Mirtazapine withdrawal !!Anyone a Cold turkey survivor?

Posted , 7 users are following.

I've been taking mirtazapine 45 mg for 5 years and decided to go cold turkey as I felt that I only get depressed or anxious when I ran out of my supply and I'm sick of having to make an appointment every time I need a prescription ..

My question is when do the withdrawal symptons start to go away ?

This is my 6th day without anti depressants.. I feel mentally good but my body is going through symptons similar to when I withdrew from alcohol

Anyone have any experience with going cold turkey from mirtazapine ?

Thanks x

0 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • Posted

    It is so NOT a good idea to cold turkey, you are far more likely to reinstate.

    you should do a slow taper, especially as you are on a high dose. If you slow taper by 10% per month you will be giving yourself the best chance of kicking them.

    i hope you do well.

    • Posted

      I'm just sick of taking any medication what so ever ..anti depressants are more addictive then most illegal drugs.. I've tapperd down in the past but always managed to get back up to the higher doses .. will see how it goes .. I feel like sh*t but my head has never been clearer .

  • Posted

    I've been weening down and I'm down to 15mg from a high of 45 mg also, I've been down six days also and it hasn't been fun physically or mentally. I'm interested to see how you do going cold turkey so please keep me updated. I'm trying to get off this crap as quickly as possible but I'm not sure which way is the best to do it.

    • Posted

      Hi Rob.. I have tried to ween myself off them before but always went back to higher doses when it made me feel worse .. will keep you up to date with progress ..but I don't recommend going cold turkey to anyone .. it's grim ..but mentally never felt better ..one day at a time I guess

    • Posted

      Daniel,

      I've done the same thing many times when I went down and felt worse but I'm determined not to give up this time as I really want to be mentally back to my old self again and I'll never be able to on Mirtazapine.. Definitely have to take it one day at a time I guess!

    • Posted

      I tried cold turkey because of the weight gain and after about 9 days I was a total mess. Went back on them for a few weeks and weaned off them. That was still quite hard but after a while I felt better. In my experience they really helped but the side affects are awful. Would never go in them again I think doctors should warn people about how hard it is to come off them and other side affects before giving them out. Hope u get better soon
    • Posted

      Ive been 8 days mirtaz free and honestly I've never felt worse .. it's like someone repeatedly kicking you in the stomach from morning to night... might have to give up on this experiment and tapper off again which I'm really angry about ... at first I was proud of myself for having the strength to do it .. now I realise it takes more than mental strength.. my body feels empty

  • Posted

    Hang in there,this isn't for the faint-hearted tho,Calmer has another way of getting off the Mirt,I went cold turkey and I've had a bad time for 7weeks,try not to panic if it gets worse in 2 weeks,that's normally when the other W/D symptoms kick in.

    Take care and seek advice from your GP.

    • Posted

      Thank you x it's has got to the point (8 days in ) where I'm starting to think I've failed .. my body hates me at the moment but I'm still mentally strong .. I try to keep myself busy with work and gaming and TV.. but it's like a constant itch that won't go away ..it's like I'm constantly being reminded that my chemical intake is off and that just getting another prescription is the easier option

  • Posted

    Torture, its not the "getting it out of the system" that people think when no longer wanting to quit Mirt, its allowing the CNS to readjust slowly, which avoids the insomnia, nausea, upset stomach, nervous debility ... 

    you can always reinstate, nothing wrong with that; I just hate to read of folk suffering with tapering too quickly and CT.

    Wishing you well Daniel.

    • Posted

      Yeah torture is an adequate description ! It's the constant reminder that your feeling unwell because of the decision you made to be drug free .. and it's horrible .. being a recovering alcoholic is a piece of cake compared to this new nightmare!

    • Posted

      Sorry to hear your having such a tough time of it Daniel, this drug really is a nightmare to get off. Wish you well in the future and hang in there!
    • Posted

      Have you got any supplies left, any at all??  If you do reinstate, and as your plan is to taper I would go back to say 40 mg, ask for "Mirtazapine Sol Tabs" and you can make a liquid.  Read up for a full informed choice - click on my name and follow the links under my status.

      You're not the first to have done a U turn, no no no, and you certainly won't be the last.  

      Let us know how it goes for you Daniel.

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