Anyone been on Mirtazapine for less then 3 Months, and then Stopped?

Hi Lorraine, do you have a history of depression or bipolar?

I wasn't depressed or suffering from mania before going on mirtazapine, i went on it mainly for panic disorder and because i was underweight. Research says that discontinuation symptoms last 10-16 days which many authors found out, my only worry is whether this mania will continue forever <3>

Hi Liam

no this has been my first ever bout of depression. I think the research exaggerates the truth. This particular AD seems quite tricky to withdraw from especially abruptly.

I have a good tolerance for ill health, but this one completely obliterated my tolerance. How are you feeling now? How long and what dose was you on mirt for before stopping?

I really from the heart hope your withdrawal is kind to you xx

god bless ♥

Hi Liam

Forgot to mention, im not sure about the mania, this will pass if withdrawal. But I don't know how long it will take to settle down xx

Was on 30mg for 5 weeks, right now i have very little appetite and having nightmares, sleep disturbances (not insomnia), what tends to happen with my thoughts is for an hour ill be quite stable and will have a small period for say 10 minutes positive thoughts then they crash from positive to depressive hopeless thoughts quite quickly. As for stopping i went from 30mg to 22.5mg to 15mg to 7.5mg to nothing all in one week

I hope you are well too xx

Hi Liam

please keep an eye on your progress. If it gets bad do what I was advised to do. Reinstate 3.75 mirt and reduce very slowly. Don't suffer needlessly. I am planning to stabilise 3.75 then taper really extra slow. I want to be off meds but not at the cost of health and suffering. Wish you well xxx

So glad to hear that, Lorraine!  I'm glad you got relief and can now do the slow slide off :-)

Liam, that is false about the wd lasting just a couple of weeks.  I only say that so that if it lasts longer than that for you, that you won't feel it must mean you are sick/relapsed.  People are often diagnosed as bi-polar when they report to the doctor that they are having symptoms which are caused by the drugs or by withdrawal but never had them prior.  For you, this is undoubtedly withdrawal and will pass as you heal :-)

I just read several success stories today from people who had gone down that path of being diagnosed bipolar but are now med free and NOT, so keep your chin up and remind yourself this is withdrawal and it will pass

Thank you betsy

I wish I had listened to you all in the first place! I would have saved myself from 30 horrible days! I hope you are okay?

2nd day back on mirt and now off to find a pill cutter!

Much love and god bless ♥♥♥

Thanks betsy, yeah mood swings are a symptom im just trying to keep that in mind instead of stupidly worrying about it being chronic. How long were you on mirtazapine and how long did your withdrawal symptoms last?

Aw sweetie, you aren't the first and won't be the last!  Some of us can get away with more bold tapering or CT while others of us can't.  I got into trouble doing a switch to a homemade liquid, virtually the same dose but the liquid absorbed differently enough to toss me into a wave!  Holding until I stabiliize.  Yesterday was a better day but ended in fatigue to where I couldln't do anything.  Groggy this morning, feel like I'm wearing a lead coat, mild anxiety, too  I have a friend coming today, not the best time for such stress :-)  I'm soooo glad you got relief, Lorraine - take it super slow after you stablize, as I've known folks who weren't as lucky as you with reinstating and continued to suffer after going too switftly.

 

At 3.75 you might look into getting the liquid or making your own.  Evergreen has been very successful making her own.  You need a way to powder the tablet and then she mixed it with a known volume of water/maple syrup.  Since mirt is not very soluble, you have to shake it really well before measuring your dose with the syringe so that the powder doesn't settle and give an uneven dose.  We'll help you with the math if you want to try it.

Thank you so much Betsy

Today I'm just extra tired but not the sort of tiredness that allows sleep. I'm wondering if 7.5 would do the trick? I don't think I originally had enough time on mirth to work on my depression. After 6 months on citalopram and bedridden, mirt yanked me out of depression, but I only had six weeks on it.

Would love and welcome your views xxx

Good for you keeping your head on this.  You are in early days, and nothing is permanent.  Symptoms go away with stability but it may take some time.  Just notice your mood, be aware, and tell yourself that this is wd and it will pass.

I got up to 37.5 mg by 7 weeks before dropping 20% when my doc reinstated Effexor, and I had numb lips and tongue from that,a along with headaches and periodic diarrhea.  It took awhile to go away.  I began reducing more a month later, 10% taper.  I wish I could have gone faster due to the brief period I had been on mirt, but mirt has a way of getting its hooks in you very quickly and since I was sensitized by the protracted wd from Effexor, I was afraid to risk going faster.

How long have you been back on the 3.75, Lorraine?  You need at least four days for this to reach a steady state in the blood, so it is not advised to make further changes until assessing after that period.  It is important to sit tight and let yourself stabilize before changing things up.  Too many changes confuse the nervous system.  Stability is what it needs.  So be careful about chasing symptoms with more changes. 

Could you remind me of how you came off?  Was it a CT and from what dose?  

Hi betsy

thank you for replying ♥♥

day 2 on 3.75. The gp asked me to stop abruptly due to getting angry/irritable. I honestly think it was down to citalopram withdrawal. But I have noticed on the mirt leaflet that 1 in a 100 gets aggitated as a side effect. This surly means it would pass? I will take your advice and see how I am on day 4.

Huge thank you ♥♥

Yes, since our initial conversation about whether it was the mirt or not, I've seen others write of anger/agitation from mirt, so who knows!  I think those symptoms are common to many SSRIs/SNRIs etc.  I know I had it while on ven.

Keep notes on your symptoms over the next several days.  I hope that 3.75 is all you need.

 

You are wonderful betsy

thank you ♥♥♥

I've livened up in the last hour! Xxx

Woohoo!  That's great!  We're in it together, and it sure does help to know we aren't alone in this!