Mirtazapine

Mirtazapine is used to treat depression. Mirtazapine is in a class of medications called antidepressants. It works by increasing certain types of activity in the brain to maintain mental balance.

Mirtazapine comes as a tablet and as a disintegrating tablet to take by mouth. It usually is taken once a day at bedtime. It may be taken with or without food. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take mirtazapine exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. To take a mirtazapine disintegrating tablet, open the blister pack with dry hands and place the tablet on your tongue. The tablet will disintegrate on the tongue and can be swallowed with saliva. No water is needed to swallow disintegrating tablets. Once the tablet is removed from the blister pack, it cannot be stored. Do not split mirtazapine disintegrating tablets. It may take several weeks or longer for you to feel the full benefit of mirtazapine. Continue to take mirtazapine even if you feel well. Do not stop taking mirtazapine without talking to your doctor. Your doctor probably will decrease your dose gradually.

<p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>Mirtazapine may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

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drowsiness</li>
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dizziness</li>
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anxiousness</li>
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confusion</li>
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increased weight and appetite</li>
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dry mouth</li>
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constipation</li>
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nausea</li>
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vomiting</li></ul></p> <p></p> <p>Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, call your doctor immediately:

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flu-like symptoms, fever, chills, sore throat, mouth sores, or other signs of infection</li>
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chest pain</li>
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fast heartbeat</li>
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seizures</li></ul>Mirtazapine may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while you are taking this medication.If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at <a href='http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch'>http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch</a>] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].</p>

Before taking mirtazapine, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to mirtazapine or any other medications. tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to tell the doctor if you are taking diazepam (Valium) and if you are taking an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), and tranylcypromine (Parnate) or if you have stopped taking an MAO inhibitor within the past 14 days. Your doctor may tell you not to take mirtazapine. tell your doctor if you have or have ever had a heart attack, low blood pressure, heart or liver disease, or high cholesterol. if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking mirtazapine. you should know that this medication may make you drowsy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you. remember that alcohol can add to the drowsiness caused by this medication. if you have phenylketonuria (PKU, an inherited condition in which a special diet must be followed to prevent mental retardation), you should know that the orally disintegrating tablets contain aspartame that forms phenylalanine.

In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.