sometimes feel because of the med, is also a factor...))

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  • 4 weeks later...
Hello again,

How are you? I hope you'll let us know how are your meds working.

I have another question: Is it you who deside to change the med, or the doctor (based on the side effects)? I mean... I'd like to know if your side-effects are serious also from the point of view of the doctor, of if it's "only" your feeling that "this is not worth to take"... Because I know that ADs begin to have positive effects after a quite long time, so... there might be a possibility that you didn't give them a chance to give you more that the side effects (which can be somtimes only temporary!). I can't know it; it only came to my mind as an option... that's why I'm asking.

Thanks for asking, LaLa3; TBH I don't feel so good w/paroxetine. My doc decides to change the meds if I agree w/him, which I usually do. But I'm not sure exactly what is the cause of the recent strong side-effects that I'm having. Serotonin syndrome/toxicity? Going on and off of Paxil? Anyway I let him know and then he comes up with new meds. He's been giving me trial kits but since I cannot come visit him every week which would be ideal, I come once a month. So that's very limiting. But it's the best I can do for now, since I don't have the time.

I know I get anxious to try and get the perfect medication, and I'm not sure what I have and the doctors I've seen seem unable to pick a pattern, at least to explain it to me...

I read a bit sometimes, and for example, I read abt BP, then I think I have a little of that. Then PD, the same. I feel like I have a little bit of the disorders I read abt. Recently I read abt Asperger's...

But I do think I have tendencies, towards BP and PD. And my moods change a lot if I'm not careful w/ the meds.

Sorry, right now I've just taken Effexor-XR 75mg and I feel drowsy.

I will come back when I have something more coherent.

Thanks again. Hope you all are feeling well and getting better.

MW

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Hi, myworld,

Thank you for your news :), unfortunately not good ones :(...

It's pretty commun to think of having a disorder one just have read about - I suppose :( (I was reading about depression many years and supposed to be depressed, but I was not (it's and anxiety disorder - I should have read about it!!! :) ))

And thanks for asking; I'm quite fine...

Take care!

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Thank you lala3. I have good news, I'm back on Zoloft!!! I'm happy b/c I have ZERO side effects like before. I took it for 2 years in the US and had to switch to Paxil b/c it wasn't available where I am.

I discovered just -recently- that it's been available since 2006!

Ah those doctors...sometimes I do feel like they're just pushing drugs and more drugs on us.

But I won't spoil this mood, I just want to say I feel better and more importantly, lucid. Those other meds I tried were too strong.

It was worth it to keep trying. Now I'm on to something for my sleep.

Thank you! Take care :)

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it's me again. I searched on the site but didn't find anything related to Melatonin. And I'm very interested since I have trouble sleeping and am not satisfied with what I'm currently taking, 0.5 of Risperidone/Risperdal...

A friend once suggested it to me but I was afraid of possible side-effects (as usual) and didn't know much about it or what it could happen if taken with anti-depressants, anxiolytics...

So I'm going to read further on it.

If someone has had experience with Melatonin, please do tell how it was/is.

Thank you.

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Hi, myworld,

Thank you for your great news!!! :) I hope you've also given a new hope to other people who struggle with side-effects and often change their meds! :)

I don't have experience with melatonin, but as far as I know, it shouldn't have side-effects, but I'm not sure about possible interactions with different meds... But you can also ask in a pharmacy - they should give you an advise...

Wish you good luck with your healing! Take care!

L.

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Melatonin is a natural substance that your body creates at night time to let you sleep..... as far as I know it is safe to take a supplement ( You can buy it for a few dollars in the vitamin isle) But It wouldn't hurt to talk to your pharmacist..... I use it on occasion....

:)JT

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