Mirtazapine withdrawal, how long does it last?

Hi Allison,

I had those symptoms exactly... It was terrible. Seem to last about 3 months but I was on Mirt for 7 years.. Cold turkey off it and on to another.. Didn't know if it was Mirt withdrawals or the new ones side effects... Sounds like it was the Mirt withdrawal if you have them too.

You could go back on them, wait till you feel better again and then taper off slowly. It is the best way but now you've done 3 weeks, you may want to wait it out. 

I think you can get liquid Mirt which makes it easier to taper than trimming a tablet down each time.

I think it's the Ashton Manuel... you need to google it.

It will explain how to do it and why you need to taper and not go cold turkey.

It truely is horrible hey. First time I've had this trouble swapping Meds.

I hope this helps but please post again if you need to.

Yours in sympathy,

Gina

Allison

That is wonderful to hear Allison...I'm so glad it helped.. it's good to find out what others have been though and how to help fix it .. I used this forum myself to know I wasn't going mad alone..lol..

Keep safe and all the very best with your journey

Gina

Hi all , my gp stopped my mirtazapine 2 weeks ago without tappering(I was on it for over 3 months) and put me on fluoxetine 10mg for 7 days and after that increased it to 20mg , since stopping mirtazapine I feel constant nasuea , but yesterday on day 13th without mirtazapine and day 12th of fluoxetine Ive been sick , woke up with extreme anxiety and sickness , tremors, cant keep anything down , went to see gp to ask if its side effects of fluoxetine or withdrawl from mirtazapine .he said its neither that is my condition 😳 ive told him I know my body and I know when something is wrong but he just thought I was being drama queen and he wasnt supportive . Prescribed me antisickness tablets and sick note for work. I was on mirtzapine for anxiety but noticed it was making me a diffirent person and I felt numb and more depressed . So now I dont know whats happening , is it fluoxetine or withdrawl or both 🤢

Hi...

Had exactly the same problem.. from Mirt to Escitalopram cold turkey after 7 years on Mirt... Went through hell and the Doc said it was my anxiety and me googling side effects..

I can assure him it wasn't but he thinks he knows better..I'll never do that again without tapering.

Ive had to change several times over the years and never had such sever reactions before.. unfortunarly, like you, I didn't know if it was withdrawals or Side effects which made it frustrating as I would have stopped the Escitalopram if I'd known...

Hi it has took 3 months I started passing blood in my stools and lost 2 stone in 2 month half a stone in 6 days. So had docs send me for camera tests up and down not nice as couldn't be sedated because I don't have any vain's left. Also had MRI scan as they thought it was something nasty in my bowl or stomach and it ended up it was just withdrawal off that Evil drug matazipean. I would advice anyone with a history of addiction to stay away from this drug. It is a worse cold turkey than any street drug I spent 20 years on heroin and never felt as bad than I did coming off this drug. That also could of been because I live a really good life today have a life that is better than I ever could of wished for. It made me feel like I was dieing but all I will say is it does pass. One day you wake up and it's gone so please hang on in there if you get through this you will get through anything in life. The strength you have is amazing keep going it will be over soon. I think if enough of us put a Partition in to health authoritie there would make doctors inform patients of the serous side effects you get and there should be warnings on packaging about weight loss, the length of time it take you to start sleeping properly again as I sleep one full night in 3 still, then 3 hours at most other 2 nights and this is after over 3 months. Everything else is great just sleep pattern. But you can deal with that once all other stuff has passed keep going bless you, you will do it well done for getting this fare you are strong don't let your head tell you different as if it's like mine it wants to kill you lol.

Thank you

It was hard and I thought I'd never be the same again..

Its been 6 months now and it was really bad for at least 3 months and then I'd get days where it wasn't too bad followed by a couple of horrid days again.. these seem to have got longer as times gone on..

I now just have off days where I don't feel feel right and can't get anything done but I'm glad to say they seem to be slowly getting further apart.. i've heard it can take a year to get over so I'm hopefully things will continue to settle .

I hope your going better now.. most will only find the first 4 -6 weeks rough as it takes this long for the new one to work.. the theory is, that this keeps the seratonin in your system but I don't think I'd do itlike that again..There isn't much you can do re Mirt withdrawals except re in state it, wait till you feel better again and then do a slow taper.. if your a couple of weeks in and can put up with the withdrawals then you'll probably want to keep going ..

See how you go and if it gets worse or not...fingers crossed for you xo

Thank you so much Paul..

You brought a year to my eyes because you understand completely..

It is a nightmare I thought would never end.. I have lost the last 6 months of my life as I couldn't drive from brain zaps and dizziness. The nausea and hot flushes made my anxiety kick right in..the insomnia is bad ..I was getting 2-3 hours sleep a day.. this has improved the last couple of weeks to 4-5 hours but that's probably because I'm on another anti depressant that resets your body clock...supposedly...it has helped a bit..

I lost 3.5 stone in the first 3 months too.. nothing since then but I couldn't eat anything for those first 3 months I felt so sick..then to get told it was all in my head was like a slap in the face...I'm still taking 15 mg of Oxazepam at night and will deal with weaning off this when I get more settled.. the doc looks at me like I'm a drug addict because I have to take them..

I'm so glad to hear your feeling better and can't believe you had to go through all that with no sedation!!!.that's terrible..i've had both and I was sedated and still freaked me out ... Your amazing to get on-top of everything and I'm so happy to hear your life is good now.. it takes amazing strength to pull through all that..

You can tell these doctors do not suffer anything like what we go through..no empathy at all..

Thank you so much, you make me have hope,

Gina

Im glad you feeling better?next time when doctors will want to stop my meds cold turkey I will go mental , I know Ive only been on mirtazapine for 3 months but still get withdrawl or side effects of fluoxetine , just confused as gp isnt helpful at all. I suppouse I need to stick with fluoxetine as it takes few weeks to start to work. Just want to feel like myself again. When I woke up I felt ok then started feeling dizzy and anxious again , and got feeling like my eyes are rolling and horrible headache 😓😐😐

Hiya Paul , reading your post gives me hope that everything will be okay in the end . Doctors are too sending me for MRI , camera down and up, blood tests . Ive got iron deficiency and had reverse reaction to infusion on top of everything. Just want my life to be the same again when I was happy , feeling okay and when small things were making me content. Now I just live in fear that I will always feel like this , tgat it will never pass and that my life is wasted and that fluoxetine now is going to make me worse and that I dont need it and that im going crazy. Its only bloody anxiety 😯 But on the other side im trying tk tell myself that its only temporary and that it will get better , I hope you feeling okay xxx

Hi again

Don't know if this helps, but have now been off 12 weeks. (v quick taper and still taking

Venlafaxine)

Horrible withdrawal/anxiety return. Main symptoms physical- shaking, nervy pain, awful muscular stiffness and exhaustion. Some mental tension and confusion too.

At a crossroads now, as symptoms increasing so more likely to be original anxiety than withdrawal. Need something, but don't want Mirt, sedative or Quetapine (these suggested by Doc)

For the last week Ive had unbearable neuropathy type pain- like a needle being dragged up and down my spine and ripping up nerve cells.

God knows what Im going to do, but good luck to you all.

Hi Steve Im so sorry to hear that you are unwell , I hope it will pass soon, sounds awful 😘I know how you feeling cause Ive got similar symptoms except nerve pain although I had something similar to electric shocks when I was coming off fluoxetine. It might be side effect but I would go to doctors and double check it and then be on the safe side. No need for us to suffer more than we already do with this bloody anxiety and withdrawls. Right now I feel like im swimming , whole body , everything got their own heart beat and this knot in my stomach, lump in throat, stiff neck . Awful. I wish you all the best and hope you feel better soon xxx

Hi Hun where r u from there is support for u but depends where u live. I can help if in Northumberland but can maybe get u support in other areas. I am in a really good supportive church not a church like people normally think of it's a one that helps the people in local communities looks after each other it is what helped me get away from 20 year heroin addiction. I know it's not for some people but my advice to anyone is don't knock it until u try it. I am part of newfronteers church it was started by one man in his living room 25 years ago now we r in most western country's and a few beyond. It's a different world it changes so many different people's lives for the better. Take care Hun hang on in there u will be ok keep chin up.

Hi Paul , Ive been living in uk for the past 9 years and live in North Yorkshire . Community support is most important. Im amazed with you, that after 20 years of using heroine , you stopped. What a strong will 💖well done , its amazing , and now you trying to help other people as well. Amazing xxx thanks to people like you there is always hope xx

Hi , at least your doctor knows what he's doing and doesnt tell you to go cold turkey like with me. And I went to 3 diffirent gp's 🤔 diazepam helps to take the edge of withdrawl , but I only take it when I cant stand the feeling , like one day I thought I was gonna bang my head against the wall cause my anxiety was so high I felt like my body was on fire . But I only had one such a bad day. Now my anxiety is high but can cotrol it , but stupid nasuea is still there so when I cant take it anymore I sit with my hot water bottle, ginger tea or when its bad take antisickness tablet and lay on tummy. Trembling and feeling out spaced sometimes. But hopefully all will go away soon. Tbh if it wasnt for nasuea and high anxiety Id be at work . Your tappering should be up to how long you were taking mirtazapine for. And crosstappering is adviced when coming off mirtazapine , lowering dose of mirtazapine and starting new antidepressant to avoid side effects and withdrawl. How long were you on mirtazapine for and what dose ? Xxx

Hope this helps http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/healthadvice/treatmentswellbeing/antidepressants/comingoffantidepressants.aspx?theme=mobile[/b]