Stopped taking Mirtazapine 15mg. Nightmare.

I think the GP will probably suggest going back to the 15mg. I just hope it starts to do it's job quickly. I'd just got used to being well again and then this happens. I wish I had read up about stopping before I did. I just didn't give any thought to it being a potential problem. My plan is to reinstate my 15mg dose, hopefully get better and then start to reduce very slowly, as you suggest 10% reductions at a time, although I'm not sure how you can do that with tablets. I think the lowest strength tablet is 15mg which can be snapped in half, but how can you reduce a tiny snapped tablet any further.

Everyone reacts differently to each medication so it's hard to tell how you'll do but just like Calmer said try to make those most informed decision that you can for yourself.

You have a very good GP,

Take her advice she knows what she's talking about,

I wish everything GP had this knowledge.

Hope you settle back on to Mirt soon John.  If you are wanting to quit Mirt by tapering slowly, for a full informed choice read the links under my status before maybe making a steady plan - click on my name and you see see the links.

There is advice there to make a liquid from Mirt Sol Tabs, this is a real help to enable smaller cuts.  If you are thinking of reinstating, it might be a good idea, and I think it will settle you also, to not go right back to 15 mg, but to go to say 12.5 mg.

Doctors will always tell you its ok to go to 7.5 to 3.75 to zero ... I've not met anyone yet who didn't struggle with that method.  Doctors ugh ... !!

Wishing you well.

Hi Calmer it's vikki,

I thought my symptoms were going after the Anxiety shifted on Monday,but I was a little to eager,

My insomnia is worse then ever and it's now 7 weeks.

I didn't want to unsettle anyone by retracting my statement,if anything I hoped my blog(saying it had gone) gave someone a bit of light at the end of the tunnel hoping mind over matter helps!

I'm keeping check on everyone's recovery,hoping I recover too.

I won't be too eager to jump next time,that's if there is,OMG I'm a so worried.

Are you taking anything for the insomnia Vikki?  Some people take Phenergen for a few weeks, avalable over the counter, or even Benadryl (drowsy), I think you can take one or two of these, or maybe one before bed time and one if you're wide awake say 3-4 am.  

& weeks is quite a way, pity to reinstate, although some do, no shame in it, just depends how well you can cope.

Some people with insomnia in WD listen to the hinest guys on you tube, find their soothing meditations - what to do in the middle of the night - its so earrie and still and you just lye there, so hard, been there, sorry for you to suffer with this.  x

Hi Calmer..thanks for replying,

I was prescribed Zopiclone two weeks ago,they don't want to give me another script and I understand why,

I run out of my Zopiclone on Sunday,I'm not looking forward to it one bit.

I tried Extra Strength Sleep Aid but it didn't touch me,

I'm going to give Benadryl a go,it could be different to the sleep aid,

I can't cope with the no sleep as I still can't get to sleep the next night.

It's so bloody frustrating!

Very difficult for you I'm sure, I feel for you - I had insomnia for months and that's why I went on Mirt' - my biggest fear when I come off it !  I tried Zopiclone but it only allowed me to sleep about 3-4 hours.

Hope the Benadryl works for you, hang on in there, I understand sleep returns slowly for those affected.

I had to come off the Fluoxetine as I was feeling terrible and dizzy all day with it. I'm still taking 15 mg of Mirtazapine and hope I can stick with it but I guess we'll see. The insomnia is the thing that is the worst of all and I'm hoping it doesn't return too badly.

From what I understand of Mirt, the 15mg dose is good for insomnia, as is 7.5mg, and the higher doses are usually prescribed for depression - HOWEVER ... such a shame but most folk get an increase in anxiety at 30mg.  Maybe 22.5 is better, not sure.

The insomnia was caused by my depression which led to anxiety and finally really bad insomnia. The Mirtazapine helps me sleep but I hate the side effects that I get. Every other drug I have tried added to the Mirtazapine has made me feel worse and feeling like I can hardly function at all so at this point I don't know what to do..

I'm really groggy in the morning and during the day at different periods. I also have stomach issues with it and swallowing food has been really hard also with me having to throw it up sometimes when it gets stuck. I've also become much more reclusive and want to stay in more which was worse with the Fluoxetine and I was dizzy most of the day with it. Don't know if I should increase my dose again or try to tough it out since I've been on 15 mg for 10 days

It's kind of been a trade off for better sleep that I've dealt with all the side effects and seems like I can't win because other medications make things worse but I'd like to get off Mirtazapine but can't without insomnia issues coming back.

Gosh Robm 10 days isn't very long, I would give it time.  You maybe might be well advised to use Mirt for sleep whilst you deal with the underlying cause, "depression" - are you having any therapy?  CBT is often used now, along with Mindfully based CBT, and meditation.

The swallowing problem - would you say that is a morbid fear?  Do you have a fear of choking?  Its just that morbid fears usually stem from depression also - depression can be so debilitating ... ugh !  

Calmer,

Unfortunately I have to admit that I'm my own worst enemy when it comes to medicine because I'm so against them and trying to get them all the time too quickly. I have reinstated the Fluoxetine and I probably should have stayed where I was with the Mirtazapine but what's done is done. I do see a therapist and I don't have a fear of swallowing definitely develop from the Mirtazapine. I have to learn to just accept that I have to take medications for now until I get through this awful period of my life.

Thanks for all your help in me dealing with these medications and hopefully I can't just deal with some of the side effects a little better and take some of the bad things for having better mental health which I don't have at all right now.

Each time I get a good day or two which isn't too often I try to rush to get off the medication. Probably what I'm feeling with lack of appetite, more withdrawn and dizziness has all to do with going down on Mirtazapine and nothing or little at all to do with the Fluoxetine but I always castrophize when things go bad and usually overreact even though I haven't felt that great for these 11 days but hopefully I'll feel better soon.

Taking Mirt at the same time you will need to be careful of serotonin syndrome, did your doc mention this, probablly not - see drugs   .   com for interaction of the two drugs together.  

Hope you find the right balance.  

This is my first time taking the Fluoxetine which I took 10 mg for 7 days I've taken 20 mg since Friday and no he didn't mention serotonin syndrome to me so I guess I'll mention it. So I'm currently on 20 mg of Fluoxetine and 15 mg of Mirtazapine. On nights that I have trouble with sleep I can also take 1.0 mg of Clonazepam.

On drugs.com it says there is major reaction possible and you shouldn't be on two antidepressants at once, should this be a concern that this is causing these problems that I'm having Calmer? Have you heard anyone have serotonin syndrome before or is it rare?

Thanks Calmer I'll ask if anyone in this forum has taken them together before. Still don't have much of an appetite and just feel flat and that I don't care about anything right now but trying to tough it out and see if it passes. I see my doctor Thursday.