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Mirtazapine failed taper - reinstating

Posted , 12 users are following.

benjammin69
benjammin69

Hi - need some advice.

I have been on mirtazapine since August 2016 and I had been doing great with my depression and also my anxiety... but I put on a load of weight so my Psych wanted to swap mirtazapine for Wellbutrin... well I tapered from 30mg to 0 in 8 days.. and after 2 weeks - I CRASHED big time... suicidal thoughts, adrenaline rushes, depression, anxiety the full works were back.... so I have decided to reinstate... so I reinstated last Thursday at 30mg and I just don’t feel the way I did before I messed with the meds. Does anyone know how quick I will get back to operating on a normal level - my depression has gone but my anxiety is still there loud and clear.... help 

0 likes, 23 replies

23 Replies

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  • lorraine24104
    lorraine24104 benjammin69

    Posted

    You need to reinstate with whatever dose works and taper very slow. It has taken me 7 months to get from 30mg to 7.5. The recommended taper is 1% each drop
  • heather_58918
    heather_58918 benjammin69

    Posted

    Takes. Abit longer to work on anixety I'm still only only on 15mg as can't tolerate the 30mg

    • ann55375
      ann55375 heather_58918

      Posted

      I had same problem, just couldnt stand 30.  Now dr has me going down to try to get off as its doing very little for me.  Anxiety never left.  Worse on discontinuation.
  • Calmer
    Calmer benjammin69

    Posted

    Benjammin,  just keep taking the 30mg and wait for stabilisation, sometimes it takes days or weeks, but as you have reinstated quite quickly and not switched doses quite a bit you should be alright.  Some people up and down the doses because their doc or even p.doc advises this way and it plays havoc with our CNS. 

    You say your doc said to "SWAP" you over to Wellbutrin - yes BIG mistake - coming off Mirt' takes time and the safest way is a slow taper, which now you have found out for yourself, good !!  Once stable you should be able to do a slow taper and should be fine - it takes a while to avoid the nasty WD effects.  Those symptoms you describe are more than likely NOT your old symptoms coming back but WD - fear not on that.

    Be gentle with yourself, get plenty of rest when you can, meditate, drink plenty of water, avoid sugar as it makes anxiety worse, avoid booze if you can too.  Click on my name and copy & paste the links to research how to taper.  Good luck.

    Wishing you well.

    • benjammin69
      benjammin69 Calmer

      Posted

      Thank you so much for your response, it’s awful I have been in remission since April 2017 and very stable.. the doctor pulled me off in 8 days and I just crashed.... adrenaline rushes, no sleep, depression, suicidal thoughts and crazy anxiety. I just want to stabilise again I have dosed right back up to 30mg and been back on them since Thursday last week... what’s worrying me is it says on most websites that things should improve within 48 hours and that ain’t the case with me :-( 

    • Calmer
      Calmer benjammin69

      Posted

      Doctors advising WD from AD's, they just don't get the training, which I just don't understand in light of all the media attention right now on how addictive they are.

      We're all different & react differently when RI so no one can say how long it may take.  Keep posting & hang on in there, you're not alone, many before you & you certainly won't be the last.

      Try to distract yourself as much as is possible with relaxing hobbies/activity/TV films, comedies maybe if you're not sleeping the sofa might be your best friend? - are you working??

    • Gretel
      Gretel benjammin69

      Posted

      Benjamin, you have been off since last April and you are up to 30mg since last week? Im just trying to make sure i understand.
    • benjammin69
      benjammin69 Calmer

      Posted

      I was working until last week when I had a strange urge to throw myself under a train and it panicked me so I said I needed some time off. I been signed off for 4 weeks as doctors know it’s tough. The sofa defo seems my best friend at the moment, I got out and about today just for a long walk and to the park with one of my kids. It’s horribke feeling this way and the negative rumination that goes with depression. I just need to level out and then get back to work and being me 
    • benjammin69
      benjammin69 Gretel

      Posted

      No I had my first MDD episode in August 2016 which is when I started mirtazapine I have been at all doses and finally settled on 30mg... been in a remission since April so been fixed... so decided with doctors in December to come off as I was putting on load of weight.. so I jumped off last Thursday so it’s been 7 days 
    • Gretel
      Gretel benjammin69

      Posted

      Benjammin, definitely know this is a mirt driven scenario. The negativity sucks. Do whatever you can to stay positive. Do you have a support system?
    • Gretel
      Gretel

      Posted

      Benjammin, there is a support group on fb. If you are intetested. It is not meant to take away from this site. There are only 15 people so its less overwhelming.
    • benjammin69
      benjammin69 Gretel

      Posted

      Thanks Gretal. It’s horrible I’ve managed to leave the house the last few days although it still feels like s**t! Mainly just negative thoughts and anxiety/depression now! Yeah my psych is available 24/7, have family etc  it’s harder as I love my

      Work and just want to be at work x

    • toni47195
      toni47195 benjammin69

      Posted

      HI Benjammin

      Just listen to what Calmer says, it is very important my friend. You can stabolize now on a dose lower than 30Mg and than after feeling stable you can taper slowly. 10% every 3-4 weeks is teh rule of thumb my friend. It is doable and i know you can do it. It took me 1.6 years to taper from 15Mg to 0 where i am currently in. 

      All the best buddy

    • lindarivendell
      lindarivendell Calmer

      Posted

      Hi Calmer,

      Could you please give me some advice?

      I mistakenly went cold turkey off 15mg mirtazapine 6/7 weeks ago had been on it 9 months.. Had total nausea first 3-4 weeks lost a stone.At About 4 weeks until now at 7 weeks I have anxiety . Has not been pleasant at all. I reinstated 3.9mg 1 week ago to try and alleviate the dreadful withdrawals. I also increased the dose 3 days ago to 7.5mg and hoping to stabilise on this. Does it take time to stabilise as feeling peculiar as if my brain is all over the place. Have read on some websites that brain struggles to get back to normal from going from cold turkey and then back up to 7.5mg. I would really appreciate your advice as this is getting me down after 7 weeks. I need a light at the end of the tunnel!

    • lindarivendell
      lindarivendell Calmer

      Posted

      Please Calmer I really need reassurance. I went off Mirtazapine cold turkey. 8 weeks ago At 5 and a half weeks off Mirtazapine I decided to reinstate-went on

      a quarter tablet for 5 days not any better with anxiety. Then went on half a tablet for 8 days. Last Sunday was very poorly with anxiety decided to go on my original dose of 15mg. Have been on it a week now. Went to work 4 days last week. My mind was taken up every single minute with pricing, stocking and serving customers. At the start of each shift I was very poorly but as the day went on I started to feel better each day. I am very very poor on my days off as my brain is not filled every single minute with something to do- tidy, price or stock up. How long will it take before I can get back to normal. I am off today and tomorrow and very poorly as I am doing things but my brain is not occupied every single minute. Please please help!!!

    • lindarivendell
      lindarivendell Calmer

      Posted

      Please Calmer, I cold turkeyed mirtazapine and didn't reinstate until 5.5 weeks later as the horrible anxiety didn't surface until then. I only had total nausea the first 4 weeks and lost a stone. I reinstated at 3.9mg for 5 days then 7.5mg for 8 days. I Then went back on my original dose but that was at 7 weeks after my cold turkey. I have been on 15mg for 15 days but not had much relief from this nightmare anxiety. How long in your opinion does it take for the Mirtazapine to help relieve the anxiety?

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