Douglas King8 said:Hey there. Looking for some perspective and maybe a little info here. I’ve been struggling with sleep for about a year and a half now. There were stretches where I’d sleep okay, but it never lasted more than ten days at a time. For the last six months, though? It’s just constant. Falling asleep is a struggle—it usually takes me two or three hours once my head hits the pillow (unless I stay up super late, like hitting the sack at 2 or 3 AM). Then there’s the middle-of-the-night stuff; I wake up every single night, maybe twice, once during the night and again right before dawn. If I have to be up early, say by 9 or 10 AM, I’m averaging maybe five or six hours. On days when I can sleep in, I get closer to seven or eight. I’m trying to work through this step-by-step. I tried talking to a psychologist, which actually helped me realize that, looking at things objectively, my situation isn't quite as catastrophic as it feels. I even tried wearing myself out with physical exercise, but honestly, that didn't change much. Now I’ve started seeing a psychiatrist. Since the insomnia kicked in, I’ve been having hallucinations while lying in bed, which really spooked me—made me worry I was dealing with some heavy-duty mental illness. My doctor told me they’re just hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations—basically just things you see while drifting off or waking up. She said I’m overthinking the whole "how much sleep will I get" thing, that I’m terrified of losing my mind, and that I'm just incredibly tense. She diagnosed me with F41.3 anxiety. At first, she put me on Clonazepam to help me relax, but that did nothing. After that, I tried Oxazepam 5mg; sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. During the day, I’m actually fine—I’m not irritable, my concentration is solid, and I function normally, except for being perpetually exhausted. I’m mostly worried that because I’m studying so hard, the lack of sleep might actually push me over the edge (I know, I know, I’m creating this feedback loop of anxiety, but it's hard to stop the cycle). Right before bed, I get this wave of dread that I won't be able to fall asleep. I toss and turn for hours, and my brain just won't shut up. Random thoughts just fly through my head uncontrollably, which made me wonder if it was schizophrenia, but after some psych testing and interviews, my doctor reassured me it wasn't. My brain is just constantly running, probably from all the studying. Physically, I feel okay, but the stress from the sleep deprivation is constant. Anyway, my doctor finally recommended psychotherapy (which I'll be starting soon) and prescribed Odonazin / Calixt / Mirtazapine. She explained that my issues are driven by tension and fear rather than "pure" insomnia. She also mentioned that these meds can cause weight gain and suggested I wait a few months to see if things improve before starting them. I’m curious about anyone’s experience with this medication, specifically regarding the weight gain (I've read that a lot of people end up putting on pounds). Any advice would be appreciated. 🙂 🙂
I’ve got a pretty similar story myself—maybe a little more dramatic, though. About a year ago, I finally went to see a shrink. 😉
Insomnia isn't some standalone issue you can just tackle on its own. It’s never that simple. Think of it more like a flashing dashboard light in your car—it’s usually just signaling that something else is broken under the hood. Whether it's anxiety, depression, or something else entirely, the sleeplessness is just a symptom. You have to fix the actual underlying problem first; once you deal with the root cause, the sleep issues usually just sort themselves out as a side effect.
One thing’s for sure: you’ll sleep like a log on Mirzaten. You'll feel the effects pretty damn quick—if not immediately, then definitely within a couple of days. That's why that AD is actually solid.
So, for my anxiety, I ended up on Ad Fevarin—it's one of those antidepressants that doubles as an anxiolytic. I also take a tiny dose of Mirzaten just to help me sleep, though sometimes I only take about a sixth of a 15 mg pill. At that micro-dose, Mirzaten doesn't even act like an antidepressant; it basically just hits the histamine receptors. Honestly, it doesn't even knock me out that hard. In the beginning, though, I could sleep for as long as I wanted, provided my responsibilities actually let me. I’d easily clock nine hours, and on the weekends? Twelve hours, easy. Plus, the dreams were incredible—super vivid, like watching a movie, almost lucid. 🙂
I'm not sure what dose you'll settle on for Mirzaten. If you’re using it as your primary antidepressant, you'll likely land somewhere around 30-45 mg. Just a heads up: you’ll probably feel pretty drowsy and sluggish during the day at first. It usually takes about 2 or 3 weeks for your body to adjust. As you bump up the dose, the antidepressant effect on serotonin and norepinephrine kicks in harder, which actually helps dial back that "zombie" feeling from the histamine receptors—but you should still sleep like a baby. 🙂
Mirzaten doesn't technically cause weight gain on its own, but it definitely cranks up the appetite, especially for carbs and sweets. You really have to be disciplined from day one and fight the urge to snack constantly. It's all about willpower, really.
I wasn't exactly a saint when it came to my diet, so I ended up putting on about 10 pounds over nearly a year. That wasn't because of the Mirzaten, though—it was because I was inhaling boxes of Oreos and other junk food. 😵
All in all, it's a solid antidepressant. If you notice you're gaining weight or if it just doesn't sit right with you, you always have the option I use: some other anti-anxiety med paired with a tiny dose of Mirzaten just to help with sleep.
Good luck. You're finally going to get some actual rest. :klap:
