Mirtazapine and Increased Appetite: What Users Say

• Amm...
• March 21, 2021

For Anxiety "Mirtazapine got me out of a suicidal depression/anxious spiral! I was sleeping less than 2 hours a night - my anxiety was escalating and my mood was plummeting at an alarming rate. Mirtazapine stopped my breakdown in its tracks! I took 1 x 15mg tablet & slept through the night for the first time in months. I woke up feeling 40% better but I was sedated until midday - this faded over the next few weeks. I had a big appetite for the first month but that eased off. I started exercising again which was a result of both my boosted mood and energy levels. The sedation still stays with me until 10 or 11 am but my quality of life has improved so much!!! I've put on 5 lbs but I had lost half a stone. You have to weigh up the pros & cons. I'd rather have more of an appetite than be unable to eat because I'm shaking with unbearable anxiety. I've tried all the SSRIs & SNRIs and mirtazapine was the fastest acting plus no gastro or sexual side effects."

• Kim...
• February 17, 2013

Mirtazapine for Depression "I have ADHD, OCD, and depression. The moment I took this medication, my intrusive thoughts from OCD went away. I am no longer depressed, even when life should be getting me down. Everything seems bearable. I just feel like things are okay, I can make it. I've never felt like this before, really. Most of the time I get overwhelmed with life, but I think this medication has pulled me out of the dark hole I was in before. It does make me very hungry and sleepy. I take it in the evenings. It's hard to get up in the morning, but coffee fixes that for me. I don't recommend this to someone who cannot control their eating habits and gains weight easily."

• Ano...
• December 28, 2019

For Depression "Taking mirtazapine also for major panic disorder and PTSD, major depressive disorder for over a decade, have tried 6-7 different antidepressants. On the mirtazapine I am significantly happier, panic attacks decreased to 1 every month if not every other month, or every few months, and even when I'm on my cycle. Panic disorder and depression were incredibly debilitating, so I didn't sleep at all since. When I was put on this, I am able to sleep through peacefully every night fully through to each morning. I highly recommend taking this with a snack or food if you have a sensitive stomach as this may cause nausea. First few weeks, had a hard time waking up every morning, irritable for the first few months. I eat more on this medication, but it's fine with me. This medication is not a cure-all, I still have my bad days here and there, but my good days override my bad ones. Have faith, stay on the medication for a bit. I wish you all the best, support and love if you are taking this and it is hard for you. You got this."

• sam...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 13, 2013

Mirtazapine for Insomnia "I have been on Remeron for 3.5 years. I started out on 15 mg and now currently on 30 mg. I have tried every sleep medication available. This is by far the best medication I have ever been on for sleep. Yes, I get the ravenous hunger, and it takes about 2 hours to make me sleepy. An hour after I take it is when the hunger kicks in, and I eat for the entire day before bed. I have gained about 30 lbs over the time being on it, but it has now tapered off, I hope! However, for me, sleep is so important, so it's a matter of what's more important, the perfect body or being so tired and depressed due to lack of sleep. If you start watching what you eat prior to bed, which I do now and wish I knew or realized this early on, you can help keep the weight."

• Sal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 24, 2019

For Anxiety "Mirtazapine was the best decision my doctor ever made. After suffering from severe anxiety and constant panic attacks, I felt like I could cope no more. My doctor prescribed me 15mg of mirtazapine, and I could feel it working after a day. My anxiety has disappeared, and I haven’t had any panic attacks since. The only downside is I have been extremely hungry, but I would rather put on weight than feel like I did."

• Pre...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 24, 2023

Mirtazapine for Major Depressive Disorder "I read about Remeron somewhere online and asked my doctor for it. I take 30 mg daily. It helps with depression and helps me sleep. Take it right before you go to sleep. If you take it earlier, you might get hungry. Because this medicine makes food indescribably delicious. Get this drug. It will help you immensely. Good luck!"

• ste...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 20, 2014

Mirtazapine for Major Depressive Disorder "I was on Remeron for about 2 years before. Helped very much with my depression. But although I often felt very sleepy near the beginning of the treatment, the massive fatigue eventually subsided to an acceptable level. 20 mins after taking it, I'm ready for bed. I can't keep my eyes open no matter what. I just restarted Remeron two days ago after more than a year being on it. As I type this, I feel fogged over, sort of sleepy, and immensely 'munchie'. As before when I took it, I'd find myself waking up several times a night going to raid the fridge and cabinets for munchie or sweet foods (and meats! definitely craved meat all the time). So again, on Remeron: eating again, sleeping some, more relaxed, less sad."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 1, 2019

Mirtazapine for Depression "I've been on Remeron for several years now. Primarily for insomnia but also for anxiety and depression. This medication helps me tremendously like no others I've tried. No side effects besides hunger and weight gain. Highly recommend"

• Anx...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 27, 2025

For Anxiety "I had anxiety and panic attacks for about 20 years before seeking help. I started therapy and was prescribed an SSRI. It made me sick every time I ate. I kept losing weight. After several attempts at different SSRI medications, I was prescribed 15 mg of Mirtazapine. When I started Mirtazapine, I had lost 12 pounds in about one month from the previous SSRI. Day one of Mirtazapine, I had an appetite. I slept calmly the entire night. Within a week, I was able to try new things out in public, like going to restaurants by myself and signing up with a volunteer organization in which I did not know anyone. I felt like myself for the first time in 20+ years. However, within two weeks, my weight gain was more than what I had lost originally, so I was prescribed a 7.5 mg. Even with the lowest dosage, I gained 40 pounds in one month. I was told to stop taking it. I haven't had a medication that's helped since I stopped taking this in 2023. It was an amazing medication for me except for the weight gain."

• Cam...
• December 3, 2014

For Anxiety "I suffered from awful anxiety for years. I tried a wide range of antidepressants and nothing ever worked. This medicine saved my life. Within days of trying it, I was off of Ambien and Ativan, which I had needed to sleep and function. It did make me super hungry, and I did gain weight. But what's a few pounds to trade in for happiness? If I ever suffered severe anxiety problems again, I would try it in a second. It was actually one of the very first medicines my doctor recommended, but I did not try it due to possible liver side effects. That was a big mistake. I wasted years on the antidepressant roller coaster. If it wasn't for the increased appetite, I would gladly pop one of those little miracle pills every night for the rest of my life."

• K_T...
• September 12, 2009

Mirtazapine for Depression "This antidepressant has been a blessing in my life. I was 25 lbs underweight due to depression, and also had sporadic sleeping. The side effects are a benefit for me. It makes you hungry, especially after you take it at night. I crave lots of carbs, and have been eating like I have never before. I have gained 11 lbs in just 1 month on Remeron. It also has a nice sedation effect to help with sleep. When I take my 30mg dose at night, I have everything ready because after 45 minutes I can barely keep my eyes open, and then get a great night's sleep. Side effects are worse during the first week, and then everything balances out! If you suffer from sleep and/or eating, then Remeron could be the biggest blessing in your life also. It gave me hope."

• Neo...
• July 23, 2019

For Depression "I suffer from severe depression and anxiety. I would cry randomly at home, work, in public. I couldn't be around large crowds, I would have panic attacks. Self-isolated and constantly had suicidal thoughts. My MD started me on Wellbutrin and I reached the max dose of 450 mg. It didn't help. After my second attempted suicide, my doctor prescribed me Mirtazapine 15 mg. It started working immediately. I take the pill every night. After my first dose, I woke up the next day super tired and lethargic. The second day, the lethargy was gone. By day 4, I felt like a new person. I started thinking more clearly and was able to manage my anxiety and depression. I still feel anxious and still have sad thoughts, but not to the point of feeling suicidal. I do have to work harder to keep my diabetes under control because of the increased appetite, but the benefits of the medication far outweigh the side effects. I know this medication affects everyone differently, but this drug literally saved my life."

• Dav...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 21, 2024

For Depression "After a few weeks of taking 15 mg, I can confirm that the depression and anxiety disorder is in remission after 14 years. Studies suggest that mirtazapine will start to work quickly and will reach its full benefits around the 2-week mark; further improvements after this timeframe will be smaller and less remarkable. I can confirm that this is true: after 2 weeks, my mood had increased significantly and the anxiety had almost abated. I continue to notice smaller improvements as I continue treatment. I experienced an increase in appetite initially and decided to be strict in my eating habits (this is the only way to deal with the food cravings). Being aware that I was always hungry and that it was due to the medication helped me to be in control of my appetite. As my mental health improves, I am finding that my power of agency to control things in my life that I can control is much stronger."

• Kha...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 10, 2019

Mirtazapine for Major Depressive Disorder "I have MDD, anxiety disorder, panic attacks, and ASD (autism spectrum disorder). I was put on a combination of 7.5 mg Remeron and 100 mg of Pristiq. Within a few weeks, I stopped having panic attacks and I had no more depression. I am so grateful my doctor tried these drugs, it literally saved my life. Before, my life was hell, and I literally wanted to die. Now I am happy 99% of the time, and I can't remember the last time I cried. The only problem is I am constantly hungry, and I have gained 40 pounds in less than a year."

• Per...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 1, 2019

For Anxiety "This mirtazapine saved my job, my life, and my relationship. The only side effects I found were, in the first 2 weeks, brain zapping and drowsiness/clumsiness. Interestingly, this drug took immediate effect for me after day one of taking it. You could attribute this to a placebo effect, however, this significant improvement in reducing my overwhelming anxiety continued throughout my taking it. I was on 15mg, and that was enough for me. Also, another side effect I had for around the first 1.5 months was increased appetite, I could eat and eat and eat, and I would still feel like I could continue eating. There wasn’t a point where I knew that I was satiated. At around 3 months, I started to feel like my anxiety levels were normalizing. I began to feel more like myself and could see through the mist. I had no withdrawal symptoms when I weaned off of them. Anyone suffering from depression complicated by anxiety and sleep issues, I would highly recommend based on my experience."

• cmw...
• November 1, 2019

For Insomnia "This drug Remeron is amazing for sleep and anxiety. I started off with 30mg at night. I took it about an hour before I wanted to go to bed, and it worked amazingly for me. I slept all night long, never even waking up to use the restroom, which is huge for me. I went down to 15mg about a year ago, and it still worked the same. If your main issue is falling asleep and staying asleep, along with some sleep anxiety, I would say TAKE IT!! And I did not gain ANY WEIGHT from it. Yes, it makes you hungry, but try and control what you put into your mouth and how active you are. Wonderful drug! Godsend!!!"

• xyz...
• September 16, 2014

Mirtazapine for Major Depressive Disorder "I had been taking Restoril for sleep for several years. I found that my level of depression was worsening over time, and I had to take more and more to sleep. Finally, I decided that I needed to get off of Restoril. My doctor prescribed Remeron. I have been taking it for several weeks now and find that my mood has improved as well as my sleep. I am down to half of the Restoril I was taking before and hopefully may be able to discontinue it. The only downside of Remeron is that my appetite has increased, which is not good for me. Otherwise, I would have rated this as a 10."

• Moh...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 29, 2017

For Anxiety "Mirtazapine is initially sedating, this gradually reduces over about a month. The sedation rapidly reduces anxiety and improves sleep. After the first month, the sedative effect wears off, and you may feel the drug has stopped working, it has not! The longer-term antidepressant/anxiety benefits take several months to reach maximum benefit. After 3 months, most side effects disappear. My biggest side effect is increased appetite, I compensate by exercising more as I love to eat! I started on a 15mg dose and increased this to 30mg after a month. Overall, 6 months on, my anxiety is 80% better than before."

• Del...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 1, 2024

For Insomnia "About time I wrote a review here, as I've been on Mirt for 9 months. Have never written a review before, but it really, really helped me. I went through a sudden bout of extreme insomnia and developed sleep anxiety. I got put on Mirtazapine, and it helped me almost instantly. For the first few weeks and months, I'd still have quite broken sleep, anxiety doesn't go away overnight, but the tablets got me back on track massively. I started on 15, reduced to 7.5, but found around 3.75 to be perfect. I have gained no weight (I did a few lbs initially, as it made my appetite much stronger, but that calmed down after a while and lower dose). I also feel much happier, calmer, and optimistic in general, even though sleep was the main reason I started. I'm happy continuing for now! Anyone who is suffering insomnia, try this. I also listened to YouTube videos from Insomnia Coach, and that really helped too. Sending love x"

• Mot...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 19, 2016

For Anxiety "I started taking this over a month ago for anxiety. I had terrible physical symptoms of anxiety, including numbness, pins and needles, and burning in my limbs. I was having panic attacks on a daily basis for about 6 months and was feeling incredibly disconnected from my life and surroundings. I was put on 15mg once a day and I cannot express how much this drug has changed my life. The first day after taking it, I was incredibly drowsy, however, that subsided within two weeks - I still get drowsy after taking it, but I've never slept better and I wake up fine. I did have increased hunger for about three weeks, but I just continued my normal diet/exercise so I had absolutely no weight gain and my appetite has returned to normal."

• Anonymous
• February 17, 2011

Mirtazapine for Depression "Remeron is a unique medicine, since its side effects are sometimes as useful as its antidepressant effects. This medicine literally saved my life. For many years, I was around 90 pounds, and never slept. Now, I'm a healthy 120 and I sleep about 8 or 9 hours per night. It did take a long time to get to this point. When I first started taking it, I was tired all the time and very worried about the ravenous hunger! But now that I've been on it 2 years, I no longer gain weight, I'm no longer tearful and miserable, and I've honestly never been happier. God bless the people who made this drug. It literally saved my life."

• Fri...
• May 10, 2017

For Anxiety "This medication has been a miracle for me. My anxiety has improved tenfold and it's not near as bad as it was. Most meds have side effects but the improvement in my life outweighs any of them. Although I don't feel any real side effects, I do know my appetite has increased which is good for me and I just try to eat healthy & keep away from junky food. Overall I feel so much better and sleep better too. I felt a little sleepy in the evenings when I first began taking it but this has gone away now and I don't notice anything. I'm feeling so much better."

• Emi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 19, 2019

For Anxiety "Had moderate anxiety with horrible hour-long panic attacks, no sleep nor eating. After I started taking the pills, I felt super relaxed, and the first week I slept 18 hours a day (which was needed). Felt the side effects of feeling dizzy and the entire room spinning the first week, but definitely worth it. Now I experience higher appetite (which is positive for me since I lost a lot of weight before treatment) and I have vivid dreams and nightmares once in a while. These pills made me positive and optimistic about life again and definitely changed my life for the better. Used to have intrusive thoughts, bad anxiety, and when I didn't have a panic attack, I was just worried about when the next one was going to hit! The pills stopped my over-worrying and (combined with therapy) made me less harsh on myself. All of this is based on the Danish health system, which is pretty highly ranked worldwide, so I consider the drug to be one of the better options."

• amo...
• April 10, 2015

Mirtazapine for Depression "Doctor prescribed me Remeron. I've been taking 15mg for about a month now. I've noticed an increase in hunger and I get great sleep with this medication. However, it hasn't helped with my anxiety attacks or depression. I also noticed that I'm becoming more and more forgetful, often find myself staring at nothing in a daze, and it's hard to articulate what I'm thinking or feeling."

• Scr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 23, 2020

For Anxiety "This drug really worked for me, but I had to discontinue it. I did experience grogginess in the morning. It took me a while to get going, but once I was up and around, I was fine. I’d take that over not sleeping any day. It was also very effective for my anxiety at 15 mg. It also has no sexual side effects for me (male), which was huge. In fact, I think it may have helped my libido a bit. Now, the bad: I could not stop eating on it. It was crazy. It was like something took over my body. I could eat a large pizza and a box of cupcakes, almost cry because I didn’t want to eat anymore and knew I was out of control, and then 10 minutes later be in the kitchen tearing through the kids’ cereal and whatever else I could get my hands on. I put on 25 lbs in less than 2 months with no signs of slowing down. It really sucks because it was great in all other aspects for me."