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Coming off mirtazapine and onto trazodone

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evergreen
evergreen

Has anyone done this? I went onto Mirtazapine after my latest bout of depression, and to help me come off temazepam and cut down on my alcohol. I had been drinking 3-4 glasses of wine a night and was on 5-10mg temazepam a night too. Mirtazapine worked wonders and I found it extremely easy to cut out the temazepam all together and to cut down alcohol to a couple of times a week. It also cured my migraines, and my itchy skin, and my morning sickness. All this with hardly any side effects except for being totally knocked out for the first week, but that passed, and I put on a stone in weight. It is the weight issue that has got me down and the reason I want to change meds. I can't take SSRIs or any of the tricyclics, mainly due to insomnia and sexual dysfunction.

So I have decided to go onto trazodone but can find nothing on the net about any other people's experiences. I have cut down to 15 mg of mirt for 10 days without problems and have now started on 75 mg of trazodone and 7.5 mg of mirt. I was going to stop the mirt when I started on the trazodone (doctors orders) but reading about withdrawal on here, I have decided to cut to 7.5 mg mirt first.

My first night on this was last night and I could not sleep for 2 hours due to my heart pounding and feeling panicky about not breathing. However, I don't know if this was real or just a panic attack as I had become really frightened of taking the trazodone in case I had a bad reaction.

Any advice?

1 like, 17 replies

17 Replies

  • Syrup
    Syrup

    Posted

    I feel your pain. Although, the weight gain I experienced was a lot more.

    I see it's a while since you posted so I hope you are getting on ok with the trazodone.

  • evergreen
    evergreen

    Posted

    I failed miserably at making the transition. I suffered severe nausea, depression and insomnia after ten days of trying to make the change. Sadly, I have had to go back on the mirt and feel 100 times better. I have managed to keep my weight in check by not even buying the things that I crave such as chocolates. This has meant that my weight has stabilised now. But it is a constant struggle.
    • ann55375
      ann55375 evergreen

      Posted

      Are you still around? I need good advice on a possible transition from mirtazapine to trazodone to try to get anxiety under control.
    • evergreen
      evergreen ann55375

      Posted

      Yes, I'm still around. I came off mirtazapine completely in February but it was by very slow taper. It was easy when done slowly and I had virtually no withdrawal symptoms. I made my own liquid in the end so I could reduce by 0.1mg every couple of days. My advice would be to reduce very slowly. I can't advise on the trazadone because I've decided I've had enough of antidepressants and now just take temazepam for sleep because it has no side effects for me. I guess I'm probably hooked on it though.

    • evergreen
      evergreen

      Posted

      I mean February 2016 so have been AD free for a year now. I'm now as skinny as a rake. Can eat what I want and not pput on weight. It just shows how bad mirtazapine is for weight gain, but you do lose it all once you're off it.

  • ann55375
    ann55375 evergreen

    Posted

    Thanks so much for your note. You must be really strong to have got off the mirtazapine, well done.   I, like you, am not sure about trazodone, still thinking about it. I am also worried about my reliance on the diazepam now, it was originally for only odd occasions.  I think i have a fight on my hands.
    • dawn70425
      dawn70425 ann55375

      Posted

      Hi i came if trazodone Sep 2016 after 15 years on it, it worked well for me, but only could take it when I got in bed b4 sleep, as the first time I was put on it I tuk it about 7 in the evening and by 7.30 I was crueling up the stairs to bed, it hit me like a sledge hammer, felt like I was drunk. And I mean total drunk, I clapesd in to bed and woke the next day, so I new from then on only to take it wen I was in bed and falling a sleep, I must say tho I was on 300mg so high does, but it did work for me, but after 15 yrs it just stopped working for me, and was put on mirtazapine, which I'm havin some bad days with my depression, and not sure what to do, stick it out or go bk to docs once a gain... I think every body reacts to drugs differently, what suits one, will not suit another, but good look with which ever u decide to do ..

    • ann55375
      ann55375 dawn70425

      Posted

      I am having trouble with mirtazapine and wondering if it worked for you in the end or if you have any advice
    • dawn70425
      dawn70425 ann55375

      Posted

      Hi Ann.. sorry but for ME mirt did not work, the first 4 weeks were great, I sleeped all nite, which was so good, then the nitemares started to come, and as time went on they got worse, that they became so real to ME .. I live aloan and I’d wake up scared to death as I’d dreamed that some one/thing was in my house, I stuck with mirt for 6mth, but the nitemares just got worse that I woke up 4/5 times in the nite, then when I went back to sleep, I’d have a mother nitemare, so I had enough and came of it...

      But it may work for you, unless you try you will never know, as we are all different and react different to each med.. good luk chic, hope it works out for you big hug 🤗x

    • ann55375
      ann55375 dawn70425

      Posted

      Thanks but been on it two years and hasnt worked for my anxiety.  Nightmares imcould pit up with but not anxiety all day, can hardly sit and read a paper. What did help you?
    • dawn70425
      dawn70425 ann55375

      Posted

      Hi Ann glad you can cope with mirt,but sounds like not with your anxiety ?? It’s hard to control anxiety, how minds are very powerful things, that makes us over think at times, other then trying to keep your self busy, your doc may be able to help, or talking to a councillor..

      Some meds mite be caursing more anxiety, so it’s down to finding what’s right for you...

      Prozac as worked for me, but for others it don’t, wish I had a answer to it all, but I don’t, but talking can help, and try get out even if it’s just a little bit at a time, if your struggling that way, there’s so many different anxiety’s it’s knowing yours and trying to tackle it x

  • Nanadee47
    Nanadee47 evergreen

    Posted

    I have just come off trazadone 150mg yesterday was only started on them Monday just 4 days was the worse experience of my life side effects were enormous for me I could not keep my head up night terrors,hot flushes,sickness,fell over twice I was so out of it but everyone's reaction is different I used to work in a dementia care home and saw a lot of bad effects due to trazadone it really scares me,I was previously on duloxetine and before that fluoxetine with no side effects GP has prescribed mirtazapine 15mg just taken my first one so hopefull will help. please post how you get on with them.

    • ann55375
      ann55375 Nanadee47

      Posted

      Hi, mirtazapine was easy to get onto.no nasty side effects for me just tiredness especially in am. I wish you luck on these, they work for lots of people.
    • dawn70425
      dawn70425 Nanadee47

      Posted

      Hi I was on trazadone for 15 yrs and it worked great for me, I was on 300mg, but I learnt that you HAVE to take it Wen your in bed ready for sleep, or you will sleep in the day, and if taken during the day, it will make you feel very drunk like, but sleep was fantastic for me, every nite I was asleep 7/8 hours with out fail, had to cone of them as stopped working after that long on them, or I would of def stayed on trazadone..

      But as we are all different what works good for one person, may not fit another, if that was the case, I think we would all be on the same med lol..

      After coming off trazadone I was put on mirt, which worked ok for around a month, then the nitemares started, and after 6month I had to come of them, as I was not sleeping any more, the nitemares were so bad I’d wake up, scared to hell, as the nitemares seem so real, some times I woke thinking  that there was some one in my house ( I live aloan ) and it freaked me out, so I did give it a go as hoped it would settle down, but they got worse.. so now I’m on Prozac, which as helped me so much with depression, but I still don’t sleep, but I’m going through the menopause so hoping things will settle after this crap... I think for each of us it’s trail and error to find the best one that works for you, good luk I hope it does work for you x

  • ADPanicker
    ADPanicker evergreen

    Posted

    I am coming off sertraline due to insomnia and moving to mertazapine BUT the weight gain looks awful. Am I doing the wrong thing. It was painful getting on to sertraline for me so weaning off to go back again is a huge concern

    I am normal weight now but won't take much to go overweight

    Is trazadone a better option. :-( :-(

    • dean725
      dean725 ADPanicker

      Posted

      be very carefull with the weight gain that mirtazapine induces,i have put on more than two stone in the two or so years i've been on it and i walk my dogs 3 or 4 miles everyday.

      this weight gain has prompted me to ask for a change of meds..My main problem is sleeping or rather the lack of it,i have a 25 year history of poor sleep that has finished up with me getting very anxious at bedtime..most gp's dont understand this at all,they think you should give yourself a shake and snap out of it,if it was that easy i'd have done it years ago.

      i have asked to see the mental health team to try and get to the bottom of it and 5 days ago i started taking trazadone in a bid to try and lose some weight.

      so far i've only managed one or two hours a night,maybe its early to start judging the trazadone so i will deffo give it more time.I am cutting my mirtazapine in half and taking 200mg of traz and if anything i feel more anxious and wide awake,so i'm well pi55ed off.But i have read that switching over can cause problems,ie,irritability,insomnia etc so i will give it another week before i go back to see my gp..

      trazadone does get decent reviews for sleep so hopefully i will see some improvement,i do have a few zopiclone that i loathe to use so tonight i'm having one in the hope that i get some kip.

      i run my own business and work long hours so need some sleep otherwise life becomes hard.

      so in answer to your question mirtazapine will cause weight gain,just make yourself aware of this and keep away from binge eating once you've had the tablet because your appetite will be sky high.

    • ann55375
      ann55375 ADPanicker

      Posted

      i  am reading your post and wondering how you got on with the changes.  I have had several and different side effects.  Did trazadone help you?
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