What are the dangers of using mirtazapine and weed together?  

In this blog post, we are going to talk about the dangers of using mirtazapine and weed together. Mirtazapine is an antidepressant which is used to treat a variety of mental health conditions. 

However, this antidepressant should not be paired with other chemicals that are capable of harming your body. 

What are the dangers of using mirtazapine and weed together? 

The concomitant use of mirtazapine and weed is associated with the following dangers:

• Psychological side effects 
• Problems related to blood vessels
• Impaired sensory and motor coordination 
• Impaired creativity 
• Increase the risk of different types of cancers
• Brain cell destruction 
• Increase your blood pressure
• Increase in anxiety and agitation 
• It can induce suicidal behavior 

Psychological side effects 

The major concern with the excessive use of mirtazapine and weed is the effect this combination makes on your brain. Psychological side effects are first to hit you, especially if your mental health condition is not stable. 

Several studies have suggested that the concomitant use of mirtazapine and weed can first start messing up with your memory. You may start forgetting about things that happened a few minutes or hours ago. You forget where you put your keys or what you were supposed to do. 

Several surveys have revealed that people enter a room and totally forget where they were there. This indicates that both mirtazapine and weed impact your memory, but that’s just the first stage. Mirtazapine is an atypical antidepressant. 

It has a different mechanism of action as compared to other traditional antidepressants, but the end result is the same. It increases the amount of active serotonin in your body, which is an excitatory neurotransmitter. Weed acts on dopamine, which is another excitatory neurotransmitter. 

Now you can imagine how this excessive neuronal activity can affect your brain. Some people start behaving erratically, especially when they have both of these chemicals together in their system, that too in higher amounts. 

It is not advised to go for any such things, like weed, alcohol and controlled substances, while you’re being treated with mirtazapine or any other antidepressant. 

However, small quantities may not produce any effect. The problem with weed consumption is addiction and the small quantities eventually grow out to be more and more each day. 

Problems related with blood vessels

Several researchers have investigated the effects of weed on blood vessels. They have observed that weed smoke can make arteries carry blood less efficiently for a couple of minutes. This effect was found dose dependent. 

Mirtazapine, on the other hand, may also enhance this kind of effect if used in combination with weed for a prolonged period of time. People who already have some underlying blood vessel diseases are more susceptible to these side effects. 

This can also become quite problematic for patients who suffer from diabetes induced Peripheral neuropathy. This is because in such patients, the flow of blood is already restricted. 

This is exactly why the combination of mirtazapine and weed is not a good one and it does not hold any therapeutic importance that can not be achieved in some other ways. 

Impaired sensory and motor coordination 

As previously discussed, both mirtazapine and weed have an impact on the excitatory system of your brain. When these two are used for a longer period of time, they start affecting your sensory and motor coordination. 

You may not completely understand your surroundings or what things are happening around you. In short, the combination dulls your senses and your alertness. You may find motor activities difficult, like maintaining your balance, walking, etc. 

These things can take a dangerous turn if you have some other underlying mental health condition like Parkinson’s, schizophrenia, or an undiagnosed bipolar disorder. The excessive intake can cause blackouts or put you in a coma. 

Impaired creativity 

The combination of mirtazapine and weed can hinder your creative skills. Several researchers have investigated the effects of weed on skills of different artists and musicians. It was observed that such people could not use their skills with weed in their system. 

As mirtazapine can also act on your brain, the combination of these two can severely affect your skills and creativity. This can make things difficult for you at work and may hinder your professional growth.

Increase the risk of different types of cancers

The concomitant use of mirtazapine and weed make you more susceptible to certain kinds of cancer like testicular cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, and blood cancer. 

If we specifically talk about weed, it can make your body more weak and messes up with your immune system. This leads to the formation of free radicals, which are the most common causes of genetic cell mutation, which leads to cancer. 

People who already have some underlying health conditions are more susceptible to this kind of harmful effects of the combination of mirtazapine and weed. 

Brain cell destruction

The combination of mirtazapine and weed can cause significant brain cell destruction. Weed is specifically tested by researchers and it showed to destroy active and healthy brain cells, or neurons. 

This condition can make you susceptible to different kinds of brain related diseases, like Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, etc. 

Increase your blood pressure

The concomitant use of mirtazapine and weed can increase blood pressure. This increased blood pressure can also damage your blood pressure and can increase the workload of the heart. Prolonged hypertension can lead to a number of cardiovascular complications. 

Mirtazapine is also known for QT prolongation, a condition associated with irregular heartbeat and heart palpitations. The combination of mirtazapine and weed in higher doses can cause significant complications in people who already have hypertension or other heart related problems. 

Increase in anxiety and agitation 

The concomitant use of mirtazapine and weed can also increase your anxiety and agitation. Anxiety is caused by the excessive neuronal firing in the brain, which causes agitation and mood swings as well. 

As we have discussed, mirtazapine and weed both can increase the amount of excitatory neurotransmitters in your brain. This justifies why this combination can make you anxious. 

Mirtazapine is sometimes used for the treatment and management of anxiety disorders, like post traumatic stress disorder, panic attacks, and social anxiety disorder. If you’re mirtazapine for such conditions and you pair it with an excessive amount of weed, this would result in therapeutic failure. 

It can induce suicidal behavior

As we have already discussed the kind of psychological impact this combination has, it can also induce suicidal behavior. If we specifically talk about mirtazapine, it already comes with a suicidal warning in users less than 24 years of age. 

However, several research studies indicate that it can cause suicidal behavior in adults as well. Weed, on the other hand, has a number of psychological side effects. 

The excessive use can create a barrier between reality and illusion and it may tempt you to do something that may harm you or the worst, kill you. 

These two agents, mirtazapine and weed, are not meant to be used together. They can cause a number of complications in your body and may exacerbate the symptoms of any undiagnosed condition that you may have. 

Make sure you cut back on weed as much as you can if you’re an addict. Combining these two together can become life threatening. Do not take any such things with mirtazapine, especially if you are a new user. New users are not even sure how mirtazapine makes them feel. Pairing it with another medication can break havoc on your mental health. 

Conclusion 

In this blog post, we have discussed the dangers of taking mirtazapine and weed together. Both of these agents can significantly turn your mental health upside down and can exacerbate the symptoms of any undiagnosed condition that you may have. 

Make sure you cut back on weed as much as you can if you’re an addict. Combining these two together can become life threatening. Do not take anything along with your antidepressants unless your healthcare provider recommends. 

FAQs: Mirtazapine and weed 

Can you take mirtazapine and weed?

No, you should not take mirtazapine and weed together. The concomitant use can cause serious side effects, including:

• Psychological side effects 
• Problems related to blood vessels
• Impaired sensory and motor coordination 
• Impaired creativity 
• Increase the risk of different types of cancers
• Brain cell destruction 
• Increase your blood pressure
• It can increase anxiety
• It can induce suicidal behavior

What drugs interact with mirtazapine?

• Monoaminoxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). The combination use can increase the risk of serotonin syndrome. 
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). The combination use can increase the risk of bleeding. 
• Pimozide. The concomitant use can increase the plasma concentration(availability of a drug in the blood) of pimozide to much higher levels. It can result in life-threatening arrhythmia.
• Controlled substances, including all narcotic analgesics. The concomitant use can cause severe psychological side effects. 
• Mood stabilisers 
• Alcohol 

Is mirtazapine a strong antidepressant?

Yes, mirtazapine is a strong antidepressant. Mirtazapine belongs to the tetracyclic antidepressants. It has a dual mode of action. Experts believe that mirtazapine enhances the stimulatory action of the noradrenergic system which increases the secretion of serotonin. It also prevents the inhibitory action of the noradrenergic system which hinders the release of serotonin. 

This way, it actively increases the amount of this excitatory neurotransmitter in your system. Mirtazapine can be used to treat the following health conditions:

• Depression 
• Anxiety 
• Treatment resistant depression 
• Depression in elderly patients
• Post-operative nausea
• Alcohol dependence
• Insomnia or inability to fall asleep 
• Neuropathic pain
• Inability to feel hungry/hunger suppression

Can I drink alcohol while taking mirtazapine?

Yes, you can drink alcohol on mirtazapine, but you should not. It is a known fact that antidepressants don’t work that well with alcohol. This can be even more dangerous for a new mirtazapine user. For such people, it is recommended to not drink at all, until you know how mirtazapine makes you feel. 

What antidepressant works well with mirtazapine?

Several studies have suggested that mirtazapine works well when it is used in combination with an SSRI or an SNRI. However, a combination of antidepressants can only be taken when prescribed by your healthcare provider. 

This is because when two meds for the same illness are used, the doses are adjusted. Individual therapy comes with higher doses, while combination therapy has to be adjusted on the comfortable doses to help avoid the side effects. 

References 

• How Does Marijuana Affect Antidepressants? https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/marijuana-addiction/marijuana-and-antidepressants/
• remeron and Weed https://www.worldsbest.rehab/remeron-and-weed/
• How Pot Affects Your Mind and Body https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/marijuana-use-and-its-effects
• Mirtazapine Tablet – Uses, Side Effects, and More https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-13706-4047/mirtazapine-oral/mirtazapine-oral/details#:~:text=Mirtazapine%20is%20used%20to%20treat,(neurotransmitters)%20in%20the%20brain.
• National Library of Medicine – Mirtazapine https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a697009.html