Mirtazapine for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder User Reviews

• Ton...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 15, 2019

"I've been taking sertraline for about a year now (50mg > 100mg > 50mg) and this is only my first day into taking 15mg mirtazapine. The side effects of sertraline made it so I was always physically tired and yet found it incredibly hard to sleep, staying up until 5/6 am and having terrible nightmares (that seemed more often than before), then waking up between 12-3 naturally. I had my first mirtazapine tablet last night and slept like a baby from 2/3 am (when I took it) to 10:30 am. NO NIGHTMARES! And no alarms. I did fall back asleep around 2 pm until 6 pm and I'm very drowsy but it's all mental tiredness. My body feels like I could go for a run. I'll give another review in a month but I think this medication could be very promising. Good luck to whoever is reading this, hope you are coping better soon."

• bum...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 25, 2025

"I was diagnosed with OCD (aged 17) and PTSD (aged 26) and have previously been prescribed Sertraline, Citalopram, and Propranolol, all of which caused multiple side effects, including nausea, insomnia, numbness, acid reflux, and headaches, and often caused an increase in depressive symptoms. After several years of managing symptoms (and struggling) through holistic approaches, I decided to take one last attempt at medication. After speaking with my GP about my issues with panic, night terrors, and obsessive thoughts, I was prescribed Mirtazapine (15mg) in August 2023. I was advised to take the medication 2-3 hours before I go to bed to aid with sleep and to avoid feeling 'numb' during the day. The effects on my sleep were instantaneous. It took 2-3 weeks for the medication to begin to help with other symptoms. Eighteen months on, I feel less panicky, and my intrusive thoughts have reduced. Main side effects: grogginess in the morning, frequent urination, occasional bloating."

• Uma...
• April 13, 2020

"I've been on mirtazapine 30 mg for 5 months now, and it's definitely the only medication I've tried that seems to be effective. I have complex post-traumatic stress disorder, and it has helped me quite a lot with that. My anxiety has been reduced significantly, and I no longer feel depressed. At the beginning, I did have difficulty waking up in the morning and staying awake due to the grogginess I felt, but now, I don't have this problem at all, and I even find myself waking up at 6-7 in the morning naturally. The only downside to this medication is the fact that it'll make you so, so hungry to the point that it can become quite painful. All you want to eat is chocolate, sweets, ice cream, biscuits, etc., and the cravings are quite difficult to deal with. This does gradually decrease over time, and it does become easier to manage. You can definitely combat these side effects if you find them becoming an issue."

• Dan...
• July 11, 2019

"This medication, mirtazapine, has been life-saving for me. I started it in March of this year, and it’s definitely helped my anxiety, PTSD symptoms, and I sleep so much better on it. If you haven’t had luck with typical antidepressants, I definitely recommend this."

• Lac...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 21, 2022

"I started taking mirtazapine after I was suffering from PTSD and waiting for CBT. I wasn't sleeping, and my intrusive thoughts and flashbacks meant I couldn't do basic tasks. After the initial 2 weeks getting over the side effects (headaches, sleepiness), I was back at work, sleeping and functioning normally. They were an absolute lifesaver. I did feel a bit hungrier at first, but that has gone away now. My experience has been very positive. I'm from the UK, so I can't help with insurance experience."

• Gee...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 19, 2023

"I have been taking mirtazapine 15 mg since August 2022 for my PTSD and anxiety disorder. I was prescribed this after trying sertraline and venlafaxine, neither worked, and I felt like I was losing my mind. This medication has saved me in a way, I never thought I would say that about medication, as I used to be very much against it. But life gets hard, and sometimes we need help, even if it is from a tablet. The main side effect for me is my appetite and weight gain, but to be honest, it isn’t the end of the world, and as long as you’re eating healthy foods, it’s not much of an issue. I also didn’t take them for 2 weeks as I couldn’t pick up my prescription. I had the worst anxiety and panic attacks I have ever had in my life. I don’t know if this was a side effect, but it was horrendous. So please, don’t make the same mistake as me and suddenly stop taking them."

• Anonymous
• December 11, 2011

"Sleep well, eat well. It gave me the energy to do the things I used to do. I love it so far and my husband has noticed a great difference in attitude, for the better. I get pleasure from things today. I had lost faith in Doctors to help me. I feel Alive Again, not high just Normal!"

• Mr ...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 17, 2012

"I have been taking 45 mg of mirtazapine for about 2 years. I started taking it after I nearly got killed when a light truck hit me. I find it helps me out so much. All I do is focus on physical rehabilitation. I'm in a wheelchair at the moment but I will one day walk again. Maybe next year or in 10. Patience is a virtue. I started off on 30 mg but my doctor increased the dose. She could tell I was getting a bit low and my thoughts were dominating my personality. Of course, she made the correct call. I find mirtazapine perfect for me."

• Sli...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 6, 2023

"This drug has been the only one to help me out of about 15. I stopped a while back due to weight gain, but didn't watch what I ate while taking it. It helps me sleep, calms me down, and dampens my anxiety/panic with minimal side effects (initial weight gain), but after counting calories, I have lost most of the weight. I am a little groggy at times but it beats being on constant edge with unbearable anxiety. It also improved my mood a bit."

• Meg...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 4, 2021

"WOW. I sure got lucky. Have been suffering with PTSD for two years. Over $1,000 spent on psychologists over this period. Was in a terrible state. Doctor prescribed mirtazapine, and I was almost instantly better."

• Anonymous
• November 12, 2011

"I have been on mirtazapine for almost 2 months now at 15 mg for anxiety and PTSD. I take it before I go to bed because it does make me very drowsy. I get a good night's sleep with some crazy dreams, but not anything bad. It has helped my depression well, and I don't get as anxious when going to certain places. Although, I do take half a pill for certain situations if I have to during the day. My appetite did increase greatly, which was a benefit for me. Especially before bed, I can kill some donuts, but I have been able to control it better now over some time. All in all, it has worked well for me, and I recommend it for others with the hope they experience the benefits I have."

• Bel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 18, 2022

"I suffered near 30 years of having nightmares and night terrors. Violent abuse and sexual abuse led to addiction. I came off illicit substances 17 years ago, but from then onwards, I lived with dystonia, severe depression, and FND. I became so used to living this way that it became me. I tried sertraline initially and stayed on it for over 2 years, thinking that was the only option. This caused motor agitation and made my neurological symptoms more intense and painful. Five weeks ago, I asked my doctor if I could take mirtazapine. I started on 15 mg. Immediately, I slept better, I felt calmer most of the day, but my panic and despair would kick in around 3 or 4 pm. I started taking 30 mg. The sedative effects and mild side effects were gone, and gradually the bad feelings were replaced with contentment and hope. I could go out, make phone calls, I wanted to write and draw. I even resolved things with my partner after a 2-month break. I realized he had suffered alongside me."

• Exm...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 20, 2020

"Started on a 15 mg dose of mirtazapine, then 30 mg, and now 45 mg daily. Has helped with falling asleep, not helped with the poor, disturbing sleep yet. Mood more stable, still feel negative and look to blame myself, but others have remarked I look well. Am by no means a fan of tablets, but for me, this one has helped me focus on me more than any other. Like most of you, I am happiest in an environment I can control, but so far, this medication has helped me focus on things while in said environment. Hope you all keep safe."

• Gre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 9, 2020

"A very abusive childhood left a form of PTSD and a resultant depression, which has persisted throughout my 60 years. I have tried antidepressants a couple of times over the years, but the negatives have outweighed the positives, and I've always stopped taking them. I regularly wake with a feeling of anxiousness, and mirtazapine has definitely helped my sleep. I do have some blurry vision with it and do sometimes feel irritable. I only take half of a 15 mg tablet, which is enough and reduces side effects. Overall, it's the best thing I've tried. I just wish they would make them in smaller doses to be able to experiment with finding the absolute lowest level that helps."

• cox...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 24, 2015

"Made quite a difference quite fast to hypervigilance and anxiety symptoms. I am no longer as scared as I was sitting in my own house at night. It's no miracle, no medicine will ever take away the memories, but this definitely improves functioning."

• Do ...
• December 24, 2020

"Trigger warning - bad experiences in life ahead. I’ve been on mirtazapine for about a year now, and I can say it’s certainly helped. I have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder, depression, and generalized anxiety. At the most, mirtazapine has helped me feel calm and more stable, as well as helping me sleep at night. Even though it helps you sleep, it can be a real pain getting up in the morning, but to me, the pros outweigh the cons. I had put on a bit of weight while being on mirtazapine, but being stable is completely worth it. I started on 15mg and had a couple of traumatic things happen in my life, which led the doctor to raise my dosage to 30mg, which is working wonderfully. It’s a massive help to assist me in coping with everyday life, but drugs affect everyone differently. It’s definitely worth a go, but please remember things may get a tad worse over the 2-4 week period of when you first start taking it."

• Blo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 7, 2020

"I am on a dose of 15 mg mirtazapine for PTSD, and so far, so good. I was previously prescribed escitalopram and sertraline, and they were awful from the start. With mirtazapine, I've not had the extreme anxiety I had with the previous antidepressants, I've also not had the stomach problems either. I'm feeling chilled, and sleep has been better. It is still early days, but I'm optimistic. It won't work for everyone, so stay in contact with your doctor."

• Loc...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 2, 2023

"It feels like an eraser that removes slowly and gently all your worries and stress. It makes you feel like everything is fine and beautiful. Moreover, I start to see the world in a colorful way, like I was living in an old, horrible black-and-white movie, but when I took Mirtazapine. In addition, Mirtazapine made food tasty again and delicious. Really, Mirtazapine is a quick lifesaver because it works from the first pill, and it has a really fast onset action to calm you. Not like many antidepressants that need you to take them for 1-2 weeks to begin to feel the effect. Mirtazapine really has a very fast onset action."

• Tor...
• April 12, 2016

"When I first started taking Remeron, it was for my PTSD and depression (no help for anxiety). At 15 mg, it makes you the most drowsy and sometimes made me slightly nauseous. My psychiatrist told me most people have to up their dosage to feel relief of PTSD and to actually feel less tired, so I was slowly prescribed higher dosages, and it provided a smooth transition for my body. I am currently on 45 mg, and I sleep great, with very vivid dreams, but I do not wake up drowsy, nor do I have a change in appetite, and the best part is that I have a majority of my PTSD and depression controlled! (In the UK, they go to 60+ mg of Remeron, but the U.S. is limited to prescribing 45 mg!)"

• Pts...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 23, 2021

"After several months on a combo of Lexapro and gabapentin that made me so sick, my doc switched me to 15 mg of mirtazapine, and I am so thankful! I did experience suicidal thoughts and insane hunger at the beginning, but those diminished, and now I look forward to sleeping! As someone who was in clinical trials, psychotherapy, and various meds for years to try to combat my PTSD nightmares, mirtazapine was the drug I was waiting for! I still have dreams but no longer have the emotional and physical terror in them that had become my normal. I have a beta blocker to help with breakthrough anxiety since this drug didn’t quell my daytime anxiety, but I’m so thankful my nights are no longer owned by my trauma. I also have a comorbid eating disorder, and mirtazapine restored my body’s hunger cues that I haven’t had since I was small. I am so grateful for this drug!"

• Ste...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 14, 2020

"It's only been about 4 nights that I have been on mirtazapine. I have PTSD from childhood abuse and a sudden rash of deaths in the family. Had frequent, incredibly vivid nightmares that left me in a state of terror upon waking up in the last few years. The last 4 nights have been incredible. I fall asleep relatively quickly (under an hour) and sleep solidly. I have had only 1 nightmare, and even in the nightmare, I wasn't afraid."

• Dys...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 16, 2018

"Appalling medication! Health professionals wouldn’t take my side effects seriously! The moment I started taking mirtazapine, I became agitated, aggressive, jumpy at the slightest sound or movement, and really suicidal. I also couldn’t stop eating - like literally felt hungry CONSTANTLY! The medication made me so aggressive that I was nearly sectioned under the Mental Health Act. Health professionals told me that I was making it up to excuse my behaviors. My son was permanently removed from my care, and I was misdiagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Mirtazapine has completely ruined my life."

• Ann...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 30, 2015

"Mirtazapine is a great medication. It was my first antidepressant. I would say it's very mild compared to other antidepressants. The only problem was that I was eating too much, waking up at night to eat chocolate, and I put on weight a lot! I think that I had restless legs syndrome too. Apart from that, I was happy, no sexual dysfunction, great sleep. But after a couple of months, I had panic attacks again. My body got used to it, and my doctor increased the dose, even that couldn't help. I was on the highest dose... So I had to change my medication."

• Lee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 15, 2019

"I've been on a lot of drugs, and mirtazapine 3.75 mg is the best sleep I've had in years. I feel like a new person after severe sleep deprivation. I no longer felt the need for Ambien XR, trazodone, or buspirone after taking this. I now take 30 mg prazosin, 3.75 mg mirtazapine, and 75 mg Effexor and sleep like a baby, feel refreshed for the first time in years."

• Bbb...
• June 14, 2021

"Started mirtazapine on March 8th, was taking amitriptyline 25 mg, but it messed with my heart, so I had to switch. I was started on 15 mg mirtazapine, after 4-6 weeks, I still felt awful, so I increased to 30 mg, same thing, so I increased to 45 mg. The adjustment period was rougher than other antidepressants I've been on. On 45 mg, my mood is totally stable. I don't feel anxious, which is amazing. A lot of my symptoms have been reduced. I still experience triggers, but I'm not sure any pill would remove that. I can function again, nothing but good things to say about mirtazapine! I was so anxious prior that I couldn't eat, mirtazapine completely changed that, has really helped my body image. I've tried so many SSRIs, and the side effects were terrible. With mirtazapine, I can still cry, which is really important for me, I have no sexual dysfunction. If you're struggling to adjust, please keep going! When I was adjusting, I'd come here and read good reviews to get me through. Worth it x"