I have seen a lot of post on the internet about mirtazapine and weight gain. Saying that the medication it self puts wright on you. How can a tablet do that? Surley it is what you eat? I can understand that the med can increase your appetite, so if you eat healthly then you shouldnt put weight on? Any comments would be welcomed Jools
Mirtazapine and weight gain?
Question posted by jools 2013 on 7 May 2013
Last updated on 29 May 2023
41 Answers
Actually, I have lost about 10kilos in right weeks being on 15-30mg daily.i suspect I have high cortisol, and this med significantly lowers cortisol. Additionally, I take Berberine to maintain healthy BS.
I was reading a similar post where if you restrict carbs, you'll either maintain, or lose weight.
And, it totally strips me of appetite too.
But, I was overweight to begin with.
Just my experiences.
As with most, if not all, psychotrophic medications the drugs affect your metabolism so that you might experience cravings and weight gain due to slowing your metabolism and fat storage mechanisms. Diet and exercise can help to control weight gain but for some people it's to be expected. If it's excessive your doctor can prescribe a different medication because everyone responds differently to these medications. Gaining weight on one doesn't necessarily mean you will on another.
"Metabolic
Very common (10% or more of users): Increased appetite (up to 17%), weight gain (up to 12%)
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Anorexia
Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Weight loss"
It's interesting to note that more than 80% of patients will experience no weight change at all.
The wise thing to do is report these side effects to your doctor IMMEDIATELY and ask for a different treatment plan. It's your right.
You might note that weight gain only affects about 12% of users.
I get the munchies some nights after taking my pill. It helps to take it earlier than when you want to sleep as your body adjusts to it. At first it will knock you right out so take at bedtime and you will be fine. As you get used to it start taking it easy in the evening and closer to when you eat dinner, so that way your food cravings are your dinner and your satisfied. As you get used to it it will take awhile for the sedation to kick in. That's mostly why I take it, because my anxiety doesn't let my brain sleep at night lol plus it helps with depression too as a second does for me in the day. I take effexor in the am. I gained 20 pounds. Exercise will help. When I was disabled due to a back injury I sat around and gained almost 40 pounds. I had surgery went back to work and lost 20 back off. 165-200-180..
I've been on mirtazapine 30mg for years now. When I was started on the drug, I was told that it might make me gain some weight and it did. I was 155 lbs at the start and have leveled off at 220 lbs. In a matter of months I went from a 34 inch waste to a 40 inch belly. I have tried countless drugs to tamp down the nightmares I was having due to PTSD but nothing worked until mirtazapine. When I started to rapidly gain weight my doctor adjusted the dosage but lower doses just let the nightmares back in. For me, the drug has been a savior. Nothing, has even come close to allowing me to drift off to sleep and awake feeling like I had a good nights sleep, and I've tried plenty. I do have an increased appetite, but like I said, my weight have leveled off. I continue to eat healthy, excercise and control what I put in my body. With all drugs you have to weigh the benefits versus the side effects.
If you take mirtazapine, most likely, you are going to gain weight; at least at the 30mg dosage. If you are adverse to the weight, try other drugs first and then circle back if nothing else seems to do the trick. I might add, mirtazapine alone did not solve my issues. It is a combination of several drugs and mirtazapine was the missing key ingredient. If you start gaining weight, don't be afraid to talk to your doctor about lower dosages and/or alternative treatments.
These are a few of the metabolic changes that antidepressants can cause:
"Metabolic
Common (1% to 10% of users): Decreased appetite, increased appetite, weight increased
Uncommon (0.1% to 1% of users): Abnormal glucose tolerance, anorexia, carbohydrate craving, diabetes mellitus, gout, hypercholesterolemia, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, thirst, weight decreased
Frequency not reported: Hyponatremia
Postmarketing reports: Hypoglycemia, hypokalemia
I put on about 10 pounds in 9 months.
I have been on Mirtazapine 7.5 for 9 months. It was prescribed for sleep. I have gained about 7 lbs, maybe a little more, however I was 15 lbs overweight when I started taking it. I'm not a doctor or pharmacist but I don't think the pill makes you gain weight except that it increases your appetite. I crave carbs like crazy now. I've tried to cut back on carbs unsuccessfully. It's like an addition. The reason I continue to take it is because overall I feel better than I have for a really long time. I am also taking Wellbutrin 300mg once a day and have been for years but adding this small dose of Mirt along with Wellbutrin has given me my energy and motivation back. It's seems a small price to pay for emotional well being. Some has suggested that increasing the dose of Mirt will cause less weight gain but you may lose sleep benefits.
I was prescribed the 15 mg dose in September of 2019 to help with sleep and anxiety, and it did help but within just a couple months I started putting weight on. I'm 6'5" with an athletic build and weighed 220 when I started the medication and was even a little thin but by September of 2021 (taking the 30 mg dose), I was 265 and felt miserable about myself. The negatives started outweighing the positives so I backed my dosage down to 7.5 mg and take it only when I feel I need it. I'm about 6 weeks in on healthy eating and daily exercise and I'm down to 235 and feel so much better. But, I agree with those that say it's not the pill itself that puts the weight on, it's the food choices you make on the medication influenced by the cravings this drug causes, like late night carb binging. I knew I was making terrible food choices all along but had never struggled with weight but it finally caught up with me.
I think there are much better alternatives out there with far fewer side effects, just my input but I would caution anyone who's not ready to diet and exercise to steer clear of mirtazapine.
I’m on 15mg Mirtazapine now, down from 30mg. I was having difficulty with some hot flashes. I lost weight due to severe anxiety so my GP felt this med would help me regain some weight. Not so as of yet. As much as I try I pretty much have leveled where I am. I am normally thin but through the years I did gain some weight…high normal for my size. I’m now on the low normal side and cannot seem to put on a pound. It could be because I eat a whole food plant based diet…or because I still feel anxiety during the day. I had some issue with vivid dreams for the first week but no longer. I’m hoping the anxiety will lesson. I really dislike taking meds for GAD but know I have to for life. I was successful with first two Clinical Depressions but used different meds at those times. Mirtazapine is a newer med and I have read good reviews from studies. I hope I don’t have to change and that it will continue to help. Right now I sleep about 8 hours a night, so very good for that.
"Metabolic
Very common (10% or more of users): Increased appetite (up to 17%), weight gain (up to 12%)"
Unfortunately, most, if not all, psychotropic medications (and many other types of drugs) have the potential for causing weight changes in a small number of patients because they change your entire metabolism.
Diet and exercise are only part of the equation to prevent excessive weight gain. If weight gain on an antidepressant is clinically significant your doctor may have you try a different antidepressant... one that is considered more "weight neutral"... that may cause some weight gain OR weight loss.
Best regards,
Yes I agree - You should not stay on an antidepressant that causes excessive weight can to the point of diabetes and metabolic syndrome. That is bad practice
Dont know how but it does regardless of what you eat. Many drugs make you gain weight . But this one makes me hungry all the time and I've put on 3 stone. Trying to eat healthy. The only one a.d. I had which didnt was Duloxetine. Best wishes
Mirtazapine induces weight by raising serum level triglycerides and a voracious appetite for carbohydrates. I gained 20 kg and and consequently on antihypertensives and cholesterol lowering drugs as a result of use of Mirtazapine. I wish I could say it was a success for me but it was a disaster. I have ceased taking this drug and am on a newer superior medication called vadoxan which works well for my insomnia.
From what I have read it is a combo of appetite and metabolism effects. I am on 30mg and I am not satisified unless I am constantly full. I have been gaining a pound a week and am wondering if it will ever stop. It works excellent for my depression but if I gain too much more I am going to discontinue but I have tried many others that don't work as well.
Well, it definitely puts weight on. As a usual 11 stone tall woman I shot up to 15 stone+. I’ve never been fat in my life but this does pile on weight. It’s renown for it. I guess, even the doctors don’t know why. It must stimulate something in the body (cortisol)? Not sure what it stimulates. I went from a 12 to a size 18. They say it’s because it causes a voracious appetite. I didn’t really have that problem. Within a week you can see some extra pounds on. It’s lethargic inducing too. It may not happen with everyone but it would with 90% of the population I reckon.
There is a bit more to it than an increase in appetite. I read in a few studies, they believed it slowed down metabolism, increased a hormone level, and also sent signals to your brain to make your body store fat. It is an antidepressant so it does effect your brain chemistry which in turn controls your body’s functions. It has been prescribed to people with anorexic who may be hospitalized and need to put on weight fat fast. It is also prescribed to people in the later stages of AIDS to help with weight as well. One man blogged he counted calories and exercise on the medicine. I think he only ate about 500 a day and excised everyday just to maintain on the medicine. I myself had a personal trainer 2 times a week and kickboxed twice a week at the time. I put on 12 pounds in 3 weeks. I gained 30 pounds 3 months on it. I was not eating more than normal. It took awhile to come off too but being off it a week I dropped about 5.
My trainer said he was worried how much I would have gained had I not been working out. Some people do not gain and that’s great the majority I found do. It’s a rough drug. To me my fitness is a big part of my health so it was not worth it for me. Also, it does something to your blood sugar levels. I know my doctor wanted me to get tested when I started.
Related topics
weight loss (obesity/overweight), insomnia, mirtazapine, weight, medication
Further information
- Mirtazapine uses and safety info
- Mirtazapine prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Mirtazapine (detailed)
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