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Mirtazapine (Remeron) Withdrawal Success Story!!

Posted , 68 users are following.

MirtSucessBaby
MirtSucessBaby

Hello all!

I see a lot of taper / withdrawal threads on here explaining how bad it was for a lot of people but I wanted to share my experience with a relatively easy taper so those who google it don’t get completely terrified / hopefully it helps some people.

I was on mirtazapine for GAD and Panic Disorder for four years, 30mg for three and 45g for the final year. It helped a great deal in the beginning but the last six months or so I felt I was getting no benefits, so I decided to come off.

Here are my tips before I log my experience.

BE FIRM with your doctor. For too long I was pressured to stay on or even maximise my dose when I was unhappy. Tell your doctor you want off and you want off now and come up with a GAME PLAN.

GET ANTI-NAUSEA MEDS this one is simple, be prepared. I got a script for Maxolon from my doc to take twice a day during my withdrawal. It’s completely safe and non addictive and works wonders.

SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS you can do this. I personally have been through Valium (diazepam) withdrawal and it was horrifying, so with that experience behind me I knew this would be do-able. HAVE FAITH in yourself and your inner strength.

SYMPTOMS WILL PASS. The good thing is you know it is the withdrawal that is making your anxiety flare up or making you feel uneasy so you KNOW you can get through it and it will end.

So here comes my experience.

Had been on 45mg for a year (out of 4 on this med) and told my doctor I want off and I want off ASAP. They were aware of my success coming off diazepam so were supportive of me coming off this relatively quickly (I really earned my drug withdrawal stripes there haha).

45mg down to 30mg for five days. I took my anti-nausea pill when I woke up straight away and another in the evening if I needed. Honestly felt ZERO bad effects from this drop at all, if anything I felt better. Less violent anxiety, clearer head and happier mood.

30mg down to 15mg for five days. Kept taking those wonderful Maxolons and again this was a walk in the park!! Happier every day and really focussing on how much success I was having so far.

15mg down to 7.5mg for five days. Still on Maxolon every day to avoid the nausea. Had some days where anxiety would flare up quickly but that’s kind of normal for me anyway. Found on this low dose I was falling asleep so fast I had forgotten how sedating the low doses were!

7.5mg to 0 for the rest of my life. Still on Maxolon, have been noticing I still feel some nausea so I am grateful to have the anti-nausea meds to really minimise it. Have been taking 2 daily during this time. My sleep is becoming a bit more broken and less of a “coma” deep sleep now and I’ve been sweating bullets at random but DRINKING LOADS OF WATER.  STILL FEELING POSITIVE!!

I am now 3 days into 0mg and honestly it’s nowhere near as bad as a lot of people experienced and for that I am extremely grateful. Will update if people are interested to read how the next few days / weeks go now that I’m down to no mirt in my system.  It has been so much easier than I was braced for.

So here are a list of things I did experience.

Mild Nausea despite taking the anti nausea meds

Pooping more than usual

Some sleep disruption once I came off completely

Sweating

Mild headache (easily fixed by ibuprofen)

Flare ups of anxiety but NO PANIC ATTACKS caused by withdrawal, if anything my panic attacks are less frequent now

Feeling a little foggy headed once I got down to zero, not a big deal

Jitters. Just general fidgeting and struggling to sit still but that’s expected after being sedated big time for the last four years by a variety of meds now I’m on zero medications.

Things I NEVER EXPERIENCED

(I’m not saying these don’t happen but merely they did not happen to me)

Vomiting

Diarrhoea

Insomnia (I still sleep every night)

Brain Zaps

Migraines

Panic attacks caused by withdrawal

Suicidal thoughts / depression. I’m actually much happier.

Dizziness / feeling faint. Again this is less frequent now than it was while I was on 45mg.

Bad mood changes, being angry or crying for no reason.

So to anyone who bothered to read this essay post. YOU CAN DO IT. Everyone will experience these things differently and I am not disputing that some people have a really rough time, it’s just that when someone has a good experience or an easy time they are less likely to write about it. When I was starting my taper I found so many awful stories and so few positive ones which made me extremely anxious in itself. So I wanted to write out a successful withdrawal story for those people who are about to start to see that they might not have a horrifying experience and there are ways you can prevent a lot of the symptoms SAFELY.

Drink lots of water. Have faith in yourself. Be strong. Don’t put up with sh*t you don’t have to.

I am more than happy to reply to any questions people have about my experience and will update how things go for the next few days if anyone is interested. Cheers and good luck. 

23 likes, 153 replies

153 Replies

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  • Millionaire90
    Millionaire90 MirtSucessBaby

    Posted

    Hi

    This is inspiring I have a autistic young adult on mirtazapine . Since taking it the anxiety has worsened , weight gone through the roof ,OCD has been horrific , sweating , heart palpitations .

    I am hopeful the GP will support the idea of coming off this drug I wasn't keen on them prescribing it in the first place .

    But you think they have the patient best interest at heart .

  • Millionaire90
    Millionaire90 MirtSucessBaby

    Posted

    Hi

    This is inspiring I have a autistic young adult on mirtazapine . Since taking it the anxiety has worsened , weight gone through the roof ,OCD has been horrific , sweating , heart palpitations .

    I am hopeful the GP will support the idea of coming off this drug I wasn't keen on them prescribing it in the first place .

    But you think they have the patient best interest at heart .

  • winnie42335
    winnie42335 MirtSucessBaby

    Posted

    hey ,thank you for your post. wanted to ask ,did you experience worsening of symptoms as time went by. I find that the first 10 or so days were good, but now day 12 the symptoms are hitting hard How was it for you?

  • Guest
    Guest MirtSucessBaby

    Edited

    I just wanted to write and thank you so much for posting this. I have been taking 15mg of mirtazipine for two years (for depression, anxiety and OCD) and need to come off it prior to trying to conceive. I've felt very apprehensive about this after reading other forums, but your advice gave me the confidence to stick with it.

    When I first tried to taper my dose the doctor advised I alternate one whole pill with half, and to do that for a week. Then I was to take half each day for a week, then alternate between half and nothing for a week, then a quarter... and so on. I only got to day three of the first part of the taper before I was so nauseous, jittery and sweaty that I couldn't function. I ended up giving up and going back to my regular dose.

    After reading your post I went to my doctor and asked if I could try your approach and get a script for Maxolon, and she agreed. Yesterday was my final dose of mirtazipine and I'm now just on the Maxolon. I feel fine - in fact, I feel fantastic because it was such an easy and stress free process. This is what I did:

    My regular dose was 15mg.

    Week 1 of taper

    One maxolon as soon as I woke in the morning

    Half a mirt tablet (7.5mg) and one Maxolon each evening

    Side effects: minor feeling of being out of sorts, but no nausea or sweats like before. Pretty vivid dreams but quite pleasant ones compared to the disturbing nightmares I had when I first went on mirt.

    Week 2 of taper:

    One maxolon as soon as I woke in the morning

    One maxolon at midday

    1/4 of a mirt tablet (3.75mg) and one maxolon in the evening

    Side effects: Some more nausea towards the end of the week, so I really did need that maxolon at midday. Three per day helped to keep it at bay though. Felt a bit tired and sore towards the end of the week but this may have been from my Covid booster. A couple of nights of broken sleep towards the end of the week, and slight restlessness, followed by more vivid dreams. Only one nightmare all up.

    Week 3 of taper: (which I've just started)

    One maxolon in the morning

    One maxolon at midday

    One maxolon with dinner

    Side effects: mild headache so took a couple of panadol. A little more thirsty than usual so keeping fluids up. Resting lots and reminding myself how far I've come. Exercising each day so I tire myself out a bit and sleep better. Some moments of worry and mild anxiety, but mostly from worrying about what life will be like after mirt. Generally feeling more energetic, cheerful and less zoned out than on the mirt. Sugar cravings in the afternoon have significantly reduced. Libido has returned to what it used to be. Generally feeling more affectionate and tuned in to my partner and family. Have lost a couple of kilos in a few weeks from not craving carbs so much. Skin is great - no break outs and I almost feel like I've got a bit of a glow when I look in the mirror. 😃 Started to take a 'Whole Earth & Sea' prenatal multivitamin to make sure my nutrition is optimal while I adjust to this change of being off mirt.

    I'm currently on summer leave, so I'm more relaxed than I'd regularly be, but I purposefully chose this time of year to go off the mirt so I could cope better. However, the side effects have been minor since taking the maxolon. I'd recommend all people going off mirt to ask their GP for a script for maxolon! It has been a complete godsend.

    Thank you so much to the original poster - you've changed my life 😃

    Mirt changed my life for the better and helped me to gain a better sense of self. It helped me to forge new neural pathways that are more constructive and positive. I don't regret taking it at all, but I want to have a baby so it's time to part with it. If I need it in the future, I would take it again; it's the only AD I found that didn't give me constant nausea and that calmed me.

    I hope this info helps others. Best wishes on your own journeys.

  • neil70588
    neil70588 MirtSucessBaby

    Posted

    Was on on Mirtazipine for a couple of months at 30mg. Tapered to 15 for a week and then stopped. No major problems other than extreme fatigue (although not as bad as when i was taking 15mg at first. I guess as its more sedating at low doses and takes up to 9 days to leave your system this is to be expected. I also have taken around 5mg of diazepam and a bottle of wine most nights (which I still do). Hopefully the sedation will wear off and panic attacks dont get out of hand. I'm only on day 4 of zero Mirtazipine so hopefully things will improve rather than some of the horror stories people have gone through.

    • jomorg
      jomorg neil70588

      Posted

      How are you doing now? Did you develop any withdrawals or it went better gradually?

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