Mirtazapine withdrawal after stopping - how long?

I was on 30mg for 4 months then tapered down to 22.5mg and then 15mg and then 7.5mg and then 3.75mg. This was down over 6-7 weeks. Came off last week and was fine for 4 days and then on 5th felt absolutely awful. Now I don't know what to do? Do I go back on or stop and just live with the pain. I'm really confused as to what to do?

I think you have tapered too quickly, but you can never know unless you try right?  You could reinstate back at 3.75 and see if it helps, although it might take several days, but personally I would go back to 7.5mg and just wait to feel stable again, then having done your hoework start a very slow taper.

Obviously your body is in wd and is craving the wicked Mirt'; for an informed choice Y info for a safer taper have a look here: 

For advice on tapering Mirtazapine slowly at the recommended rate of no more than 10% every 3 or 4 weeks, please see the following which is within this forum, 

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/depression-resources-298570

and then click on the link "REDUCING AD'S USING 10% WITHDRAWAL METHOD".  

See what you think.  You could also ask your doc' for a benzo to help with the anxiety, and something for any nausea.  WD from this drug is horrible, you'll find lots of stories on the forum and advice on tapering also.

Thanks. Talking to doc tomorrow. I just really want to be off this horrible drug. Will ask about a benzo.

Will also look at all advice here.

Thanks for advice. How did you make the liquid and how long would you suggest to take to get from 3.75 to 0?

See Evergreens post for making liquid:

Here is the pill to liquid instruction for anyone who might want to taper slowly.

You will need a 15 ml syringe and also a 1ml syringe with markings on at 0.1ml intervals

A pill crusher (available from Amazon)

A clean medicine bottle or small jar

A small accurate measuring jug or medicine cup with measure on. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

• Crush up 2 x 15mg (or 1 x 30mg) Mirtazapine pills until they are a fine powder (although the outer coating does not grind up as fine as the white Mirt’ powder that is inside, but that's fine. So long as the white Mirt’ is a fine powder.

• Then measure 30ml of half water and half maple syrup (or something else to your taste) and pour into the medicine bottle.

• Then pour in the powder and shake it vigorously. So 1ml of the liquid equals 1mg of Mirtazapine. N.B. Mirtazapine is not soluble in water and so you must shake it vigorously every time you take out a dose to ensure you are getting an accurate measure of Mirtazapine.

• Also you should store it in the fridge. It is recommended to keep it no longer than four days, but a reliable source kept (her) each batch for two weeks without a problem.

So from the 30 mg / 30 ml draw up the syringe what you require. 

1 ml of the liquid = 1 mg.

This has been tried and tested and works very well. Just make sure you shake it very well before drawing up the syringe.

Credit to Evergreen

For "how long" at each dose" I would follow the 10% rule, every 2 weeks.

Hope this helps

 

Thanks Calmer,

Already had a look at the way that Evergreen explained with the tapering and the liquid solution.

Spoke to doc yesterday and tried to ask about tapering and she had no idea what I was talking about.

Thank heavens for these forums!!

Indeed ... doctors ... ugh !

Made silly mistakes!

Started wd on mirt last Tuesday. I am going a heavy style off it to see just where my body is on this.

30mgs per day for a month.

Tuesday 15mg

Wednesday 22.5mg

Thursday 22.5mg

Friday. 0.0mg

Saturday. 0.0mg

Sunday. 22.5mg

Like a plonker, I went away and forgot my meds!

So had the extra physical awareness going on and today higher anxiety.

So annoyed with myself! Grrrr

Baffled, personally I'm not sure what to say to that plan ... only that I hope whatever you do goes well for you.  If you need any help come back.

Best wishes

Hi calmer, well it's ten days in and decided to level out with 22.5mgs tell next Tuesday.

My head has become more normal awY from a pre migraine state. Yes, going to the loo has changed a bit. No cramps or other symptoms other then the expected increase of anxiety. However! I actually think the anxiety has reduced slightly in anxiety issued terrortory around me this week. I am expecting Tuesday onward to be a struggle though, if anything people in here say is anything to go by! God that's bad English O_o

Hiya

Well done for making the jump what mg did u jump off?

I can't answer your question because I'm still tapering but a good way to judge is how long did you feel bad after each drop?

Just read someone's 40 days off and only just seeing improvement hang in there!

S x

Hi Suzannah, nice to hear from you.  I was on 15mg for a week then 7.5mg for a week then 0 !! I know I shouldnt have jumped so quickly but I coudlnt bear being fat anymore, I have definitely lost weight which is the best thing.  today I woke up and had no black cloud which was such  a good feeling but I stll feel sick but less tearful also today.  Im hoping it wont take me 40 days to feel better!  I just feel like i have a permanent hangover though I wonder how long it will take for that side affect to go?  After each drop I felt rough so maybe only a couple of weeks fingers crossed.  How are you doing?

Hey I'm doing much better thanks

Still feel the withdrawal but not so bad now and I'm over a week in

I drop again to 15mg after weekend all being well then i think pdoc wants me to go on a low dose of fluoxatine while i give up mirt completely

Have already stopped diazzy's and am down to half a zop a night. Then stop the orlanzapine. I should have only been on it 6 weeks so hoping withdrawal won't be too bad.

I ended up in real trouble in withdrawals because I've became tolerant to mirt and was causing withdrawal anxiety. My pdoc said coming off flu won't be so bad but we've got to do it the long way round because i can't be ill during withdrawals as i have 2 kids to look after 1 of which is autistic so haven't got time to rest!

I will get there in the end

How you feeling today?

Is it still getting easier?

I think you've done really well you've done a really fast taper and sounds like you're coping well

Proud of you

S x

Hi Suzannah, hope you are feeling OK, are you still on 15mg? Completely understand how you dont want this to affect you life especially as your children need you!  Im nearly into 3 weeks off of Mirtz and this weekend the depression hit me like a ton of bricks.  Im so cross as I thought i had beaten the depression but it seems to be worse than ever and being scared of everything going wrong again its been horrible.  I feel like a freak as my friends were saying how well I had done and now I feel not only have I left myself down i have let them down too, why cant I be normal like everyone else!!  I am not going on any other medication as i really cant bear the thought of going through withdrawal again.   I wonder if this is just a side affect and that it will pass as I had stopped feeling depressed hence coming off of Mirtz and I wonder how long it will take before I ever get back to being me again.  2 years ago I was a normal happy girl who laughed all the time and loved life and Im so so scared i will never be that person ever again?!  If anyone can give me some advise I would really appreciate it.

It's important not to get too frustrated with yourself and compare it to past you. Depression, anxiety, they're caused by chemical imbalances in your brain. It's not something you can control, and getting better is definitely a good goal but isn't something let yourself be angry with yourself about. It would be like an amputee being angry they couldn't regrow a limb. Well, maybe that's a bit extreme but you get the gist. You will be stronger, wiser and to the perfect you in time!

Hi Paradigm

Thank you for your response.  The depression seems to come over me and i cant stop crying however I am so determined to not let it enter my head and stay there its taken so much of my life already I just hope in time like you said that I can find that happy girl again, I see glimmers of her but few and far between.   Around a year ago I went to see a hypnotist and he was amazing although very expensive, I think I may go back for one more session and then good riddens to depression forever !   Thank you for listening

I did something similar 15 to 7.5 for 2 weeks and then nothing.

If I knew the w/d symptoms were going to be this bad then I would have tapered off way more slowly. I hear ya about the weight gain though! I really wish my doctor would have told me about the weight gain and binge eating side effects of this drug - I don’t think I would have ever tried it in the first place. 

I’m 12 days off completely and I’m miserable dizzy, nauseous, extremely irritable, migraines, diarrhea, no filter (some of the crap that has been coming out of my mouth !😳 stomach cramps, can’t stop crying, hopeless etc 

At least I don’t feel like binge eating anymore ????? 

Wish you luck 😕 

Helps me to know that I’m not alone because that feeling is really heavy to

If you would like to join a FB mirtazapine withdrawal support group, please private message me.