Mirt withdrawals - unpredictable torture

Thank you kathy. Every day I hate that stuff more. It should be a law that not only should possible side effects be listed with medicines, but the withdrawal symptoms as well, signed by someone who has actually taken the stuff. David

This is a result of David stopping the mirt cold turkey. Make sure you do not do the same, sheila. I wish you well. David's suffering is horrible.

Sheila, when I was on 45 mg my wife used to say that a train could come through our bedroom and I would never know it. I wasn't that way before or after. My experience with this drug is just that, my experience. If someone is benefitting from it, and aren't paying for it with side effects, then its not my place to advise them about whether to stay on it or not. But if someone isn't already on it, I would advise anyone that I call a friend to find an alternative,

Hi David ...what can I say ..hmmm. I guess all any of can really do is let you know we feel for you ...and I do ...really do feel for you!

My own experiences and struggles mean I have some empathy with you ( although only you truly know what David goes through ...same is true for us all).

Sometimes I get the feeling its the blind leading the blind as so many are fighting their demons (so to speak) ...still I sincerely hope peace and a better quality of life comes to you soon ...real soon!

Much peace...

Karl, thank you for your empathy and kind thoughts. If I could get some relief on the nausea, abdominal pain / cramps, and fatigue I would be over the hump. My family is having a family photo made tomorrow at my parent's home, and unluss things improve I won't be in it. Thanks again, David

I hear that David ...

Dig deep ...or should I say 'deeper' and make your way into that family photo ... Try just TRY a little meditation ...reading of inspirational quotes ...hot bath followed by gently tummy massage ...prayer even ...these are just meant to be examples ...at the very least if you try just one thing (not necessarily from the list I've given) ...you might get a small amount of respite from what seems more like torture than withdrawal.

I'm just grabbing at straws David ...but even though I'm feeling lousy ...I want you to feel better ...as I know you want me and others to feel better too.

You, me, others fighting their fight ..ain't none of us truly alone. People ( might not be many in the grand scheme of things) DO CARE!

Get some rest David ..and TRY to feel your mind with as many positive thoughts as you can!

Much peace

Karl, once again I thank you for the insight, as it takes experience to know what works. I listen to an online sermon every morning, and read at least one chapter in the Bible. I am on my third time of reading it through, starting Romans in the morning. At any rate, I am doing what I can. I try to watch TV or read something to get my mind on better things, but sometimes the abdominal pain has me laying on my side with my knees pulled up to try and ease the cramps.

Again, I don't mean to cry, and I appreciate all of you who either are or have been where I am helping me, and believe me I don't know what I would do without you. I have nobody but my wife who has a clue. The abdominal cramps have eased a little, thank God. Have a good weekend, my dear friends, and bless you all for being there. David 

hi sheila, i have 0 energy as well.  i can't stand it.  i want to stop as well, or at least go back down to 15. and yes above 15, i cannot sleep. 

No David! ....you CRY ...you are a human being and PAIN IS PAIN!

If I could ...I wish I be there to help you through. Its clear from the msgs people are sending you ...you are a very special warm human being and people are rooting for you...

If I had 3 wishes ...you'd get 1

Take care (as BEST as you can ...and keep reading. This sinner here is praying and hoping YOU improve soon...

God Bless You, Karl, God Bless You!

Hi suzie, thanks. I have been thinking it was my RA or recent pneumonia but reading David's and everyone else's posts has made me think it may be the mirt. The zero energy and general malaise ties into the time my dose was increased to 45mgs. So I will be discussing with my GP on Monday. I can't carry on like this, it feels I'm on the edge of life, not getting involved. Also, I'm isolating myself from everyone, I just can't be bothered. I hate feeling this way which makes me feel worse and round and round and further down I slide. I'm going further into a black hole. And it worries me that though I'm aware of it, I haven't the energy to change, it's got to be the increase in mirt. I'm numb emotionally too.

Hi Sheila, I also felt like this, I cut myself off from everyone & everything & with no incentive to do anything, it's very isolating & doesnt help the mood whatsoever but i found it uncrotrollable, I would def discuss this with your gp & I sincerely hope you find an answer, thinking of you, best wishes x

Sheila, you just listed the reason that I got off the stuff. My life was ticking away in my bedroom, and my life beyond that wasn't much. Thanks for putting it into print. I wish you a turn around that leaves you well, David

David and Brandy,

thank you so much for your positive answers. Okay, this is how it's gonna go with my doc - I am stopping these pills, what is the best, least problematic way to do so? I want to avoid the hell David has eloquently described.

I'm beyond grateful for both your posts.

God bless you both and sweet dreams

Sheila, I can only recommend you see your GP, as stopping these meds on you're own aren't as straight forward as it seems, I only want the best for people in situations like ours & I'm here if you want to chat, take care xx

Ultimately everyone is different & may not get some of the withdrawal that others do, I'm

Counting myself extremely lucky that it's only itching that I've encountered so far, my heart goes out to David - seems to be really suffering, I hope this eases soon for him x

Sheila, I can only tell you what you shouldn't do, and that is what I did, cold turkey. One thing that I can tell you, and this is that it doesn't matter how long it takes, write down what your goals are and then check them of as you accomplish them. Be as kind to yourself as you can, no matter what it takes or what anyone thinks. It will take courage, so grab you some out of your pocket and use it! We will want to see your progress on here, which is the home of the greatest coaches, cheerleaders, and just plain listeners. Regards, David

this excess fatigue started with my increase as well, and in addition i still couldn't sleep.  i have a week to wait to see the psych, but i am going to tell him i cannot stand it.  i try to do a few things... imwent for a small walk and i have to lie down.  can't stand it.  i will have to take something else .. let me know how your dr appointment goes.

Suzie, will the doctors in the UK let you make changes over the phone if it isn't quite time for an appointment? When my mother was getting her dose adjusted (US) she called called and left a message for the doctor and he would usually call it in, provided she didn't miss appointments. I just have seen several posts where folks were needing to see their doctor, which was going to be a while.

hi david,

no,i am in canada and they always want you to come in.  it's torture waiting.  i have been struggling to find something that i can tolerate, and i went to the hospital in order to see a psychiatrist. he was the one that upped the mirtz, which i tried and cannot stand.  he keep saying i shouldn't have tose side effects.. insomnia, anxiety. i am taking 22.5 and was almost going to reduce it a bit more last night but then i didn't.  all i know is that the fatigue is too much for me, and it certainly hasincreased my anxiety.  sometimes i just want to go to the hospital and say i am suicidle just so they would admit me.  i know i will need another medication .. that treats anxiety and depression.  it's been 5 months of trial and error on medications.  all i know is mirtzapine has not helped me except when i was initially taking 15 mg for sleep.  i feel desperate.  how are you?

Suzie, mine is still bad. I was up all night with abdominal pains and cramps, anxiety, and depression. I sat on the side of my bed this morning and had a good cry. I feel awful right now, fatigued and weak. Thanks for asking, and good luck with your health, David

david, i am so sorry.  it is verv very cruel.  i have taken a couple of clonazapam for the anxiety.  my thoughts are with you

I logged in purely to see how you were doing David ...phewww so sad to hear no real continual respite has come yet.

So I'm guessing ..no you in family photo?

David its HARD I KNOW ...and I'm a hypocrite of sorts for giving advice that I often don't or can't follow myself, butbut each day TRY (REALLY TRY) to do something ..anything (no matter how seemingly insignificant or mundane) that is positive. E.g. Lay a hot water bottle on your tummy, do 5mins of deep breathing exercises, read from the book ( you which one; something you do do anyway), give and receive 3 hugs per day, repeat in meditation 'I will improve ..I will get better ..I will be free of this teribble pain'..

Literally, think of any ..ANY small positive thing that you try or do or repeat that just might potentially give a tiny bit of respite from the chronic debilitating pain.

Not much advice I know ..but right now from where I am here in England at 5.27pm Sunday 3rd May ...I really do have only you and thoughts of you feeling better on my mind.

Kind regards as always!

Karl

I wish that I could take clonazapm, as they are longer lasting than Ativan, but for some reason they make me sick at the stomach and "foggy". Thanks for your thoughts.

Karl, thanks for the ideas. I already use a heating pad for my stomach. I was up all night last night, and sat on the side of the bed with my wife and cried this morning. I couldn't help it. And no, I won't be in the family photo. My two younger brothers have both died, and I would have been the only child, otherwise mom, dad, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and possibly the dog. They are going to have it at mom & dads. They have a house out in the country, and the picture will be outside. Anyway, I am laying on the heat now, and I feel much better than last night. I will get better, and I will try the meditation. It sounds like something that would work for me.

And Karl, thank you very much for the reply last evening, it meant a lot. Take Care, David

I hear you loud n clear David ...when you have time and able, please check your personal inbox ...sent something for you to consider. No pressure, you'll decide whether its worth a go.

Regards Karl

Hi Sheila,

I noticed that you didn't get an answer to your quuestion when you asked "how to withdraw" - have you heard of the CITA method I wonder?  It's a very slow method of withdrawal; MIRT' wd cannot be rushed, it takes months if you want to limit the nasty effects - how long have you been on Mirt? And did you say you were OK on the 15mg dose?  

Sheila I agree with Calmer ...don't make the mistake of underestimating Mirtazapine Withdrawal.

I did a week long phased reduction ...coming from 15mg ...to 7.5mg for 4 days ...to 3.75mg for 3 days ...to 3.75mg every other day for a further few days. Then I was free!

Felt tentively better and optimistic and relieved to be off Mirtazapine for the first several days ...and THEN was hit with what I can only determine as being withdrawal OR some historical mental health problem now triggered and exacerbated in someway by my having taken Mirtazapine. Hope that makes sense. Its all pretty confusing to me even.

My experiences aside ...I wish you Sheila ( and Calmer and others) ...much peace and strength.

Regards Karl

Dear Friends

thank you for replying and good advice about tapering which I shall follow. I feel so sorry for our friends who are coping with much suffering, in particular David, I really appreciate your honesty and pray that these symptoms will abate soon. As I've said earlier, it's the overwhelming fatigue, lack of interest in anything (I mean anything, I have become a sloven in the past 8 weeks, personal hygiene, eating, functioning as a human) and emotional numbness. Initially I thought it may be due to RA , recent severe pneumonia or loss of my job in Oct - due to ill health. But after following this forum I suspect it is due to mirt. My dose was upped to 45mgs approx 3 months ago and I think it has slowed me down in every way, the feedback I've received appears to endorse this. I see my GP on Tues and I now want to have a serious discussion about this drug. Meantime, I have been halving the 45mg pill. I basically think it's too strong, I am a small person. I thought it was a good AD for me on 15mg or 30mg so that's why I want to discuss the pros and cons rather than just ditch them. I've been taking them for about 5 years. Since losing my job a lot of stress has disappeared but being unemployed presents different stresses - financial, direction in life etc. No one said life was easy, did they? Take care all

Hi David, I'm so sorry to hear there's no improvement for you, please know you've been in my thoughts & prayers all weekend, I'm so glad I started this discussion as its shown that we're not on our own & the support from each near or far has been overwhelming, wishing you better days to come x

Thank you, Brandy. If I hadn't found this forum, I wouldn't have had a clue as to why I am feeling like this. I had no idea that mirtazapine withdrawal is what it is for most folks. I was having some significant digestive issues about 8 years ago with severe chronic Irritable Bowel Syndrome. One of mirtazapine's listed side effects is constipation, and my IBS was mainly diarrhea. Plus as part of what was going on, I wasn't sleeping very well. So my doc put me on the 15 soltabs, the ones that are fruit flavored that dissolve on your tongue. They helped for a while, and he gradually raised it to 45. My mother was taking 45s and I thought it was OK. So for the next 8 years or so I took them. During that time the side effects gradually appeared and got progressively worse, and I didn't even know that it was the cause of why I was feeling so bad. I finally, with my wife's help, figured it out. I would take the mirt at bedtime, sleep like a rock, wake with a hangover and headache most mornings, feel like hell most of the day, and gradually feel better toward bedtime, and then around 8 in the evening I would be OK. Then take the mirt at bedtime, and start the cycle all over again. I had no idea when I was taking the stuff that I couldn't just stop. That is my story about getting caught in the mirtazapine trap. Again, I don't know what I would have don't without you good folks to explain why I was feeling so rotten. God bless you all, David

Dear David

I hope you had a peaceful night and are feeling better. Love and good wishes from the UK. Your posts have helped me enormously ☺

Sheila, thanks for the well wishes. I had a better night than the night before. I even slept a few hours! Take Care, David

Karl, are you off Mirt now or did you go back on?  I only ask because the symptoms you describe above sound like WD and not mental health problems returning.  I agree with you, it must be hard to know the difference, time will tell but you seemed to go off them very quickly??

Wishing you well

Calmer peace n love along with sincere hopes you are having a settled day...

Yes, I came off approx 2 weeks ago.

Did it over 7-9days

i.e. 15mg >>>7.5mg (4 days)>>>3.75mg (3days)>>>missed a day >>>3.75mg (1day)>>>missed a day>>>>>3.75mg (1day)>>>Totally Off

Make sense?

Regards Karl

Hi Karl,

Wishing peace & happiness to you too.  I am indeed having a good day, busy but that's how I like it.

That sounds fantastic, I didn't realise you were off - how do you feel, any wd at all?  Guess they say wait and see after 2 - 3 weeks of "totally off" but you seem on the up so all the best to you.

Stay with us, let us know how it's going.

Best wishes