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3 weeks off Mirtazapine

Posted , 8 users are following.

MissLaura
MissLaura

Hello fellow anxiety sufferers

I started taking Mirtazapine 2 years ago for servere anxiety..

During this time I have done every single piece of work to treat my anxiety that google can find for me..

3 months ago I felt I was in a good space to start to come off my medication..

With the guidance of my therapist we worked out a slow taper down plan..which was successful..

I was told that after I come off completely it would take around 3 weeks for most of the effects to subside..

Apart from an increase in general anxiety..and some increased sleep issues..I was pretty much doing ok on a whole..

It has now been 3 weeks to the day and this is what I am feeling:

Paranoid

Highly anxious

4 hours per night sleep

Highly emotional

OCD ing (checking phone constantly

Suspicious

Fears

Tingling in my lips

Jittery

Now I should point out that these were all of the things that lead me to start taking the medication in the first place..

So on top of the above symptoms I am also feeling;

Depressed that all the work I have done hasn't assisted me at all

Is this the new normal for me?

What I would really like..is for someone who has made it past this point..to let me know if..

Is this only temporary?

Will this improve?

Is it normal to feel worse before you feel better?

and how long could this take?

Please help!

Thank you Laura

0 likes, 16 replies

16 Replies

  • Gretel
    Gretel MissLaura

    Edited

    Hi Laura,

    Im 5 months and 24 days off 15mg mirt/ 4 months. It will get better. My symptoms were/are similar to yours. Insomnia and anxiety have been persistant and the others are very cyclic with varying intensity. Remaining calm and positive have helped a great deal. My dr is not supportive so i dont rely on him for answers. Its been a self help journey. Best wishes

    • MissLaura
      MissLaura Gretel

      Edited

      Hi Gretel

      Thank you for taking the time to post a response. I really appreciate it..

      So far today has been a little better..I will take one day at a time and hope for the best

      Thank you smile

  • nicola33045
    nicola33045 MissLaura

    Posted

    Hey laura,

    I'm sorry your feeling bad but honestly you will soon start to feel better soon. I went throughost the same effect as you and I have been completely off them for 3 months now and there was times I thought about starting them again but so glad I didn't. I now have the odd occasion where I feel a bit anxious but no more panic attacks so fingers crossed you can get through this smile

    • MissLaura
      MissLaura nicola33045

      Posted

      Hi Nicola

      Thank you for your message of support..I appreciate you letting me know that there's light at the end..and what I am feeling now isn't just isolated to me..

      It gives me comfort that others have overcome it..this will help me when I am struggling..

      Thank you

  • Kc2325
    Kc2325 MissLaura

    Posted

    Hi MissLaura,

    Those sound like classic WD symptoms. I took a full year to taper but still had  WD symptoms. My intense WD symptoms started a few days after the three week mark and lasted for the next two months. The worst was the insomnia  which magnified all of the other symptoms.  It did get much better 3 months after stopping but, honestly, it took quite a while to settle into a new normal. And as time passes, your waves should become less intense and less frequent.  

    And recognize that it will take time for your brain to return back to center. You have taken off your training wheels so you need to be prepared to wobble a bit until your brain get its bearings. 

    Also be very careful with what you consume. Any stimulants, including sugar, will cause your symptoms to magnify considerably, as processed food  I have adopted a mostly plant based diet for the last 9 months and feel much better. 

    I’ve been off for over 16 months now and feel back to normal. The only side effect which hasn’t completely gone away is the fatigue and my allergies are more intense now. I think I’m more sensitive to histamine issues now. But they are all manageable. 

    Hang in there. It does eventually get better. 

    Feel free to PM me with any questions you may have. 

    • MissLaura
      MissLaura Kc2325

      Posted

      Hello thank you for posting a response..I really appreciate the tip about avoiding sugar...after starting on the medication I did have a problem with food cravings..they have subsided a bit now..however the last couple of days..during my struggles I have been eating chocolate as a way to cope with my feelings..

      I am going to look into exercise instead

      It's good to know that what I'm feeling is a normal part of the process and temporary!.

      Thanks again

    • ann55375
      ann55375 Kc2325

      Posted

      I am six weeks off after slow titration down.  I am using diazepam formthe extra anxiety but as you say the sleep isnt great.  I can just about cope with all that but my main problem is i wake with nausea every morning now, i did have it some days before coming off but its worse now.  Gp thinks its all my anxiety related and i wonder if it might start tomdissipate like you after three months or so.  The only other option is to go onto another a d and i dont want to domthat as ive just managed to get off this one, which i might add is pretty poisonous stuff.
    • MissLaura
      MissLaura sarah24378

      Posted

      Hi Sarah

      I was on 45 for 1.5 years...I tapered down by dropping 15mg over 4 weeks..however when I hit 15..I started feeling much better..

      I stayed on 15 for a few months then felt ready to come off completely..

      It took me 2 months to drop from 15 to nothing...taking off a bit every fortnight..this actually worked quite well...3 weeks off now..

      Im actually feeling not to bad right now!..

      One day at a time

    • MissLaura
      MissLaura ann55375

      Posted

      Hi Ann

      I am sorry to hear that you are not feeling well..

      I did get very light nausea in the morning..but it dissipated once I had a cup of tea..or breakfast..

      Stay strong and take one day at a time..not every moment is a struggle..it does seem like there is some relief in the near future..which gives me comfort.

      Laura

  • mrs_susan74280
    mrs_susan74280 MissLaura

    Posted

    HI I am week 6 15mg mitazapine ,still not much better , dry mouth , shakeing , nervousness, also take propranolol with it , not sure if it's going to work at all , how long does it take , many thanks

    • MissLaura
      MissLaura mrs_susan74280

      Posted

      The slower the better...and give it 2 weeks between altering it down further..this will enable you to stabilise better..
  • eva28308
    eva28308 MissLaura

    Posted

    I'm 4 weeks off and suffering greatly. This medication ruin my life. They put me on remeron bc I had nausea and that's bc I was going trough peri menapouse. I never had anxiety or depression. 

    But since they put me on and off 3 times in 2 years I have burning head non stop severe anxiety and depression.  

    I dont even know I will ever heal.

    doctor of course don't have any suggestions. They just want to give me more medication. 

    No thank you. It can take years to heal if I ever will. 

    Sorry for your suffering too and sorry for the negative notes.

    Eva

    • MissLaura
      MissLaura eva28308

      Posted

      Hi Eva

      Thank you for taking the time to respond...I appreciate you doing so...

      I am sorry to hear that you are suffering too...

      Your post has given me some comfort..in that the anxiety and depression that I am feeling may not be due to the medication hiding it whilst I was talking it...because as you wrote...you didn't even suffer before..

      I have had a response by someone who is further down the track than we are..they said they experienced the same thing...and it does get better..but it can take time..oh and to also avoid sugar..

      Please know that you are not alone..I wish you the best of luck with your journey

      Laura

  • mrs_susan74280
    mrs_susan74280 MissLaura

    Posted

    So sorry ,I am 15mg ,as I got up treamberling shakeing , and rushing to the loo, 5 weeks today , still feel anxiety and shakes , also menopause age 58 , how long was you on it and for how long , got no appertight till about 6pm at night ,
    • MissLaura
      MissLaura mrs_susan74280

      Posted

      Hi Susan

      I was on 45mg for 1.5 years...I tapered down by dropping 15mg over 4 weeks..however when I hit 15..I started feeling much better..

      I stayed on 15 for a few months then felt ready to come off completely..

      It took me 2 months to drop from 15 to nothing...taking off a bit every fortnight..this actually worked quite well...3 weeks off now..

      I didn't really suffer with the lack of appetite..and the tappering down process was quite successful as I did it very slowly..it was only after being off 3 weeks that I started struggling..

      I am sorry to hear that you are struggling so much..with the combination of menopause on top of it..I guess its really hard to know if it's the medication or menopause or a combination of both compounding the situation..

      Best of luck for you

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