Coming off Mirtazapine

That was supposed to say 'I can barely stand up', not 'nearly stand up.

Sorry to hear about your withdrawal symptoms, I've only been on them for a few weeks starting on 30mgs,but after a few days cut them in half to 15mgs as I didn't feel too good.

I have read a lot of bad things about this medication and as I am going back to gp tomorrow might discuss alternative. I hope somebody can give you some advice. I would definitely go back to your GP.

Hey Vikki,I have been trying to get off of the mirtazapine to for the last few months. I took only the 7.5 for maybe a year then trying to get off. You have to go beyond slow off the pill. I took a 1/2 pill of the 7.5 for 2 months then I cut a smaller portion off for another 2 months and now I take that small piece I would say a third of it every other day I have been doing that for 2 months and have not had any side effects really. I am also on Zoloft about 65mlg a day so I don't know if that has been helping to get off it. Zoloft has a benefit of help you sleep to. But all that I read from people is that you have to come off it stupid slow to help your body not freek out. I do hope this helps you a little. 

Cut down by 2-5% every 2-4 weeks. You're probably going to fast.

They say the lower the dose, the more sleepy you will be as the lower doses act as an antihistamine.  If you have been on the drug for a year, then you need to wean off at a slower rate.  I was only on the drug (7.5 mg) for one month and tapered off after about two weeks as I was experiencing bad side effects.  The drug made me extremely unproductive.  I just wanted to sit in my recliner and stare off into space or nod off.  So glad to be off this poison.  I would go from 7.5 to 3.5 to 1.875 mg.  Possibly you can get the drug in liquid form so you can taper down with more accuracy.  See if it is available in your area otherwise you may have to make up a solution on your own or take your pills to a compounding pharmacy.  The drug helped me to sleep for a couple weeks and then my insomnia came back.  One thing that has not subsided is my appetite, even though I have been off the drug for about a month now.

Thank you for your replies everyone. I am also worried that there's something serious going on as this exhaustion is so extreme. However, I went for a whole load of blood tests on Monday and all came back normal and my GP has reassured me that everything is ok. So now I can only presume that it's the cutting down of the Mirtazapine that's making me feel so bad. I really hope this is the case. Also I agree about weaning off slowly but my psychiatrist wants to put me on another drug, hence the reason for cutting down more quickly. Additionally, I am taking Citalopram. However, he has said that most people come off more quickly than me by reducing initially to 7.5mgs then cutting out completely! I will try to wean off more slowly but really wanting to get off this nasty drug as soon as possible.

John94307 is correct about lower doses being more sedative. I only started at 3.75mg for sleep (per other chat rooms I've visited) and that was enough to make me sleep. Was on it for 3 months before starting my taper at an additional 4-5 months. Yes i did say additional. I reduced only fractions at a time using a jewelry scale for help and only cutting down when my sleep became stable again as each cut caused me some sleepless nights. Got them down to what looked like grains of sand before I was finally off. Its been a good year since not being on them.

I used a very sloooooww approach because of a previous failed taper on another drug in which i thought was a pretty good taper schedule to begin with.