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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

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  • betsy0603
    betsy0603 evergreen

    Posted

    Hi Evergreen and Calmer!

    This URI has been such a drag, lots of congestion/coughing I am dealing with, but despite that I am doing pretty well!  I had a weird thing happen a few days ago.  In the afternoon, my face felt numb and I had a headache.  It wasn't until the next morning that it dawned on me what that was about:  I had been driving around in my car that afternoon and ate a bunch of LifeSaver gummy candies!  Sugar and artificial flavors/colors!  I think I had a sensitivity reaction! People in withdrawal talk about weird stuff like this, things that trigger wd symptoms.

    Anyway, I'm at 14 mg, switched to making a liquid with Ora-Plus.  Dang that stuff tastes awful, or is it the mirt?!!!  Bitter!

    I never had a ravenous appetite on mirt, but I gained weight nonetheless.  Oddly, even at 14 mg, I haven't got much appetite and have lost weight!  I think being sick was part of it.  I don't get around to eating breakfast until laste morning, and then it holds me until late afternoon, at which point I am so close to dinner that I just have a snack before dinner.  So, I'm not eating that much.  I've lost 3.5 lb.!  I really thought it would take getting lower on mirt to see that happen.  Time will tell if this is temporary.

    Meanwhile, I have a friend over on SA (joined the FB page, Nathan) who is really having a bad time with 24/7 fatigue at 5.5 mg, such that he is very depressed.  He had dropped to 4.5, was fine before that, but that cut triggered this fatigue and so he updosed to 5.5 but it didn't help.  He has been holding there hoping he would settle. I'm thinking he may need to go ahead and continue tapering.  He is looking for validation about his experience, how long will it last, will it ever go away.  Poor guy, kind of like David who comes on here, having gone off three times now and having horrible wd effects.  

    I was thinking about this whole business of getting off mirt and ADs in general.  It is really rather unchartered waters.   All we have is the experiences of those who went before us, good and bad.  There's no manual telling us what to expect.  Everyone's experience is so different!

    • Calmer
      Calmer betsy0603

      Posted

      Hi Betsy, hope the uri gets better soon, feed a cold, starve a fever my Mother always used to say!  Boil up those chicken bones & eat the cranberries & drink Rosehip tea!! 

      Did Nathan drop down quickly off the Mirt at any time ~ I've seen a pattern with a quick wd shock, however - many do say at 3.5 mg it can be more fatigueing, for some.  How long has he been holding at 4.5 Betsy?   I deffo am more fatigued at 6. 7 mg than when at 15 mg, and sleep longer at night (not the day), and struggle to get out of bed ... what's that all about ... yes I think Nathan should carry on, every 2 weeks, little drops.  I've seen him on fb, poor chap, must be hard when working full time too.

       

    • evergreen
      evergreen betsy0603

      Posted

      Hi Betsy. I hope you get well soon, it's not fun being sick. Good news on the weight loss. Lets hope it continues for you. I think if I recall correctly that I experienced a drop in appetite between 11 and 15mg of mirt which then levelled off and became ravenous again at a lower amount. I am eating too well right now! But everyone is different so it will be interesting to hear how it goes with you.
  • evergreen
    evergreen

    Posted

    It's the second dose of 0.9mg tonight before I drop to 0.8 tomorrow. I think my dislike of alcohol has finally gone. I don't know if it's a good or bad thing really! We were out and about yesterday buying a car and then stopped off at Jamie Oliver's restaurant in Nottingham. It was beautiful food. I don't eat meat or poultry, just vegetables and fish, so I am always a bit limited when eating out. I chose something from his superfoods section. A gorgeous (not at all oily or creamy) ceasar salad with roasted hazlenuts and hot smoked salmon. It was so lovely. I shared a portion of chilli chips with my husband but no starter or sweet so very good on the calories. But I had two medium glasses of wine and really enjoyed them. So much so that I had a couple more when I got home. Not feeling too bright today!
    • Calmer
      Calmer evergreen

      Posted

      Hey I like the sound of the menu at Jamies ... not been there for yonks, will have to check it out ... my stomping ground too Nottingham !   Glad you are enjoying a drink or two again ... it helps in life !!

      I get a little nervous of doing a drop if I'm feeling delicate with the drink, day after the day after ... it rolls on for me, 2 days, sleep can be disturbed for more than one night.

      Been out all day, MOH & dog zonked to the golf (yes well that's golf for you) ... now for a little G&T & i'll be joining in wink  

       

    • betsy0603
      betsy0603 Calmer

      Posted

      Jamie's place sounds wonderful!  I may have mentioned I stayed at a working sheep farm B&B in Nottingham back in the mid '80's, just loved it!  One of their Border Collies got in our rental car and I fell in love!  It was because of that that I came to my hobby of working my Australian Shepherds on livestock and competing!  I've got sheep lambing right now, and recently got three Jersey steers to train on.  

      Anyway, I think my weight loss was temporary because it's starting to creep back up again, despite the appetite not being strong. Grrr!

  • evergreen
    evergreen

    Posted

    Good morning everyone. I hope you slept well and are feeling as well as possible. I am on my second day at 0.8mg and feeling a little sad. But I don't think it is WDs; just normal human emotions. Yesterday was a sad day with the news of the death of Sir Terry Wogan. Such a lovely, talented and charismatic man. Then I saw a load of flowers and was told a young motor cyclist was killed on the fly over near us. He was in the year below my youngest son. This morning I was turning out the horses and I heard a rabbit screaming. It was being killed by next door's terrier, and it screamed so loud and so long. I couldn't get to it in time. It spooked the horses and one stood on my foot. Now I'm lame! But nothing serious. Anyway, it's no wonder I feel sad today.

    On the plus side, I am sleeping well. I am still taking just a half of a 10mg temazepam plus my herbal pills. I have discovered some instantly acting melatonin drops which have me really sleepy within minutes of taking them. Amazing.

    • Calmer
      Calmer evergreen

      Posted

      Happened in 3's for your bad news day ... that's no way fair ... adored Terry, such a happy caring soul.  I heard my rabbit scream once, rabbits have such a loud cry,  actually - with your foot being stomped on that's 4!!  Hope today is better for you.

      So what are you taking now, are the herbal pills Kalms night time?  And what are the melatonin?  The latter sounds right up my street, I think I can get into hyper drive (not whilst on Mirt' though) so this could be most useful later smile

      Sleeping well, afternoons' am still fatigued, think it's since the lower doses of Mirt.  Day 10 of a 10% drop and no symptoms to report!  I'm quite suprised at this!  Hope to be like you and sail through ... why lucky would that be, it's at zero that I fear now, but only time will tell.

       

    • evergreen
      evergreen Calmer

      Posted

      I got it from ebay. It's called Sleep Soundly. Imported from the US as it's not available here so you have to allow some time for them to arrive. I can be lying there wide awake and then take the drops and am so sleepy within minutes. The melatonin pills I bought didn't work at all on me, but this works brilliantly. It's especially good if you wake up in the night and can't get back to sleep. Works wonders for me, anyway, so worth a try. I am taking the Kalms one a night too. I really am taking a few things, but as I'm sleeping so well I daren't drop any of it!

      Great news on your lack of symptoms. You may be able to do 10% every ten days without problems.

    • betsy0603
      betsy0603 evergreen

      Posted

      Hi Evergreen, 

      I'm just so pleased to hear you are sleeping well!  It wasn't all that long ago that you'd resigned yourself to sleeping badly!

      I'm sorry it was a sad day for you.  Your report about the neighbor's terrier killing the rabbit flashed me back to when we didn't have perimeter fencing here and my two dogs took off after a coyote and caught it, one attacking the front end while the other attacked the back end!  I was far away and trying to run to stop it all (fearing my dogs would get hurt) but not fit enough to get there quickly....not a day I care to remember!  The dogs made out fine, the coyote not so much!  I saw him a week later hopping around on three legs!  Anyway, those kinds of things are very traumatizing, especially for a sensitized nervous system while reducing these meds! 

      I'm so glad you found things that seem to help!  

    • evergreen
      evergreen betsy0603

      Posted

      You are quite right, Betsy. While we are withdrawing, our nervous system is under strain and the tiniest thing can set it off. We find ourself reacting much more strongly to sad things. Thankfully, nothing has happened so far today to set me off and I am therefore in a much better frame of mind. I take 0.7mg tonight and can't wait to be off this med now. I slept well again last night, but still with the small dose of benzo. The weight scales are starting to creep ever so slowly down now. I can't believe such a small amount of mirt can affect weight so much. My appetite is pretty much normal now.
    • betsy0603
      betsy0603 evergreen

      Posted

      It's true, this drug is powerful!  When I weigh out my dosages I look at it and think "how can such a tiny amount of this substance have such a huge impact?!!"

      I'm so glad you are sleeping well!  That is so huge in iit's own right!  And I'm glad the scale is tipping in the right direction!  

      My weight loss was a fluke of being sick.  I'm not ravenous or anything, but the scale is moving up again. GRRRRR!  I sleep like the dead and especially hard in the mornings, with wild dreams.  I wish I were where you are with being almost done!

      I'm making a liquid now, using the suspending liquid but it's hard, the powder doesn't want to disperse, clumps in the cap of my mixing tube, etc. and then I worry that I'm not getting the dose I think I am.  How do you go about making a liquid with yours, Evergreen?  How do you powder the tablet and get it mixed without losing any of it?

    • evergreen
      evergreen betsy0603

      Posted

      I use a pill crusher. It makes them into a powder. So I crush four 15mg pills with it and then measure out mls of half water, half maple syrup. Pour that into a small medicine bottle and shake well, then tip in the mirt powder. If there is some powder left in the crusher, just tip in a littleof the mixture, swill it round and pour back into the bottle. Works a treat. Then I refrigerate it. I keep it for two weeks and it works fine. You just have to make sure you shake it vigorously before you syringe it up so that the mirt is evenly dispersed (as it isn't water soluble).

      I lost my appetite a little as I tapered down, but then when I got quite low the appetite returned with a vengence and I put on weight again. Now, thankfully, it isn't quite so bad and I'm eating more without putting on the weight. But that has literally onlly happened since I got below 1mg. And I still can't eat what I used to eat before mirt. It really is a powerful drug which seems to waver in its effects with different dosages. So wierd. I am grateful to it for getting me through my depressio, but can't wait to be off it now.

    • evergreen
      evergreen

      Posted

      Should read '60mls of half water, half maple syrup'. Sorry, my computer keeps missing some of the characters I type.
    • betsy0603
      betsy0603 evergreen

      Posted

      I am using the Ora-Plus suspension liquid.  I mortar and pestle several tablets, and then use my scale to weigh out as many mgs as I want to make a solution with.  I have laboratory tubes with measuring marks on the side and a screw top, so I measure the liquid in the tube, then add the powder and shake.  Some of the powder gets stuck up in the lid or elsewhere on the wall of the tube, drives me nuts because then I've got to scrape it into the liquid and my OCD gets triggered thinking (now I've lost some on the knife, is my concentration going to be different from batch to batch..."  Just got to shut the little voice up!  Ugh, it's bitter!  I tried measuring it with a syringe and squirting it in my mouth but YUCK!  Now I squirt it into juice, mix, drink, and then add water to the glass and swish, then drink that.  I'm bad at staying hydrated anyway LOL!  

      I'm glad this is working so well for you, Evergreen!

    • evergreen
      evergreen betsy0603

      Posted

      It's the mirt with the bitter taste. I also find it makes my mouth numb. Just shows how sedative it is! I have a headache today after driving for three hours, but I'd lost a pound in weight since yesterday. Bound to be water weight but still makes me feel good!
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