Mirtazapine withdrawal

Kenbo,

Hope it all goes well for you as it does for most.

Mini/debbie 3rd day down to 5mg escitalopram, it aint too nice today though. 4 more days to go until i swap meds, not looking forward to that at all : ( May have to reconsider and give it more time just in case it is a rebound.

Happy new year all none the less : )

Kenbo,

Good luck with the tapering! I tapered but a bit more quickly, just bear in mind that even some people who taper slower still have withdrawal. Im just coming to the end of week four and still having withdrawal effects. Its not consistant bad days so I would say it isn't the depression. My mood has been pretty stable actually. Just don't be put off if things get bad for a week or so sometimes you just have to go through it.

Please keep us posted on how it goes.

Pjdme,

Keep strong, you will be there soon! It could just be the fact you are reducing the dose and nothing more. We don't truely know how these meds affect our bodies or why our bodies react the way that they do. Good luck for the next few days

I am holding on to the hope that my body is still readjusting, 2 years being used antidepressants im sure that my body isn't going to like being without them overnight now that I have stopped them

Thanks for the encouragement Pjdme and mini3585!

Having been on Mirt for so long I know the effects of coming off are going to be unpleasant. They already have been with flu like aches. Now though I have a sick feeling around food and lost appetite.

Bad time of year to be adjusting meds when days are short and nights are long but I don't want to wait. Every cloud had a silver lining though ......l good time of year to be off my food so I can lose a bit of weight!

Good luck with your own reductions!

Hi all

Really struggling with the withdrawal from Mirtrazipine I've been off it for 3 weeks was on it for 5 years and doc said to half tablet for 5 days then stop, then take seroxat 3 days later but I knew it would be terrible on top of the withdrawal so managed to wait 19 days then took half a 20 mg to ease in with the new but I'm having terrible side effects from them now!

Any suggestions on coping would be gratefully received, anything!

Hi Debbie,

Well done on coping so far!

How about going back to the doctor, telling him/her about the side effects and see if they can suggest an alternative that might suit you better?

Hope you manage to keep strong.

Hey debbie,

Kenbo is right call your doc and dont feel hard on yourself for calling the 19 day shot, you know yourself better than anyone else, the doc should understand. What are your symptoms?? If its anxiety/panic attacks then propranolol and diazepam will help until these symptoms ease. Thats just my opinion nothing else.

Be strong and Call your doc in the morning and push them for help its their duty too ...

Stay strong YOU WILL get through this...

Hi Debbie,

It will get better. Stay strong...have you found the symptoms are easing yet? That was quite a sudden stop so I am not surprised you are suffering. I would go to the Dr and ask for something you can take short term to ease the symptoms.

I have got to the point now where I don't know if the symptoms I am suffering are the result of stopping the mirtazipine or the result of still being on rispiradone. We all need advice sometimes so I am expecting a call from my psychiatrist this afternoon to tell me how to safely get off the rispiradone.

I am sure your g.p. will be able to help you out. I had terrible anxiety during the initial withdrawal and took propranolol and that really helped, it took 24hours to really kick in but when it it helped.

Good luck and let us know how you get on

Hi debbie,

Hoping that things are better today for you. Did you contact your doc? Its not a good time im very sure but you must stay strong, as we know what you are going through. Its not a nice time at all but you will get through this and i am sure that changing to another med under these circumstances is not too nice a thought or feeling. I do hope alls better today for you and like mini, do let us know how you get on.

All the best,

pjdme

Thanks for your replies much appreciated when your feeling s bad!

Have spoken to my mental health doc, he's prescribed something to help with the anxiety rushes, I had been.taking a really low dose of Valium but was worried about taking too many, so these new ones are to replacethem, I can take two a day then it will help me to sleep, guessing they are like Valium tho he said he willphone me Friday to see how I am, I was shocked that's a first!

He said also to phone them anytime if I need to talk so that's a relief cos my family have got to the point they don't know what to say, they've been very good but I need professional help. So I think it's just getting through this first few weeks of the new tablets, I'm going to try and stick it out otherwise it will be withdrawing from them then start more new ones and after doing that four times in six months I can't do it anymore, so fingers crossed! I hope everyone else is coping! Do you ever feel it's never going to get better like I do?

Yes I feel like its never going to get any better, but then in reality I suppose it has got better compared to what it was but it seems to have stopped getting better.

I spoke to my psychiatrist and she says with all the tremors I am having in the morning that it sounds like im still having anxiety attacks. I have to admit I did not realise this because compared to how it was the anxiety is nothing really. I wake up to nervousness and tremors which got worse when I had to swap my rispiradone dose to the morning. She has told me to take a double dose...I have already had my normal dose this morning so she said take another dose tonight and then just take it at night like I used to. She also said because Iv had hardly any sleep for 10 nights due to my family being ill and the fact I have a really bad cold this affects the nervous system and will be contributing to the anxiety I am getting.

I want a clean slate, to be off the meds and have 5 or 6 months baseline to know exactly where I am and I am getting frustrated that it could be a couple of months before I even get off everything

Debbie, I really hope things start to settle for you. I understand what you are saying about family, mine have been fab but there comes a point when they have said everything that can be said. Saying that its nice to know that people will listen when you feel at your worst, sometimes just having a few ears listening makes you feel better for a while. And even if they cant do anything else my mum and dad can sit and give me a hug...even as an adult parents have there uses!! Its good to know that you have support if you need it, and dont be afraid to ring the professionals even if its just for a few minutes when you are at the end of your patience with it all. Good luck and keep us updated. I am posting regularly because it distracts me and gives me something to do. Plus I like to hear how everyone else is doing too.

Good to see you got in contact with the doc Debbie and hope you can get on top of it a bit better now. I know what you are saying about the valium i was prescribed diazepam which is also a valium but only took it if the anxiety was really bad. yes its hard sometimes to feel that things will get better. myself in the passed couple of days have felt a bit better hardly any anxiety and my mood had lifted, was actually laughing for once, due to sleeping well the night before no doubt. I just went shopping recently, had a miserable time and now feel a bit low again. : ( Blast!!

I must say though i have not been sleeping too well since coming off the mirt and this is no doubt having a big effect on the way i feel. The sleep improved in the passed five days. Out of the five i have managed 2 good 8 hour sleeps which has been the best ive had since coming off the mirt. last night i only got 4 hours at the very most. I just wish i could get my sleep back full time it would help so much i am sure.

Mini hope things are getting better for you what with the cold, it can really set things back im sure. Hope you get over it soon. Has you're sleep improved during the withdrawal generally?? its tough trying to improve with lack of sleep as i do not want to take any meds for sleep as this would not be a natural sleep if you know what i mean. Anyway i may have to take a nap soon as i am feeling so tired.

Hi Pjdme,

Yes the sleeping has improved generally though I am still waking up to anxiety at varying points of the early morning. Today was a better day, I managed to sleep from 11pm til 2am then 2:30ish til 7am!

I took that double dose of rispiradone as instructed and my god the next day my anxiety was through the roof. I know it will take a week to get back to a normal level. I think the sertraline and mirtazipine was masking the anxiety caused by the rispiradone. I know I had withdrawal anxiety initially but I think there is going to be an underlying level of it until im off everything. I seem to be very sensitive to any changes in the rispiradone.

Some days I feel so fed up of all the physical symptoms I'm getting because mentally my mood is pretty stable so far, my sleep has improved and I am just desperate to get back to normal. My psychiatrist says there is no rush to get off everything and to do it gradually. I am sorry but she is not the one who is living with it everyday. If the last psychiatrist I was under had believed that everything I was suffering was drug induced then I wouldn't be on this horrible drug in the first place..I wouldn't have been on any of it. On the plus side at least this one does believe me.

Sorry for the ranting I feel so angry today, I have had to take more propranolol than normal as the nervousness and tremors are bad today. I am trying to keep it to myself somewhat at home. Although my hubby is fantastic I'm sure he must get fed up of hearing 'im anxious' every 5 minutes.

I am still full of cold and the youngest is still ill. I am dreading having to do the school run on my own on monday, I can't organise anything very well when I feel like this. I feel so useless and incompetent some days. I will feel better when this virus does one!

Hope everyone else is ok. Have a great weekend everyone

Mini

Sorry to hear you are having a rough time, it's so hard it'nt it? but keep strong and think it won't last forever!

My mental health doc prescribed Clonazepam so boy am I calm! Ha ha I'm not reading up about them cause I don't want to worry myself to death, he did say they were to replace the Valium, they last longer and are stronger, it was to help with the anxiety rushes, I did read on the leaflet they are a type of anti depressant so not happy really what with starting the seroxat as well, but least I'm off the Mirtrazipine, at the moment I'd takeAnything to help!

Feels never ending tho cos Friday morn I woke up and my lower leg hurts to the point I couldn't hardly walk, the only thing I can think is in the night I had cramp or stretched and pulled a muscle but cos of the Clonazepam knocking me out I didn't feel it happen! Just a little worried cos I have had lumps in my legs before.

Managed to go to the shop and hobble round the block tho!

Was surprised I actually felt some enthusiasm after watching The Hairy Bikers, bring on the diet! I haven't felt any excitement for ages so could be a good sign, try and lose the 7 stone I put on with the Mirtrazipine! I've done a few of their recipes from their book and they are great, very tasty if anyone's thinking of doing it!

Take care

Hi All.

Hope ur all feelin a lil better today. Wel iv been bk on the 15mg Mirt for 3weeks nw (i think) an im not feelin anywhere near as depressed.

In fact,i dnt feel anythin. Lol.

I have bout 9days of my 100mg Sertraline left an then i wil be taken off them an Mirt dose upped.

After that,who knows wot.

Xxx

Hi all,

Mini Glad to see you are sleeping well, wish i could. Was given diazepam for the anxiety and sleep but have used them rarely unless things are well bad. The anxiety is not as bad as it first was but what with not having it before and not feeling so low before its hard to tell whats what. I hope you shake that virus soon though, itmust be a real hindrance.

As for psychiatrists, well they can be a real head scratcher, the one i have been given has left me unsure as well, she wants me to start sertraline at 50 mg on weds, then a week later 100mg then another week later 150mg and eventually 200mg and to stay on them for 5 years, WTF!! this seems excessive, i hope shes knows what she doing, its giving me anxiety attacks just thinking about it, so thinking about a second opinion on this one : ( Sorry to be a winjer people but folk on here seem to be more understanding and it helps me get things off my chest as i am not having a good day at all, will i ever get better.

Debbi, good alls better for you now, but dont get reliant on those things too much just take them when you need too during this time, they can be real addictive would not like you to have to deal with them also. Enjoy the peace though that they bring, it is so so relieving is it not, i may pop one tonight just for the relief from it all.

DooLally good to see you have improved with the mirt, i was actually thinking of going back on it again as its a hell of a lot better than i feel now. Sorry to be so nosey here but what happened with the sertraline did it have any benefits or effect at all?? Just interested as i may be taking these soon or may not,

All the best all, take care...