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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards | negrogesic

Is there an alternative to mirtazapine?

D

deadendgame

Bluelighter
Joined
Jul 23, 2014
Messages
356
I will admit I don't have actual depression. I just take this stuff to sleep. But now I'm on 45 mg of it and even with that I have trouble sleeping. I don't want to increase my dosage because I know that will only dig me into a bigger ditch. Is there an alternative to mirtazapine?? I mean something that can help me sleep and is not a controlled substance??
 
hydroxyzine or promethazine, ofc i don't know where you live but i assume anti-histamines aren't controlled in your country?
 
Try a lot smaller dose. 5mg is good for sleep for me but if I take 10mgs or more I just don't get sleepy at all. It is dose dependant reaction to that drug and doing more won't help you to sleep.
 
Artemisia said:
Try a lot smaller dose. 5mg is good for sleep for me but if I take 10mgs or more I just don't get sleepy at all. It is dose dependant reaction to that drug and doing more won't help you to sleep.
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My doctor told me the same thing because I was previously prescribed 45 mg and breaking them in half. She said that was still to much for helping with sleep and the higher doses are for antidepressant purposes.
 
Yep, when I was taking em for sleep purposes, 3.75-7.5mg would knock me out cold. Never took more than 7.5mg due to my researching the drug's effects, and these were 15mg tablets.
 
You can substitute other antihistaminergics, because that is what helps with sleep. And yes like others said it is true that this is mostly effective at low dosages, at higher dosages it also starts working harder in other ways that can counter your sleep.

I took it for about a year but eventually quit since it only helped moderately with eating and not much at all with sleep (even though I took low doses), and the akathisia at some point just got to be too much.

I think trazodone would be an example of another drug with antihistamine effect. However it also is primarily an anti-depressant. If it is just for sleep you might want to select a different one that is just mostly an antihistamine and not much else. Much cleaner / more selective!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antihistamine#H1-antihistamines
After trying a much lower dose of mirtazapine that is of course - and taper for a less rough transition.

(Problem is though: most of these H1 antihistamines are basically all dirty broad-spectrum drugs in one way or another... idk which one is cleanest)
 
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A similar drug, in that was mostly an antidepressant, but is mostly prescribed as a sleeper these days is trazadone. Traz doesn't have the weight gain issues of mitra. It does have a black box warning about priapism though. Priapism is really rare w/ traz, the warning is so you get to the ED if it does occur even though its very unlikely to happen.

Hydroxine mentioned already in this thread is a super sleeper for me. Too much so. I can not take 50 mg of hydroxine if I have any obligations the next day. I'll sleep through alarms and even Armegedon if I've taken hydroxine.
 
keeping said:
hydroxyzine or promethazine, ofc i don't know where you live but i assume anti-histamines aren't controlled in your country?
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Solipsis said:
You can substitute other antihistaminergics, because that is what helps with sleep. And yes like others said it is true that this is mostly effective at low dosages, at higher dosages it also starts working harder in other ways that can counter your sleep.

I took it for about a year but eventually quit since it only helped moderately with eating and not much at all with sleep (even though I took low doses), and the akathisia at some point just got to be too much.

I think trazodone would be an example of another drug with antihistamine effect. However it also is primarily an anti-depressant. If it is just for sleep you might want to select a different one that is just mostly an antihistamine and not much else. Much cleaner / more selective!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antihistamine#H1-antihistamines
After trying a much lower dose of mirtazapine that is of course - and taper for a less rough transition.

(Problem is though: most of these H1 antihistamines are basically all dirty broad-spectrum drugs in one way or another... idk which one is cleanest)
Click to expand...
I doubt any of these sedating anti histamines will help the OP sleep. From the way they have written their post, it seems as though they slowly worked up to 45mg of Mirtazapine from a lower dose..

Besides, none of these sedating antihistamines really helped me sleep. There's not many real answers for insomnia? Just use of various drugs that either build tolerance and/or mess you up.

Good luck 'deadendgame' ;)
 
I agree with you there... taking dirty pharms that make you feel groggy / drowsy and hope that helps you to sleep (waking up how?) is a messy approach. And yeah the selective / sedative ones build tolerance.
 
Solipsis said:
I agree with you there... taking dirty pharms that make you feel groggy / drowsy and hope that helps you to sleep (waking up how?) is a messy approach. And yeah the selective / sedative ones build tolerance.
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nah, i reckon a decent dose of phenegran/promethazine will help OP - they're like zombie pills man
 
hey. thanks yall!! yall are awesome!! actually, another thing is I need something that will help me sleep but won't leave me whacked out the next morning. But fuck whoever got me started on this shit! Nobody needs this to sleep, but now I'm on it, I can't stop!
 
I have had sleep issues for years, benzos used to help know I take 12.5 to 25 mg of Seroquel and I'm out. I also take 1mg of Klonopin 3-4 mg a day.
 
First apologies if this is too off topic.
I take mirtazapine for depression, anxiety, sleep and eating issues. I've been on it pretty much for 5 years. I was taken off it a while ago by my psy doc. Recently I've been put back on it due it being the only thing that worked.
My issue is the headaches and akathesia it's now giving me. I'm on 45mg a night. I also wish to change it but am unsure what options are open to me. I've had pretty much every ssri/snri and they make me crazy, amitryptiline and olanzapine. Nothing works but mirtazapine. So is there any options in the uk that are available that I can suggest to my gp.
 
psynce of sound said:
First apologies if this is too off topic.
I take mirtazapine for depression, anxiety, sleep and eating issues. I've been on it pretty much for 5 years. I was taken off it a while ago by my psy doc. Recently I've been put back on it due it being the only thing that worked.
My issue is the headaches and akathesia it's now giving me. I'm on 45mg a night. I also wish to change it but am unsure what options are open to me. I've had pretty much every ssri/snri and they make me crazy, amitryptiline and olanzapine. Nothing works but mirtazapine. So is there any options in the uk that are available that I can suggest to my gp.
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i swapped off my mirtazipine prescription for sertraline (also in the UK) and i've never looked back.
but i only needed it for sleep and depression, not eating issues. and i'll admit sertraline did nothing for my sleep - but you shouldn't be taking mirtazipine for that anyway, try suggesting to your GP some of the sedating antihistamines i mentioned in my first post - the combo of hydroxyzine (makes you sleepy) and sertraline (ssri) basically saved my life
 
lower doses is more with mirtz over 15mg is good for anxiety under 15mg can be a straight up z drug
if you're up for it try 7.5 mg
 
keeping said:
i swapped off my mirtazipine prescription for sertraline (also in the UK) and i've never looked back.
but i only needed it for sleep and depression, not eating issues. and i'll admit sertraline did nothing for my sleep - but you shouldn't be taking mirtazipine for that anyway, try suggesting to your GP some of the sedating antihistamines i mentioned in my first post - the combo of hydroxyzine (makes you sleepy) and sertraline (ssri) basically saved my life
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I had a torrid time on Sertraline. Glad to hear that it helped you. And yeah, I'm sure most GP'S here in the UK would be more than willing to prescribe you various antihistamines for sleep, seeing as they have very little abuse potential.

Good luck.
 
keeping said:
i swapped off my mirtazipine prescription for sertraline (also in the UK) and i've never looked back.
but i only needed it for sleep and depression, not eating issues. and i'll admit sertraline did nothing for my sleep - but you shouldn't be taking mirtazipine for that anyway, try suggesting to your GP some of the sedating antihistamines i mentioned in my first post - the combo of hydroxyzine (makes you sleepy) and sertraline (ssri) basically saved my life
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I definitely cannot go back to ssris again and to lesser extent snris, they have to many side effects for me and are limited in their use. They have a high tendency to make lose contact with reality. I feel that an nri or something like tianeptine would be more suited to my needs. My gp agrees with me and feels without a psychiatrists input (been assessed and am waiting for them to arrange my treatment) it's worth an exploration. I'm going to broach the sedating antihistamine idea when I see him next as even if they don't help he will be more confident is going down less conventional avenues of medication. Would you say Hydroxyzine is a good starting point based on that otc antihistamines don't work for me?
 
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