Mirtazapine withdrawal

Hi Margaret

I think you should re-start your Mirtazapine at 7.5mg ,is may help you with your current withdrawal symptoms,once your condition stable than you can start reduce it again ,your body at this moment cant take it ,there for you will feel the full effect.

I take 3 attempt cut off total from this evil drug,if not easy,but i am sure you can do it,

Restart the medical if not count as failure ,if mean gave your body more time to adjust to it.

Take care and good luck.

Hi Margaret,

Can I ask why you wanted to come off mirt? Have you been diagnosed with GAD, and has your doctor put you on another medicine??

It sounds like you really need to be taking the mirt,like I said before, this medicine saved me, it's not evil but I've decided to stop it as I felt in control, and so far( touch wood) I'm ok,I'm around 3 weeks now.

You need to start taking it again or get on another medicine,

I know your pain and it's horrendous, you've got to tell your doctor.

Best of luck

. Hi Goal, thank you for your reply, are you off mt completely, I really don't know what to do for the best, I have completely lost appetite, if I carry on as I am I'm not sure how these feelings will last before I start to feel normal again. If you are completely off the drug how long did it take you?

All the best Margaret.

Hi Kenny,

I was diagnosed as having GAD last April, was feeling a lot better so decided I wanted to be drug free. I had no idea how difficult it would be to come off. How many attempts have you made to be free from it? Did you do it gradually? I was taking 7&1/2 &3&3/4 alternate nights for 2 weeks, then 3&3/4 for one week then stopped completely, perhaps this was too drastic.

Hi Margaret

I went from 30mg to 15 mg for 2 weeks, the 7.5mg every other night for 1 week then stopped completely,

That was at the second attempt

First time round I went down to 15mg for a week then stopped completely but that was terrible and I had to go back to 15mg.

If you have GAD you need to be on medication as it's incurable and needs to be managed,

Regards

Kenny

Day 5 off Mirt, had difficult falling a sleep & when I did I slept a lot. I woke up with colon pain, nausea, headache & some anxiety. I manged to have a decent breakfast, right while I am righting this I have this strange pressure like feeling in my face that gets worse when I concentrate on anything. will see how the day goes by, to those suffering after stopping Mirt & fighting

& fighting to stay off, you are brave.

I came across the following literature

DIFFERENTIATION FROM RELAPSE

The symptoms of antidepressant discontinuation syndrome that are associated with most antidepressants share features of major depression, including dysphoria, appetite changes, sleep problems, cognitive problems, and fatigue. By focusing on symptoms that distinguish antidepressant discontinuation syndrome from depressive illness relapse (e.g., dizziness, “electric shock” sensations, “rushing” sensations in the head, headache, and nausea) and observing for rapid (i.e., within a few days) reversal of symptoms after restarting the antidepressant or complete resolution of symptoms in one to two weeks (highly uncharacteristic of a depressive relapse), a definitive diagnosis is fairly easy to make.19,27 Depressive relapses or recurrences typically occur after at least two to three weeks or longer after cessation of medication and are most often marked by gradual worsening of depression, insomnia, and psychomotor symptoms.

Its a long article, but I am unsure if I am allowed to post the link to it here in the forum. If so, someone please tell me and I will post the link.

After much deliberation I decided to start the meds again after 8 days,took 7.5 mg, have the weirdest head, floaty is probably the best way to describe it and really tired, anyone else experience this? I expect this is to be expected, still feeling terrible, what I wouldn't give to feel better. How does one carry on with their everyday life.

Hi Margaret

Yes i have complete of Mirt for 3 month already,is take me 3 month to cut off mirt ,Before i off mirt i have 3 failure attempt, on the 4 try i successfull cut off,is not easy and you have to be patient

I was on 15MG ,than i drop to 7.5mg for 2 month ,i drop again to 3.5 mg 1 month ,total time taken 3 month.

i understand how you feel now as i have gone through it ,if the worst feeling of my life ,suck to the max ,but because i am too quick to cut of mirt there for i feel the full effect.(headache,nausea ,worry.lost appetite,lost weight etc)

There for i suggest you to cut off slowing,as is will actually help ypur body to adapt without mirt.

Try take 7.5mg back for 2 month,if everything work out fine ,you can try drop again to 3.5mg.

Do keep posting and i hope to see you recover.

Take care

Margaret,

Good luck with your plan & I hope your next attempt is successful.

Now I have to motivate myself even stronger to keep going.

Day 5 off and the Anxiety & Nausea are the highlight of my mid day.

I hope this eases as the day goes by.

Hi Margaret,

Good to see that you have increased you dose back up a little. Hopefully you will get back to feeling human some time soon but it may take a bit as you obviously pushed yourself too far to quickly.

I was on 7.5 mg for a month before I dropped to 3.5 mg and in hindsight I probably I should have done the every second day drop, but I did not expect the symptoms to be any worse than the previous ones, in time or intensity.

That was a grand mistake.

It is now day 37 and I am still really tired and the headache just wont leave, although the fatigue has lessened.

I am sitting here and wondering when I will start to feel OK and functional again.

I had to go out tonight and I felt and looked like a bag of crap and I guess that I was not the life of the party.

Can anyone tell me how long this stage might last. I realize that we are all different, but just looking for some insight from others experience.

Have not had any Valium for the past week but I think I might have the little helper tonight.

Hi All, been catching up on how you're all doing. I'm now on week 5 of 30mg, reduced from 45mg, and I'm doing ok. I'm reducing doses on a two monthly basis as per instruction from my GP. He is very understanding and knowledgeable and I trust his judgement. I don't believe Mirt is the 'devil drug' - it saved my life, and also gave me nightmare-free sleep for the first time in 12 years. I'm withdrawing as I've been fairly stable for about 8 months now, so seeing if I can come off completely. Looking forward to losing weight - I've experienced the 'bottomless pit' and intense sugar cravings that some of you have had! Since reducing to 30mg I've only had 2 blips - 1 when I felt a real urge to self-harm (which I didn't) and the other where for a few days I had the urge to hang myself (obviously I didn't do this either, or I wouldn't be typing this!). I think this may be linked to PMT, which I've discussed with my GP before, and which I'll discuss again when I see him in a few weeks. It may be that Mirt is the only thing suppressing these feelings, and that although my depression has lifted, the hormonal changes I experience may continue to cause problems. I'd like to withdraw completely, but it may not be possible.

I really wish all of you had GP's as good as mine, but unfortunately some of them just don't understand mental illness or anti depressants, even with all their years of training. So when you are feeling low, keep posting on here, and turn to friends/family for support if you can. If you work and have an understanding boss, let them know you're withdrawing so they can make allowances for you not being fully functional. After all, it's not forever. And don't be disheartened if it takes longer than planned to come off Mirt - it's not a race. Just keep going, one step at a time. Good luck to you all, and remember, you're doing great xx

DAY 6,

Awful night, was feeling very good before laying to sleep, Insomnia big time, I dozed off around 2.30am and was jolted from sleep at 5am (frightening), adrenaline surge every few minutes that prevented me from falling a sleep, at last I slept at 7 and again jolted back from sleep around 8.30, my anxiety is high, my throat is literally shut because of it. This is shaking my confidence & I am not sure what to make up of it. At home I have plenty of xanax, Inderal & 2.5mg, as well as (Melatonin which I have never used), but got in case things got bad. I need a sensible advice from you guys, to manage riding this out.

My GP is not helpful, but will call him soon.

Hi everyone, well it's now day 2 of being back on the mirt......I feel like everything has come back with a vengeance, I am just so tired, with a peculiar head and have a complete loss of interest in everything. I wonder if it's because I've had a break from the medication? Please can anyone tell me if this is normal? Particularly those who have come off the meds and started re-taking?

As ever your feedback is a huge help to me!