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mirtazapine and my nervous breakdown

Posted , 3 users are following.

lauren56321
lauren56321

Well I'm currently on 30mg matazapine and no I need to come off it. However after 5 days of constant aniexty and not beening able to sleep ect ect it all got too much much and had a complete nervous breakdown yesterday and the spent the day at the hospital. Not good. Obviously a sure sign it isn't working if you have a breakdown while on it. I currently have had to give my kids to there dad as I can't cope and have to see where I go next. Has anyone else had a breakdown while taking this evil drug x

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • oldboy
    oldboy lauren56321

    Posted

    You do not give enough info to get the best advice.  What other doses of mirt have you  been on and for how long? 

    A drug is not evil just because it caused you trouble.  Maybe the dose was wrong or you tapered it too quickly.  Even if it is not for you it has helped many others, me included.  Calling it evil frightens people who might benefit from it. 

    This is a common problem for people who reply on this forum.  One cannot predict accurately how a drug WILL affect someone else (or yourself).  It is trial and error.  All you can do is say what your experience WAS and give reassurance.         

     

    • lauren56321
      lauren56321 oldboy

      Posted

      In my post I said it's not working for not it doesn't work for others or telling people not to go on it. I have been on matazapine since March and when they tried to increase my dose to 45mg it sent me manic. And I'm not bipolar. Since March I have only got worse and worse while taking this and other just wanted other people views you have found it no help. If you actually look it up matazapine is known to be 50/50 chance it will work and tends to poop out faster then any other ad. So I'm glad it's helped you I really am but when it comes to this stuff people should be aware of the other side to then aswell x
  • oldboy
    oldboy lauren56321

    Posted

    So you started in March, presumably at a low dose (say 15mg), then at some unspecified time increased it to 45mg, then at another unspecified time decreased it to 30mg.     

    45mg is a high dose.  That makes changing it tricky.   If you changed it too quickly you will very likely have suffered initial and withdrawal side effects: such as the anxiety and insomnia you mention.

    If you did change the dose slowly you are right that a gradual change of medication might be a good idea. The hospital must have advised you. 

    I am really sorry you have had so much trouble. I have been there. I hope that whatever you do, it works out well soon. 

     

    • lauren56321
      lauren56321 oldboy

      Posted

      I was on 15mg for 4 weeks then increased to 30mg and been on that since I only took one 45mg and had the manic side and was advised to back down to 30mg that was about 5 weeks ago and I stabilised back on 30mg after initial wd symptoms for a week as I was thrown down to 15mg for a few days. I have been stable on 30mg now for some weeks and just getting worse and worse I'm on 2mg diazpam x3 a day and a 5mg at night for sleep. Saturday was he'll I couldn't stop the panick or calm down even on this yesterday was better and today I had one bad episode I need to go my doctors 2moz to decide were to go next x
    • oldboy
      oldboy lauren56321

      Posted

      Well you have tapered okay so it looks as if mirt is not for you.

      You never said why you started on mirt. I am guessing it is for anxiety rather than depression (as in my case).   From what I have read, an SSRI (eg citalopram or sertraline) is more effective than mirt for that. 

      I take sertraline for the anxiety and a low dose of mirt for the insomnia it causes.   A combination like that has been described as a "heroic" combination or as "rocket fuel" etc.   So it must work for many people including me.  Unfortunately for us (but not the tax payer) the guidelines for GPs in the UK suggest only prescribing a combination after many other therapies have been tried.    Also GPs may be frightened of "seratonin syndrome"  which is a dangerous condition where your brain gets too much seratonin.                       

    • lauren56321
      lauren56321 oldboy

      Posted

      I got put on matazpine because I got serotonin syndrome off sertraline and metroclompide an anti sickness med combined I loved sertraline. I've just got back from my gp he wants to put me back on sertraline again as it worked but I have to stop taking the matazapine straight away. At 30mg go back and see him Friday for the sertraline which sucks as I know the wd is horrendous especially just stopping like that 😭 x
  • Joeytrib
    Joeytrib lauren56321

    Posted

    Yes, I was taking mirtazapan & was fine for 2 months so stupidly decided to ween myself off over 2 weeks, within a month I noticed my mood begin to drop so decided to start taking them again only this time within 2 weeks I was in a terrible state. Anxiety through the roof. Irritability. Spaced out, scared out of my wits, severe confusion & in panic state most of the time. After 4 weeks I couldn't take any more so doc started to ween off them again & going back to my old & faithful fluoxatine. I am having to take lorazapan & propopal to help with the transition but each day is slightly better, got 5 more days on 15mg of mirtazapan & 20 mg of fluoxatine, then doctor will increase fluoxatine to 40mg. After 4 weeks of pure living hell I am hopeful. Never suffered with insomnia but wake during the night now. Obviously I realise changing to mirt was a big mistake for me. Never experienced anything like this in my life before x
    • oldboy
      oldboy Joeytrib

      Posted

      I am not sure why you think changing to mirtazapine was such a bad idea; you said you were fine on it for 2 months.  Your problems have been caused by changing dose and medication several times.

      The insomnia is probably caused by the fluoxatine (an SSRI).  You might find that staying on a low dose of mirt will help with that.

      I know what you are going through.   These are powerful drugs - and any change of dose or medication is liable to make you very ill temporarily.                 

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