Management of Antidepressant-Induced Anorexia, Fatigue, and Hypersomnia in Major Depressive Disorder

Treatment Approach

Mirtazapine is recommended as an alternative option, starting with a dose of 7.5mg at bedtime, which can be increased to 30mg at bedtime, and is well-tolerated, promoting sleep, appetite, and weight gain, particularly useful for patients with anorexia and sleep disturbances 1
The American Academy of Family Physicians suggests that when switching from an SSRI to an alternative antidepressant, such as mirtazapine, a cross-taper approach may be recommended, although the specific details of this approach are not provided in the context of this article, mirtazapine can be started at 7.5mg at bedtime and increased as needed 1

The American College of Physicians recommends assessing response after 2-4 weeks of treatment with the new medication 2

The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends avoiding abrupt discontinuation of the current SSRI, instead tapering over 10-14 days to limit withdrawal symptoms 1