Mirtazapine withdrawal

Posted , 136 users are following.

Hey everyone,

I've been on Mirtazapine 30mg since Feb his year but I've had alot of problems with. Ear infections, burning mouth syndrome etc. so my Psychiatrist think's I should come of it. He told me to cut down to 15mg and only take them for a week and then just stop. So I finally stopped taking the 15mg on Mon night and I feel terrible.

It's not just my moods (my depression/anxiety had been great before coming off med), I physically feel really sick, been feeling extremely nauseated and last night couldn't sleep because I kept thinking I was going to throw up. Is this a normal reaction coming off mirtazapine?

Because my depression/anxiety had gotten alot better, we didn't feel the need to just take me off mirtazapine and put on on another drug because I thought I was cured. Plus, I don't want to take any more antidepressants at all really.

PLEASE, any help or advice you offer would be greatly appreciated because I'm really worried now and I don't want to have to go back to taking mirtazapine sad .

Will the withdrawal last long? How long will it take to fully get the tablets out of my system?

Please help,

thanks,

Star

7 likes, 878 replies

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  • Posted

    Danae & VeeJay99,

    Danae, I hope the Melatonin does the trick & you sleep better.

    VeeJay, you sound better today and I hope this continues.

    I am based in Dubai, everything expense comes out from my pocket so no NHS.

    its almost 4pm & for the past 2-3 hours all what I have been feeling is continuous fatigue & feeling out of breath for the slightest effort, I had to force myself eat lunch.

    Take care

  • Posted

    Day -16!!!!!!

    Last night, I decided to sleep w/o taking the 2.5mg Melatonin, in bed by 11, slept around 1.40, up few times finally up at 8, I will give it a try again tonight, I am trying not to be dependent on any med to sleep, let see how it goes.

    So I woke up with the most horrible nausea!!! tingling arms!! (whats with the arms?) my appetite is non existent.

    Have a great day.

  • Posted

    I have not tried melatonin. I didn't realise it was homeopathic. I may look out for it next time I'm in town. My prescriptions are free here but it's not the case for all of the UK.

    I have had the tingling and weakness in my arms most days. It's weird!

    I'm now in Day 23 and for once can say I have had 2 quite good days in a row! I still have a headache but it's not so bad and the brain fog is clearing. I've had some anxiety but it has been more controllable and I'm still not sleeping well.

    I'm scared to feel too happy about the improvement that I am feeling as I was so disappointed last week when I had some very bad days following a good day. I'm just hoping I am finally through the worst of the withdrawal and that will give hope to others who have not been off the meds for so long.

    Hope you are all ok

  • Posted

    I have now had three days with no headache. 47 days with a headache, I was starting to feel that it would never leave.

    Definitely put it down to the melatonin. I am still feeling very tired but a little less each day. Fingers crossed that it continues.

    Have not seen any posts for a few days but hoping that you are all doing OK.

  • Posted

    Hi, Danae

    Not counting the days

    Probably around 6-7 weeks off mirt completely, and other than a few low days and a few angry days I have not experienced any difficulties. Although as I said before my doc gave me some benzo's to combat the withdrawals

    Hope all is well

    Kenny

  • Posted

    Kennybhoy, Danae, Veejay99

    I hope all of you are doing well on the road of recovery.

    Day 17, no melatonin ( I stopped using it & wont update on it unless I go back) slept well, was feeling very good when a cough started going from early evening till bed time, the day was good.

    Day 18, slept OK, woke up with flu symptoms, sore throat, coughing etc, the day was OK, little anxiety, I think its more to do with me going back to work.

    Day 19, I had an awful night, coughing, all sort of allergies, I couldn't breath without coughing, my throat felt very sensitive, slept very late. ( Do you guys recommend anything for this?) Its all due to the absence of the Anti histamine effect from the mirtazapine. before going on it, I had little allergies & cant even remember if I ever took anything to ease it.

    Stay well

  • Posted

    Hi Guys. Hope you are all staying strong.

    Day 26 for me. I had 3 days in a row in the week where I felt well, clearer head and more calm. It was such a relief to feel more normal! Sleep was still disturbed and intermittent. Yesterday the withdrawal symptoms were back again! Headache, brain fog, high anxiety etc. last night though I slept better than I have for a long time. Only woke up once and didn't wake up so early so that was good and I do feel better for it today. I find on the bad days that I have a raging thirst and struggle to drink enough to keep hydrated. The symptoms then seem to get worse when I can't drink enough. On my good days I didn't have such a thirst but kept drinking as much as I could to prevent the dehydration. So it's hard to understand the raging thirst on the bad days.

    I did experience flu like symptoms during withdrawal including very sore throat and swollen glands. That has passed now. You are right about the anti-histamine effect. It could be that coming off them has left you more sensitive to the allergens in the air. I hope your symptoms clear up soon. It is also hay fever season and allergies can start at any time. There are herbal remedies available that some people find alleviate allergy symptoms.

    I'm feeling more positive now as I had 3 good days in a row where I felt better so I'm hoping that there will be more spells like this going forward.

    I hope you will all find your symptoms easing soon and are able to have a good weekend.

  • Posted

    Hello Fighters,

    Just an update

    Day 20-22, interrupted sleep due to a bad cough that only starts late in the evening, I wake up tired and have a sore throat that gets better 2-3 hours later. I have been feeling Fatigued throughout the day. I am still getting the sudden urges to go the toilet!!

    Mood is positive, overall I can say the last 3 days other than the bad cough and low energy, things are looking pretty good.

    TC

  • Posted

    Hello All,

    Day 23 slept from 11 till 6, I woke up very tired, appetite is an issue, lethargic from around 11 am till 7-8 pm.

    Day 24 slept 12.30-6.45, again woke up very tired, appetite is an issue and I am forcing myself to eat, lethargic all day till around 8pm.

    Day 25 difficult falling a sleep, not sure when I slept, I was up around 8, woke up feeling ill nausea & lethargic till 9pm. ( everything I do is with great efforts )

    Day-26 slept better and woke up feeling better than the past 3 days, appetite is still an issue and I do feel tired.

    I am positive and determined to overcome this, its just the lethargy is making things worse, I am still going out and getting things done.

    Anyone experienced such lethargy while coming off?

    Take care.

  • Posted

    Guys

    Is the lethargy, very low energy, tiredness after 26 days of stopping, a withdrawal symptom?

    At the moment all what I am having is lethargy and no appetite.

    Your feedback will be appreciated.

  • Posted

    Hi Dubai,

    Good to see that you are posting again. I have been wondering how you have been going.

    Have you had any blood test done recently? I am still waking up every day tired and it has been nearly two months now on 3.75 mg. Much better than I was but still tired.

    Recently had thyroid checked, which was last done 15 months ago before I started Mirt. and previously had always been fine. My TSH has increased out of the OK range but the thyroid hormone is still OK. My doctor called this sub-clinical Hypothyroidism.

    She said that full blown thyroid problems needing medication was statistically what follow this condition but it may be being caused by the withdrawal so chose not to medicate for it at this point.

    My cholesterol has also dramatically gone up and my history has been always been very good. The literature for Mirt. says some people may have an increase of up to 20% but mine is closer to 40%. Not happy.

    I have now been without this headache for 12 days and feeling considerably better,but would love to just wake up not feeling tired. I did not have this lack of energy when I was on 7 mg dose, so don't know what has come first, the chicken or the egg.

    Hope this gives you some food for extra thought.

    My only other thought about lethargy and no appetite is that it could be the early stages of depression creeping back in.

    One last thought,

    I noticed that you stopped taking the melatonin. It is not really a sleep medication, but something we naturally make in our own bodies. A little boost might allow you to get more rest from your sleep during the night and maybe more energy resulting during the day.

    Just a thought for a short term trial. Hope something here might be of help.........Danae

  • Posted

    Hey Danae,

    Thankful for your reply & sorry about your blood tests, but I guess knowing is always better. I have read in many forums that Mirtazapine usage or discontinuation plays a factor in how some levels might be off balance, I wish you the best.

    I hope what I am experiencing isn't a return of my depression, time will tell.

    My day isn't completely doomed, I have many good windows during the day and I have been back to work since last week, but just being surprised of the wave of tiredness that I been getting lately. Appetite is a major issue in the morning, but it gets better as the day goes by.

    Melatonin was good and I will surely use it if I cant sleep, but I am trying to heal naturally, I was using most meds as a bridge.

    Day 27 woke up very tired and very low mood/appetite, I felt better as the day went by, I hope the evening is better.

    Take care and keep updating.

  • Posted

    Hello All,

    Reached day 30 w/o much change in my state since day 27.

    I saw a visiting Psychiatrist who was referred to me by my psychologist, he is from Sweden and seems will experienced compared to all the Drs I have seen in the past.

    We talked for 90 minutes, I explained to him my history of illness in the past 1 year since my first and only collapse.

    In conclusion, he said, I am past Mirt Withdrawal & my main issue isn't depression, its a pure work burnout ! the way he was explaining it, made absolute sense.

    I am due to see him on Monday to work out a plan, I am already exhausted and reversing this will take a lot of efforts, I hope I still have some well in me to go through this. He said NO Meds for you except in absolute need as sleeping aid or for anxiety.

  • Posted

    That sounds like really good advise. Without adequate sleep (rest) everything else is like running up hill all day and things are likely to fail eg. symptoms.

    Best of Luck..........D

  • Posted

    Hi been on mirtazipine for 3 years. It was all fine but up until present day , within last 12 months started getting very short fused, and angry , been also getting more o.c.d obsessional thoughts , vivid dreams nausea , shaking , little bouts of paranoia , I tried stopping them completely but went through really heightened panic attacks and fear , I was taking 30mg / decreased to 15mg but side effects still there some days I am fine then they start again , for me the side effects are unbearable , feel panic also When I wake up in mornings negative thoughts, then I'm ok after about a hour . Anyone else getting side effects like these.

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