1. Community
  2. Brain and nerves
  3. Mirtazapine

Coming off mirtazapine

Posted , 11 users are following.

evergreen
evergreen

I thought I would start a new thread to give people tips for coming off this drug. I have gained so much advice and support from people on here and I owe my (so far) painless withdrawal to them. People like Calmer and Betsy, and plenty others too. I have been on 30mg mirtazapine for four years. I tried to come off them a couple of years ago and failed miserably, returning to my full dose after 10 days of awful anxiety and insomnia, as well as migraines and nausea. I had cut my dose to 15mg for a week and then dropped to zero.

This time I read every thread on here about mirtazapine withdrawal and started off really slowly, cutting down by just 3.75mg for two weeks. Then by a further 3.75 mg. At the same time I started taking a lot of inositol. I take a huge heaped teaspoon in my tea every morning. I had only slight nausea when I first started dropping my dose but I think that was me getting used to the inositol. Once I was down to 22.5mg of mirt, with no withdrawal symptoms, I figured I could go a bit faster and dropped my dose down to 15mg. I had no withdrawal symptoms after ten days and so have now dropped my dose to 11.25mg. I use a simple pill cutter from ebay to cut my tablets. So I am now on three quarters of a 15mg tablet. Mirtazapine had pooped out on me and so I already have terrible insomnia. I take temazepam some nights and benadryl on others to help me with that.

I will post my progress here. Who knows, I may fail miserably, but whatever the outcome, I hope it will help others. I was terrified of coming off mirtazapine, but now I am excited by it. I think the key is to take it really slowly and work out the pace your body can cope with. The smaller your dose goes, thee smaller the decrease in your dose should be. Good luck everyone, and please post your own experiences here. I know some people have really suffered despite coming off mirt very slowly. Everyone is different and I think everyone's experience can be a real help to others.

3 likes, 291 replies

291 Replies

Prev Next
  • betsy0603
    betsy0603 evergreen

    Posted

    I never lost my sleep up at 37.5 mg, but then I wasn't on it long enough for that to happen.  From what I've read, it seems like the good sleep goes at higher doses for those who have been on it a lot longer.  Probably some kind of tolerance withdrawal.

    I have only had minor blips in my sleep as I do the slow taper.  For those who go too fast, or are in tolerance, the sleep seems to go and is hard to get back even with reinstatement.  I don't blame you for wanting to get the heck off without that benefit!

  • evergreen
    evergreen

    Posted

    Beware of phenergan, everyone. Last night I had one of the most scary experiences. I had stomach ache and so didn't drink any alcohol. I decided to try phenergan to make sure I slept okay. I took one 25mg pill of it at 10.45. By 11.45 I couldn't breath properly and it was getting worse the sleepier I got. When I nearly dosed off my breathing stopped completely. Basically, I had to consciously take every breath. It was terrifying because the drug was making me very sleepy, but I knoew I would stop breathing if I slept. My lovely husband stayed awake with me until 4 am when my breathing returned to normal. I cannot believe this is an over the counter medicine. Apparently, stopping breathing is listed as a rare but serious side effect. But this drug is given to children!

    On a positive note, I did manage 3 hours sleep in the end and still feel fine on the reduced dose of mirt. But extremely tired today.

    • Calmer
      Calmer evergreen

      Posted

      Oh my goodness Evergreen, so sorry about your awful experience, never heard of that before.  However, I am aware that the loaded doses of antihistamines can slow breathing down and that asthma sufferers sholuldn't take it.  You did take a wacking big dose, I think the recommended is 10 mg, but never the less I guess that's put you off for life now.  Also with the added Mirt' in your system there's a lot going off there.  

      Bet you'll be looking forward to a better nights sleep tonight, the horrors of trial & error doesn't do anything to help with any confidence to sleep naturally again!  

      I hope you've recovered now, like you I got little sleep but that was due to partying and getting up at 7.30 to sort the animals out and dog walk.

      Going to put my feet up now, hope you get chance to also.  

    • evergreen
      evergreen Calmer

      Posted

      Thanks, Calmer. I took the 25mg pill because that was the dosage indicated on the package for children aged 10 and over and adults. I have since found that it is in night nurse which I have had in the past without problems (20mg in each dose of night nurse). But never again will I take so much as a mg. I wonder if it is because I have chronic kidney disease stage 3. Maybe I used to be able to tolerate it but now can't. I have the same breathing problem with morphine, codiene and tramadol. I also have an anaphalaptic reaction to NSAIDs. So I think I am particularly sensitive to some drugs.
    • Calmer
      Calmer evergreen

      Posted

      Yes it sounds like you are sensitive, you'll definately have to watch anything that contains sedation in the future.  

      It will be a real marker to get to 7.5mg ... (1/2 a 15 mg) that is my aim before Christmas, although if it is more sedating (for me) it will be somewhat harder.  I might stay there until next year, I will be able to break a tablet so no 'drawing up syringe' at 10 pm for me for a while!  

      I'd love to know if anyone has had experience of using the Mirt liquid for longer than the recommended 6 weeks - that is the manufacturer recommends that once opened to use within 6 weeks.  I've asked 2 Chemists and they said to stick to those rules.  Shame really, because the lower I go the more bottles I will get through due to this.

      Hope you get a better nights sleep, good husband you have there smile

    • evergreen
      evergreen Calmer

      Posted

      Are you feeling any withdrawal symptoms each time you reduce, or is going so gradually keeping them at bay? Getting Christmas out of the wway before going any further after 7.5 sounds like a good plan.
  • evergreen
    evergreen

    Posted

    Day four of 11.25mg and so far so good. Apart from my sleeping problems last night courtesy of the phenergan, I feel very good. My appetite has continued to decline, meaning that I am no longer hungry all the time. Today I have had a light breakfast and three cups of tea and two biscuits and am not in the slightest bit hungry or craving any carbs. So far though I have seen a loss of only one pound in weight since tapering off the mirt. I don't think the weight loss will come until I am off it completely.

    My plan is to reduce again to 7.5mg next Friday. So that is ten days on the 11.25 dose. If I get side effects I will delay until I stabilise.

  • evergreen
    evergreen

    Posted

    Day five on the 11.25mg dose. Emotionally, I still feel fine, but I am feeling fatigued and slightly nauseous. I think the fatigue is down to still not being caught up with my sleep from Saturday night and my bad reaction to the phenergan. Tthe slight nausea and lack of appetite is me returning to my pre-mirt state. One of the reasons the doctor put me on them was due to mme having morning sickness and lack of appetite, so I don't think this is a withdrawal symptom. I am sat here after turning out the horses, trying to make myself have some breakfast. This was exactly like I used to be. It will get worse, because I used to even vomit some mornings. I can't therefore blame it on withdrawing from mirtazapine.
    • Calmer
      Calmer evergreen

      Posted

      Sounding positive re "how you used to be" but it does sound like classic WD Evergreen, so be maybe a little kindness to yourself & stay at the current dose until all the waves have calmed.

      I asked around re the Phenergen, (Rose sends her best regards) - she says you ought to see your doc, having a severe allergic reaction to an allergy pill, you will need to know what you can & can't take in the future as far as antihistamines go.

    • evergreen
      evergreen Calmer

      Posted

      Thanks. I have raised a yellow card report which will go to my GP. I know I'm okay with cetirizine and benadryl but won't ever take anything else. I won't drop my dose if I get any worse with my nausea, but I remember this is how I used to be before mirtazapine so I don't really want to blame it for these symptoms. The crux will come with me if I start to feel depressed again. That will be my signal to stop and maybe back up a step. Everything I read says that it gets harder and harder the closer to zero you go.
    • betsy0603
      betsy0603 evergreen

      Posted

      Thanks for the updates, evergreen!  I'm excited for you getting to 11.25 mg.  

      I was doing more reading on mirt's actions.  It works on several different receptors, based on concentration.  It has the highest affinity for the histamine receptor, which is why at the low dose it is very sedating.  It has a lower affinity for the serotonin receptors, which is why they are only affected at higher doses, so as you keep dropping, there is the risk of rebound depression and anxiety.  This does not mean that you are relapsing.  Once your system has adapted to the absence of the drug's action, you should normalize.

      Whe I was in protracted withdrawal from Effexor, I started a type of therapy called Emotional Brain Training, and began learning about mindfulness, and listened to Buddhist type spiritual talks on youtube that brought things into perspective about our choices about our thoughts, and I can say that I am feeling more peaceful and accepting of myself than I ever have before in my life, before and during ADs.  If I suddenly feel depressed and anxious now, I know it is withdrawal.  Just something to think about.  Are you in therapy or doing emotional work?

    • evergreen
      evergreen betsy0603

      Posted

      Thanks, Betsy. No, I am not in any therapy at the moment. I am hoping the inositol will boost my serotonin enough to cancel out the withdrawal. We shall see. I have doubled my dose of it as of yesterday. I am having around 18 grams now a day and I really think it is helping as I feel better emotionally than I did when I was on 30mg of mirtazapine. But only time will tell; the anxiety and depression may hit me out of nowhere.
    • evergreen
      evergreen

      Posted

      I meant to add, that the downside of so much inositol is lots of gas and diarrhea. But as it is not painful, and I spend most days at home, it isn't a problem for me. You do get used to it and the gas subsides, but now that I have upped my dose it is hitting me again, lol.
    • betsy0603
      betsy0603 evergreen

      Posted

      That is great!  I have added inositol to my routine thanks to you reminding me of it!  And fantastic to know you feel better than at 30 mg mirt! I do think there are so many alternatives to these drugs for depression and anxiety, whether it is supplements, CBT or...?
Back to top
Prev Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.