? Transdermal Mirtazapine - anyone have any experience?

[Jan Radar (GA)]

I recently discovered that Mirtazapine comes as a gel that you rub in the cat's ear and I got some to try since Radar had to have 3 extractions a few days ago and I had to make sure that he kept eating.

I'm wondering if transdermal Mirtazapine generally has a more gentle impact than the tablet....

Yesterday was Radar's first dose and my observation is that he gradually, over the space of several hours, became more interested in eating. This is in contrast to the tablet form which we've been using daily in a very tiny dose for about 6 months. The tablet compels him to the food dish about 15-20 minutes after getting the pill. He has what I would call a very mild case of an eating frenzy. Usually his frenzy for food doesn't last longer than a few hours and then he is able to just eat.

Another question for those who've used this form of Mirtazapine... Do you dose every day or every other day? My vet told me to do it every other day but the directions from the manufacturer say it's a daily dose. So I'm feeling a bit confused. I have an appointment with the vet on Monday so I'll be asking her to explain and clarify.

I'm curious and interested in what other users have seen in their cats. What are your experiences with this relatively new kind of Mirtazapine?

 

[SOBrien]

Hi Jan, I tried it for Boots. I didn’t feel like it worked quite as well, or for as long, as the pill form. I give him the pill every other day to every two days when he’s not eating well, as it seems to be pretty long lasting for him.

He didn’t get as vocal / agitated on the transdermal version, which I thought was good. But, it’s also hard to know if the dosing was really accurate. The last time I gave it to him his ear got a little inflamed so I wiped it out and haven’t used it since.

It might be worth a try to see how it works for your kitty. I see the pros and cons for both versions. Best of luck!!