Mirtazapine withdrawal

Hi there,

I see that this post goes back a long way but there are also some more recent posts. I have been on mirtazipine approx 4 months but I felt no better on them and I was getting more and more anxiety as time went on. I was on 30mg and my consultant said I could increase them to 45mg if I felt I had to...I did, for ONE day...omg the sounds in my head and the sweating etc. I decided this drug was doing me more harm than good. I split my tablet in half and took 15mg for 2 weeks, I then split them again and took 7.5mg for a week. I then halved them again for a few days and last night was my first night with none. Today I feel anxious - it started about 06:30 and is still going at 09:30 though its now less. I hardly slept last night (that might also be why I feel sick). I feel hungry but can't eat without feeling nauseas. I have noticed the anxiety getting worse for a few days each time I cut down then it levels off after that. Can someone who has posted here who has gone through the withdrawal please tell me how long it lasted for you. I am hoping that it gets better and that what I'm hanging on to. I am finding it hard to function with this anxiety. I don't want to take anything else as I feel its a bit like giving an alcoholic withdrawing from alcohol an alcoholic drink to cope! I just need hope....thanks for reading

Hey mini,

Ive been off mirt for the 5th week now and must say i came off the stuff immediately after taken 30mg for 3 months as i was having a not so nice time. I had mild depression and the med escitalipram that i was on then pooped (stopped working) as it does from time to time. So i gave the mirt a go and wish i never started to be honest. Up and really down like a yo yo, more down than up though, horrid dreams and felt numb for most of the day. My doc said it would be ok to just come off and start the ecscitalipram again if i was confident enough, i choose to come off.

The first day was not too bad but the second was hell, manic anxiety attacks which ive never had before mostly evening times and bad insomnia, hardly any sleep for over a week because of the panic attacks. I was put on beta blockers and 5mg diazapam at night which helped. Now i went cold turkey so it would no doubt be more severe than tapering off so don't panic too much. All the symptoms have gone now, but i am left with a much deeper depression which ive also never had before, total doom and gloom but i feel it is starting to get better now a bit. Need to get out more and start living again, that would be nice. Hope this has kind of helped. Chin up and be strong, easier said than done i know, God bless and hope you pull through soon : )

Hi Mini

I finally quit Mirt at the end of June and it has taken me until the past 6-8 weeks to feel normal. Thanks to the comments in this forum I managed to stick with it, knowing that the horrible symptoms would pass eventually. My GP wanted me to go back on the Mirt but I didn't. He gave me Cyclizine for the nausea and I only used it if I felt really bad. The other thing that helped greatly was the homeopathic remedy R14 or T14 (either drops or tablets) which helped with the anxiety and let me get a decent night's sleep. I was on 45mg per day for a year and although I thought I cut down gradually I probably still should have gone more slowly. I hope this helps!

Keep at it. You'll be so proud of yourself in the long run.

It's been 56 days without for me now, and how much better life has become.

The depression and anxiety that I go through these days is so much more tolerable than the mess M's got me in to. At least now if I get depressed, I still don't lose my motivation to do things, and once I'm doing something, then my mind is off my depression... Hope you know what I mean?

As for my anxieties, I just think twice before I put my self in a situation where that might be an issue. Helps to have a friend to help out if you have to go somewhere and do stuff. eg shopping etc.

There are hundreds of forums just like this about, and that can only tell you one thing, these things are dangerous, and GP's and the like should think long and hard before prescribing something that is messing up so many people. They just don't know what it is they're doing 'cause they're not the ones they're doing it to.

Be brave, and keep at it. The only person that can help you is yourself, so willpower is your best friend.....

hey bobbysdad,

why were you put on mirt for in the first place? ive had a bit of a mare today always the mornings and early afternoons which get me in a pickle mainly depression and quite bad at times never had it like this before, defo withdrawel related. I am on my own which makes things harder and have moved into this property recently so ive not really got to know the nieghbors as i dont feel like it at the moment, well below par.

This is my 5th week off mirt and must say the extreme anxiety has gone now and did do after two weeks and am sleeping better but this doomness is a pain in the ass... Glad to hear you are recovering bobbysdad and erica45. bobysdad we are much the same i was on 15- 30mg mirt for 3 months also but came off cold turkey as the escitalipram has not done much to cushion the withdrawal. Has your depression improved??

Thanks all for sharing youre thoughts and feelings, its comforting to know we are not alone. There is strength in numbers, all the very best, be strong...

pjdme,

Just keep telling yourself, it gets better, and before long it'll all be a thing of the past.

You are through the worst of it now. The bit of depression you feel every now and then will diminish with the amount of positives you should be feeling by now.

We all hit our lows at some time, which is why I found myself here at this forum in the first place, but now that I look back, the progress that I've made is what makes me strive to rise above it.

I'm like you, in that I've moved recently to a place that I'm not happy with, and I'm alone most of the time, except for my two cats, and they give me all the reason in the world to make things better. After all, I have to outlive them, 'cause who'd look after them like I would? Heh heh...

.... but I look at it all as being given a second chance, and life IS what 'YOU' make it.

Keep up the good work. You'll feel so proud of yourself in the end.

Cheers lots n' lots.

;-)

Star,

Read this forum from the start. There is a wealth of info here from others that have battled the same demons.

Plus it'll give you something to do to help pass the time for a little while.

When you get back to this point of the forum, you will be so glad you did.

Most here have ended up helping themselves, and the gratification from knowing you got through this low point in your life, is only more strength building.

You'll know what I mean when you get back to this page again.

Keep your chin up. No matter how bad it gets, it CAN get better and there's lots of inspiration here.

bobbysdad

Thank you to everyone that has replied to me. It helps a lot to know I'm not on my own. Yesterday was terrible. I had anxiety all the night before and so no sleep. Nausea - I couldn't eat a think, a really bad headache but most shocking was how I looked...I looked that horrible greyish pale colour a bit like someone on heroin or something. Also, very very tired. Last night I took herbal calms before I went to sleep and managed to sleep 6 hours straight. The anxiety woke me up after that and I have felt really sick again so far today and still have a headache but overall I feel a bit better. I'm sticking with it as my mood has been great so far. Its nice that people update on here, it helps me to know that what I'm feeling is normal so thanks for that.

Hey bobbysdad,

Thanks for the words of inspiration we all need it from time to time. Yep i keep telling myself to push on and hope that this will end sooner rather than later, the depression that is... The numbness in my head and body has lowered a bit today which is a first i must say since coming off the devil pill, lets hope this is the start ive needed to become more positive...

Once again thanks : )

mini3585 just look at the mess you have made here : )

No seriously, glad you got back and are taken the nasty bull by the horns... If the anxiety gets too bad then maybe contact your gp and get some beta blockers for now as they worked for me... They relax the heart and the adrenalin basically has little transport if you know what i mean as it needs a thumping heart to do its nasty stuff... Hope you get better soon and stay strong we are here if you need us : )

Will put up a link soon that maybe of interest to some, it can work, mind over matter...

Here it is, hope it works : ) www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL5ANwSBUZVjmDXEQB_l9ZDaCJtzo-KncX&feature=player_detailpage&v=8_jtsCgwcp4

I thought I'd just mention that when I came off of the tablets that I did it over a couple of months.

First cut down to half a dose of 30mg to15mg for 2 weeks; then 7.5mg for 2 weeks; then half of that (bit fiddly but worth it!!!) for a week; then a week of that dose every other day; then 2 weeks of taking it every 3 or 4 days.

I didn't get any withdrawal symptoms doing it this way but I think it may just be the luck of the draw. Some people get them and some don't. I just know I didn't want to risk getting any so did it in a way which would reduce the risk.

Hope this helps!

Its been few days since I'v stopped them and I'v not been feeling too strong the past 48 hours, very weepy, anxiety every morning with no sign of getting better...it comes on suddenly for no reason with night sweats and leaves as suddenly. I was started on sertaline as a precaustion after having my 2nd boy as I had post natal depression after my 1st boy and it required antidepressents. It was only after a week or so of taking them that I started with anxiety and depressive symptoms. After 18 months I felt no better and was started on the mirtazipine which also did nothing. I am beginning to wish I had never started taking any. I have come off the sertraline and now the mirtazipine I am hoping all this shite i'm feeling is a combination of coming off them both. My youngest is 2 on the 22nd december and I want all this gone before then. I feel I have wasted 2 years of mine and his lives on this crap. Sorry for the rant i'm feeling fragile today, plus iv come down with a cold. I'm sure plenty of people have been through this withdrawal and come out ok the other side...if I wasn't depressed to begin with then surely the real me has to surface sometime?

I'm hoping and hanging on to it....

tomorrow is another day and I'm hoping its a better one

I hope people don't mind me updating here, I feel like its a way of connecting to other people with a similar experience

hi mini,

hope your not too bad like i was, It can be real hell at the beginning but in time the anxiety attacks will deminish, yes its due to withdrawal. if its too unbearable then you must contact your GP for some relief and help. I was given 5 mg diazapam and 40mg propanalol (beta blockers) which relaxed me and helped me to sleep and stop the panic attacks. And yes im still getting sweaty times but not as much...

I must say though the depression i received from the mirt when i first started was shocking as i have never felt that way before, have you had the same experience mini ?? It was then that i should have stopped. I told my GP but he said its part of the up and down that the course takes, so i stuck it out, i wish i never now.

A lot of the good people on this forum have suffered from nausea as well, i have not at all, lets hope i have not tempted fate now : ( but i think its due to them being put on mirt for anxiey not depression like you and i have...

This all happened in the middle of a move to a different location so i had to change surgery which just complicated things more for myself and my new GP. if you read my posts from the passed you will see how i came of this crap but im glad i have now and like yourself have not been on it for too long but withdrawals will occur for some. The best way seems to be to taper very slowly which does not work for all, but for me i just wanted off this crap period. Its been hard and im not out of the woods yet but you may recover quicker as you tapered somewhat. Do contact your GP though if its too hard...

Hope this may of helped. Do let us know how you are getting on and all the best, keep the faith : )

pjdme

Well I was put on sertraline as a precaution really. I never had anxiety until then. It was exactly like what I'm going through now and took months of being on the stuff to stop. However, I ended up with really high and low mood swings. In August I became suicidal and as a result ended up being put on mirtazipine. I had really bad anxiety but not as bad as this. My mood since stopping the mirtazipine has been somewhat ok except for when I have the anxiety. I have insomnia, I can't sleep hence why i'm up writing this. I'm going to my g.p. today to get something for it. If I can get something to relax me enough to sleep at night and something to take the edge of the anxiety in the day I should be fine. I think i'm withdrawing from both of them so I'v no hope.

I am hoping that within the next week or so that it has lessened a bit. I don't know if I can cope with any more anxiety.

I'm going to be in trouble at work because I have decided to have today off in order to get an appointment with the g.p.

I hope it gets better soon, I'm beginning to wonder if I'v done the right thing, but I can't look back now!

pjdme, I know you have been off them a while now and so I take courage to know that these things will get easier. Thanks for replying

Ok so I went to the g.p...twice! The panic attacks have been horrendous. I didn't know what to do with myself! The g.p. gave me propanolol but I have since read that these need weaning down when you come off them as well once they are in your system. I may just take as needed only to try and combat this.

Oh my god this has been hell. My hubby thinks I ought to go back on a reduced dose for a few weeks then taper off agin but I don't know what that is going to do for my mood! Apart from the panic and no sleep my mood is fine so far. Plus the meds are out of my system now.

I also have a few sleeping pills...lets hope I manage some more sleep tonight. My hubby is at work tomorrow so my parents are coming over to support me with the kiddies.

Night for now