Mirtazapine everyday? Yes or no?

[mfena0720]

My vet is kind of iffy on giving trans-dermal Mirataz everyday, yet the other vet in the office says it's fine. I've also read anecdotes about some cat owners who say yes, everyday is okay, and others who give holidays and at most do every other day.

My question is why this divide? Is it a case-by-case side effect basis, or is there something else, like an efficacy thing? Hearing from both sides of the spectrum would be nice!

 

[neely]

I think a lot depends on what they are prescribing it for - what is your cat's symptoms/diagnosis? If you could provide a little more information, i.e. explain why your vet wanted to give it to your cat that would help us give you a better reply.

 

[mfena0720]

I think a lot depends on what they are prescribing it for - what is your cat's symptoms/diagnosis? If you could provide a little more information, i.e. explain why your vet wanted to give it to your cat that would help us give you a better reply.

My kitty Oliver currently has no diagnosis and is being treated for low appetite/nausea. I'm comfortable with his dosing of prn which sometimes goes two days in a row, just wondering why there seems to be two camps? I guess I want to be aware if there is anything detrimental to consecutive days.

 

[neely]

Has your vet done a full blood work up? For example, loss of appetite and nausea are symptoms of pancreatitis as well as many other health issues? Honestly, if it were me I would get a second opinion because I would want to know what's ailing my cat before giving him Mirtazapine without a diagnosis. I have given our cat Mirtaz before but the first time he had blood tests and an ultrasound which revealed his illness. However, I encouraged him to eat in addition to the Mirtaz which was given short term.

I thought this TCS Article about how to get your cat to start eating again might have some helpful information for you:
How To Get Your Cat To Start Eating Again
Best of luck, please keep us posted on Oliver.

 

[fionasmom]

I would want to know what is going on as well; not that mirtazapine is all that harmful, but it could cover up something which needs to be treated or investigated. I have never had it given to me as a first step treatment.

 

[mfena0720]

Has your vet done a full blood work up? For example, loss of appetite and nausea are symptoms of pancreatitis as well as many other health issues? Honestly, if it were me I would get a second opinion because I would want to know what's ailing my cat before giving him Mirtazapine without a diagnosis. I have given our cat Mirtaz before but the first time he had blood tests and an ultrasound which revealed his illness. However, I encouraged him to eat in addition to the Mirtaz which was given short term.

I thought this TCS Article about how to get your cat to start eating again might have some helpful information for you:
How To Get Your Cat To Start Eating Again
Best of luck, please keep us posted on Oliver.

Oh my, I should have included the link for my other thread about the situation; I've been running on 3 or 4 hours of sleep for weeks and thought I'd posted it on Reddit, not here. I apologize for being inconsiderate. This has everything about Oliver

 

[neely]

Oh my, I should have included the link for my other thread about the situation; I've been running on 3 or 4 hours of sleep for weeks and thought I'd posted it on Reddit, not here. I apologize for being inconsiderate. This has everything about Oliver

Thanks for the link, that really helps explain a lot. No apology necessary. Trust me, I completely understand losing sleep over a sick kitty. The past two months have been worrisome for me with our guy and not being able to go into the vet's office with him due to Covid-19 makes it that much more difficult. In your other post you mentioned seeing a feline specialist, have you done that yet? The reason I asked is because I see a specialist for our cat and it has really helped. Perhaps your vet can personally call a feline specialist for you to explain Oliver's symptoms, fax over the tests he has had done and arrange an appointment sooner than if you called yourself.

On another note, I just noticed your avatar and realized he is a Persian. I have a real soft spot for the breed having shared my life with three, past and present. I look forward to reading an update and I'm sending healing vibes to Oliver.

 

[mfena0720]

Thanks for the link, that really helps explain a lot. No apology necessary. Trust me, I completely understand losing sleep over a sick kitty. The past two months have been worrisome for me with our guy and not being able to go into the vet's office with him due to Covid-19 makes it that much more difficult. In your other post you mentioned seeing a feline specialist, have you done that yet? The reason I asked is because I see a specialist for our cat and it has really helped. Perhaps your vet can personally call a feline specialist for you to explain Oliver's symptoms, fax over the tests he has had done and arrange an appointment sooner than if you called yourself.

On another note, I just noticed your avatar and realized he is a Persian. I have a real soft spot for the breed having shared my life with three, past and present. I look forward to reading an update and I'm sending healing vibes to Oliver.

Aren't Persians the best?! They have such a sweet, sweet nature that I've never really seen in other breeds. My avatar pic is actually my Rainbow Bridge kitty Blondie, but Oliver himself is (of course!) Persian/Himalayan. I think if you ask any Persian owner they will tell you that once you've been loved by one, they leave such an imprint on your heart that you just want to surround yourself with them!

Thank you for the vibes and well-wishing We're in the midst of a "bad" day but on a somewhat positive note, we're going in tomorrow for a GI panel that will check for IBD and Vitamin B deficiency among other things, plus another urinalysis. I'm not too sure about a GI problem though, as he doesn't have symptoms like chronic vomiting or diarrhea. So frustrating. Over an entire month of this and to hear "I don't know" from the vet is maddening.

As far as the specialist route, I'm thinking that's the vet's next step if nothing comes up tomorrow.

What's happening with your kitty? I totally empathize with not being able to go into the vet right now. I sit in the car and cringe in agony the whole time.

 

[neely]

We're in the midst of a "bad" day but on a somewhat positive note, we're going in tomorrow for a GI panel that will check for IBD and Vitamin B deficiency among other things, plus another urinalysis. Over an entire month of this and to hear "I don't know" from the vet is maddening.As far as the specialist route, I'm thinking that's the vet's next step if nothing comes up tomorrow. What's happening with your kitty?

I'll keep my fingers crossed for Oliver's next vet appointment. Please keep us posted when you have a chance. I understand and sympathize with your frustration. Hang in there and maybe write down all your questions before going to the vet, including a recommendation for a feline specialist should the tests not reveal any helpful etiology.

Thanks for your concern about our cat. He's on the mend and doing better. I wish you the same for Oliver.

 

[mfena0720]

I'll keep my fingers crossed for Oliver's next vet appointment. Please keep us posted when you have a chance. I understand and sympathize with your frustration. Hang in there and maybe write down all your questions before going to the vet, including a recommendation for a feline specialist should the tests not reveal any helpful etiology.

Thanks for your concern about our cat. He's on the mend and doing better. I wish you the same for Oliver.

Hope your little guy is still doing better!

We got Oliver's results back: He has elevated B12 and low folate. B12 was off the charts. The vet is baffled, and the doc at the lab could only say it's definitely GI related malabsorption. Can't find much online about elevated B12 because it's so uncommon. Might start a thread in here to see if anyone has ever had this with their fur babes...

 

[neely]

Can't find much online about elevated B12 because it's so uncommon. Might start a thread in here to see if anyone has ever had this with their fur babes.

Good idea to start a new thread regarding elevated B12. I hope you get some helpful advice.

 

[white shadow]

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Hi mfena0720.

'Personally, I'd be disturbed if my Vet was "baffled" by this. If my resources permitted, I'd be insisting on a referral to an Internal Medicine Specialist. Here's a little about that: vetspecialists.com - What Is a Board-Certified Small Animal Internal Medicine Specialist?. Otherwise, I'd be looking for an experienced feline-only Vet with access to a network of other 'quality' Vets (such as VIN).

And, here's a fairly recent study about elevated B-12 in cats: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4236818/.
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