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Tapering Mirtazapine - Driving myself up the wall!

Posted , 9 users are following.

Ness88
Ness88

Hi there,

For the first time in a very long time, I'm finally in a good enough place to make the step in coming off my Anti-depressant. I've been on Mirtazapine 45mg for the last 4/5 years and before that a string of various of medications.

Despite my anxiety been kind of excessive at the moment, after a discussion with my GP, he was happy to let me begin tapering down the dose. The problem is with my anxiety I feel it mainly physically rather than mentally so it makes me a little oversensitive to any changes that take place in my body.

I guess what I am searching for is some reassurance so I can stop driving myself up the wall, exhausting google search on mirtazapine withdrawal. 6 nights ago I started my first reduction so 45mg to 30mg. In all honesty it's not been that bad, a few waves of nausea, headaches and random aches and pains. Those I was expecting so don't mind too much. The trouble is that for the last 3 days, I've found myself a little short of breath for most of the day. It's nothing thats outwardly noticeable at the moment, but it's there and is slightly concerning. Has anyone else experieneced this when tapering?

I'm knd of freaked out a little because one of my fears thats arisen since the mirtazapine is the that i will develop random allergys and my brain is wondering if I've suddenly developed an allergy to my meds (ridiculous, I know!) The other thing is that the rest of my family has had either viral chest problems lately so maybe I've just picked up that and it's a coincidence? Or it could just be the anxiety...

I'm totally spinning myself in circles at the moment so any wise words are most welcome at this point. If I know it is just withdrawal and nothing that can actually hurt me than I'm fine with whatever effects it throws at me.

1 like, 92 replies

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  • sarah_47032
    sarah_47032 Ness88

    Posted

    I found I was very sensitive to caffeine whilst on wd so stay away from it! This could be the problem ..all the nasty wd symptoms for me were very short term apart from the insomnia but I found a cure for that: meditation and float pods.. The float pod (I have one this afternoon in fact) is just a miracle. I recommend it as it will help with your wd; I wish I found out about these babies back in September when I first started to taper. I went from 45mg to 0mg within 3-4 weeks so this i do not recommend. I think that's why I suffered severe insomnia until last week when I discovered the float pod.
    • sarah_47032
      sarah_47032

      Posted

      After being in metarzapine 6 years I am angry I ever went on them, I feel like with a little patience, time and money; I could have fixed my problem (bereavement and insomnia) with focusing on fixing my mind. I gained 2 stone on metarzapine which made me a recluse for 6 years. I now strongly believe we need to fix what's going on in our heads.. With no drugs because they just mask the problem then cause am altitude of problems coming off them.
    • Ness88
      Ness88 sarah_47032

      Posted

      Hi Sarah,

      I've never heard of float pods either but I will look into them. I withdrew off zopiclone a few months back after 10 years of being on various sleeping tablets. It turned out better than I thought it would but of course a reemergence of insomnia is always a concern. My sleep hasn't been affected too much yet but if it does, I will bear your suggestion in mind. Thank you.

  • felicity63345
    felicity63345 Ness88

    Posted

    Hi I've been cold turkey for about 3 weeks now and it's the best thing I've ever done  and I've lost weight yippe .....ok the side effects insomnia seems to be creeping back in a little but I feel in control as my partner says I'm not vacant. 
    • sarah_47032
      sarah_47032 felicity63345

      Posted

      I highly recommend float pods to help with the insomnia, my life has been in limbo since September because of insomnia and Iv reached a turning point by discovering them!
    • sarah_47032
      sarah_47032

      Posted

      Not even as much as a nytol since my first float last week, doctors should be suggesting these.. Instead of robbing us off with sleeping tablets
    • felicity63345
      felicity63345 sarah_47032

      Posted

      Just looked this up ...I have never heard of these! It looks interesting though.   Might have to look into this 

      thanks xx

    • Ness88
      Ness88 felicity63345

      Posted

      Glad to hear that your withdrawal has gone fairly well. I hope it continues that way for you! I'm not sure if I ever been vacant on the mirt but as I've been on meds for a decade it's hard to know.  
  • neuron
    neuron Ness88

    Posted

    Hi Ness88

    I'd suggest even taking 30mg and 7.5mgmg and do the tappering over a year. Or 3/4 of a tablet, if possible. Or 30mg one day then 45mg the next on a tapper over a year. I came off Escitalopram too quick (6 months after 3.5 years). Now I am on the same tablets as you because it eventually, after an extra 3 months free of the drug, got too much for me with high high levels of anxiety. ALl the other withdrawal effects I could deal with. 

    The fact you have been googling quite a bit suggests anxiety, so just tapper slower I thinks

    smile

    • Ness88
      Ness88 neuron

      Posted

      A year seems like quite a long time for me and I think I would end up just confusing myself swapping and changing doses like that. I'm sorry it's not worked out that well for you at the moment and you've had to reinstate a med. There is nothing wrong with that so don't feel bad about it. Sometimes it proves to just not be the right time.

      My anxiety was already pretty high before beginning the taper anyway (5 day panic attack the week before. I didn't even think it was possible!) and it's not gotten any worse so I'm holding on to that.

      The plan is to go to 15mg after 3 weeks at 30mg and then hold it there till mid may (I have deadlines due then) then do the final bit when I have some time off Uni afterwards.

       

    • Calmer
      Calmer Ness88

      Posted

      Hi Ness

      Sorry to hear that your anxiety is so bad; you know it does sound like the Mirt' may well have 'pooped out' on you in this case, and this throws your system into withdrawal.

      You might want an informed choice with regards to safe tapering, so if you wanted to read this it might help:

      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".

      I hope some of this helps & wish you well.

    • Ness88
      Ness88 Calmer

      Posted

      Thanks for the link. I've heard about the 10% rule before. It might be something worth looking into once I get down to the lower doses.
  • betsy0603
    betsy0603 Ness88

    Posted

    Agreed, it is likely the physical anixety symptoms you've been having are caused by mirt poop out, and as you reduce that shoud get better, no reason to believe you will be left with that.  And I second Calmer's advice about 10%.  This drug is cruel to come off of, especially at the lowest doses, so it is important to go slowly so that you're not getting hit hard with the withdrawal symptoms as your system adapts to less of the drug being around.
    • Ness88
      Ness88 betsy0603

      Posted

      Sometimes my anxiety just flares up for no reasons. It's weird, I think mirtazapine changed how I experienced anxiety but it never really dealt with it in it's entirety. Thank you for the advice smile
  • miranda91651
    miranda91651 Ness88

    Posted

    dear Ness,

    I was on this drug for 6 years and it has taken me 3 months to be completly of off this drug like you i felt sick i had headaches and stomach cramps and i also felt a little chesty too  and i had a few night where i just could not get to slleep and when i did i woke up 30 minutes later,i think when you have been on a drug for as long as we have our body becomes reliant on it ,

    I think  that you should be very proud of your self for how far you have come so far,just take each day as it comes knowing that each day is a step nearer to being rid off this drug for good

    since being off this drug i can think clearer and i am eatting normaly and the weight is just dropping off,

    I would like to wish you the very best of luck on your journey

     miranda

    • Ness88
      Ness88 miranda91651

      Posted

      It's lovely to hear that deciding to withdraw off the meds has been a good choice for you. I think it gets to a point where after a certain amount of time, it's good to re-evaluate how effictive/needed they still are or if you are continuing to be on them because it's what you're used to. I guess it's experiment of sorts...it might not always work out, the drugs may still be neccessary but you have to at least try, don't you?

      It's a relief to here that someone else has experienced some chest problems too. It's an odd feeling, like I'm not getting enough air/kind of tight but I'm not wheezy or rattly or anything. It comes and go throughout the day which I guess it making me lean more to thinking that it's anxiety related.

      Thank you for your words smile

    • miranda91651
      miranda91651 plainden

      Posted

      hello plainden,

      I was on 45 mg,so i went to 35mg for 3 weeks to 25 mg for 3 weeks to 10mg  for 3 weeks then 5 mg for 3 weeks then nothing after that and now i feel so much better,i had to really beg my doctor for help so she gave me some 15 mg tablets which could be broken into half so i used that as my guide and i just allterd the dose myself,i also went swimming and i found  herbal remedies to help with anxiety  and to help with the sleeping and i just tried to eat well,

      everyone has different ways of kicking this drug and i am sure that you will find the right way for you

      good luck

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