Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Personal Experiences => Topic started by: racjen on February 26, 2019, 01:06:41 PM
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OK, have decided today after long session with psychiatrist yesterday that despite extreme reactions to anti-depressants in the past I'm going to give mirtazapine a go. The psychiatrist felt that my emotional state is a result of a complex mixture of factors - breast cancer and the effects of chemo on the brain, coping with two teenagers with mental health needs as a single parent, lack of family support, precarious financial situation, and then the added blow of sudden menopause when I'm clearly very sensitive to hormonal changes. So far nothing we've tried on the HRT front has really helped - I'm going steadily downhill, with the odd good day thrown in here and there. I've got to the point where I can barely go out on my own, and I've stopped doing all the things I used to enjoy. Life feels utterly pointless.
But I know from experience that those initial two weeks, when they tell you things might get worse, get a hell of a lot worse for me. And I've never made it past about 5 days so I have no idea if they'll actually work. Feeling scared but also like I have no choice, I simply can't carry on like this, otherwise I might as well put an end to it now. I have a feeling I'm going to need a lot of support over the next few weeks...x
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Hi Racjen,
So sorry to hear you are feeling so low. You have so very much to deal with, is it any wonder you are considering AD's. I have been on these since June of last year along with conti patches. I saw a great improvement in my mood and my sleep but since Christmas my depression has returned and I am now on the maximum dose and nothing is shifting my depression, nothing at all. In fact I have just spent the last 1 crying to my friend in London. I am not working, have not worked for 3 years now and I am going a bit crazy. So probably like you it is a mixture of things. I am seeing a Consultant in London next Tuesday hoping he will prescribe bio identical hormone treatment, as this is meant to be great for lifting depression. I will keep you posted. It is so sad to see so many people suffering on this forum, it really is.
Hope you fee better
x
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I've got it today so feeling like I'd be better just getting on with it, the sooner I start the sooner I'll know what my reaction is. My main worry is that if it's really tough my girls will have to cope with it - need to alert some close friends to be emergency contacts just in case. Also my gp is being incredibly supportive and has made me an appointment on Fri just to check up on me. On the other hand, my oldest friend doesn't approve of ADs, can't seem to understand how bloody desperate I feel and is being really cold and distant. I had the same from another friend during the cancer treatment, she cut me off completely when I refused to follow her advice to avoid all conventional treatment, haven't heard from her since. People react so weirdly to illness, you have to learn to not take it personally....
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Hi racjen
You really find out who your friends are don't you? I'm so sorry to hear you have not had good support from your friends. You can always come here to this site, there will always be someone to talk to.
Sending hugs to you, and nightmare
Jeepers x
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Hello racjen.
I wanted to send you my best wishes and I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you. I know of someone who began taking Mirtazapine recently and it has helped her tremendously so let's hope it works for you.
Friends have their own reasons for responding as they do and it may have very little to do with you. Fortunately you have a community of women here who can support you without judgment.
Wishing you well and of course keep posting.
K.
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Hi Racjen,
Just wanted to say hello and send a virtual hug.
You described how I feel since my op went wrong and left me with so many problems. It's very hard to stay positive and I feel quite joyless at times.
I'm on Prozac but not sure if they actually do anything, although when I stop taking them I do feel worse. I am married almost 38 years and that's a strain too but we are working through it. My daughter is grown up but I have grandchildren now and worry about them.
I really hope the AD works for you and the I ititial two weeks aren't too awful. Somedays I feel like the black cloud lifts and it does give a different perspective to everything but other days the black cloud swamps me and I feel awful, like what's the point.
Keep posting ok xx
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Hi Racjen
I felt I would like to reply to your thread.
I am entering my 2nd week of starting mirtazapine.
Two years ago I stopped this drug after being on it for 5 years. I felt I was in a good place after financial difficulties and all the reasons I went on it for in the first place I felt I had dealt with. I had cbt therapy too. But after stopping I realised it had also suppressed the symptoms of the menopause.
So for the past two years of not being on it I have suffered.
No or very little sleep. Anxiety hot flushes. Found it hard to hold down my job, care for my disabled mother, also deal with my mother in law who has advanced Alzheimer's. My relationship with my husband suffered, my blood pressure rocketed and in desperation I went to see my Gp...he must have thought I was stalking him , I was there so much!
So I am now taking a low dose of mirtazipine and continuous hrt. I have only really suffered nausea . This could be the tail end of a bug I had last week also, or my body getting used to new drugs. I am on a higher dose for my blood pressure or the new hrt.
I have slept so much better and my anxiety is easing.
I too tried antidepressants and gave up as I couldn't stand the side effects and they made me worse, but can honestly say I never experienced that with this drug.
As for friends and their opinions I remember what my councillor said
“ is it an opinion or is it a factâ€
I chose to walk away from a friend , when her opinions got to me and I didn't agree, this time only my husband and me and my Gp know I'm taking it. No one else needs to know. Not even my children.
I got to the point I wanted my life back . I made the decision and it's no one else's business.
Just wanted to say hope this may work for you and each day may get better for you. But I realise all drugs work different on people. I wish you well .
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Are you ladies taking it at night?
Well you e made me think racjen. That box of escitalopram which I shoved in the drawer a week ago. Maybe I should take the plunge with you the first two weeks are the only thing which is stopping me
It's good that it's been acknowledged you've been through a lot and meno on top of that I dont know if you remember but I told you I had a very very similar conversation with my psych last week and I said something's gotta give. Dont think hed be too happy that the tablets he prescribed are still untouched.
I really wish you all the best and hope it proves to be ten times better than this time x
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Yes I take at night before I get into bed.
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I thought so gus. My doc prescribed it at night years ago.
Glad to hear they are helping you gus
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hi Racjan
I really hope mirtazapine helps you as this is horrible what you are suffering
I was given mirtazapine for 18 months am now of mirtz 19 months
If you want to private mail me with any questions about it feel free abd il help you as much as I can
Kaz xx
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Hello Racjen,
After trialling HRT when my perimeno symptoms started, and gave up, I was prescribed mirtazipine this summer. I started on 15mg at night and it trully worked wonders for me. My worst symptoms were insomnia and anxiety, and mirt helped me sleep well and be much more relaxed. I am still on 15mg/night and have no intention to stop for now. I had no side effects whatsoever, so don't worry. Unlike SSRIs, mirt works much faster, so you might not need to wait weeks to see the effect.
I also believe it helps with menopausal symptoms, as I rarely have hot flushes and sweats now.
The downside is that I gained some weight but I keep telling myself this is a minor price to pay for getting me out of a very dark place.
So go for it, I am sure you will feel better immediately.
Big hugs,
Milamam
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Hi racjen
I was on mitrazapine a few years ago for about a year
It helped me in that it made me sleep and that in itself was a life saver
I had no start up issues except a rash which went quickly
Good luck
Xx
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Hi Racjen,
Tell us how you are? I have been thinking about you yesterday. I hope you feel better.
Xxx Milamam
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Well, this is only day 2. Yesterday I felt pretty tired and drowsy all day, found it difficult to do anything much, but my anxiety was certainly a bit less. Apart from that I just felt a bit numb and emotionless really, but in a way that's a relief in itself. Was hoping it would knock me out completely at night but that hasn't happened so far, still waking multiple times in the night, but at least managing to get back to sleep. Feeling pretty zombieish this morning - we'll see.
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Apparently with mirtazapine it's the usual reaction while you're on the lower introductory dose, then after a week you go up to the higher maintenance dose and the dozyness wears off. Hope so....x
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Good luck with these Racjen. I was on them a few years ago and had no start up effects to speak of.
I hope you are able to tolerate them and find some relief x
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Good luck, Racjen - I am sure the drowziness in the mornings will subside within day or two. It is a great step forward that you don't feel so anxious already. Keep posting, we are thinking of you!
Milamam xxx
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No, I get the impression that the drowsiness is an expected side-effect of the lower dose and it won't wear off util the dose is increased. I'm not counting my chickens yet, as my track record with ADs is not good - 3 days is no indication of whether I'll be able to tolerate them once they build up. Hopefully it'll be unproblematic this time, but we can react so differently to drugs like this your experience and mine may very well be completely different xxx
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Yes, we are all very different but trust yourself and it will work! In fact when I started mirt, I called my doctor the second day to say I feel drowzy in the mornings. He assured me it will go away in a day or two, and it did. Placebo or what, I felt great from day three. This too shall pass! If you see a reduction in your other symptoms, then the pill is doing its job!
Xxx
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YEs but that is just your individual reaction, and it sounds like you've been very lucky - some people suffer quite severe side-effects from ADs, myself included, and for some people they simply don't work. That's just scientific fact, nothing to do with trusting yourself. To be feeling great from Day 3 is, to be honest, pretty unusual; you wouldn't normally expect to start seeing a noticeable improvement until a couple of weeks in. And my doctor warned me that the drowsiness is usual at the lower dose and doesn't normally go until the dose is increased.
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Hi Birdy
well, I've got through one week on 15mg - was feeling tired but much the same until yesterday, when I started to feel more depressed. Today I just can't be bothered to do anything, don't really feel anything much, just trying to get through the day. This week I have to go up to 30mg; then I'm told it can take up to 6 weeks to feel a beneficial effect - god, I might as well just hibernate and come out at the end of April, hopefully Spring will've sprung by then x
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How was your sleep during these days?
Milamam
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Better than it had been before, but still pretty broken up - I never sleep for a solid 6 hours. Last night was terrible - awake for hours, and then when I did sleep some really horrible dreams. what frustrates me most though is that I can't sleep during the day, no matter how tired I feel....
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Thanks, this is the longest I've managed to stay on any AD so far, so really hoping going up to the higher dose doesn't bugger things up...x
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Fingers crossed it will work for you!
Big hugs,
Milamam
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Fingers crossed too racjen. I know what the first 2 weeks can be like and you've got one week under your belt nowXxxx
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Yes racjen, we are all rooting for you
Jeepers x
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How are you today, racjen?
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I'm so touched you're all looking out for me - thanks everyone.
Today is the start of week 2 and the first day on the higher dosage (ie 30mg rather than 15mg). Feeling extremely groggy today - hoping that it'll wear off within a few days though, as they say it doesn't have this effect at the higher dosage. My body obviously doesn't know that - typical! Had a better night's sleep than I have for quite a while though so there is an upside, hope that bit doesn't wear off. Moodwise feeling OK and anxiety definitely reduced. Please please let this last.....xxx
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Me too! One small quiet whoop, fingers crossed!
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Any of you ladies still taking the Mirtazapine & has it worked for those of you long term in relation to insomnia? The reason I ask I have been changed today from Fluoxetine to Mirtazapine to help with insomnia. I am on HRT also, although insomina is better since starting AD & HRT it still has a bit to go (slept 2200hrs - 2336hrs lastnight, then awake tossing/turning till got up for work, not good!) x
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Hi foxylady
In response to your question, yes I'm still taking mirtazapine, 15mg.Ive been back on this for roughly 5 months now. I'm sleeping so much better. I do wake probably a couple of times, be it to spend a penny or just coming to, but I manage to go back to sleep with ease.
My anxiety is 100 times better, not getting the extremely tight chest etc, I'm no longer on hrt as wanted to see where I am on my own, so far it's been pretty good. Yes I get the odd hot flush in the day but I'm not getting them at night.... Well not yet. GP said it would help with them.
So at present I'm sticking to this routine and take one day at a time.
Still use ovestin for va
Gusgus
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I took Mirtazapine for 8 years. It helped enormously with sleep, appetite, depression and anxiety so was excellent in my experience. I couldn't take SSRI's because of severe side effects so this drug was prescribed and I got on well with it. It will make you feel very ‘tired' and increase your appetite a lot in the first few weeks but that does calm down. The lower dose is better for sleep apparently but I slept well on both 15 and 30 mg dose. Best taken at night.
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Many of us can understand totally what you are feeling. Sometimes life deals us a kick that makes our bloomers fly but you have made it thru rough times so know that you can AND WILL do it again. Good luck and know we are all standing beside you.
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Thank you Gusgus, Wuzzie and Whatsupwiththis for replying, I wasn't sure if anyone would as it was and old thread so really appreciate it. As you mentioned Gusgus I woke for the loo, fell straight back asleep, stirred a few times, once I remember thinking I'm awful warm will need to take my nightie off but obv fell asleep before I git the chance!! ;D. The GP told me same as you said Wuzzie that lower dose is better for sleep, which is primarily why I'm on it. I was started on Fluoxetine originally to control the flushes by the GP prior to him discussing me with meno specialist who then put me on HRT. At the time I didn't think I had any 'mood/anxiety' issues but I do feel so much better, I was quite 'flat' before and had periods of feeling really overwhelmed, I had changed job and had a year of studying which I blamed for how I was feeling as told by all the professionals I saw it wasn't meno related (GP, Endocrinology & Immunology). I am a bit concerned about the increased appetite (have lost almost 3 stone since Jan doing 5:2 diet) so don't want to go putting weight on but aslong as I am aware & keep an eye on it hopefully I will be fine. Hope you ladies are having a nice weekend, thanks again. x