Cats & Mirtazapine (Page 3)
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Our 13 year old Maine Coon mix is in the last stages of renal failure. We didn't know anything was wrong until about a month ago when she stopped eating. It's been up and down ever since her diagnosis. Our vet prescribed Mirtazapine but, after reading the many negative comments, we put off giving it to her as long as we could. We finally had to because the effects of not eating in cats are liver shutdown and death. She's had no serious adverse reaction to Mirtazapine, and it has definitely helped her appetite. It is buying her a little more quality time with us.

I certainly wouldn't use or give this drug lightly, but as some posters have noted, in the end it's a risk v.s benefit judgment call.

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Or let them die with you surrounded in love if that's what they tell you. My kitty just died a few days ago from kidney failure and cancer, he had a great life of 16 years. He told me enough was enough with medicines, treatments, etc. He also "told me" he wanted to die on his own terms, not through a vet coming to the house and giving him shots. It was very hard, but we comforted him and showered him with love and talked to him, telling him about how much we loved him and all our fun times together. We had very strong pain medicine prescribed by the vet if he ever seemed to be in pain (I know cats hide it so well). We all hung outside on the porch (his kitty sister and doggy sister and my husband and I) with him his last 2 nights, as he requested. Petted him and talked to him for hours under the stars, he loved it outside. We were able to bury him in our backyard, where he loved to be, I actually cut off a large chunk of my long hair to bury with him as he was so comforted my hair, always climbing on my head, being in my long hair, etc. Just do what is right for your kitty, not for yourself. It is very hard to this verses to keep hanging on when they've told you it's their time. I learned a lot by doing the opposite when my dog died of kidney failure almost 1 year to the day before my kitty. They trust us implicitly.

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My dog and cat were both given Cerenia when they were in kidney failure along with fluids. They both went downhill, QUICKLY, after receiving this drug, dying within days :( Please be wary of Cerenia!!!!!!!!

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Dian do Not give ur cat that huge dose ,, it is wayyyy too much and may kill him .. I'm not sure why ur vet prescribed this med , but unless my cat was near death and No other options available I would NOT give this med !! This med should not be given for nausea !!! And this med has been known to kill cats with renal / kidney issues , any reaction,, if u have already this med I'd rush my cat to the er vet asap

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Wow this dose is way way too much !!!! I would Not give this med unless it is a last option !!! N I would give less than 1/4, usually given every other day , that dosage u were given may kill ur cat !!

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Can someone help .I just came from the vet they put my 14 year old Sheba on this medicine after reading all the post on here i'm a little worried about the dosage.The vet prescribed 1/2 of this mirtazapine 15 mg 2 times a day.What are the risk?

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I have used mirtazipine in 2 different cats and the 1/4 of 15mg tablet prescribed is far too much. Even just a few flakes can stimulate the appetite in a sensitive cat. Reactions I witnessed aside from ravenous hunger were extreme restlessness (not being able to sleep and walking around continuously for hours), meowing, and being very affectionate. Nothing as bad as some of the reactions I've read about. It is a very effective appetite stim but this can be accomplished at a much lower dose than prescribed! Be cautious, start at a low dose to see effects.

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Can so embody help me? I've just been prescribed Mertazipine for my 14 year old Persoan Gustavo. He received it yesterday and the script calls for a tiny pice if pill every 24 hours for 8 days. Well, this is day two and he just received his second dose. I guess I'm asking how long before I start noticing his appetite improving? He has no appetite or thirst and I'm growing increasingly worried. Help please?

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Mirtazapine is actually an okay drug. The problem is, vets think it is good for nausea. It really isn't. The best drugs for nausea are odansetron (my CKD cat gets 2mg twice a day) or cerenia, which I have not used. As far as mirtazapine goes, vets prescribe way too high a dose and the cat goes nuts, jumping around the house and meowing. Mirtazapine sometimes works really well for appetite, but just give a crumb. I think they come in 15 mg tablets. You will need to start with about 1/16 of this tablet. Then increase gradually if it is not causing the appetite to be better. If mirtazapine does not work for your cat, some people have successfully used cyproheptadine for appetite. Also if the mirtazapine works in tiny doses, Diamondback Drugs will compound them for you as smaller dose pills. They may also have mirtazapine as a transdermal that you apply to kitty's ear once a day. Check them out.
Heather B

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My cat is taking Chlorambucil right now for lymphoplasmactic rhinitis, kind of a chronic nasal inflammation that causes her to have a runny nose and stuffy nose all the time. She doesn't feel good, sleeps a lot. Well the Chlorambucil makes her vomit half the time and I can tell the progression of her getting better goes backwards when she vomits. She also doesn't seem to want to each much on her own lately, but when I bring her food and sit with her she will eat decent. So the doctor is considering Mirtazapine but after reading all the reviews I am really nervous to give it. She said it should help with the nausea, increase her appetite and maybe perk her up. Not sure what to do, she has had a tough year. She had radio iodine last year to get rid of hyper thyroid, then had an FHO surgery to fix her hip. Now this.

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Yes Niko, I totally agree with what you have said here. That's the drug that I read about to counteract Mirtazapine if there are problems, but that is not without side effect either. I later wondered if 1/8 of a tablet would have been better, but look, you have stated that it was too much - I believe it - I bet that Smoky would have been affected by that also. I would give anything in the world to be able to take back giving my cat that pill - I really believe that that lead to her death. I would never even think about giving that pill to another cat if I get another cat and I surely won't be going to that vet again - not ever.

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So glad to hear this good news !

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I believe the drug to counteract mirtazapine is actually another drug used off label as an appetite stimulant, cyproheptadine. It is supposed to be safer than mirtazapine. I agree with what everyone else has said here, that starting out with 1/4 tablet is WAY too much. I started out with 1/8th and that was too much, so was giving 1/16 and sometimes even just a flake. I didn't try upping the dose until it stopped working as expected.

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Squeak has had a turnaround ! He stopped vomiting and is eating like a champ! His coat looks better, he looks like he's gained some weight, has more energy and even cries for his meals. I don't know why , but I'll take it! Must be all the good wishes and positive thoughts from you and loving friends and family. Merry Christmas !!

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Thanks Cheryl.

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Keep us posted , hope squeaky will be k ,

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Thanks for your ideas etc. Squeak did have blood and U/A's just 4 weeks ago and vet. doesn't see signs of hyperthyroidism, diabetes or cancer.. I guess we just wait to see how this plays out but I don't want to keep him on this drug very long either. It's always tough. We just lost kitty Gregson in August and our other 2 cats are also 14. So much for being a "foster fail". ??

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Treatment of this disease is quite complex. You may be able to prolong your cat's life with ALL the right treatments. Check out "Tanya's CKD" on Google. I am on the discussion board and it is awesome. We call mirtazapine "meowzapine" A little goes a long way. Hope your kitty is doing well

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Dear Cynthia,

I would definitely find out if your cat had a T4 count done for hyperthyroidism. My cat Smoky, who was 16 1/2, had perfect bloodwork, but had thrown up and not eaten lunch and we took her to the vet and she had hyperthyroidism. Weight loss is a big red flag and I also heard that dialated pupils can be a sign. Don't settle for things that don't make sense to you, you can never get your kitty back again so go with your gut, don't give up, and get to the bottom of things. Also, at 14 years of age, hyperthyroidism is very common and treatable.

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If his blood work is normal then it can't be renal or liver issues . So there has to be another cause of the vomiting , has vet tried to find out what's wrong ?? Thyroid issue? Diabetes ? I'd work on finding out what is wrong ?

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Reading about your experiences is really eye opening about what my vet hasn't told me,which really makes me mad . Nothing about side effects or that my 14 year old kitty Squeaky is probably in liver or renal failure. He stopped eating but was vomiting every day. Took him in, his blood work is perfect but he'd obviously lost weight and his pupils are always dilated. She gave him this drug and it does make him eat for 3 days but the minute it wears off he's vomiting again. It's hard to let go because he really doesn't seem sick except for that. Anyway, thanks for your comments about your experiences because it's been very helpful .

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