Is there any difference between Sertraline and Mirtazapine?

[CollegeGirl]

I know they're both anti-depressants. Has anyone had any experience with a dementia patient being on Sertraline and it not helping and then going on to Mirtazapine as an alternative? And did the switchover help, make no difference, or make things worse?

Thank you!

 

[nitram]

"Is there any difference between Sertraline and Mirtazapine?"

DYOR
http://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/

 

[CollegeGirl]

"Is there any difference between Sertraline and Mirtazapine?"

DYOR
http://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/

Thank you for the link. What does DYOR mean?

 

[FifiMo]

Do your own reading. LOL

 

[CollegeGirl]

Oh.

It was more personal experience I was after, and hoping for .

Thanks Fiona .

 

[FifiMo]

Here are some comments from some folks who have been on both...

http://treato.com/Mirtazapine,Sertraline/?a=s

I think with all drugs it comes down to personal reaction to them. I was on sertraline for a short while and months later I still have the insomnia side effects. Lucky for me I no longer need them. Hmm maybe I should get some sleeping tablets now...just kidding!

I just remembered that my dr told me sertraline doesn't react with other drugs the same and that is why they are good for a lot of people.


Fiona

 

[CollegeGirl]

Thanks Fiona, that's very helpful, am just off now to have a read. My mam is on sertraline; dad thinks her verbal abuse and confusion has got worse since she was put on it, and he has heard from a couple of people about Mirtazapine and would like the consultant to try that instead, but seems to be banging his head against a brick wall (even though at one point the consultant herself suggested it, and then put her on Sertraline instead . ) Now it seems that the consultant won't try it but won't really say why.

I know he's probably clutching at straws, but unless they can tell us why they won't try it, and help us understand why, we feel very frustrated .

 

[nitram]

<pedant> Do your own research </pedant>

 

[FifiMo]

Do you think perhaps it is a timing thing? That would be my worst thought. These drugs take a long time to build up in the system and sometimes longer to remove them. Your mum would have to be weaned off the sertraline (say 2 months), then period of time drug free to assess how she is without them and if her needs have changed (another month perhaps), then build up of new drugs then assessment to say if they are working any better (another 2 months maybe). Overall she could be without medication for 5 months. Possibility of her needing intervention before then? Ends up in hospital again?

That's all I can come up with as to why they don't want to switch her on to new meds.

Fiona

 

[CollegeGirl]

<pedant> Do your own research </pedant>

Sorry Nitram, I understand now what DYOR means, but what do you mean by <pedant>. I understand a pedant to be someone who's pedantic

Do you think perhaps it is a timing thing? That would be my worst thought. These drugs take a long time to build up in the system and sometimes longer to remove them. Your mum would have to be weaned off the sertraline (say 2 months), then period of time drug free to assess how she is without them and if her needs have changed (another month perhaps), then build up of new drugs then assessment to say if they are working any better (another 2 months maybe). Overall she could be without medication for 5 months. Possibility of her needing intervention before then? Ends up in hospital again?

That's all I can come up with as to why they don't want to switch her on to new meds.

Fiona

Perhaps you're right Fiona. It's certainly puzzling to me. Thanks for trying to figure it out for me!

 

[Wirralson]

CollegeGirl

I don't have dementia, but I've been on both. My mother is on anti-depressants (Sertraline) and does have Alzheimers. Generally psychiatrists seem to prefer to start patients off on a relatively mild antidepressant with limited interactions with other drugs and that is also less prone to side effects. As I understand it, Mirtazapine tends to be used for resistant depression, and I've been on it for some years now. It does take time to work and needs to be sustained as Fifimo says. One reason for the consultant sticking with Sertraline may be that it is contraindicated for your mum or that she is on drugs that interact with it. The online information I've seen suggests withdrawal from Sertraline in the elderly needs to be carefully managed. It may be the consultant wants to see how the Sertraline works over time.

The only other point I'd make is that my personal experience is anti-depressants don't make you happy, but they do stop you being depressed or at least minimise the worst consequences of the depression. If you're sad and depressed the anti-depressants may deal with the depression but not the sadness. If someone has dementia as well (as my mum does) it can be very hard to disentangle what is actually happening to the sufferer emotionally.

Kind regards

Wirralson

 

[lin1]

Hello
My mum who had dementia, needed Anti d's over the course of many months possibly a year, we tried mum on many different ones all were ssri and all prescribed by her gp

Sertraline was the first one, quite simply it didnt work
she was tried on many others, sadly with differing effects on her

eventually the gp, who was extremely puzzled as to why none of them had helped and some had caused nightmares, hallucinations etc as they were all ssri's so worked in the same way, decided to try mum on Prozac which thankfully worked well for my Mum

When I discussed all the anti d's that mum had tried that either didnt work or had unpleasant effects, to Mum's Consultant he
explained that when a person had a disorder of the brain such as Dementia and medications were given that worked on the brain, it was sometimes trial and error as to the effects they would have, what helped one person didnt help another

My Dad has recently been put on Mirtazipine as the gp thought his insomnia could be caused by depression, only a low dose
was very tired the first day then for the next couple of days was just a bit tired, and yes they did helped his insomnia

I hope this helps