Mirtazepine withdrawal

Hi Jo

Hope you don't mind me asking, but how long were you taking mirtazapine and what dose, what withdrawal symptoms did you have, my dr would not give me the liquid and just said take half for a week then stop.

I have managed to cut my pills up and have been slowing coming down for 4 months.And I have been on a quarter of 15 mg for a month now. The last few days my anxiety has come back. I'm not sure whether it's the withdrawal or my old illness coming back?

Thanks

G

Hi

I started on it in June last year & by the Oct I was trying to come off it. I went on it for insomnia & the anxiety that created. By Xmas last year if had two failed attempts at withdrawal. 

This time I tapered very slowly, but it didn't stop the withdrawals! 

Symptoms I had were:

Insomnia, anxiety, dreadful nausea, muscle pain, headaches, flu type feelings, itching, night sweats, feeling cold during the day, fatigue.

Not everyone gets all the symptoms so you may not experience all of the above. 

I won't lie it's horrendous but worth it to be off it! I also got a urine infection which has left me with nerve sensitivity in the bladder & lady parts! I'm now on Amitriptilyne, low dose, for the nerve pain, hoping to stop that in the new year.

I wish you luck, it's a shame you can't get the liquid but it costs them more to prescribe so they don't like doing it. I was lucky to get off before my GP stopped supplying it!

Best wishes

Hi

Thanks for you reply and hope you also get better soon

Thanks it good to talk to people in the same boat 

Five weeks off mirtazepine, coping with withdrawal but unable to sleep, since 3 and a half weeks ago. Started on 30mg for one year was upped to 45mg for 6 months reduced to 30 no problem then 15 no problem. Then stopped great back to my old self for 11 days then withdrawal kicked in

Hi,

my my last dose was 15mg five and a half weeks ago. When did your withdrawal stop? I am still feeling spaced out at times and headaches.worst thing is insomnia

Hi

I'm 10 weeks off this weds & they haven't gone/stopped completely. I've got bladder problems at the moment & sleep is still a problem. Some nights ok but others like last night I went to bed at 11pm & woke up just after 1am!! Wide awake, bloody nightmare!

For me though the bladder problems are the main problem right now!

Look up a charity called CITA online they are amazing at helping people get off AD's.

Best wishes

Are you eating okay, been off mirtazepine six weeks. Still feeling anxious,

wondering if my anxiety disorder is returning

Hi

Yes I am now, I had to get nausea pills from the doctors but the appetite virtually disappeared for a while! 

The anxiety & sleep issues are the two that stick around the longest. Don't be fooled into thinking it's your old anxiety returning the chances are it's the Mirt WD.

Good luck it does get better x

Im not sure about mirt withdrawel but I can give some advice with the insominia. I used to suffer bad insomnia.

The first thing to do is not to worry about not sleeping. The worry will tire you out the next day much more than the not sleeping to the point that if you got 4 hours sleep but were stressing over it at night you will feel worse than if you got only 2 hours but didn't worry about it.

Secondly consider moving any clocks so that you cant see them. This stops the clock watching. I always found myself looking at the clock and working out how much sleep I would get and stressing over it- 7 hours, 6 hours, 5 hours (oh I'm gonna feel rough now), 4 hours (how can I work on 4 hours sleep?!) and so on.

Finally, just go to bed later. I always found going to bed later and not worrying about it was a lot better than going to bed on time and laying awake staring at the ceiling stressed out. Also because I went to bed later I was often more tired and fell to sleep quicker.

Other tips,

No tv in the bedroom,

Leave a light on! I know this sounds odd but I found that when I turned the light off I was suddenly under pressure to fall asleep which made it harder to sleep but with a lamp or side light on I didn't feel that pressure and found I could more easily just relax and doze.

No electric devices the bright screen stimulates the brain. Maybe just read a book or magazine.

I hope this helps. Goodluck!

Some good ideas there Tony, I have been on Mirt for a while now, And find when im away from home, I can sleep no problem without taking it with no side effects, As soon as im home and miss a dose thats me awake for ages and not able to switch off..

I found your comment really helpful. Thank you. I am really struggling at the moment. Unable to sleep independently of drugs at all. I was prescribed zimovane and have managed to eek them out over 4 months. My GP will no longer prescribe however, so I am slightly panicked to say the least! 

Hi

How long have you been off Mirt? 

Hi,  how are you dealing with insomnia. Are you getting any help.

medication , cognitive behavioral therapy. 

I was on 45mg for about 14 months and I stopped taking it around 5 months ago. 

My doctors have prescribed zopiclone previously, on Monday they refused to prescribe more.  My doctor refuses to believe that my insomnia is a direct result of stopping the Mirtazipine.  He says I must not be sleeping because I am depressed and therefore I must start taking Trazodone. I am refusing all antidepressant medication because I am not depressed. I just need to sleep. My doctor has not offered any alternatives to help with my insomnia. His exact words were "I don't have a magic wand and there are no alternatives available on the NHS. (I live in the UK)  So here I am not sleeping for longer than 2 hours a day and getting physically ill as a result. 

I tried zopiclone, horrible, will not take it. I live in u.k. Also most nights I do not sleep at all . I stopped taking mirtazepine 5 weeks ago. The first ten days I felt great. Sleeping okay. Withdrawal kicked in , no sleep. What are we supposed to do? Do you have support at home. Mirtazepine got be back on

track but did not realize it would have repercussions when stopping.

I know I am storing up more problems for the future if I use zimovane.  When I get desperate a friend will give me one of his. 

It's not surprising really that we cannot sleep after stopping Mirt, after all the Mirt has been sedating us for the whole time we have been on it. I don't know how long it takes for the brain to recover from mirtazipine. I think that is what needs to happen, our brains need to reajust.

Emis Moderator comment: I have removed the link as it was to a site unsuitable for inclusion in the forums. If users want this information please use the Private Message service to request the details.

http://patient.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/398331-private-messages

Why did you stop taking mirtazepine?

I found it very depersonalising, I had no emotions, I didn't find anything funny. I gained quite a lot of weight. I felt like a zombie. I had periods of depression despite taking it, so I thought what's the point! 

Millmoll, Just how I feel, Got up today after a good nights sleep, and now despite it being a lovely day I am still sitting at my pc, not wanting to face the world, Time to get off this drug, It has done me no good whatsoever

You did the right thing, I like you just want to sleep. I am neither depressed or anxious outside the norm. I find every night a trial. Absolutely shattered, how about you

I get down now and again but I think mainly my feeling rubbish is down to the fact I can't sleep naturally. I'll would do anything to sleep without sleeping tablets. I'm sure zopiclone depresses me. I think I need to start an exercise program, try and wear myself out! 

Not sleeping is so overwhelming at times, I'm going to try a meditation machine, see if it works. It consists of goggles that emit a certain spectrum of light and headphones which play delta sound waves. All sounds a bit new age, but I'm willing to try anything. 

Feel exactly the same as you. Zopiclone made me feel depressed and tearful, stopped taking it. I keep hoping my sleep pattern will kick in, makes me very despondent at times. Would appreciate details about meditation machine.

The moderator won't let me post the link. Is there a way for me to send it you privately? The site is called meditations uk. Perhaps a google search will find it. 

Hi

Do the meditation machines work?

Thanks

I haven't tried them yet. You get a 30 day free trial, so I'm going to order one in January and try it. I want to give one a try before I get ridiculously dependant on high doses of zimovane. 

Cool 

Keep us all posted I will try anything non drugs

Thanks

Hi Christine and MillMoll, I take Temazapam for sleep,but I found it interesting you both mentioning Zopiclone. A few years ago my GP said he would like to take me off Temazapam and he put me on Zopiclone,I went on holiday for a week . By the end of the week I was more deppresed than I've ever been in my life,and I couldn't stop crying. On the Monday I went and seen my GP, he said the problem was I was ALLERGIC to them and told me never to take a tablet again beginning with Z, and that's on my medical notes. I'm now back to Temazapam and they suit me just fine.  If you don't want sleeping tablets just ask your GP for 1mths supply of a sleeping tablet to help get your body back into your normal sleeping habit.  But if I were you two I would certainly look into stopping Zopiclone. Take care both of you.

Thanks Norma,

i stopped taking zopiclone, I must be allergic too. Doubt if my doctor will prescribe temazepam, it seems to be a no no these days.