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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

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  • evergreen
    evergreen

    Posted

    Day nine. I feel in high spirits, although I was forced to take a whole temazepam last night. I took half before bed but was still lying awake two hours later so took the other half, and then slept.
    • betsy0603
      betsy0603 evergreen

      Posted

      Day nine - woohoo! Glad you feel in high spirits.  I had a rough time falling asleep last night, husband snoring...so, played Sudoku on my Kindle, which can get me sleepy.  I know looking at a screen like that goes against sleep hygeine recommendations, but it seems to help me, that or reading.
    • evergreen
      evergreen betsy0603

      Posted

      Hi Betsy. Sorry you had a difficult night. My hubby and I have separate rooms and have done since our early twenties. It was either that or divorce! He likes the tele and radio on all night and I like dark and quiet. I find the same thing with computer or tablet screens; they often send me to sleep. Not at the moment though as nothing does!
    • betsy0603
      betsy0603 evergreen

      Posted

      There have been nights I was tempted to hit the guest bedroom, but then I'm told I am quite the snorer, too!  Generally I can sleep right through his snoring, but if I happen to pop awake and he's sawing away, it sure doesn't make falling back asleep any easier!
  • evergreen
    evergreen

    Posted

    ust  update. This is day 15 on 7.5mg and there have been a few changes. I have developed an alcohol intolerance, in that I don't enjoy the taste of it any more, and I don't get the nice woosy feeeling that you normally get after the first drink. Instead, after a coupple of small glasses of wine, I just feel very tired. It's a shame because this is the festive season and I'd like to get a little bit merry. The second change is that I feel more 'delicate'. I am fine on my own, but around peoplle, it gets a bit much. We have family arriving in the next couple of hours and they will be here for three nights so this will be hard. I am also still on taxi duty tomorrow night and until Saturday (so couldn't drink in any case). I have stopped feeling high from the inositol. I feel absolutely fine when alone.

    My sleepinng remains very poor aand I will have to wait and see if the doctor allows me to have some more temazepam. Without it, I fear I would have a breakdown as it is the only thing that helps me sleep. But the sleep it gives is poor quality and so I am becomeing more and more exhausted. My son is supposed to be starting driving lessons in the new year and we will let him have a car to use. I can't wait! But he's working so many hours, it's difficult to get him motivated to get his act together to do anything else.

    I am getting two more horses to care for too in the new year. Not mine, they belong to livery clients, and so I will be working twice as hard with the horses. I really hope I start to sleep better by then, but I somehow doubt it. My sleep is not coming back even though I have been on a lower dose of mirt.

    The plan is to stay at 7.5mg until our visitors leave and then drop to 3.75 one day, 7.5mg the next (so alternate days). I'll see how that goes.

    I think I am doing all right. This anxiety I am feeling was just as bad every Christmas and when we have guests or I have to deal with lots of people, even when I was on the full dose of mirt, so I don't think it means I am suffering withdrawals. It's just a kind of social anxiety that I have always had.

  • evergreen
    evergreen

    Posted

    ust  update. This is day 15 on 7.5mg and there have been a few changes. I have developed an alcohol intolerance, in that I don't enjoy the taste of it any more, and I don't get the nice woosy feeeling that you normally get after the first drink. Instead, after a coupple of small glasses of wine, I just feel very tired. It's a shame because this is the festive season and I'd like to get a little bit merry. The second change is that I feel more 'delicate'. I am fine on my own, but around peoplle, it gets a bit much. We have family arriving in the next couple of hours and they will be here for three nights so this will be hard. I am also still on taxi duty tomorrow night and until Saturday (so couldn't drink in any case). I have stopped feeling high from the inositol. I feel absolutely fine when alone.

    My sleepinng remains very poor aand I will have to wait and see if the doctor allows me to have some more temazepam. Without it, I fear I would have a breakdown as it is the only thing that helps me sleep. But the sleep it gives is poor quality and so I am becomeing more and more exhausted. My son is supposed to be starting driving lessons in the new year and we will let him have a car to use. I can't wait! But he's working so many hours, it's difficult to get him motivated to get his act together to do anything else.

    I am getting two more horses to care for too in the new year. Not mine, they belong to livery clients, and so I will be working twice as hard with the horses. I really hope I start to sleep better by then, but I somehow doubt it. My sleep is not coming back even though I have been on a lower dose of mirt.

    The plan is to stay at 7.5mg until our visitors leave and then drop to 3.75 one day, 7.5mg the next (so alternate days). I'll see how that goes.

    I think I am doing all right. This anxiety I am feeling was just as bad every Christmas and when we have guests or I have to deal with lots of people, even when I was on the full dose of mirt, so I don't think it means I am suffering withdrawals. It's just a kind of social anxiety that I have always had.

    • betsy0603
      betsy0603 evergreen

      Posted

      Hi Evergreen, 

      That is interesting about the alcohol intolerance.  I've read of people developing food intolerances and sensitivities to sugar, alcohol, and supplements, but so far that hasn't happened to me.  When I was dropping by 10%, I would develop a raw-nerve feeling which was not too pleasant!  But it would pass.  Let yourself get as settled feeling as possible before that next cut.  Since you are doing the larger drops, I would advise holding longer at that dose to allow for true stability between cuts, but I know you have your own plan.  I do think that people get into trouble because they push to keep cutting and the cummulative cuts finally catch up and cause big problems, a delayed reaction of sorts.  Anyway, as always, I enjoy your blogging your progress, and I hope you are the exception!

    • Calmer
      Calmer evergreen

      Posted

      I wish somehow that you would give the 7.5 mg another week or two.  Mainly because there is so much going on in your life right now to stress you and in turn keep you from sleeping properly, and therefore this measure hasn't had time to settle or to give a true reading.  It has been said many times that stress just makes Mirt' madness worse.  It just kind of niggles me to think that droppping to 3.75mg can only make you worse at an already tender time.  OK, say give it another week.  Just say that you'll think about it.  Also think about your next drop being to 5.6 mg (i.e. half a 7.5mg, and half a 3.75 mg tablet) - have you a pill cutter?  For 2 weeks, and then if you feel ok to 3.75 - even this is too fast for me but it gives a little kindness to your plan.

      My therapist (last year) was kind enough to explain that there is no such thing as a breakdown, it's just a mass of symptoms, and you have those now, so don't worry on that score - you drive yourself very hard and keep everything afloat, you're stronger than you think you are. Maybe you need a P.A.  !!

       

      I hope your visitors are good house companions ... I'm not too keen on 3 nighters - too long haha ... friends are ok for that long, sometimes!

      I hope the doc' give you the prescription youu want, when is your visit due?

      Best wishes x

  • evergreen
    evergreen

    Posted

    Thanks Betsy and Calmer, for your continued support. It really does help to speak with people who are going through the same thing. I am feeling much brighter today and will be cooking curry for ten people tonight. No alcohol because I'll be driving late, but tomorrow my son has a day off, he's just told me so will be pone less thing to do tomorrow.
  • evergreen
    evergreen

    Posted

    How is everybody? I hope you all had a nice Christmas. Also happy NYear to all of you.

    My pill cutter is working well and I am managing to cut my pills accurately enough to go to 5.625 daily. I say that exact amount, but of course it won't be, however, I reckon that it will average out to that with slightly more some days and less others. So as of last night I am taking 5.625mg a day. I feel good today, but of course it's too soon for withdrawals.

    • Calmer
      Calmer evergreen

      Posted

      Hi Evergreen

      Alls well here in the Midlands, suns' just going down!  Had a good Christmas, big family 'do' yesterday, stuck to Lanson & that's me done with the drinking for this year!

      Happy to hear your cutting is going well & that you're trying 5.6.

      Tonight is my drop to 7.5 mg, it's been a long time coming but I'm at half way.  I'm really on a high about this, silly as it sounds, because it's a real marker for me.  Also I can halve a 15 mg and save the liquid  Mirt' for later smaller/hard to measure drops.  So I'm not far from where you are.  The sedation is greater I'm sure for me personally; I will be interested to see how I feel without all the rubbish foods & alcohol that have crept in over the last few weeks!  So I'm feeling pretty positive on that regard for the near future ~ all the chocs have about gone, and there is a charity food collection box at my local Sainsburys' - so there's a helpful plan.

      Wishing you and Betsy a HAPPY NEW YEAR, hoping to be Mirt' free for maybe March, April, saying a prayer for you and all who may read this ~ may you be well, may you be happy, and may you be free from suffering.

      We could write a book !

      Best wishes

    • evergreen
      evergreen Calmer

      Posted

      Good luck with this drop, Calmer. I have been able to ditch the diet on 7.5mg and not gain an ounce! I am hoping to drop 3-4 pounds once I am off the mirt and be back to my pre-mirt weight. I tried on an old very fitted taylored suit from my mid twenties the other day and it was an inch too small on my waist but pretty good elswhere, so I'd love to fit back into that. It's a classic design that never goes out of fashion.
  • betsy0603
    betsy0603 evergreen

    Posted

    Hi Evergreen and Calmer, 

    I thought I'd chime in and say that I am at 15 mg now and doing well, up until this afternoon, that is!  I started the day feeling "normal!"  I had an appointment with a homeopath this afternoon, and she also does cranial sacral therapy.  I have some chronic pains, some of which came about when I was in Effexor WD earlier this year.  Well, after she did CS for an hour, I left and stopped at a store to pick something up.  When I returned to my car, I realized I was carrying the plastic shopping basket still, that you normally leave at check out!  Huh?

    Then I stopped to get gas for my car.  Used my card at the pump to pay and went back to get in and get warm, and the door was locked!  I don't even remember locking the door!  Keys in the ignition!!  So, I went in to the store and had to borrow the guy's cell phone to call for roadside assistance, having locked everything in the car.  After I made the call....I discovered that I had my cell phone in my jacket pocket with me the whole time!  My god, what did that therapy do to my brain?!!!  I was lucky to make the 45 minute drive home without having an accident!

    I hope you both have/had fun on New Years, and I hope we all have a great 2016 eventually free of Mirt!

    • Calmer
      Calmer betsy0603

      Posted

      Oh crikey Betsy, what a start to the day ~ don't you just find though, knowing oneself & wise old owl that I seem to be becomming (!!!) wether I like that or not - that somedays just go belly up from the start and cannot get going, and then you make the conscious decision that some greater forces are at work, and just give in and go with the flow - I call it my "Getting Stuck" mode!!  

      I'm looking forward to being like Evergreen and losing the "munchies", so far so good, but do still feel sedated.   Did you have a link that explains why Mirt' at the lower dose is more sedating?  Would you mind in-boxing it to me please?  

      Good 2016 for all of us hopefully !

       

    • evergreen
      evergreen betsy0603

      Posted

      Good grief, Betsy! You poor thing. Must be down to the cranial therapy. Something to avoid, I think!
    • betsy0603
      betsy0603 Calmer

      Posted

      Shall do, Calmer!  It will likely be some scientific paper, can't recall at the moment!  Will look for it now!
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