Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: 2cats on July 02, 2023, 08:22:20 AM
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Hi
Has anyone had success in using anti depressants to combat anxiety? I am currently taking mirtazipine 15mg (22 days at this dose) and my usual morning anxiety is now hanging around all day and is pretty intense at times. I’m exhausted with trying to carry on with normal life while feeling so bloody ill at ease.
My feelings of sadness had improved a lot using a Flow device and I have a graph of how much I’d improved in mood but I decided to start the antidepressants as my anxiety was still the same.
I don’t know how much longer to leave it before stopping the mirtazipine.
Wondering if anyone has experience or advice?
Thanks
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Morning 2cats..
I have taken antidepressants for anxiety, off and on, for years. Before menopause I had “anxious times”, (being an anxious type anyway ;)) and took, eg, escitalopram, to get on top of it. It worked well. I would then come off them until the next “anxious time”, perhaps a year later typically.
Fast forward to peri/ now 6 years post menopause and the anxiety worsened. Short periods of antidepressants no longer worked.
18 months into HRT and 50mg sertraline and I’m, frankly, wishing I had done it sooner. The combo, for me, works perfectly. I honestly don’t know if it’s the HRT or the sertraline or the combination that has sorted the anxiety but it’s gone (for me). 👌
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I started anti depressants 4 months before starting hrt and they made some difference but not enough. Anxiety only improved once hrt was added in.
When do you take the mirtazapine? I tried it for a short while but stopped after a fortnight because of dizziness. Was told taking at bedtime was better as you then sleep better and wake up calmer.
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I also know from the current anti depressant I am taking (citalopram) that you need to give it at least six weeks for it to reach full effects and for side effects to abate. I don't know if mirtazapinr is same as it is from a different group of drugs and not an ssri.
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I take escitalopram 10mg at night and 5mg in the morning 4 depression. As well as having an emergency anti-anxiety pill to take immediately the surge begins.
Propranolol worked well for me regarding anxiety surges.