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30mg to 15mg

Posted , 2 users are following.

ben79661
ben79661

Hello all,

First off, I have been taking MIRTAZAPINE since JULY 2017 - so in the region of 17months. I was put on 45mg with DIAZEPAM but then dropped to 30mg not long after. It was due to PTSD, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, SLEEP ISSUES and a state of extreme paranoia and mania. Also recieved psychiatrist help, cognitive therapy and crisis team.

The combination seemed to help me out with sleep almost immediately and from then on in my mood stabalised. Still had moments of paranoia and feeling low, but all in all it helped with the rest and I no longer had the urge to try and kill myself. I have virtually knocked caffeine and alcohol on the head. I could count on one hand the times I've consumed either since starting mirt, the times I had caffeine I would start feeling anxious and alcohol made me way too drunk and either paranoia or depression would sneek in. Anyhow, for a solid 12months now with a positive mindset I've managed to get myself in a happy place and a great state of mind so I feel ready to withdraw and work on becoming drug free and trying to live a relatively normal and sane life again.

After discussing with my doctor he agreed. However my lifelong GP has retired, so this is a new one. He told me to take 15mg for 10 days, then 15mg every other day for 10 days and then to stop. So basically he gave me a 20day withdrawal plan!! I expressed my concern, I told him I missed 5 days due to a perscription error and I went absolutely do-lally. I virtually went that paranoid and confused I had no idea what was going on and I started getting tingly hands and it felt like my brain was jittering, really bad pain behind my eyes. I couldnt sleep and I felt like I had flu. I dont exaggerate my ilness either, it was really bad.

He told me not to worry and that his instructions were good enough to follow as the discontinuation effects of mirtazapine would not be that drastic following the above taper. I still expressed concern and managed to get 28 days supply of 15mg.

My own plan would have been to drop to 22.5mg and take those for 8 weeks then drop to 15mg and take those for 8 weeks then keep dropping as low as possible over the longer periods.

Day 2 of 30mg to 15mg and I just feel a lot more tired and have a bad head. I'm on a healthy nutritious diet, multiple vitamins, plenty of water and I have ordered some CBD oil.

Anyone have any advice on the 30mg - 15mg taper and what worked for you?? Or what didnt work for you??

Thanks

Benji

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • sarah24378
    sarah24378 ben79661

    Posted

    I have been tapering from 45 to 15 over 10 months by doing 10 to 15 % drops with liquid. It has not been too bad. Plan to take about a year to taper off 15. These doctors don t have a clue about AD withdrawal and like you i was very very ill and am not going to take any risks

    I am also in 10mg of diazepam daily....does nothing now and 150mg xr of venlaflaxine. I was on olanzapine and tapered off that in 2017.

    If you want to play it safe go slow and low.

    We have a mirtazapine support group with loads of experience if you want to join. Look up Jo Merriam on fb and send a friend request.

    What dose of diazepam are you on now ?

    • ben79661
      ben79661 sarah24378

      Posted

      Thanks for the info.

      Maybe 30mg to 15mg might be too big of a drop then. I am on day 6 now. Sleep is already effected. I Wake up at 3am and cant get back to sleep.

      I am off Diazepam now, I have been for about 8 months.

      I dont have facebook so I cant join the group.

      Thank you though

  • ben79661
    ben79661

    Posted

    Currently on my 5th week now on 15mg. (ignored docs orders to do a 20 day taper)

    After a week or so of suicidal thoughts and anxiety, things seem to be levelling off for me / other than the fact I Struggle to go to sleep and feel lethargic constantly. I'm guessing thats the effect of the 15mg tabs as opposed to the higher dose. Wrote a few notes on how I felt for the first two weeks then stopped as I hit a rough few week.

    Mirtazapine

    Week one 30mg - 15mg

    • Day one - nothing
    • Day two - tired, bad head, nothing uncommon.
    • Day three - woke up after 4 hrs sleep, low mood but remaining positive
    • Day four - struggled sleeping, feeling ok
    • Day 5 - slept well - struggled to get up felt like a zombie. Felt slightly depressed but still positive.
    • Day 6 - normal day, up and down, slept okay
    • Day 7 - depressed - weird tingling on back of head and electric shock in back of head
    • Day 8 - same as day 7. Low mood. Zombie.
    • Day 9 - weird feeling, lots of anxiety, depressed electric zaps in head, hands tingling
    • Day ten - feel high and low, still feeling zombified and cba to do anything, zaps in head and feeling like I needed to scratch my skin off
    • Day 11 - same as day ten but worse
    • Day 12 - massive headache, feels like theres swelling on my brain, feels heavy.
    • Day 13 - head stotting, low mood, tingly skin feeling gone but head pounding
    • Day 14 - no motivation, migrane, feels like pressure inside my skull, headache behind my eyes. Low mood.
    • Day 15 - .....

    the two weeks after this were a combination of a really bad head, zero motivation, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and a struggle to go to sleep... Im too strong willed to let the low mood consume me even on my bad days so its basically just a push on and fight to see another day. Docs perscribed me 15mg until May due to suicidal thoughts. I said I felt no urge to kill myself more just the thought of I cba to live it'd be easier to just die n be at peace of the frantic mind.

    Hoping this has levelled out now as mood seems stable. just need to try and combat the tiredness and foggy brain. I've been excersizing and trying to diet too whilst taking a whole host of vitamins and herbal remedies.

    dont know if anyone reads this but thought I'd document it just incase someone is going through the same process.

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