Hi i was wondering if anyone takes mirtazapine and if they've found it helpful for ocd and intrusive thoughts? I know everything works differently for people but very nervous to try it as I was on fluoxetine for 15 years and managed to come off it for 1 year but i recently relapsed. I tried to go back on fluoxetine and it just didn't agree with me and the same with citalopram and sertraline which I had horrendous side effects on to the point I couldn't carry in taking them. I'm at doctors tomorrow and guess my only option is to try mitazapine which is an SNRI rather than an SSRI with the doctor thinks is not aggreeing with me either. Im so scared of the side effects I had on the other tablets that I might have them again on this one. I guess I'm seeking reassurance which is a bad thing for ocd but I know I need to be on medication of some sort to help me through this difficult time.
Mirtazapine: Hi i was wondering if anyone... - My OCD Community
Mirtazapine
My husband is on Memantine...have you tried that? He takes one tablet twice a day.
Oh I've not heard of that theres so many different ones. I'm going to see what doctor suggests tomorrow they have already suggested mirtazapine but after a bad experience on sertraline I wasn't ready to try anything else but now I feel I have no choice but to go back and try them.
Try asking your doctor about Memantine...it's specifically for people with OCD.
Thank you
Mirtazapine didn’t help mxy OCD much and I suffered side effects so came off it. Currently mulling taking an SSRI but not sure which one.
We’re all different so I guess it’s a trial and error process to get the right drug, Good luck.
I’ve been on 45mg mirtazapine for a few years now. I find it helps me to sleep (I take it about an hour before bed) it may also help lower your anxiety levels. I still get bad anxiety however but in terms of side effects I have very few.
Are you taking any of these meds with food?
Thank you for all of your replies I haven't started them yet starting tonight very apprehensive but trying not to overthink it. I will have eaten food when I take it yes allydavis5
Ok, I was just curious. When I was taking serialize at first it was without food and I also had horrendous side effects. Later on though I started to take it with food and they almost disappeared. Don't lose hope, just stay strong. You've gotten this far. 
Yeah it's been a tough road trying different meds just praying that this one helps me as I've hit rock bottom now.
I've been there, believe me. I'm still trying to get better myself but it has gotten a lot better compared to my past experiences. I believe in you, you got this. Never quit, you are stronger than this stuff.
Thank you for your kind words wishing you all the best
I have been taking Mirtazapine since June and I have found that I had few side effects. I couldn’t bare the side effects of the SSRI’s that I started taking but I think that was also due to a lot of fear and uncertainty at that time. With Mirtazapine I had a fuzzy head for a about 3 weeks, but that could also have been due to my Xanax use and basically recovering from a nervous breakdown back then. It really helped me sleep and increased my appetite, which I needed. I can’t say for sure how responsible the medication is for my recovery, as I have been regularly meditating, exercising, yoga and reading/watching a lot about intrusive thoughts and self-compassion. I would say at least 95% of my days are going great. I still have unwanted thoughts but I don’t get that sudden pang of anxiety and worry like I used to, I am mostly able to have them and then let them go. They don’t frighten me as much, they are more of an annoyance. If you haven’t already checked them out, I highly recommend Eckhart Tolle, Tara Brach, Jack Kornfield, Kristin Neff, Sadhguru and Shannon Shy - these books, talks and guided meditations have saved my life! Wishing you all the best.
I'm so glad you are on the road to recovery.i feel your pain going through a breakdown as I'm currently really unwell due to my relapse probably the worst I've ever been in my life and it's awful the last 3 days I've been taunted by one same intrusive thought which I ended up going to the doctors and just crying to the doctor. I have found a lovely doctor who has worked in mental health and is very understanding she understood my anxiety over taking tablets and has said to half the tablet to begin with as I am very sensitive to things even just caffeine to be honest with you. Anyways tonight's the night I'll give it a go 7.5mg to start. Meditation is brilliant i do it every day and night and reading a few books atm but will definately look into those names. thanks for your support it means a lot.
You’re very welcome, and thank you for your kind words. I started on just 7.5 increasing to 15mg. I was still having some major stressors at home and recently increased to 22.5mg (initially alternating each night 15/22.5). I never noticed any side effects from increasing which I was anxious about, so that was a relief. I believe that the dose to be more effective for OCD is generally higher but this works well for me and the lower the dose the more effective it is to help with sleep.
I am not diagnosed with OCD, but intrusive thoughts plague my life. Gee I wish I could just get on with my day, but they're always trauma and fear. Reliving it and anticipating it.
Would you be willing to lock your post? This is all pretty personal stuff. Thanks.
Ok
Hi S526 I've been on mirtazapine for 14 months for depression and anxiety and I've found they agree with me and no side effects other than a morning hangover feeling for the first week, once you start you've got to take them as directed and never run out, I've through my own fault ran out and had to go maybe four days without until the new prescription is available, not pleasant having full on anxiety again even for a few days, learnt my lesson and plan ahead.I started on 15mg October '21 and soon as I started mirtazapine the insomnia went, what a relief, I could think again, sleeping only between 3 to 5am if lucky was taking its toll on me.
Five months at 15mg and I could leave the house for short shopping trips, another four months at the increased dosage of 30mg and I could return to work which I'm thankful for the support of my GP and getting the dosage increased, the medication was right (first time!!).
I've had the dosage increased to 45mg a month ago due to depression returning with a vengeance and also daytime anxiety starting early afternoon.
The return of the depression is linked to after 16 months losing my wife and soulmate to cancer the loneliness that I feel could be here for the rest of my days, is it worth continuing.
Of course it is and I feel better now with the increased dosage, mirtazapine hasn't helped with social anxiety but that is a mental health issue that I'm hoping subsides with time and when I'm good and ready to socialize, thought of that brings me to a panic attack and tremors.
Mirtazapine has allowed me to leave the house and return to work in a different role, I used to look out of the window shaking and crying that I wanted to be out of the confines of this home.
So give mirtazapine a good go, I feel it's a success but bear in mind it could be a while before your on the dosage that works best and a different subject don't go cold turkey, tried that never again.
Thanks for your reply trebor22 im so sorry to hear about your wife it sounds like youve had a tough time but also you sound very strong and positive which is amazing. Its so nice to hear that peiple get there lives back after taking this medication, i just hope im one of those people as it has took me all my courage to try this tablet after bad experience on others. I am day 2 of mirtazapine now feel very strange and like im slurring my words a little which I've been told I'm not by others but think it's just the drowsy effect still until I get used to them. Also a bit confusion on thinking.
S526 Bless you and thank you.I can remember having slurred speech for a few evenings on my first week but I was taking them at 7pm instead of just before bed.
I adjusted the time and not noticed it again, from the first tablet it was great to have a good nights sleep.
Slurring and the morning hangover feeling soon lapsed, your body is acclimatising to this new antidepressant in my opinion.
This is the first antidepressant I've taken and I must say I concur with my doctors choice.
I've suspected that I've possibly been depressed for forty plus years since my mid teens but fought it with composure and not wanting it to show on my medical or work record.
The warning signs of panic attacks gave it away also but I kept on going.
I'm now closer to retirement and don't care in that admitting you have a mental health problem and seeking help frees you of this burden on your shoulders of what will others think of me.
Mirtazapine has been so liberating for me, there's horror stories out there, but that's other folk and their experiences.
It may well work for you as well.
Mirtazapine keeps depression and anxiety in check for me but not as I say social anxiety, but hey two out of three ain't bad.
Its restored my life in I could go for a job interview and go back to work.
Stick with the program and keep us informed, what strength have you been put on, it took thirteen months before being placed on the maximum dose of 45mg.
Doctor chose 15mg to get my sleep back on track this also allowed me to leave the house and go shopping in familiar shops, then 30mg because daytime anxiety wasn't being touched and I was still yearning to leave the house to return to work.
45mg because I sank back into depression and anxiety, which I feel was likely to happen, as I say overpowering feeling of loneliness,but nipped in the bud by my doctor.
Good luck with Mirtazapine, I hope that it agrees with you and persevere, the current side effects could just be a temporary barrier you need to get through.
I feel as though my memory isn't too good, all a bit foggy at the moment but spoke to doctor today and she would like me to persevere like you say. I keep feeling glimmers of hope now and then throughout the past couple of days which is making me want to carry on with it. All in all my mind feels a lot quieter than it did before starting which has got to be a plus. I'm glad you've chose your health over work no one should ever feel like they can't be themselves. I understand how you feel as I recently lost work because of them not understanding mental health, I know in this day and age!? Crazy isnt it. So taking time now to look after myself and get myself fighting fit again.
So glad to hear it's helped you so much. Don't forget how far you've come because it sounds to me like you've come a long way! Well done for that because it is difficult.
Yeah it's basically trial and error for me atm i feel pretty spaced out a lot of the time during the day today is day 4 but seen slight glimmers of happy feeling. The side effects of mirtazapine are a lot more managable than they were on ssris for me personally. Unfortunately its not a quick fix but we will get there. I also have a review in a couple of weeks time.
Hi S526 I've replied twice and lost the posts, it's my age.Hopefully third time lucky.
It's early days on mirtazapine, I can remember myself four days in and I could think again, less traffic and noise, also clear thought came back.
I had my doctor ring me up after one week to check on progress and she was pleased to hear a happier person.
I'm sure these early side effects will soon disappear, you mention a glimmer of happiness coming back, all good progress.
Stick with them, your doctor has decided they're best for you.
Trebor22 thanks for your replies 😊 yeah fingers crossed i start to feel less drowsy eventually. Today I feel hopeful still got a few intrusive thoughts but they arnt paired with agonising anxiety which has got to be a good sign.
Hi S526Forgot to mention in an earlier post and I'm sorry if I'm bombarding you with information but one side effect of mirtazapine is weight gain, it's down to the individual giving in to temptation but I gained two stone or 28 pounds (depending on where you hail from).
I was an overweight lump anyway so hitting 20 stone (280 pounds) I view as just one of those things.
Yesterday I took my 45mg dose in two halves, daytime anxiety and tremors.
I know what the trigger is worrying about Christmas and what needs doing and also loneliness and might not be required to go into work as much this week. ( Work provides some company and gets me out of the house)
Funeral to go to tomorrow, worrying that there's people I've not met before will they notice I've got the shakes.
In one of your earlier posts you mentioned that lack of understanding of mental health cost you your work.
I'm sorry to hear this, that kind of thought is so last century.
I'm lucky in my employer is understanding and actually asks if I'm able to take on an extra shift taking into account my mental health.
That's how it should be.
I took some herbal tablets yesterday afternoon ( Valerian) but the effects were short lived so opted for 22.5 mg of mirtazapine.
Which is something suggested by my doctor take a daily dose in two halves even when I was on the starting dose of 15mg..
Start of a new week hope it goes well.
Yeah that sounds like you have a lot on this week so its understandable to be a bit anxious. Just with you mentioning valerian, I know I was told not to take it with ssri anti depressants not sure about mirtazapine?
Here's to a good week this week anyway, keep smiling.
Hi S526 thanks for the info about Valerian I will look into it.Not realised it could clash.
I started using it occasionally about six years ago to prevent night time panic attacks, get a whole weeks worth of attacks once every few months, didn't stop them but could return to sleep quicker.
Earlier this year I was supplementing with Valerian for daytime anxiety to take the edge so I could keep my dose of mirtazapine for bedtime.
Valerian hasn't done any harm but I wouldn't want anyone reading my post and going ahead using it.
I went cold turkey off mirtazapine in the summer, I had two weeks holiday staying at home using Valerian when the tremors and anxiety were unbearable.
After 7 days the banging headache,full on anxiety and tremors subsided, felt rough with anxiety but manageable.
Thought I'd cracked it and might be able to not need anti depressants.
Started to feel better, mind you I hadn't wanted to leave the house and insomnia returned.(says it all!!)
Day 10 in the early hours, panic attack, hardly breathe,heart felt like it was going to explode, anxiety off the scale, head to toe tremors, body was on autopilot reached for mirtazapine and within fifteen minutes I had stopped shaking and felt my heart and breathing return to something normal.
Took about four days to feel that mirtazapine was working again.
I'm not ever going cold turkey again and my advice is for anyone else to not attempt it either,
If you think you have the inner strength to do so it's your call.
I know that if I want to come off it's a doctor advised tapering off program.
Later in the week S526 be interesting to see how you're progressing.
Yeah I would never go cold turkey not built for that personally When I come off fluoxetine I tapered off it and felt fine.
Day 5 Still feeling drowsy today off mirtazapine but frustrating feeling tired all of the time when I have things to do but trying to fight it and persevere at least fir a couple of more weeks.
I shall keep you posted on my progress thank you for sharing your experiences.
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