Mirtazapine withdrawal- 4 months in

Hey Kaz, 

Sorry to hear you are in a similar predicament as me at this time of year.... Merry Christmas to us eh?!

Trying to stay as positive as I can be. Most of the symptoms I can cope with or reason with, but the fatigue and constant feeling like you want to fall asleep by closing your eyes  but don't is awful. Have you had any similar experiences? 

Also interested to know of any support that you are getting from outside this forum if any? My wife must be fed up with me constantly talking about it so wondering if there was any other help out there. 

Graeme 

il send you a private message 

the site isn't letting me type it keeps removing what I'm writting

kaz

Will do, thanks Kaz 

Thanks Toria, i will do. I'm just hoping I've reached a peaking point with my withdrawal, didn't expect things to get worse this far in! We will get through this 😊

Are you having any better days at all?

My better days came at that start of the process, then everything just seem to have ramped up for the last month or so. And now I find it a struggle to get out of bed some days. Think I've started worrying more about the symptoms which probably hasn't helped much. I know I have a sensitive system as I had problems once coming round from general anaesthetic, hoping it's just a case of me going to take a bit longer than others may have. It's put my life on hold at the minute as it's so debilitating at times. 

Aw bless you, it's so hard isn't it especially when the symptoms come and go often, I was in hospital before these meds for a suspected MS attack (don't have MS) it turned out to be either a one off episode or a really bad migraine, anyway the day I went into hospital I had left sided numbness, facial droop and super fast heart rate and the withdrawals mimic that (except facial droop) so very hard not to get freaked out to be honest, I don't know if I'm at the end or not but I had 10 really really awful days then yesterday was good, still had morning anxiety (never had anxiety before mirtazapine not even the 2 times I was on them before with no withdrawals) so maybe you are getting to that stage yourself fingers crossed

Keeping my fingers crossed for you Toria that you are coming to the end of this dreadful process. Wouldn't it be nice to wake up on Christmas morning and everything had gone?! 

Yeah this symptoms seem to mimic all sorts, convinced I had angina or a heart attack at one point cause of the chest tightness, tight left shoulder and stiff neck. 

I was put on the tablets in the first place for anxiety, so I don't think anyone is listening when I tell them this is completely different. And it is! Just takes over your mind and body. 

On the bad days I literally take each minute as it comes, to be honest I've given up on doctors as all they do is prescribe pill after pill, the reason I went back on mirtazapine is because I got steriod induced psychosis when in hospital and the docs then tried me on 10 different meds after the other which made matters worse, hoping you have a better day tomorrow so you can at least enjoy Christmas a little

Yeah I know what you mean, no one is willing to open their mind a tiny bit to think it just might be the meds that are causing this in the first place. 

Thanks Toria, hope you have a good day also and enjoy Christmas. 

Having a bad day again today but trying to remain positive, how you doing?

Yeah I'm the same Toria, had a rough night with little sleep, been struggling all day. Having so little energy is a scary thing. 

Having little energy and so much anxiety is a nightmare, oh well another day off that evil drug eh!

Indeed 😊 Been reading about things to help support the system during times like this. Things like Omega 3, magnesium, Holy Basil, b vitamins, Liquorice root, vitamin D3, vitamin C and Zinc have all been suggested. Have you tried any of those? 

I tried magnesium but it made me worse as I seem to be sensitive to anything in pill form now so I try to get what I need through food!

Sorry to come in on your conversation but i am having a bad time with mirtazapine given to help anxiety/dep.  i couldnt get dose over 15 so ended up,on 7.5for a year, its been hell. Dr now says get off it as its doing nothing, so down at 3.75 and scared to jump.  Still depressed and use diazepam for anxiety.  Do you know if i drop to 1.88 if the withdrawals will worsen?  I havent been offered a new anti dep as theynhave tried so many over the months, all,terrible side effects.  Imthink psych wants me to try without, i feel i will not manage.  You two seem to know a good deal about this, is it mirtazapine causing me tomfeel sombad and if so is it right to get it gone?

i am interested that you say you had sensitive system.  I have been told,that.  All this illness of dep and anx came immediately on the back of a general anaesthetic, my first ever.  Then i got mirtazapine and all hell broke loose, nightmares, fear etc.  Tried other anti deps but they were worse. Now dr has me lowering mietaz, never could take proper dose,felt out of it.  Down to 3.75 and scared to take 1.88 as i am getting bad ideation on waking and low all day.  Could stay in bed all day if didnt push myself.  What help out there? Cbt just tell me to push on but very hard.  Any advice on stopping mirtaz would help me.  Hope you will feel better soon.

Hi Ann, I've been on and off mirtazapine 3 times now, the first 2 times I was lucky as only had insomnia/nausea but this time like yourself has been hell, I also cannot take any new meds, docs tried 10! 😠 I was only on mirtazapine this time for a week and had a bad reaction to it, I can't advise you what to do as I'm two days into week 12 and this week has been the worst by far.

Thank you for taking the time to reply to me.

it is so hard to know if its the original illness, the irtazapine not working, or the effects of going off it.  I wish you support, twelve weeks of it is not easy. Will follow your story.

Hi Ann,

Sorry to hear you are having a really bad time of it.

Sounds like you are being left to make a decision on what to do, which I think is the most shocking thing of all. 

It's hard to advise what anyone what to do, but could speak to the Bristol & district  tranquilliser project who are a charity  that have people that been through similar sort of experiences.

Wishing you well through this

Graeme 

Hi Ann, 

I've had every withdrawal symptom going, so please try and not doubt it's mirtazapine, on the bad days I'm literally counting down the minutes for the day to be over x

I'm the same Ann, had every symptom there is to have. As Toria says, it's just keeping level as much as you can, maybe try and find a distraction and get through the day. One day it will all be over. 

I am the same, i just want the days to be over, cant stand the awful feeling i have on waking, some days get a little window but not often, then it all,comes back, i feel,so low in self esteem now and i never was like this.  I am not off itmyet,,titrating down next week after family gone, though i dont know how ill cope with them.   I feel,like it would be better for,them all,if i wasnt here i am so bad.  Do you want tomstay in bed all,day? I make myself get up but its so,difficult. Where has my lust for life gone - is it these tablets that have taken it away? Am i really ill without them.?  Just cannot get myself moving and want to just sit, yet imdont want to sit, but dont know what to do.  Do i need a different anti dep?  Did you?

i live in the north so im not sure your group would help me.  Worth a try.  Trying to distract is very difficult as imhave no interest in any hobbies now.  Did,they give you a different anti dep to help you? I am scared of feeling suicidal if i stop mirtaz now with no backup.  Is that a side effect of coming off?

Hi Ann, I honestly think it's the mirtazapine causing all this I really do, I didn't have anxiety or depression before I went into hospital then was given steriods which caused pychosis (had depression in the past but got rid of it) fact is if the hospital had told me the psychosis would go in 6 weeks I wouldn't of been ploughed with drugs and be in this state now x

Yes, mine started after a hospital general anaesthetic, then problems after.  I havent been free since.  I wonder if either the op or the anaesthetic drugs caused this as i was fine beforehand.  Nobody will admit to it but it seems strange to me that i go into hosp,ok, and end up with this dep/anx, they treat with anti deps and now im so debilitated trying to get off them.  Dr s thinks i should just stop them!  Doesnt realise how bad i feel since coming down from 7.5 to 3.75. Even when he tried to put dose up it made me worse hence the coming off.  I hope your effects dont last too long.

Thanks Ann, how long did you manage on a lower dose before updosing?

I'm in Scotland and they took my call. I'm sure they will listen Anne. 

If you can't concentrate on things like your hobbies, maybe have a reason for getting better. For me I have two young kids and they are my focus and drive to get through this. No matter what crazy thoughts are going on in my head. Even if it's a favourite holiday destination or something you are desperate to do again, make that your focus to get through and be sure this is temporary, no matter how long it goes on for or how made those thoughts get. They are just thoughts after all! Doesn't mean they are true...... I've done a bit of the Headspace app, that helps control those thoughts. 

I'm trying a different anti dep this now, dury is out whether it will make any difference. 

Only a short time, felt terrible so lowered and now cant get off. Wanted liquid but gp wont give it so left on own to drop lower, scared my anxiety will peak.

Interested to hear what they are using now

They gave me Citlaporam

Sorry Citalopram! 

Once this is over I'm stopping all my other meds slowly on my own, docs have no clue at all it makes me angry 😡 

 Mirtazipine caused me to have all the symptoms for months just like you guy's. I feel half the person i use to be and MIRTAZAPINE caused that!It should be banned and investigated because it does more harm than good and we have plenty of A\D's so they should lose that one.i get so annoyed when they try saying it's our own subcontious mind that's causing the symptoms and nothing to do with the drug.I have to take my day's 20 mins at a time, praying the bad mins pass quickly but i'm mending every day. good luck.

How long ago did you stop? X

Yes i feel this med is poison.  I need to ditch it but dont know how to bear the effects. Did they give you anything to ease the route off, or a diferent one?

I stopped Mirt October 16. And went cold turkey. I had 6 bad months and the last year I've been mending and still am too this day. 

Hi Ann, I was prescribed Sertraline 100mg and Phenegan b 25 mg ( Promithazine ) for my sleep. I'm still really depressed and I can't miss a day of my pill or I end up anxious and in bed. 

Oh dear that's awful, I'm 3 months off Monday and symptoms getting worse x

I still don't understand why at week 11/12 the W/D's come back with a vengeance. 

Try and ride the storm it really should start getting better now. 

Sorry to hear that, hope you feel more yourself real soon, what did you go on mirtazapine for? I've stopped them 3 times the first 2 had no withdrawals