Mirtazapine withdrawal, how long will this last??!!!!
Posted , 84 users are following.
Help! I slowly tapered off Mirtazapine. It's been 4 and a half weeks off it now and I'm sure I'm still experiencing withdrawal?! I have crippling morning anxiety and zero appetite, the weight gained on Mirt has fallen off! I also feel sick most of the day. I got so down last week that I very nearly went back on it, but couldn't bare the thought of coming off again! Insomnia has just kicked in too.
I don't mean to post this to scare anyone, as when I was at my darkest Mirt really helped me. I just wanted to know if there's anyone out there going through what I'm going through? Any advice? How long can it last?
I'd appreciate any help x
4 likes, 532 replies
tim11033 kirsty12709
Posted
Been on Mirtazapine for approx 4 months, currently 22.5mg. Also taking 40mg Seroxat. What's the best way to come off Mirtazapine? The side effects outweigh the benefits. The medical profession have just left me in limbo, so any help appreciated
kirsty12709 tim11033
Posted
Personally I would never drop from 15 to straight off it! I went from 15 to 12.5, then to 10, then go 7.5, then to 5, to 2.5 then 1.87. I went down in these doses for ten days at a time. I wish I could tell you it wasn't that bad, but I can't. Coming off this was one of the hardest things I have ever done! But now I'm 8 weeks Mirt free and although I nearly relapsed so many times, I thank god that I didn't!
tim11033 kirsty12709
Posted
been on them for approx 4 months. Not under a physchiatrist. My doctor doesn't want to get involved. So currently under the local crisis team who consult with there consultant regarding the matter. So have direct contact with no one atm. They put me on 22.5mg for 2 weeks then i'm guessing 15mg/7.5mg/0. But that's me just guessing. Tbh i don't think they have a clue or really understand.
tim11033 kirsty12709
Posted
ann55375 tim11033
Posted
tim11033 ann55375
Posted
Unfortunately my doctor doesn't think coming off Mirtazapine is a problem. I was told go from 30mg to 15mg for a couple weeks then come straight off. Doctor wants no further involvement & left it with the local crisis team. Hence i have no where left to turn. I managed to reduce to 15mg for one week but couldn't cope. Mainly due to insomnia for the last 2 weeks. Subsequently put back to 30mg for a couple days, then reduced to 22.5mg for the last few days. Not sure where i go from here & tbh don't think they really care.
tim11033 ann55375
Posted
Hi Ann, here's my email address
Moderator comment: I have removed the email address as we do not publish these in the forums. If users wish to exchange contact details please use the Private Message service.
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tim11033 ann55375
Posted
Hi Ann, this is my email address
timrobinson 1103 @ g mail . com
won't allow me to join it together normally.
kirsty12709 tim11033
Posted
Sadly I have to agree, my doctor thought I could just come off it, and that withdrawal is rare. I've looked into it and it seems to have no withdrawal is the rarity!
From that dose I took two weeks to go down. I used to tick off the days on a calendar to see myself doing it! Only thing I can say, is that with withdrawal it is exactly that, withdrawal, you have to give your body time to let it come out of your system. And you have to try and stay as strong and focused as you possibly can. The withdrawal (I found) can make you shut yourself off from the world, but try and get out as much as you can, I had to for my sanity!!
And hey, you never know, some people come off it no problem, you could be a lucky one!!
tim11033 kirsty12709
Posted
I went from 30mg to 15mg the main problem i really had was insomnia. There solution was to increase the dose back to 30mg. After 2 days i decided it wasn't a good idea. Then i suggested 22.5mg, been on this for 3 days. The insomnia is not improved whatsoever. So i thinking of dropping back down to 15mg & staying there for a couple of weeks & then drop down to 7.5mg for a couple more weeks & then stop because i'm not sure i could go lower with a pill cutter. I don't think they will agree on liquid because of ignorance they don't see withdrawal from mirtazapine as an issue, believing it to be one of the easier ones to come off.
matt39801 kirsty12709
Posted
Not sure if your still on here but if you are please help!
I’m tapering off everything to get med free , tbh I was worse on everything, at one point I was on 200mg Sertraline, 15mg Diazipan (5mg 3 times a day) and 15mg Mirtazapine, I’m 4 weeks post Sertraline and now just taking half a 5mg Diazipan in the morning, I am now on day 3 of cutting the Mirtazapine, I’m taking a quarter off a 15mg tablet so taking 3/4 .
I’m all over the place , depression and anxiety booming away , feel sick , exhausted all the time , up set tummy, can’t leave the house , I feel rock bottom but believe it or not still not as bad as when I was on the full cocktail of meds.
I wish Drs would wise up to the struggles of coming off this poison!
Any tips or advice on easing these withdrawals?
Matt
Guest tim11033
Posted
I have now been off Mirtazapine since October 2017, it was difficult I thought I was fine but then hit a wall of anxiety for about a month in Jan 2018. At that stage I went back to GP and got some more mirtazapine took them home and haven’t touched them. I worked through the anxiety by going to work and was so proud that I eventually moved through this stage. I did ask for support from MIND and they are great. I feel I am now free of this med. I also used fizzy ginger beer to help with nausea and this worker. I used charcoal for my upset stomach, took vit D, 5HTP and melatonin.
hope this is helpful
Sarah x
matt39801 Guest
Posted
Hi Sarah
Thank you so much for replying, I’m in a right old state and worried I’ll never get through this Mirtazapine withdrawal, I want to be med free so much !
How long did your withdrawal last ?
I have used Mind and will go today to their Sanctuary cafe for a chat.
I’m more sure than ever that antidepressants only mask problems and getting “clean” from them is the only way to truly get well.
Just so miserable at the moment, sick of crying 😂
Thanks again and you should be so proud of yourself for getting through it and taking control of your life 👍
Matt
tim11033 Guest
Posted
Hi Sarah,
I came off Mirt in November 2017. Took me approx 2 months to wean myself off. Definitely feel better off them. Feeling fatigued alot lately, a few headaches & a few tummy issues - bloating, constipation etc. X
kirsty12709 matt39801
Posted
Hi! Sorry my phone hasn't neen letting me log on.
The only things I did was to try and keep busy when I could, but there were times when I wanted to curl up in a ball. I'm a single mum, so I just had to keep going, even when that meant running to the bathroom to be sick (sorry tmi).
I drank loads of water as someone told me this helps to flush the med out quicker. I just had to keep telling myself this was the meds coming out of my system, and wouldn't last forever. I nearly had a couple of relapses but kept at it, it doesn't last forever I promise you!
I'm now 9 months off Mirt, and although I have anxiety (I've had it since I was 11) I now know that's just me, and quite honestly Mirt never helped with that side anyway.
Just remember, it doesn't last forever, I wish I could advise more
Kirsty 😊
kirsty12709 matt39801
Posted
Hi! Sorry my phone hasn't neen letting me log on.
The only things I did was to try and keep busy when I could, but there were times when I wanted to curl up in a ball. I'm a single mum, so I just had to keep going, even when that meant running to the bathroom to be sick (sorry tmi).
I drank loads of water as someone told me this helps to flush the med out quicker. I just had to keep telling myself this was the meds coming out of my system, and wouldn't last forever. I nearly had a couple of relapses but kept at it, it doesn't last forever I promise you!
I'm now 9 months off Mirt, and although I have anxiety (I've had it since I was 11) I now know that's just me, and quite honestly Mirt never helped with that side anyway.
Just remember, it doesn't last forever, I wish I could advise more
Kirsty 😊
matt39801 kirsty12709
Posted
Hi Kirsty
Thanks for getting back to me.
It’s day 4 of taking a 1/4 off the 15mg pill , I feel really sick , very tired , getting brain zap and feel a bit twitchy, don’t want to get out of bed today !
How long do you think I should stay on the 1/4 before going down to half ?
Well done by the way it must feel great to be med free 👍
Matt
kirsty12709 matt39801
Posted
I went down 2.5mg at a time. Over two week periods.
I had terrible sickness too, and my anxiety was awful, but this does go... sugary tea helped me. Or full fat coke as I really struggled to eat
Kirsty
matt39801 kirsty12709
Posted
Hi Kirsty
I was on 15mg , I’m on day 4 of taking 1/4 off the tablet so taking 3/4 , I’ll drop down to half a tablet in another week then half again after 10 days then hopefully stop , the whole withdrawal should take 5-6 weeks.
My Dr said some people just stop and their fine ! I think GP’s etc are in denial about AD withdrawal.
I kick the Diazipan after that , I’m down to splitting a 5mg tablet in half and taking half in the morning and if I need it the other half in the afternoon but only if I need it.
Hope to have a med free body soon and don’t want to ever go on head meds again , I’ll work on my anxiety and hopefully will be able to control it.
Thanks for checking in 😁
Matt
steven70656 tim11033
Posted