Mirtazipine,Tapering Experiences
Posted , 6 users are following.
Currently on 15mg mirtazepine and holding until after new year (as I don't want suffer withdrawels over this period.Had been on 45mg for around six years and have tapered since May to 15mg now,with almost every withdrawel symptom mentioned,particularly bad at weeks two and three,but can just reappear unexpectedly.considering tapering the 10% method,and would appreciate all first hand experiences from those that have done exactly this.
0 likes, 35 replies
Pudsey67 Guest
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Guest Pudsey67
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Pudsey67 Guest
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No chrisy I can't start my taper yet. My doctor thought it was just OK to swap me off something I'd taken for 20 years straight on to mirtazapine. Well it wasn't and I'm now paying the price. I'm in a group on Facebook who recommends the 2-5 % every 2-4 weeks. Great group who tell me what I need to know as doctors keep just getting things wrong.
sand57003 Pudsey67
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got to be honest why is everybody, 'tapering'? its easier to go to your GP. make an appointment as to come off mirtazapine and they will write a weaning off sheet. might take weeks/months to be weaned off by a doctor so you haven't got to ask the questions of "how do I cut a tablet", "how much do I cut" etc withdrawals you won't have. Your doctor is used to weaning patients off drugs! doesn't mean to say as you have come off mirtazapine "you cannot have anything else to take" but if you gp and yourself feel that you can continue to function without drugs why ask for anymore. get out do yoga, join a gym, go for a walk, join a group and have a chat with different people and a coffee regards and best wishes all
Pudsey67 sand57003
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ann55375 Pudsey67
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Pudsey67 ann55375
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No Ann you must be mixed up. I messaged Paulo telling him of the name of the group I'm in as he had asked me.
ann55375 Pudsey67
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down to 3,75 now and asked for liquid but GP says not allowed to prescribe. Soltabs only. I am scared of next drop as its about 12 weeks since this last drop and im still having nausea and ibs troubles along with anxiety.
Pudsey67 ann55375
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Guest sand57003
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ann55375 Guest
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all we can do is hope for better days, hope the med side effects arent so bad, and plough on as best we can.
Zara136 sand57003
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Hi sand
did your doctor wean you of mirtazapine?
If so your lucky because I wasn't weaned of it from 45 mg over a year ago nor was I weaned of 15 mg 8wks ago ,infact my gp or my p.doc never heard of weaning of mirtazapine when I questioned it...
I was took of it over night!!!
as for going to gym walking and getting out and about it's really impossible when your feeling crap...
I guess some suffer more than others coming of this drug but my withdrawals were a living hell !!!
good luck to all who is trying to get of this drug
kaz
esprit_5686 Pudsey67
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Pudsey67 esprit_5686
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Calmer Guest
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Hi Chrissy
I think I read a posting of yours a few days ago. If you are looking for reassurance I can say that it is doable without all those nasty symptoms you have suffered. I think you already did a fast taper, am I right, either way it is best now to wait for stabilisation (in mho) which is great because you don't want to lower any further until after the big feller comes down the chimney anyways.
Most people manage to stabilise anyway so lets hope you do also. It's a waiting game I'm afraid, it could take a few weeks or a month, but it is always best to wait for your central nervous system to settle before altering the chemical supply even further (that caused it in the first place). If I were you, once you are settled I would try taking baby steps to monitor how 'your' body reacts, you might find its ok, you might find it unsettles you a tiny bit - no one knows. If it doesn't unsettle you at all then its clear you can try a little more than 5%.
Are you UK? Liquid Mirt' is available here, your doc' may not prescribe it but worth asking, otherwise there is Mirt' Sol Tabs also which are easier to work with to make a liquid; this enables you to break down the tapering into the quantities you will need to go down to zero, 0.9, 0.8, 0.7 etc.
I did the above, I didn't do any big jumps down, the worst I ever got was slight tummy flu at 2-3 mg ...
It doesn't matter whether you've been on Mirt 8 weeks or 8 years, the tapering should be the same, Mirt' changes and blocks the brains neurons and its always best to go slowly to enable homeostasis at the pace you yourself can tolerate, not anyone elses gauge , go slow when you are ready, you'll be fine, no jumping down or breaking tablets in half - the quantity is too difficult to measure.
There are instructions to make a liquid when you're ready.
Wishing you well.
Guest Calmer
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Thank you for your experiences,good to know that you had only suffered slight tummy flu tapering slowly.did you get no insomnia? As some people report,I have been spared that so far,and I have stabilised after making my last drop of 20% around five weeks ago,and won't be dropping until new year now.have appointment lined up with GP to try and obtain liquid,or if not will ask to use oradispersable and make dilute with water,then dose from syringe that way.If it weren't for the insane vivid dreams and nightmares,I would have been prepared to stay on for life,as did work for depression,but nightmares have become too much stay on this med.will just monitor for depression if it creeps back and try another medication if necessary,but I may be lucky and recovered from that depression any ways.
sand57003 Guest
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chrisy9, why are you being so negative? people are different you seem as if you are running before you can walk e.g. did anyone have insomnia, tummy upsets. wean off with you doctor and you won't need to ask and worry about trivial things. life is life we can't go through it with rose tinted glasses!
Guest sand57003
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Sand
we are have all been prescribed mirtazapine for different reasons,and each and every one of us will react differently to withdrawels,depending on how their genetic makeup is,and how quickly they tapered.I completely disagree with you thinking I am being negative,I am actually very positive,and after tapering from 45mg down to 15mg since May (with some pretty bad withdrawels,) now my aim is to gather as many experiences,then can weigh up the information,then move forward with tapering in January.
As I see you say you have never suffered major depression,well unfortunatley I have to the extent I wanted to end my life,the suffering was so bad,that death was at the time preferable than life and one of the first signs of my depression was actually not being able to sleep,followed by not being able to eat,then being constantly agitated and worrying etc,that unbearable suffering,I appreciate you would have no knowledge of.
mirtazapine eventually,along with a lot of time,and some changes I made in my life,I have been 100% well for the past 5 years,and what I suffered with depression,I wouldn't wish I my worst enemy,so to speak,and even with the two stone weight gain of mirtazapine which I could not afford to gain,and didn't like,but would have stayed on this drug for life,and put up with it had it not been the awful nightmares and insane.vivid dreaming,rather than risk another severe depression returning.so certainly I never have been able to go through life with rose coloured spectacles.
so whilst insomnia may be trivial to you,to me it is also an indication of depression returning,that I may need to get earlier rather than later treatment for.
To me weight gain is very trivial compared to what suffering severe depression can bring,but unless you had posted I would never try and trivialise anyone's personal suffering,as all that matters is how it feels to them.
Guest sand57003
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Forgot to say,as for following doctors instructions,I was told you can just drop by 15mg,and the withdrawels were horrendous,as that's exactly what i did,(didn't do any research first,thought not to scare myself) so thought to start with I had caught virus with nausea vomitting diorheah and migraines increasing,only when BP was through the roof had to be prescribed antihypertensive med,that I have never had,that I started researching.
so whilst my GP is aware of my tapering,how fast I do it will be my decision based on exactly how my body is feeling,as I am the only one who can know this.
ann55375 Calmer
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Zara136 ann55375
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Ann
when I was still on mirtazapine I wakened every morning with racing heart and panic attacks so I think it's mirtazapine really don't think you have anything else going on...
i never had racing heart or anixety until I was put on mirtazapine but also when your anixety is really high it can bring on panic attacks which makes your heart race...
kaz x