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Has anybody experiance cross tapering off of Mirtazapine and going on to Sertraline?

Posted , 11 users are following.

lisa72345
lisa72345

Hi All, Im new to this site and looking for anyone that has experienced cross tapering from Mirtazapine to Sertraline? I have been on Mirtazapine for nearly 3 years now, tried to come off a couple of times unsuccesfully. All in all it is a good med but it does just make you feel so tired all the time and I think evrybodies bug bear is the weight gain. I would like to try something else as this was the first med I was given due to the insomnia I was suffering at the time. I have had to except that I will be on meds long term and my doc said I could try Sertraline. I am a bit worried about taking the 2 together. She said drop to 15mg of Mirtazapine for 2 weeks then add in 50mg of the Sertraline for 2 weeks then going up to 100mg in the 3rd week. Still continuing with 15 mg of Mirtazapine and then when I feel ready to cut the mirtazapine down again. Be good to hear from anybody that has managed this succesfully and what your experiances was on the cross taper.

Many Thanks

1 like, 36 replies

36 Replies

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  • richard89308
    richard89308 lisa72345

    Posted

    cross tapering is transferring from one drug to another without any major psychotic side effects.  So you reduce one drug and add the other one bit by bit until you are completely on the other drug.
    • lisa72345
      lisa72345 richard89308

      Posted

      Hi, thanks for the reply, I understand what the cross tapering actually involves but was really hoping to get anybodies experiences of cross tapering on the 2 mentioned from mirtazapine to sertraline?  I have tried to come off Mirtazapine and had some really unpleaseant withdrawals and wondering if by doing this it would be less painful and what with starting the sertraline whilst being on mirtazapine will I end up getting addicted to them both...Not sure I like the idea of taking them both together.

      Thanks

    • julie1111
      julie1111 lisa72345

      Posted

      hi lisa.. i hope u can help ive tapered down from 30mg to 15mg mirtz and doctor as given me 50mg setraline and told me to stop the mirtz and go straight onto sertraline...how were ur experiences of changing over..thanks julie
    • lisa72345
      lisa72345 julie1111

      Posted

      Hi Julie, Unfortunately I can not offer my experience just yet... I went down to 15mg of Mirtazapine for about 8 weeks(was trying to come off again, 2nd time without taking any other meds) but at this point I had declined rapidly and was feeling terrible.  I went to the docs and asked if I could try something else but was feeling so unwell at the time that i decided to go back up to 30mg of mirtazapine as needed some relief quite fast, stabalise for 6 months and then try the switch but starting the sertraline as soon as I make the drop to 15mg rather than wait.  It will be August when I try this switch so will post.  How are you doing?  My experience in the past of stopping the mirtazapine has not been great sad insomnia, fatigue, dodgy tummy, heighted sesitivity to sound which is the real killer for me, when my anxiety is bad I can not even sit and watvh tv without the sound feeling like it goes right through me sad It would be really good to hear about your experience of making the switch.  You may not get any horrible effects at all, fingers crossed.  Have you been on Mirtazapine for long??  TC Lisa
    • julie1111
      julie1111 lisa72345

      Posted

      i was on 15mg of mirtz for a year then 30mg for 60 months ..im swapping over now ive dropped to 15mg in a week...i hope i sail through this 
    • lisa72345
      lisa72345 julie1111

      Posted

      Everyone is different and I have seen positive and negatives of Sertraline but I can not find anybody who has made the switch from mirtazapine to Sertraline and posted there experience and I have been looking for a while hence my original post. I have only seen peoples experiance of one or the other.  Please keep posting, would be interesting to hear your experience and when I do my switch I will post also. Good Luck and TC Lisa x
    • julie1111
      julie1111 lisa72345

      Posted

      thanks i will keep posting on the change im having...
    • lisa72345
      lisa72345 julie1111

      Posted

      Hi Julie, Hows things?? Just wondering how you are getting on with the cross taper?  How are you feeling? Thanks Lisa
    • julie1111
      julie1111 lisa72345

      Posted

      hi lisa have u crossed tapered yet? i have now! get back to me x
    • lisa72345
      lisa72345 julie1111

      Posted

      Hi Julie,  How are you?? I have not done the taper yet was planning on trying it in august when I have a week off work... Do you think i could do it sooner, without needing any time off??How are you getting on?  Sounding positive, this is giving me real hope that I will be able to get off the mirt smile x
    • julie1111
      julie1111 lisa72345

      Posted

      hi lisa im ok looking at ways to get out more, groups nerveous but need to push my self! the tapering went well i just stopped mirtz and went straight onto stertaline ..not a problem! felt very relaxed but thats good! :-) x
    • lisa72345
      lisa72345 julie1111

      Posted

      Hi Julie, ahh thats so good to hear!!!  So pleased your doing well...Did you go down to 15mg of mirt first?  How long was you on this dose before you stopped?  How has your sleep been?  sorry for all the questions but you are the only person I have found to have done this and I really have had some horrible experiences in the past coming off mirt...any expereinces are helpful.  Awww you should push yourself into the groups, I go to a local group on dyserthermia/depression and that really helps to understand what others go through..and I have made a couple of freinds and we meet for coffee and stuff.  There is also a group on a Sunday I sometimes go along to, just walking over the lea valley on a Sunday afternoon weather permitting.  And I also go to a local gym, still chubby lol, dam mirt! but get to talk to people xx
    • julie1111
      julie1111 lisa72345

      Posted

      hi lisa i was on 30mg mirtz for 18 months then tappered to 20mg for 4 days then one day on 15mg mirtz ..5 days tapering! felt awfull ..then went straight onto sertaline! was worried but wasnt a problem and feel so much better coming off mirtz! dreams stopped and yes i have slept ok since x
    • lisa72345
      lisa72345 julie1111

      Posted

      P.s once you make that first step you will not look back...it will do you good...think positive, which you have done during the taper, so you know you can do it x
    • julie1111
      julie1111 lisa72345

      Posted

      thanks lisa they have a group tomorrow a movie and cake...nerveous through x yes ur right i did taper over and was i scared ! but i did it :-) xx and you can to! x
    • lisa72345
      lisa72345 julie1111

      Posted

      thats so good to hear, I can deal with a few days of feeling rough but when there is no end in sight its squite scary! So when you say 5 days tapering did you take them both for 5 days or did you have a complete break and start the sertraline?  Thank you...you really have made me feel a lot more positive about doing this :-) xx

       

    • julie1111
      julie1111 lisa72345

      Posted

      hi i went straight onto seraline! never want to see another mirtz tablet again...:-) i stopped mirtz all together..when u take ur 1st seraline tablet u feel funny for a hour or two then really relaxed! :-) xx
    • lisa72345
      lisa72345 julie1111

      Posted

      Aww movie and cake sounds great!!  Try not to be nervous, easier said than done I know, once you have made the first step, it will be a breeze and just think about meeting new people and yummy cake lol!  Only you can do this and I am sure you can do it x It really will do you the world of good x 
    • julie1111
      julie1111 lisa72345

      Posted

      ill let you know how it goes :-) dont be worried about taking seraline! its easy xx
    • lisa72345
      lisa72345 julie1111

      Posted

      I hear you, and you are doing just brilliant. I cant wait to be off it..mirt is a really strange tab, its good for when your not sleeping, but once u feel well you just cant wait to be off it...I am not sure if you are like me but I feel like my whole life revolves around this dam pill.. I am thinking I might try this sooner now...thank you sooo much :-) it really is great talking to you...Have fun tomorrow..will it be ok to stay in touch?  Be really good to see how your getting on x
    • julie1111
      julie1111 lisa72345

      Posted

      i know what u mean! u can take seraline in the morning and its done with ..with mirtz it was like were ever u went u had to have them for night time..i stayed with a friend use to sneak mine and they said never seen a person go to sleep so fast ..then woke feeling very low! awfull drug never wanna see one again! yes keep in touch let me know how it goes x
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