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. They were quick to put me on to the Mirtazapine but have offered no help in coming off. The waiting list to see a physchiatrist is months. The duty doctor just told me to go from 30mg to 15mg & then come straight off them. My own doctor said that there's not much she can do other than help me with the insomnia by prescribing me a week's supply of 7.5mg Zopiclone but no more after because they're addictive. So i feel that i am well & truly in complete limbo at the moment. Due to the insomnia, they advised me to go back on 30mg but the side effects were too harsh. They then advised me to drop to 22.5mg but still the insomnia continues & side effects are harsh. I've been sleeping 4 hours per night roughly for the last 2 weeks, which is having a detrimental impact on my mental & physical health. I feel the sooner i can safely get off the awful drug the better. The longer i take it the worse the withdrawals will be. I do realise that some withdrawals are inevitable but i obviously would like to limit the severity & duration. Any help would be appreciated.
Guest kirsty12709
Posted
Hi Kirsty
would like to know did you manage to get the mirtazipine liquid from your GP? I have managed to reduce from 45mg to 18.75mg since May,using a pill cutter,but when you get to below 15mg,is doesn't seem an accurate enough way of reducing.,and since withdrawel shave been hellish at times will try and get the liquid supplied by GP.dosent seem right I may end up cutting tablets and weighing etc,when I had been prescribed 45mg for nearly six years,and when I finally decide hellish nightmares where you can't seem to wake up from etc are too unliveable,I was told "yes very common side effect" no mention of any withdrawals to expect,or even any advice on how to reduce.didnt research first and dropped 45mg to 30mg,with swimming head dizzy spells,heart palpitations,spikes in anxiety,feeling lower than usual etc,but rode out storm and stayed on this dose for 12 weeks,then foolishly dropped another 15mg and within 48 hours suffered such severe muscle spasm in neck,it trapped up a nerve causing severe pain in neck and arm and numbness three fingers for nearly ten days (despite going back to 30mg within 48hours) have since reduced to 18.75mg of last two nights,but when you go lower cutting tablets doesn't seem accurate enough.
To think we have all been prescribed this drug,wish psychiatrists and GPs could experience these withdrawals themselves.
ann55375 Guest
Posted
the worst side effects i have ar anxiety and stomach problems plus ibs. Shengave me diazepam for,the anxiety and buccastem for nausea. Apart from that i am alone in this. What will,psychiatrist do next i wonder, hes tried me on so many my body doesnt like these pills. I will be asking him for liquid but expect another no.
there must be a better antidepressant out there which doesnt cause all this, on top,of it all imthinkmthe lowering is making the depression worse.
kirsty12709 Guest
Posted
Hi! My doctor wouldn't give me the option of liquid either. I just had to wing it with the pill cutter, I'm sure I had more some days than others!
Agree that this med should really be looked into more before being so readily handed out! I personally think counselling might help me more, but unless I pay for it myself the help just isn't out there!
Worst side effects for me were extreme anxiety and sickness. Many people asked me if the weight you gain on Mirt comes off, in my experience it did as you feel so blooming sick with withdrawal! Keep at it, it's a long road, but it's your body just levelling back out again, that's how I tried to see it 😊
tim11033 kirsty12709
Posted
kirsty12709 tim11033
Posted
Hi Tim, you can get them from any chemist, I got mine at Lloyds pharmacy 😊
tim11033 kirsty12709
Posted
Hi Kirsty,
Just had a call from the local mental health team. They said that the plan is to take 22.5mg for 2 weeks, 15mg 2 weeks, 7.5mg for 2 weeks & then 0. They said no sleeping tablets or diazipam. Just basically get on with it!
kirsty12709 tim11033
Posted
I wouldn't personally go down that quickly. That would be too fast for me, but you might do better on it than I did!
I was told to get on with it too, doctor basically said withdrawal shouldn't be bad at all!
kirsty12709 tim11033
Posted
I want also given no sleeping pills, I asked for a prn for the anxiety and they said no to that too, as they're too addictive!
tim11033 kirsty12709
Posted
I'm thinking that when i get to the end of 2 weeks on 7.5mg, i will see how i am then maybe just half the 7.5 for a week or 2 before coming off them. Can't do anymore than that because they're supplying the medication & when they stop prescribing it, i won't have anymore left. Unfortunately i do think withdrawals are inevitable no matter which way you taper. Hopefully by decreasing slower they won't be so severe & because i've been on them for a relatively short time (4 months or so) i hope the withdrawals won't last so long & will gradually fade away.
Guest ann55375
Posted
It's quite unbelievable that liquid mirtazepine is being withheld,especially as on the Royal college of psychiatry site it recommends that if you have taken this drug for over 6 months then drop by only 25% maximum each time (of the last dose you are on) so when when we drop from 15mg should be 11.25mg then next drop by 25% of 11.25mg etc) which is impossible to do anywhere near accurately by pill cutting.on that site it also recommended that each reduction is held for a minimum of between 4-6 weeks,and some people may be better with even slower taper of 10 or even 5% depending how you feel.
sorry to hear your feeling low,and worried depression returning,I guess you are the best judge of that.best wishes,you are not alone as all of us on this site seem to be in same boat.best wishes.
kirsty12709 tim11033
Posted
Will they not prescribe you enough to do a slower taper. Just to me I would think 7.5 then off would be quite a which way to do it. But you know you're body better than anyone 😊
kirsty12709
Posted
tim11033 kirsty12709
Posted
But i only have 2 weeks supply of 22.5mg then i have some 30s which i can half to 15 for a couple of weeks.
kirsty12709 tim11033
Posted
I hope they help you with this, a slower taper is considered a lot gentler on the body. But unfortunately the professional don't seem to see it that way!
tim11033 kirsty12709
Posted
I have been on Paroxetine for 22 years which worked well just the occasional blip. However they decided to put me on Mirtazapine & wean me off Paroxetine. However i got to 20mg Paroxetine & just came off. 3 weeks later i informed the doctor who rushed me straight back on the Paroxetine. So now i'm back on the Paroxetine i don't want to stay on the Mirtazapine. Hence why i'm coming off them.