Mirtazapine
Antidepressant medication / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Mirtazapine, sold under the brand name Remeron among others, is an atypical tetracyclic antidepressant, and as such is used primarily to treat depression.[10][11] Its effects may take up to four weeks but can also manifest as early as one to two weeks.[11][12] It is often used in cases of depression complicated by anxiety or insomnia.[10][13] The effectiveness of mirtazapine is comparable to other commonly prescribed antidepressants.[14] It is taken by mouth.[11]
Common side effects include sleepiness, dizziness, increased appetite and weight gain.[11] Serious side effects may include mania, low white blood cell count, and increased suicide among children.[11] Withdrawal symptoms may occur with stopping.[15] It is not recommended together with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor,[11] although evidence supporting the danger of this combination has been challenged.[16] It is unclear if use during pregnancy is safe.[11] How it works is not clear, but it may involve blocking certain adrenergic and serotonin receptors.[10][11] Chemically, it is a tetracyclic antidepressant,[11] and is closely related to mianserin. It also has strong antihistaminergic effects.[10][11]
Mirtazapine came into medical use in the United States in 1996.[11] The patent expired in 2004, and generic versions are available.[11][17] In 2021, it was the 124th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than four million prescriptions.[18][19]