Mirtazapine withdrawal - tips and experiences thread

I came of mirt 2 weeks ago and have felt really ill since can I go back on and then come off slowly

Hi I’ve reduced my mirtazapine from 30mg on December 20th to 7.5mg 

At the beginning of the week I reduced it from 7.5mg to 6mg and I’m finding the withdrawal effects horrific I feel like I’m going mad the turmoil in my head is unbearable, I just need to know this is normal 

I'm having to come off 45mg mirt asap after 6 years. I have an immune system disorder MCAS that makes allergic to virtually all food, supplements and medication. Mirtazapine was like a miracle for about three years. I was thrilled to have something I could tolerate for insomnia (probably from MCAS) that worked so well. I gained a bunch of weight at first due to the dosage being increased to 45mg too fast. I was waking up at midnight with uncontrollable hunger. I decreased by 5 mg per week back down to 30mg with very few problems. Side effects disappeared.

After three years, I started having a severe worsening of my MCAS symptoms and new symptoms I'd never had before (insomnia returned, tachycardia started, flushing and runny nose after eating, reactions to more and more foods, rashes, nausea, vomiting, twitching, burning sensation in spine, irritability, gi pain, constipation from high fiber foods). I've basically only been able to eat 5 foods for the last 3 years. I've spent tens of thousands of dollars trying to figure out an effective treatment, and now they are sending me to a University Hospital for another expensive work up.

The only other meds I've tolerated are low dose naltrexone and clonazapam (for occasional use). About 3 months ago I noticed MCAS symptoms flaring up at night about 30 minutes after taking mirt and LDN at night. I thought it was just MCAS getting worse. Then about a week ago I tried taking the LDN about an hour early. Same symptoms appeared after the mirt (sweating, fever, gi pain, tachycardia, insomnia). Then I tried taking the mirt an hour earlier. Boom symptoms flared up way earlier than usual. I see my doc tomorrow. I need off this fast so I'm going to try going down by 15mg first and see what happens. If needed I'll go down slower. Many of my symptoms are listed as side effects of mirt. I'm hoping that some of this isn't from MCAS and will go away with a decreased dose or discontinuation.

Most mental health drugs cause tiredness and weight gain, we can minimise that damage by taking lighter dosages. Its not good to take over 20mg of mental health drugs. Its good to workout to also minimise weight gain.

Hi Everyone, I hope everyone is doing ok. I had been on Mirtazapine 45mg for 18 months, and 30mg the proceeding 3 years In terms of my depression and anxiety and insomnia; brilliant medication, BUT Over those nearly 5 years Ive gained 3 stone, my cholesterol has risen slightly (both I was told are side effects) and i feel so lousy over my weight I decided in November to come off it i went from 45mg-30-15-7.5 then stopped a week ago I felt absolutely fine aside from trouble sleeping until yesterday. Now I feel so very nauseous, and a just a bit off... I'm deeply concerned about the fact a lot of people experience the anxiety / depression coming back after a few weeks but also the number of scary tales out there about how awful it is to discontinue the drug. We so often only discuss our negative experiences online, Id love to hear some positive stories for once about cessation from Mirtazapine. Take care all 😃

hey glad to hear about your success so far on moving on from mirtazapine...so

my story is, I been on 15 mg mirtazapine just a lil over 5 months, I noticed helped with sleep the 1st month, then my sleeping pattern went back to how it was before, just fall asleep when I am tired enough...I also realized it didn't do anything for my anxiousness or anxiety, I was always panicking over small stuff even a bad dream, questioning reality from sleep...lorazepam saved me few days ago...anyways my doctor said becuase I was only on 15mg I can quit cold turkey and go on my new medication, cipralex...but knowing myself and my anxiety its been over 50 hours since I stopped mirtazapine, yesterday had an emotional break down, just tears for days, so I took 1.5 mg of lorazepam brought me down...I wanna at least cleanse my body for a week from mirtazapine,before I start cipralex...I honestly don't know why my therapy suggested this medication, I didn't need to be sedating, oh I forgot to me mention, doctor did make me go on 30 mg, but I lasted like 9 days, horrible visions not even my own, so I quickly moved back to 15 mg, and oh man just cuz I took it for 9 days the withdrawal I got one night I felt like my whole Inside was being eaten out...I popped a lorazepam again saved my life...I know doctors say don't take it cuz it can be addictive but I swear it works better then any freaking pill...but thats why I am now giving cipralex a chance I hope it works...anyways mirtazapine I think should be only recommended for people with insomnia or trouble sleeping...because after the 1s month of 2nd...didn't feel any change in my anxiety levels and 5 months still was anxious and sad as the beginning thats when I knew this medication is just good for sedating..maybe if you up the mg it could work...but my body couldn't take 30 mg side effects were just horrible...and I have asked many doctors mirtazapine works more like a damn sedating pill..stupid therapist misunderstood what I was going thru anyways...I am praying the withdrawls don't get worse, I did quit from 15 mg to 0...its been rough two days...but I got lorazepam until I start cipralex..anyways thats my story...any questions ask away...and thanks for sharing your story...actually made feel more confident i can get thru it...because I realized when I was mirtazapine this last 5 months, I felt like a zombie, I gained like 20 pounds...waking up always foggy or grouchy...this medication should literally not be giving as an anxiety/depression pill sorry thats just my opinion...even for sleep it stopped working...after 3 months...anyways Goodluck to anyone on it, or want to get off it...just remember if anxiety gets worse pop a lorazepam to cool you down...think of it as a headache pill...

Hi there I am trying to come off Mirtazapine, I had it 10 yrs ago and came off it no problem, then restarted then eight months ago. My main issue is insomnia I have suffered from this for over 40 yrs on and off, mostly waking in the night. I was only taking 15mg and managed to get it down to half a tablet. I know I should talk to my gp but fear he will just stop it after a few weeks of tampering off. I find the Mirt helps me sleep very well and hopped that over a few months of taking it my body would get back in the habit of sleeping but unfortunately sleep anxiety is still there. I tried mindfulness and good sleep hygiene which helps but I still cant sleep when I don't have the Mirt. I also have sleeping tablets and wonder if I should wean off the Mirt and replace them with sleeping tablets then wean off them. Any advice would be great

i have been on mertazapine for a while because the doctors refused me sleeping tablets and said these act as a sedative as well as a anti depressant and while they do help me sleep im finding it hard to get up in a morning the longer i take them, km worried if i dont i wont sleep with out them.. is there anything else i can have to help me sleep as i do want to come off these?

Hello everyone, I'm currently on Duloxetine (120 mg), Mirtazipine (7.5mg) and just started Wellbutrin 4 days ago. Is cross- tapering the mirtazipine with 150mg of Wellbutrin the best move? WD symptoms have increased today, increased anxiety, depression and a crying spell.

I have been told to cut back from 30mg to 15 for a week then down to 7.5mg for a few days and stop and start a new anti deppressent any advice please

so my bf is going through mirtazapine withdrawal and he's been feeling like this for a while like three to four months he's currently under a program called THP the workers want him to get on his feet at around 7 or 8 in the morning to ride his bike and be productive but he tells them a lot that he cannot wake up that early because of the withdrawl side effects I've been trying my best to understand his situation but i don't see why he cant just get up and push himself i don't want him to get kicked out can you please provide me with some more information about mirtazapine and the best way to overcome it?