Coming off mirtazapine

Good luck and remember half of the withdrawal symptoms are JIMM, Just In My Mind.  Keep telling yourself out lound JIMM.  I find that helps me get through it.

Thanks, Si. I like to stay really positive and optimmistic because I believe that if you expect things to happen they almost always will. You can end up putting every little ache, pain, headache, heart palpitation, anxiety attack etc down to withdrawal when in fact you might be like that anyway that day. Of course, there are some people for whom it is most definitely withdrawal, but on the surviving antidepressants forum, I read that these people are in fact in the minority. But boy, do they suffer! The advice of 10% taper per month is a very sensible one, particularly to start with, then, if you find you are coping really well, it may be safe to go a bit faster, like I am.

I have been on mirtazapine 30mg for four years. I tried to come off it before and lasted only ten days. That was ten days of sheer hell. So I expected to be one of those unfortunate few who have a terrible time coming off it. So far, I can honestly say, it's been very easy. I've had my bad days, but I most probably would have had those days in any case. I already have the most awful insomnia, and so had nothing to lose there either!

I hope that you get through your current mire of suffering and that the doctors get you sorted out with something that actually suits you. I tried virtually every AD there is before settling on mirt. The mirt was a port in a storm and I am forever grateful for that. I know I have the biggest hurdle of completely coming off it to come, but I'm feeling positive.

You are right, evergreen, you are doing a very conservative taper as far as the doctors are concerned!  I've known of people whose doctors actually "fired" them for not doing as told, even though the person wanted to taper slower than the doctor wanted!

I am looking forwared to reading how it will go after you jump off, and keeping my fingers crossed for you that doing the taper will have made it very doable!

Thanks, Betsy. I know the final jump off will be...interesting. Even this tiny amount of mirt that I am on is still keeping my migraines at bay (I had a mild one the other day but nothing like I used to have pre mirt). It is also keeping my nausea and itching away too, as well as still having a huge effect on my metabolism. I am still working out most days and watching what I eat to the extent that pre mirt, I would have been dropping a few pounds a week, but the last bit of belly fat is staying stubbornly there. Sadly, I think I will not see a difference until I am fully off the mirt. That is my main driving force, because I have worked out almost daily and counted every calorie for more than a year and I want a break from it!

How are you doing today?

Loving your positivity Evergreen, yo are a credit to us all.  Keep up the good work

Hope the new drop goes well for you, keep us posted

Oh, I get it!  My weight has shifted down slightly, but I'm really not eating much at all, much lower than I should for the amount of activity I do, and not good for the metabolism to eat so little.

I had insomnia starting around 4 this morning, and couldn't get back to sleep for quite awhile.  I didn't even have ruminating thoughts.  Finally fell back asleep when my husband got up, and then had stress dreams for the next hour.  Got up having had enough of that!  So, groggy, unmotivated, still in my pjs at nearly 1 PM (well, I did do my farm-yard chores in my pj's LOL!), and having just spend the last 45 minutes dinking around with my scale weighing out the next two weeks of Effexor... Grrr!  I think I'm in a grumpy mood, to boot!  And a friend is due soon to work dogs on sheep.  

I'm wondering if there might not be an ultra tiny dose of mirt that could bring balance for you - not affect the metabolism but keep the migraines at bay or at least less severe. But it would be such a pain to dose that out, I'm telling ya' it ain't fun messing with my scale!  The liquid would be the way to go!

Apparently there is a carrier liquid that can be used to mix mirt powder in such that it stays suspended and allows for an even dose.  Going to look into it if I can't get the SolTabs.

I hope your day has been good, Evergreen!

Thanks, Betsy. I have a funny feeling that this mirt will have a downwards effect on my metabolism even in the smallest of doses. I'll have to see how I go though because the migraines I used to get disabled me for a significant time every week; half blind and unable to understand the most simple words. Not even being able to remember the names of my dogs, sometimes.

Thanks, Calmer. I do try to stay positive. Those negative thoughts that can creep in really do set us back.

Wow, I'm going to send you a link for a natural pyschiatrist's website.  She has tons of information on there about nutrition and mental health, and I'm sure it links to physical disorders such as migraines as well.  Perhaps there is a trigger of some kind.  She talks about gluten and milk proteins being problematic. Sigh, I love me bread and milk!

I have that glued to the bed thing too in the morning, the lower the dose the more sedating for me.  The liquid works quicker; but as I'm on 7.5 I've decided to save the new bottle of liquid Mirt' (once opened it is supposed to last for 6 weeks & at the lower dose this will mean I can't use it all = waste).  So I'm halving a 15 mg tablet ... I have noticed the drop very slightly this time; Betsy this will interest you maybe for later - I feel more fatigue mainly and also less motivated, which I guess go hand in hand.

I went along to the little independant herbalist store in town and discussed my wd & have now started the complex B's, Magnesium that includes 100 gm Inositol, Varerian & many more.  So I'm hoping the fatigue will improve with these, can but try !!  I am going to wait to see if my stomach reacts to the new Vitamins before dropping another dose, I don't think I'm ready to go lower until I know.

It sounds like the natural remedy that you are taking is helping you Evergreen, I've heard it is good, bet it contains Valerian.  There are Kalms for daytime that you might want to try if you get anx' during the day.  

Betsy you say you aren't eating very much;  I think when you go low on calories the mind cranks up a gear to a more hyper state, watch that carefully, last thing you want.  So are you doing 2 withdrawals at the same time?  Eff & Mirt?  

Hope you both enjoy getting outside today, it's super and sunny here, hope it is for you too Betsy.

x 

 

Calmer, I got the fatigue and lack of motivation at 7.5mg and 5.6mg. I virtually stopped working out, which I was previously doing every day. However, my energy and motivation returned shortly after I dropped to 3.75mg. It's all very strange! I guess you would need to use the liquid until you get to 3.75mg when you could again use the pills as it's a quarter and not that hard to break with a pill cutter.

That's interesting Evergreen, same symptoms at 7.5 ... I'll note that for others in the future.  I think the fatigue was worse day 4 for about 3 or 4 days.  I'm doing ok with it, just a nuisance, it is the resting season afterall! Well for some anyways.  

Keeping occupied, nothing like having something to concentrate on to keep your mind sane!

 

It isn't even that I am trying to diet, I just don't have the appetite affect of mirt - just the metabolic!  Yesterday I got around to eating breakfast at 11 AM!  Two eggs with cheese, and then I got busy with stuff and a friend came over and by the time she was gone it was time for late afternoon chores and then hubby came home and never did I feel hungry, missed lunch altogether!  We had dinner and I had my chocoloate, always gotta have that!

I will try harder to eat. 

I am focusing on the mirt WD because a) it never helped me by itself b) I was on it very briefly comparted to 12 years of Effexor so hopefully not as "entrenched" and c) the weight gain!  With the Effexor, I am doing a microtaper.  I am weighing out 74 mg of beads for the current dose and yesterday it was time to weigh out a new batch so I weighed 73 mg, a cut of 1 mg!  It makes me feel better to nudge it down in some respect, otherwise I go kinda crazy thinking that I can't even work on it until the mirt is done!  Well, I've decided to get down to 7.5 mg mirt, hold there and focus on the Effexor for a bit.  Long answer!

It's wierd because I had some nausea after my earlier cuts of mirt. I think they were at 7.5mg and my appetite reduced substantially. Then it all came back again! I ate like crazy on 5.6mg. Probably about normal again now, but still the metabolic effect.