Just been prescribed mirtazapine.

[EJ]

Hi Greyhaze 45mg is usually the maximum dose for mirtazapine although I have known people who are on more. For me it is an 'add on' for the lithium I already take. The mirtazapine makes the lithium work better. I think that you need to chat to your GP about your medication. An increase shouldn't make you feel more drowsy as the drowsiness is usually felt in the lower doses. We are all different however. If it is useful in sleep then the doctor might keep you on 30mg and try something else. I hope it works out for you.

[Ovalbug]

My experience of Mirtazapine came after a bout of severe panic attacks - lost 2 stone, bleeding gums, days and days staring at the ceiling unable to sleep, heart pounding out of my chest as if I was about to do a bungee jump etc. Horrible. Plus the depression.

The Mirtazapine was magnificent and I got my first proper night of sleep on it, but boy the next day I was absolutely out of it - literally felt like I was coming round from a general anaesthetic. Which was an enormous relief in comparison to the anxiety.

The crazy tiredness wears off after about 3-5 days, upon which I just felt 'very relaxed' and 'meh' to stuff, which was great. However unless I forced myself out of bed the moment I woke up, I could happily stay in bed all day and never fully wake up - drifting in and out of semi-consciousness all day. You have to force yourself up and stimulate yourself with some exersize or a shower, music or television etc to force yourself awake. Once awake, it was fine but only when forced.

Dreams are often ultra realistic, surreal and vivid. I remember one dream where I was sitting in the park on the grass and I remember looking at my palm and saying to myself in the actual dream - wow, even in this dream the refinement and definition of the grass imprint on the skin of the palm of my hand is really high resolution.... WTF!?

The craving for carbs take some serious discipline to avoid putting on weight - you develop an all consuming biological need for cake, white bread and cereal that can never be satisfied. My 2 stone came back in weeks!

Finally, the issue that crept up on my that I didn't notice until it was pointed out by more than one person was that I became increasingly angry and irritable with a hair trigger. It also did little for my depression.

It did however take me from the absolute brink of panic and despair and back into a more stable and controllable state, if not a long term solution (for me).