Dangers Of Mirtazapine (Page 3) (Top voted first)

It seems to me that Mirtazapine is a potentially dangerous drug with little information known about it. My veterinarian prescribed this drug in small quantities for my cat as an appetite stimulant, so I began reading articles on the drug and its effects. Although it is supposed to be used as an antidepressant for humans, it has a wide reputation for causing suicidal tendencies in children and young adults. It causes weight gain (the side effect my vet was looking for in my cat's case). It also can cause feelings of depression, and wooziness. I spoke with a nurse who took it and she said the effects of sluggishness and dizziness lasted 2 to 3 days. It can also cause nausea and headaches. It seems to me that these side effects are anything but what a person who is already depressed should be feeling. (suicidal tendencies that they didn't originally have, feeling tired and unwell physically, and weight gain that could cause feelings of insecurity or increased depression) Giving this drug to my cat was the worst thing I ever did. About an hour after administering it to her, she began crying, looking confused, and she could not walk straight. We figured the effects would wear off, but they seemed to worsen. The next day she was holding her head down, walking in circles (trying to walk straight) and she could not focus her eyes. We brought her to the emergency animal hospital, and they called a poison center. Even the poison center had so little information on this drug (especially being prescribed to cats) that they did not know how to counteract the effects. We believe that the drug actually caused a mild stroke in our cat, and the vet said this looked like it might be the case. On top of that, it has a 72 hour half life, so we just had to wait the drug out for her to even feel better. If this drug could cause a mild stroke in my cat, I could only imagine what it could also do to a human. With so little knowledge of the effects, and such long-lasting effects, it seems to me that it is a dangerous and harmful drug for doctors to be prescribing. A few years from now, when it actually is studied more, I bet that it will be taken off the market as another one of those trial drugs that did not work out. Until then, how many people (and animals) will it harm?

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The vet prescribed Mirtazapine 15 mg for my cat yesterday. Within an hour or two after giving him the first pill, he became anxious, seemed uncomfortable, disoriented, and started crying. He's been crying off and on all night so I've been trying to console him. We gave him this drug to try to stimulate his appetite after he had a bad reaction to Clavamox which caused him to quit eating. I stopped the Clavamox and about 15 hours later, he ate some turkey babyfood. Unusally a ravenous pig, he didn't want to eat anything else even five hours later so I decided to give him the Mirtazapine. Unfortunately, he's now having a very bad reaction. It scares me that Jennifer's cat seemed to have a stroke. I don't know how long this is going to last and don't know if I should take him to the vet again today. Right now I'm afraid to trust the vet again. No one told me the side effects and I stupidly didn't look them up. I've called the vet hospital and they were rather nonchalant about it and said the symptoms should go away. This pill has not made my cat eat at all so I'm now afraid he will go 72 hours without food, since that is the length this drug works. He's crying right now. I don't know what to do.

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Update -- A couple of hours after my last post I took my cat to the emergency vet. His temp had dropped to 94 degrees, he was acutely anemic, his heart was very small in the x-ray, and he was getting shocky, according to the emergency doctor. His eyes were extremely dilated, he was yowling, seemed very uncomfortable and anxious. It was horrible and sad to watch. At noon I left him with the vet who said he should be okay after blood transfusions. At 4:30 the vet called to say he'd had an episode - that his heart had stopped and he'd stopped breathing. They were able to get his heart started again and he was breathing on his own but was unconscious. The vet hoped that if they continued the transfusions, he would respond. 15 minutes later the vet called again to say he'd passed. When I went to pick up his little body, I noticed black tarry looking stuff coming out of his behind. The vet said it was obvious the cat had been bleeding into his GI tract and that he'd bled out. Prior to this day, my cat had not had any history of GI problems. He was being treated for lymphocytic plasmacytic rhinitis -- a nasal disease. He'd had a blood test the week before and had a normal blood count at the time, and was not anemic at all. How he could suddenly bleed to death internally is a mystery. The only thing I can attribute it to at this time is that I gave him mirtazapine and 15 hours later he was dead. The vets insist that mirtazapine wouldn't have this effect and say they give it to their patients all of the time. I think they may be covering for each other. I think that the anxiety caused by the drug must have made my little guy's heart pound so much that he popped a blood vessel somewhere inside and then the blood continued pounding right out. Jennifer (above) says she thinks her cat had a stroke, which is one of the documented side effects of this drug, so why couldn't a blood vessle pop somewhere besides the brain? It was a horrible experience for my cat and for me. Please pass the word on to all you know that mirtazapine should be used with great caution on small animals. If my Abby died so other animals might be saved, then his death wouldn't be in vain. I feel his pain and the fear, confusion, and anxiety he experienced in his last hours were completely unnecessary. People - read up on drugs before you give them to your pets. I know I will from now on.

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Update on our 17-year-old calico who we had given 1/4 tab of Mirtazapine: After my post, our cat's agitation increased, so I called the after-hours line for our veterinarian. The on-call vet did not seem particularly concerned with my situation, saying that Mirtazapine is safe and would not be dangerous considering our senior cat's heart murmer. She suggested we give the cat 1/4 tab of Benadryl (which acts as a mild sedative) to calm her down. So, once again hoping (stupidly) the vet knew best, we did so. The cat spit the pill out and immediately began to gag and salivate heavily, and then started to shake. She threw up yet again and then had diahrea on the floor, which she never has. At this point, I called a local 24/7 emergency vet, and they said to bring her in right away. They took this situation very seriously, especially considering our cat's heart murmer and the fact that she was breathing very rapidly. They examined her, cleaned her up, and put her in a room with me to quiet down, which presently she did (although she was still crying a bit, it was much less than before). The vet took our cat's history, went over possible scenarios, and showed me a large green manual (can't remember the name) which she said was sort of the veterinary bible of medications. On the Mirtazapine listing under side effects, it listed crying and nausea, but nothing to the extent that my cat or Jennifer's cat experienced. So this book is obviously not as thorough as it should be for this listing. My cat began to quiet down, the vet examined her again after about 1/2 an hour, and the color had come back to the roof of her mouth (it had been pale when I first brought her in), she seemed more focused, but was not interested in drinking. When I expressed my concern about this and dehydration, she offered to give the cat subcutaneous fluids, which she did. She advised us to stop the Mirtazapine (which I would have done anyway) and to try different cat foods as an appetite stimulant to see what our cat might respond to (she suggested Fancy Feast, which for a supermarket brand, she said is of good quality and has many different flavors). Now stabilized, I brought the cat home (now about 1:30 a.m.,, approx. 5 hours after the initial dose), where she proceeded to become more calm, and made it through the night relatively ok. This morning, she seemed normal and fine. I feel we were very lucky, and I'm very sorry to here of Becky's loss -- my sympathies. But anyone who is advised to give their cat Mirtazapine should do careful research and ask a lot of questions and consider a change in diets before pharmaceuticals of any kind. I bought some Fancy Feast today, and our cat ate it up. Mirtazapine -- regardless of some veterinarians' opinions -- is dangerous. Don't use it.

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Well, the effects of Mirtazapine have finally worn off for Casper. Thankfully his condition did not worsen after the initial 24 hours. My vet has very little expereince with this drug and was surprised at the stong adverse effects. There is not much that could be done for Casper except wait for the drug to leave his system. The backup plan was to put him on IV drip to try to flush the drug out if needed.
I would definitely not use this drug again and would urge anyone who does to LIMIT the dose to 1/8 of a 15mg pill......discuss the dosage seriously with your vet !!!!!
Becky T.....it you check this site again I want to say that I am truly sorry for your loss. The experience that you and Abby had was very disturbing. I would urge you to go back to your records to verify the dosage that was prescribed to you. If in fact it was 15mg per dose; this would be an extreme overdose and the vet should be advised. I know that you would want to protect other pets from potential overdose.
Thank you all for posting your comments. Without you, I would not have known what was happening to Casper and might have pursued more serious medical intervention with dire consequences.

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Hello MK,
I'm so sorry to hear about Bill, It's a horrible decision to have to make. How old was Bill? My tom is still eating well, but his times for food has changed dramatically. He wakes me at any time in the early hours wanting food. This morning it was 04.20 hrs when he wanted food, yesterday it was 02.30 hrs then another 7 times during the day. He eats small amounts frequently and easily takes in his daily requirement of food. I void giving him the Mirtazapine on the same day as his chemotherapy medication as it results in him being very subdued-two major drugs together isn't a good idea I don't think. I started the Mirtazapine at an Eighth of a 10mg tablet, not a quarter as the vet prescribed and he's doing well.

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My male has been on mirtazapine for over a year now. He has renal disease and hyperthyroidism. The drug helps stimulate his appetite and curb the increase in stomach acid produced as a result of the renal disease.
I give him 1/16 of a 15mg pill every week to 10 days. This is just enough to not cause any bad side effects but stimulates his appetite. I originally had him on 1/4 of a pill and he did the howling and pacing. 1/16 works great for us. He's maintained his weight very well and is a very happy boy. I'm sorry for those of you who had a bad experience with the drug but it has been a blessing for us.

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I agree we have a cat who has been ill for days and isn't eating or moving at all. We took her to the vet and he proscribed one tablet to see if it would give our beloved Princess back her appetite. Within a hour she was eating, not much but something and she hadn't eaten for 4 days. I'm not one for drugs for my animals. But I also know that leaving her the way she was she could risk getting worse things to happen. I understand the love of a pet. As others have said like every human, every animal is going to react differently to a drug. It may not have been the drug that caused the problem it could of been something that was underlying and possibly the vet missed it or it wasn't found yet. You just can not assume it's the drug because you don't know. For use it helped our baby get back to eating. It's a god send.

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My 17 year old cat was prescribed this drug after a continual weight loss. He is 17 and has been offered baby food, different dry foods and many canned foods including the prescription ones. He just refused to eat and basically was starving to death slowly. My vet prescribed 1/4 tablet every three days. After a matter of hours after the first dose he began eating. He now eats 2 small cans of food a day, dry food and a ton of treats every day. He has had 2 doses now over 5 days and is still eating very well with no apparent side effects. I am taking him to an internist, but I believe that this drug has saved his life. Please consult with your vet about this issue. Unfortunately, in a lot of instances, people who have problems with a drug are quick to respond and the ones for which the drug works don't respond!!!

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Steveo59, who can prescribe for pets except vets? You say you wouldn't give ant meds that humans are prescribed from a vet or anyone else. That is an ignorant comment. There are many drugs that animals need that humans also use. Your experience with one drug does not mean you should never use a drug for your pet. People read your opinion and will latch onto it. Please be more careful when posting.

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Re: Sad Kitty Mom (# 409)

I'm so very sorry for your loss. Please don't blame yourself. None of us knew our cats would have such horrific reactions to this drug. We only wanted to help them. May your baby rest in peace.

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Mertazapine was also prescribed for my cat. He became extremely agitated crying, biting and inconsolable for about a day and a half. I would never advise anyone to give this to their pet. It was a terrible, frightening experience for me to see my fur baby like this. There must be a better way. I put a skull and cross bones on the bottle and kept it as a reminder.

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Mirtazapine is the worst anti-depressant there is. I thought I knew what depression was, until I took Mirtazapine. It sent me into a downward spiral that resulted in me wanting to die. I can really understand now how a drug can actually make people kill themselves. Luckily, I had enough mental capacity to stop taking Mirtazapine and recommend that everyone steer clear of this horrid medication.

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Kate, please chill out. Some reputable vets prescribe mirtazapine for cats who are losing weight because of chronic health problems. That said, animal guardians are right to be concerned about their animals taking such a strong drug, given that there's no way to know how the animal is feeling (anxious? depressed? disoriented?) once on the drug. My vet, who is excellent in all other ways, has just prescribed this for my cat (weight loss from kidney trouble), and now that I know what it is and how strong the side effects can be, I have no intention of giving it to my cat. I would encourage other animal lovers to look for other alternatives; antidepressants are incredibly powerful drugs, the mechanisms of which are only partly understood, and the side effects can be debilitating. I know: Over the past 15 years, I've taken Prozac, Zoloft, nortriptaline, Lexapro, Celeca, Effexor, and Cymbalta, and I've experienced strong, albeit varied, side effects from each, and insufficient relief from each to warrant continuing any of them. I reiterate: I would *not* give mirtazapine, or any other antidepressant, to my animals under any circumstances.

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To Mike - Good luck with your kitty. Luckily, you only gave your baby 1/4 tab (mine was given the full 15 mg tab as prescribed by my vet). Please let us know what happens.

And to the Veterinarian who posted here -- Real people are posting real experiences with their pets. I don't think we should be reprimanded for that and told to be cautious when posting. Rather, veterinarians should be overly cautious when prescribing mitrazapine and should always inform the pet's owner of the full and possible consequences of giving their pet this pill. If I had known, you can be certain I would not have been so cavalier about giving it to him thinking in was just a pill and that the vet knows best. We buried my cat yesterday and all of the pain of losing him returned as well as my feelings of guilt for giving him something that caused his last hours of life to be filled with so much anxiety and fear -- the last thing I would ever intentionally do to an animal.

I encourage everyone who has a negative experience with giving their cat mitrazapine to post it here so the word gets out.

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Update: My 13 y.o. male with reneal disease had stopped eating. He has now been on mirtazapine since early July. I first gave him 1/4 of a 15 mg. tablet and he displayed all the symptoms other posters have shared. I played with the dosage quite a bit and our perfect dose is 1/16 of a 15 mg. tablet every 3 or 4 days. He eats steadily, his bloodwork is good and he actually gained about 3/4 of a pound at his last vet visit. This low dosage does not cause him to be any more vocal than he normally is or wobbly at all, or has raised his blood pressure. He has completely stopped vomiting up the foamy bile. It does make him a very content, lovey, boy with a good (normal) appetite and it has improved his quality of life. I will keep him on it for as long as I see him doing so well.

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My 6yr. old Oriental Shorthair cat was diagnosed with renal failure 8wks. ago. About 10 days ago she quit eating. She's ONLY 6yrs. old. When I called the vet about this; he put her on the mirtazapine 15mg. tabs @ 1/4 tab every 3 days. (She ONLY weighs 5 1/2 lbs!) I TRUSTED him & gave it to her. SAME reaction to it as reported by others. She SCREAMED & YOWLED for 2 days straight & COULD NOT SIT STILL for a minute! Like a kitty on SPEEDERS!! WHAT A NIGHTMARE!! Whie it has made her eat RAVENOUSLY; the side effects are NOT WORTH THE RISK OF THIS DRUG! After reading all these posts; I'll be TEARING MY VET A 'NEW ONE' tomorrow AM when I can get him on the phone! The trouble with the Vets of today is that IT IS ALL ABOUT THE MONEY MAKING! He could have told me about the drug & SEVERE SIDE EFFECTS! We have been giving sub q fluids every other day for 2mos; & even THEY did NOT get this EVIL DRUG outta my cats system fast enough. Luckily, I've only STUPIDLY given it twice. IT JUST HIT THE GARBAGE PAIL after reading all this!! I used to be a VET TECH; & I'll say this much; BEWARE OF WHAT GOES ON BEHIND THOSE CLOSED VET DOORS! Most Vets & Staff are MEAN SOBs too!! I'm EXTREMELY UPSET after reading these posts. I wish You all the best with your kitty friends. I wouldn't give it to one of my dogs either!! I'VE LEARNED A GREAT DEAL THIS EVENING on this page; & thank EVERYONE for their input!

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I have two cats who are siblings (so you think they would have similar body chemistry and reactions to meds) but boy is that a wrong assumption. My male was put on Metrazapine for weight loss. Within minutes he had the symptoms others have described: appeared disoriented, crying and howling, following me, and looking frightened. I followed what another poster noted and immediately got Cyproheptadine from my vet and he was fine.

His sister is on Metrazapine and she has had no reactions, and it has helped with her weight loss.

I am so sorry for everyone who has had challenges with it, but please know that every cat has different reactions. My boy had a horrible reaction that scared me to tears, and my girl is maintaining weight and it's saving her health. Thanks everyone for your helpful comments.

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If your animal ever experiences an adverse reaction to a medicine, whether it is a human product or a veterinary product, you can report this to the Veterinary medicines directorate. They monitor the safety of drugs used in animals. You can fill in the report on their website at vmd.defra.gov.uk/adversereactionreporting/ If you dont have all the details to complete the form just fill in what you can.

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Last night my 16 year old cat died and it seemed like a direct result of being given Mirtazapine. Although she's had kidney issues all of her life, her recent bloodwork had been normal for her, so we weren't entirely sure why she was starting to fade, though infection from mouth ulcers due to the dangers of dental work and anesthesia on a "kidney kitty" were definitely a factor.

The vet prescribed Mirtazapine due to appetite loss, which I had used somewhat successfully with a previous cat (albeit with the side effects of restlessness and yowling; it did help her to eat). I had given her 1/2 of a dose (1/8 of a pill) three days ago ad it seemed to help a little, so when she hadn't eaten in a full day I decided to give her a 1/4 tablet . That day she had been less active than usual and was breathing a litter harder than normal, but was responsive and seemed to be resting comfortably. She had peed on the couch a couple days before, which she had never done previously, so I suspected she was getting ready to say goodbye and I had begun contacting vets about doing an in home euthanization.

About ten minutes after giving the Mirtazapine, as we lay together on the couch, she began salivating and got up to walk to the end of the couch, barely able to balance and obviously wanting to vomit but somehow unable. Her pupils were dilated and her tail was puffed up and she staggered around the couch as I tried to guide her, falling over and getting back up. I ran to wake my husband and he got a carrier while I tried to hold her. She struggled and staggered away under a desk. When I pulled he out as gently as I could, her bladder let go. I put her in the carrier and she lay on her side, struggling to breathe. I kept my hand on her as my husband drove toward the emergency vet. Her breathing quickly turned to gasping, then she began shuddering. That soon changed to convulsing, then she went still.

She was gone. The whole episode lasted no more than five minutes. I had already accepted that it was nearly her time to go, but had expected a peaceful, compassionate passing that we planned. Instead she died in what must have been horrible pain and confusion, with my own terror and sorrow washing over her.

Was it a reaction to the Mirtazapine? I obviously can't say for sure. After reading about other people's experiences with it, I think it likely. She was in general decline but this was such a sudden an acute event and so proximal to her being given the drug. All I wanted was for her to be comfortable in her last days, but I feel like I killed her and that this is the worst thing I've ever done in my life.

The more cats I have pass away, the more it sees that they've all take dramatic downturns when more drugs or agressive therapies are introduced. I don't mean things like basic antibiotics or subcutaneous fluids, which were largely responsible for the length and quality of this kitty's life to until the end, but starting Prednisone, radioactive hyperthyroid treatment, and now Mirtazapine have all seemed like be beginning of he end for my past three cats, respectively. Of course they were already in decline. Of course they might have died sooner without those therapies. I'm just left to wonder each time I say goodbye whether I did the right things, gave them the best care I could, an whether there were ready to let go before I was. I think animals are more okay with death than we humans are, at least in Western culture, and would probably rather have a good quality of life than a long one. But then, what does "quality" mean to an animal? I don't know. I just know I didn't want her life to end like it did, and will always wonder if it could have been different.

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you can get 2 mg capsules of martazapiine (thats what I have) or the vet gave me...so there is o cutting it into small pieces
i give one capsule once every 3 days to my cat with CRF
Its imporoved his apetite greatly and was a life saver since he had stopped eating almost
I havent noticed any other side effects

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