Will Mirtazapine Stop Flashbacks

[bongobongo]

Hi, I am new to this forum. I have a history of CSA and was recently attacked. My symptoms have become very bad but have so far resisted meds now I am going to try mirtazapine but please can anyone tell me if it will stop my flashbacks and the voices that I hear in my head daily?

 

[Gamereign555]

Hi, by CSA you mean sleep apnea right? The drug sounds like it is an antidepressant used to treat anxiety. Is also used to treat OCD and of course Ptsd, if your symptoms are due to anxiety and depression then the drug should work. If it does not then a doctor will only see it as a means to a diagnosis and another route for the medication you need. Clearly to them you have anxiety and or depression so they want to try that first, but fear not there are other meds specifically for what you want to stop.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

I'm not familiar with an antidepressant having the power to do either of those things...

 

[Gamereign555]

No but anxiety can cause such voices and aggrivates symptoms, I was suggesting that the medication might be meant to treat an underlying cause of the voices and flashbacks. Severe mental illness is not always the cause of hearing voices. High anxiety, and learned behaviors because of it can cause OCD behaviors and hearing voices.

 

[shell]

I used Mirtazapine for depression about 5 months ago, it's great for sleeping, but for me I still had flashbacks. I had to go off it because I had been so sleep deprived for nearly two years, that suddenly all I did was sleep, not such a good idea when you're driving, I had nearly 4 accidents in a week.

 

[bongobongo]

Thanks for your replies. By CSA I meant childhood abuse. I have been experiencing many flashbacks and hearing someone talk to me who is actually dead (I know this but I feel like they are real and believe it is real while I hear them). I am really struggling and just need the voice and the flashbacks to go. I do have high anxiety after a recent assault. I have always been pretty against meds but just wanted to know if the antidepressant will stop either. Otherwise I don't know why I need to take them.

 

[Gamereign555]

Yeah I would seriously bring that up with your doctor, and if you have a therapist make them work together on a solution.
It is possible that the antidepressant could work but if you don't think you are depressed talk to your therapist, tell your doctor and therapist what is really going on and what isn't going on. I wouldn't want to take medication I don't need either.
Make them tell you exactly why they think you should take this medication, if your doctor won't work with you, get another one that will. Having a therapist is also a big deal with some doctors, as they will feel more confident with their prescriptions knowing that someone else is keeping an eye on you.

I have a therapist and I feel she is in agreement with me by taking as little medication as possible and using coping skills when I can. Whereas the doctor will prescribe whatever I need within reason pretty much. They are both very good people but I trust my therapist more.

Some doctors will ask you on your visits if you are seeing a counselor or something, there is a reason for this!

 

[Maggiemay]

*hugs*

Bongo - you sound just like me! I could have written that last post you wrote myself! Feel free to PM me if you want to chat.

After being incredibly unwell with flashbacks, anxiety etc I was put on quetiapine, an anti-psychotic which helped a lot to calm me down, level out my mood and stop the flashbacks, as well as helping sleep. I was on mitazapine in the past and rather reluctantly due to always gaining a lot of weight whilst on it agreed to go back on it.

I was on 15mg to begin with, before increasing to 30, then 45 yesterday. It is the only anti depressant I've ever found that actually works for me anf doesn't make me unwell (although last night after taking upped dose I had visual and auditory hallucinations for the first time in agggeees...)

I think it's a mix of the 2 that works well for me. Also, I've had a lot of therapy, learning grounding strategies and how to manage flashbacks when they happen.

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