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Is it the mirtazipine

Posted , 6 users are following.

kelly8973
kelly8973

Hi all again i just wanted to get some input into what the heck is wrong with me im sure my doctors are sick of me now.

Ive now been back on 15mg of mirtazapine for around 7 weeks of some of you were aware i came off them 7.5mg cold turkey due to sedative effects through day but suffered severe withdrawl and was in hospital for a week all tests negative. So was put back on the mirtazapine.

But now im suffering severe pins and needles all over head and neck and arms doctors said this was just anxiety but surely i wouldnt be suffering it 24/7. Its actually making me anxious and im scared to go out and having terrible stomach issues (i have ibs anyway) but rather than give me an appetite back its doing nothing and i have no appetite at all. I have trouble sleeping i can fall asleep but if i wake which i do my mind is racing and wont shut off to let me get back to sleep i just dont feel like a normal person at all and my depression is creeping back

0 likes, 20 replies

20 Replies

  • paul_33483
    paul_33483 kelly8973

    Posted

    Hi Kelly,

    I'm sorry to hear of your suffering.

    If you don't mind me asking, what were you put on mirtazapine for and why are you coming off of it?

    I can only go by my own experience. I came off 15 down to 7.5 then 3.75 in 3 weeks. I had bad anxiety, insomnia, severe stomach cramps. I had to go back to 7.5 which I will stay on till xmas before reducing to 3.75 and hopefully come off in March 17.

    Anxiety and stress are extremely powerful. Especially when they build up over time. Your body will be flooded with fight/flight hormones which play havoc with appetite, sleep patterns and appetite. I had the most severe muscular pain from anxiety. I thought there was something wrong with one of my organs. I have been diagnosed with hyper-vigilance which is where my body doesn't switch off (my mind rather) and I'm more or less in fight or flight constantly.

    I'm not saying what you're experiencing is from anxiety but it could be a possibility and you may need something else for the anxiety

    • kelly8973
      kelly8973 paul_33483

      Posted

      Hi paul

      Im not coming off the mirt im back on it have been for 7 weeks at 15mg. I was initially taken off it 3 months ago due to it causing drowsiness through the day but i dont recall it causing this amount of problems. But after going cold turkey from 7.5mg id started to get severe stomach pains to the point i was hospitalised for a week for investigations all of which found nothing. The doctor tried me on several anti depressants but had awful side effects and was still having severe stomach pains so we tried reinstating the mirtazapine 7 weeks ago and the stomach pain went! But now all this has started. I was put on mirtazapine because of really bad depression and weight loss after death of my mum been on it since nov last year

    • paul_33483
      paul_33483 kelly8973

      Posted

      Sorry my mistake. I would look at changing to another med perhaps but review with GP. I know exactly how you feel about brain not switching off, maybe you have hyper-vigilance also? I've been told it can take many months of CBT to fix this and meds won't sort it

  • kelly8973
    kelly8973

    Posted

    Thats what i feel like my mind will not switch off at all
  • weenett
    weenett kelly8973

    Posted

    You can add in other meds if u feel mirt isnt helping depression
    • kelly8973
      kelly8973 weenett

      Posted

      Hi my doctor wont add any other meds im so sensitve to absolutely everything that paracetamol is my limit for pain. I had a terrible reaxtion to both dihydrocodeine and morphine in hospital
  • Calmer
    Calmer kelly8973

    Posted

    Hi Kelly

    I'd say it is the Mirt', definately.  It is listed as an "uncommon" side efffect.  Goodness knows why you have it now and now before, maybe because of your sensitised CNS after the jump from 7.5.  

    I simply searched Mirtazapine pins & needles, was lead to netdoctor which explains about your neurotransmitters, and how they bind to the nerve cells etc ... take a read, I think probably its all to do with being caught up in the shock your system has gone through.  Its not permanent, must be pretty frightening, but rest assured its listed.

    Hope some of this helps.

    Wishing you well...

    • kelly8973
      kelly8973 Calmer

      Posted

      Hi calmer

      Im sick to death of the doctors treating anyone on antidepressants with such a lack of empathy and understanding of what these drugs do to us and how they think that just coming off these drugs cold turkey is ok. I had such an awful time and look where it got me straight back on them. Now anytime i go to the doctors im treated like a hypochondriac and told its just a side effect get on with it. Its shocking

  • cat196111
    cat196111 kelly8973

    Posted

    hi kelly sorry to hear that you are having problems with mirt. I myself just went back on it at 30mg for sleep.I had been taken it pryor but had gained weight from it and still having trouble losing it.I suffer also from anxiety and it is horrible. I hope you get to feel better soon. I just prey that I do,I will prey for you also cat1961

     

    • kelly8973
      kelly8973 cat196111

      Posted

      Sorry for not replying still javing a really crap time been off work again my skin is literally crawling its so sensitve and my anxiety which i didnt really have before is through the roof i explained on another post its anxiety while i sleep its so bad im fighting woth my own mind and have to get up at 6am just for relief. I cant xome off this damned drug becuase ive tried so many and cant have my depression back but its robbed me of feeling normal im literally just existing and im a single mum of 3 teenage boys and boys being boys are so reliant on me doing everything!
  • connie08861
    connie08861 kelly8973

    Posted

    Hi I've been on mirt doses 7.5, 15, 30 various throughout the year. Have good days and bad. Never perfect. I want off but the withdrawals scare me. Anxiety scares me. I wish you well. It's a cycle we get caught in sometimes. I have a burning in my breast,chest and after many many tests I think its the mirtazapine. I just took melontonin instead wish me luck tonite. My therapist said I should do every other night to kinda start a weaning off. Prayers to all on this forum. It's not easy.

    • connie08861
      connie08861

      Posted

      Slept bad on melontonin. Wiped out today. I don't know what to do. Continue on 7.5 mirt or try unisom tonite? It's so frustrating. 😞

    • kelly8973
      kelly8973 connie08861

      Posted

      Sorry i took so long to get back just having a crap time. Did you go back on the 7.5 x
    • connie08861
      connie08861 kelly8973

      Posted

      Hi Kelly, I did not.  I am now on my 6th day of Mirtizapine free! I am feeling better than I have felt in over a year of on it.  I can think clearly, I am not tired and groggy, I don't feel like a zombie.  I am actually sleeping without any sleep meds for the last 3 nights. WOW!  Because I had anticipated major withdrawal symptoms everyday I am waiting for it to hit LOL, but so far nothing.  My hands are itchy but I took claritan and some hydrocortisone cream.  I will keep you updated.  how are you doing?

    • kelly8973
      kelly8973 connie08861

      Posted

      Hi connie im so glad to hear that!

      My withdrawls started around 4 days after and steadily got worse all gastro problems ended up in hospital a week.

      Im not doing great at all i woke at 1am feeling sick and went to the toilet and could feel mysef fainting so feel to the floor in buckets of cold sweat till it passed around 10 mins was then sick and then diarrhea couple hours later. Hoping its the chilli id had but boys had it too and were ok. Im not good today though not able to eat just drink which has caused migraine!

      I seem to just roll from one problem to the next been off work just over a week and doctor doctor is convinced its anxiety and side effects of mirt so wont sign me off. If im like this there is no way. I cant even manage to the shops Im just wary that its taken all this time for the side effects to show now when i never had this on them before. Tonight im going to just take 7.5mg and see. Let me know how things go with you x

    • connie08861
      connie08861 kelly8973

      Posted

      when did you start mirtizapine?  I have took 2 FMLA leaves from my job in the last year because I was trying to get it together.  I was on it for a year and never in that whole year did I have a great sense of well being.  Every night I took that pill in my head I was poisoning myself.  I was so afraid of the withdrawals that I had read about so I continued to take it because I thought it would be better than not taking it.  Are you in therapy?  I have group therapy 3 x week and that really helps with anxiety and support.  As of two weeks ago I had given up and wanted to check into a mental health facility.  I had hit rock bottom and said I'm getting off this crap.  I really hope you feel better please update x

    • kelly8973
      kelly8973 connie08861

      Posted

      Was on it since last october at 15mg it did the job it was meant to by lofting me out of severe depression after I'd lost my mum in the march id been off work after a complete breakdown since start of august and never got back till jan this year. Was initially put up to 30mg but it caused panic so titerated to 22.5mg and then tried slowly to bring that down.But unfortunaly after struggling with drowsiness that lasted all day and stomach problems as it seemed to aggrivate my ibs came off 7.5mg which id got down too cold turkey as recommended by doctor as it was such a low dose and they would try something else. For the first few days i felt brilliant but i couldnt sleep. Id come off the mirt on the tuesday and out of the blue on sat i had the most awful naisea and stomach pain yhat would not shift for 3 weeks i suffered until i was rushed to hospital after collapsing after 1 week and many tests scans they found nothing! Sent me home same state i went in. I was severly malnourished im only 8 stone and 5,3. After a week of back and fourth calls in agony still to gp she gave me diazapam which i only had half a tablet to try and get some relief and was told to try back on the 15mg of mirt that night and next day pain gone! That was back end of august and a few weeks ago this pins and needles all over started and has just got worse i just generally feel so so ill. Damned if i do damned if i dont but im going to try 7.5 mg tonight

    • paul_33483
      paul_33483 kelly8973

      Posted

      I wish you all the best

      I went from 15 to 7.5 to 3.75 in 3 weeks. That's when I had the most incredible stomach cramps/pains, insomnia and increased anxiety. I'm on 7.5mg now and hoping to drop to 3.75mg in the new year and come off completely in March 17.

    • connie08861
      connie08861 kelly8973

      Posted

      yes please do let me know how it goes.  if you can get the 7.5 mg dose going you can stabilize on it then worry about the next step.  I would first try to get somewhat stable than jumping from 15mg.  I was in the same situation , always been a normal happy person drug-free until my dad passed away one and a half years ago.  then of course I was depressed with major anxiety and panic and doctors/pscyiatrists tried me on every anti-depressant and benzo there was trying to find a combo that worked.  ended up Mirtizapine was the only one that my body was ok with.  I wish you well Kelly, this too shall pass.  hang in there. x
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