Mirtazapine

[vistagirl81]

My husband went willingly to a mental institution because I found him in the dark with a knife and he stated that he was tired of everything. He had an appointment with his psychiatrist and he stated that he should go to the emergency room the next day but when he went to his other appointment, that doctor stated that he should go immediately. They found a bed for him Tuesday morning and he was discharged on Friday morning. They gave him another pill for depression Mirtazapine. Since he came home, he has been completely out of it. He has begun; mumbling over his words, stating that one side of his face is numb and that he is having a stroke, getting on his hands and knees because he was feeling faint and he started crying saying that he was having suicidal and homicidal thoughts and he won’t tell me what it was because I would never forgive him. If he goes in now, no one will see him until Tuesday and I just want to know if anyone has this type of reaction to that medication. While he was in, he did not take a shower, brush his teeth, or do any of the basic daily routines (I have to remind him due to a memory problem).I’m so scared for him, he went there to get better and he got worse. Thank you and have a safe day.

[john999]

Yes, I had the same type reaction.

[Pete53]

GET YOUR HUSBAND BACK TO ER AS SOON AS YOU CAN.

[hedgey]

As Pete53 said, get your husband back to the ER, quick!! Unless you can really keep him contained and safe, which is almost impossible on your own.

We were out of state last year, at DH's parents because his father was dying. DH's very,very,very difficult mother was harping relentlessly at him (I mean following him from room to room to carp about how badly his father had treated her over the years - meanwhile poor Dad is in the hospital on his deathbed).

DH was losing it, so I grabbed him and took him to the VAMC there. They were great, both a psychologist and a psychiatrist saw him within a couple of hours. They gave him mirtazapine and ativan to calm him down and get him through it.

Well, he'd had ativan before, no problems, but the mirtazapine turned him into a completely different person. He was talking to people only he could see, crying and laughing, and once tried to jump out of the car while we were on the highway... thank goodness he couldn't get the seatbelt undone.

That stuff is wicked. I took the mirtazapine away and he settled down by the next morning, and we made it through with him just taking ativan.

I don't know if it's a matter of introducing it too quickly at too high a dose, combining it with ativan, or what. He doesn't drink or use any drugs, not even nicotine. Coffee, but that's it.

I'm so sorry this is happening, that you have to deal with it and watch your loved one suffer. Thank you for taking care of him, when he needs you most.

[vistagirl81]

I took him to the VA and they released him in my care because he did not have a “complete” plan for suicide. Having urges to kill yourself and others isn’t enough anymore. They said that he has a safety plan ( me) so he should be okay. It’s fine because we have gone through this before. He will have to be watched 24/7 and I am very thankful that I have a great and understanding family because we will take turns. Thank everyone for the responses, you have helped me more than you can imagine.

[hedgey]

Wow, they release him to your care because you're his "safety plan". In other words, if something goes wrong, it's not the VA's fault.

I love this. Vistagirl, the VA has officially decreed that you are competent, skilled and fully ... ack, drawing a blank... can't think of right word... well, that you are as skilled as a nurse or doctor and able to manage your DH's behavior.

They should be paying you what they would pay an inpatient staff to care for him. Aid & Attendance would cover maybe a day's worth of in-patient care, if that?

This really torques me off. I'm sure you're glad to have him home (except it's a huge burden on your shoulders) and I reckon he'd rather be home. But he needs care, and why should this enormous burden of keeping him safe be on you?

No specific plan? That's good, and I'm glad he's that okay. But I still feel like the VA is pulling their usual crud and shunting the responsibility for your DH's well being into the wrong hands.

Is he still taking the Mirtazapine?