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Unfortunately I am lucky enough to have a brain that lacks certain neurotransmitters leading to depression which is very distressing for me as I love to cycle whether it be mt bike or road bike and I am naturally competitive...but recently I have had to change my meds from escitalopram to mirtazapine. My question is to the collective...is there anyone there who also has the unfortunate requirement of having to take 30mg of mirtazapine made a sucessful return to time trialling...I am just going into my second week of 30mg and have this really heavy,dizzy spaced feeling is the best way to descibe it but I want reassurance I guess as times goes by this will subside and I will feel strong and energetic enough to return to competitive cycling ?
Many thanks for your replies !
I find time-trialling depressing too, stick to mtb racing 😀
Sorry! I have nothing helpful to add - ask your Doc?
Hi,
From what i have read the mirtazapine is a (TeCA) type of mendication and Dizziness is a common side affect with this medication.
Can you not use a SSRI intead such as Citalopram selective uptake medication of the newer type of anti- depressants.
No expert in this but use the SSRI type with no dizziness and still ride me bike
maybe worth a visit to the Docs?? ❓
do you not find that the dizziness goes away once you get warmed up?
I just started taking flouexetine prozac again (2 weeks ago) and found much increased breathlesness when biking. Steep uphills really knock me out - knackered and dizzy. Apart from that being out on a bike is good thing. Biggest battle seems to be finding enough oomph to get out there in the first place 🙂 I'm guessing these effects will reduce in the weeks ahead - if not it's back to doc.
This drug also goes by the name "Zispin".
You will feel a little spaced out for a while, plus you won't have any difficulty getting to sleep for a few weeks but you should notice the initial side effects lessen with time. You can still safely exercise to quite an intense level, just try to give yourself some allowances for the time being.
The important thing is not to push yourself too hard to feel like you need to be at peak physical fitness right now, that's an extra stress you can do without. The best advice I ever received was from a MTB owning doctor (who owned a Whyte 46 in fact!) who said simply "Get out and ride in the open as often as possible".
you should expect some side-effects when you start taking new medication, although these should ease off over a few weeks (sorry).
30mg is quite a lot, how have you arrived at this dose?
you say you were taking es(?)citalopram, but have swapped to mirtazapine - how did you handle the change-over? - it's possible the effects you're feeling are citalopram withdrawal (it's a bitch, usually taking a couple of months if handled sensibly)
Escitalopram statistics: half-life 35 hours or so, 90% eliminated 7 days. typical onset of withdrawal 3-6 days after each drop in dose.
So, you are going through the withdrawal stage of being on escitolopram, and suffering the common side effects of that,whilst still building up levels of mirtazapine, which unfortunately has generally the same side effects as withdrawal from escitolpram.
I've done it both ways a few times now, it generally sorts itself out for me at about the three week mark and I feel ok again. Normally I get my psychiatrist to gradually drop the dose of one, as I build the dosage of the other over up about three or four weeks, that works fairly well for me and stops the worst of the side effects.
Good luck with it 🙂
Hey BluePalomino,
Maybe stick with them a bit longer ?
I've been taking flouexetine since early January (20md per day). Had never had any anti-depressants before. I felt much worse at first, probably for four weeks or more. Was going to give up, but finally at about six weeks, I started to feel a little brighter. That got better and better. Coupled with CBT I now feel much better.
I'm getting out on the bike a lot (not worked since last year... couldn't go back to my old job now) and do find that I get bouts of dizziness. This seems worse if I've just eaten, so not sure if the two are connected or not.
Also I sometimes feel quite tired and find it hard to get motivated.
But so much better than 6 months ago. If these are side effects, then I'm happy to have them.... I really don't think I'd still be alive if I hadn't got help.
stanley; it may well be that you need to take medication for the rest of your life, just like asthmatics, just like people with psoriasis, glaucoma, etc...
it sounds like the biggest problem you have now is the side-effects of the medication, is that right? - if so, would you consider taking less?
the best dose of any drug is the lowest dose that still works.
feel free to tell me to sod off, i don't know your circumstances.
Coupled with CBT I now feel much better
cock and ball torture?
ahwiles.... guess you meant to direct that to the OP. Think that I am taking the lowest dose anyway.... and have no intention of coming of it yet.
Yes Quirrel......cock and ball torture.......... yawn.