I have been put on mirtazapine for anxiety and depression. I am wondering if it is habit-forming and if it is easy to stop taking it. I would much prefer a tablet which I can take just when I need something. Previously I have found that a single propranolol 10mg or Diazepam 2 mg would calm me down if I needed something.
Having said that, the specialist may well have spotted that I was on the verge of developing problems, as I wasn't too surprised when he suggested medication. After four days of 'one tablet at night', it doesn't appear to have affected my driving - I am 85, so being very careful.
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Trenny
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It is an anti-depressant that is safe to use with PD and can also help with tremors. Make sure your speak with your doctor before you try to stop taking it. As with any anti-depressant it is important to wean off it under a doctor's supervision, to prevent withdrawal symptoms. Good luck and hope it helps you feel better.
My son is on Mirtazapine for depression and it's doing him good, so don't be afraid to take it; your doc obviously feels it would be beneficial for you.
Always a good idea to research whatever drugs one is taking. Don't know why anyone wouldn't immediately Google a subject to find answers to questions but many seem to ask their questions here of people who are not qualified to answer technical questions. We can give our experience however, and sometimes that helps because the doctors aren't always right.
We can say what we have done and report success and failure and in my case, particularly telling of offbeat treatments that doctors don't use.
I don't think it is ever a good idea to encourage anyone to do what one is doing themselves. Every person is different and what might work for your son may not work for Trenny. Also he states he is 85 and medicating some of that age is different from say, someone of 45. We old folks metabolize differently and thus are very difficult to medicate.
The drug in question is a heart med as well and in his case that may or may not be a factor. In view of what I now know about amyloidosis, it sounds like it is. Let's hope it works for him but he is right to want to know more about it.
Doctors aren't always right so we have an obligation to learn about what they suggest we put into our mouths. Many just repeat the talking points given them by the drug reps and that would be a lot of pro with very little con. Wish I had a nickel for the number of times we received partial info that way...starting with statins....terrible for my husband but info unknown at the time. We and a handful of people across the country were the only ones who knew the devastating effects on a certain population which included my husband. Now, years later, they all know...or should. Same with a MAOI anti depressant...caused awful hallucinations and I had to put a stop to it whereas the doc just wanted to keep adding other drugs to counteract the effect but they just made things worse.
Knowing also helps us ask intelligent questions when talking to the doctors. I find most of the time difficulties lie in not knowing what questions to ask.
More than you want to know I am sure but someone will.
Diazepam affects the motor skills part of the brain. Propanolol is a different cat. Mirtazapine something different. If you google it you will see it regulates the heart rhythm.
For anxiety, We successfully use l-Theanine as well as lavender oil caps. Theanine lasts about 4 hrs. Lavender oil is the bomb! Also beginning to use valerian at night to sleep and doing very well. The problem with use of Theanine and Valium is not really a problem but something to take into account....they can lower blood pressure. That's good for people with hypertension but my husband has variable so we don't want it to get too low.
Drugs last longer but he has had terrible side effects with some.
Sounds like your doc wants to protect your vascular system against amyloidosis and that's a good thing. Repeated panic (anxiety) creates plaque in the heart and is literally terminal. That's what my husband has now since we were never able to control the attacks thru the use of drugs. Hence the Theanine, lavender and Valium. We ignore the bottle dosage. It takes a lot more for him.
I took mirtazpine for several years before DBS with reasonable success. After DBS my dyskinesia was much better and I started to gain weight dramatically. Fearing that I could have increased risk of falling, I stopped it. I'm not sure if it was helping my anxiety/depression all that much.
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