Mirtazipine withdrawal support
Posted , 12 users are following.
Hi everybody,
I'm just looking for some words of reassurance as I am exhausting all my friends. I don't think my family believes me that I'm experiencing withdrawal from mirtazipine after only being on 7.5 mg for 3 weeks but I truly am and I'm terrified. I've been off for a little over a week and I'm up all night every other night feeling like my skin is crawling and wanting to jump out of my own head. I got 2 hours of sleep last night and feel like I'm going to throw up my breakfast. It might be worse for me as this is on top of existing adrenal fatigue and severe weight loss. Someone please reassure me that this will end.
0 likes, 74 replies
christine15542 sunshine1234987
Posted
Hi Sunshine
You are going through mirtazapine withdrawal. And don't let anyone tell you any different. It is a very tenacious mind drug and it can get its hooks into your system after 2 weeks. As everyone is different withdrawals will be different but I'm assuming you just stopped cold turkey off 7.5mg. It might be an idea to try and ride it out but stopping from7.5mg will give you all those symptoms you describe. If you feel this is unbearable then another option would be to cut your tablet in half and take it this evening just to see if it relieves your symptoms. You may have to do that and taper off slowly but thankfully you were not on it for very long which believe me is a blessing
I stopped cold turkey after taking it for less than 6 months. I was on 15mgs. The withrawals were horrendous. Everything you describe above. The doctors were very unhelpful because they refuse to accept that many patients suffer severe withdrawals when stopping or tapering this drug
It may be small comfort but you are not alone battling this drug and there are many people all struggling on this forum who can offer a great deal of advice and share information. They all understand the terrors and difficulties getting off this drug irrespective of the time spent taking it.
Best wishes
sunshine1234987 christine15542
Posted
Thank you Christine. I don't want to touch another of those evil pills! I'm on day 11 now and almost went to the ER last night because I thought my body was giving out. Worst feeling having so much adrenaline but not being able to rest. Good to know I'm not alone.
Calmer sunshine1234987
Posted
Sorry for your suffering Sunshine. Sound advice from Christine there, Mirt' can indeed cause nasty withdrawal after taking for a few weeks.
The slow tapering rules seem to apply no matter how little s time you have been taking it. I would agree to take half the dose you were on previously 3.75mg & wait for stabilisation, it might take a day or two or maybe like longer, everyone is different. Then taper off 10% every 3-4 weeks.
Wishing you well.
sunshine1234987 Calmer
Posted
I did 3.75 mg for 4 days then quit as my Dr said I could just stop at 7.5 mg. What a joke. I just feel like I've come this far, if I wasn't taking it for too long maybe it will get easier soon. I have good days and bad. But the bad are "take me to the ER now!" bad. I'm so scared for the next wave, I am very weak and down to 96 lbs.
Kc2325 sunshine1234987
Posted
Hi Sunshine,
That sounds like classic WD to me. Apparently you are very sensitive to Mirt and are having a very difficult time, even though you only took it for a very short time.
The symptoms will eventually pass. However, the length of time varies for everyone. Another option is to reinstate, wait to stabilize, and do a slow taper. Many have great success with a 10% taper each month, or even better, a 5% taper every two weeks. I used a modified version of this slow taper and am now Mirt free for about 10 months.
Just know that the symptoms you are experiencing are real. Mirt can be very difficult for some to get off of, like me. And, unless someone has gone through it themselves, they simply can't understand.
Hang in there and don't feel bad if you reinstate in order to get stable.
sunshine1234987 Kc2325
Posted
Thanks kc. I just don't ever want to touch another one. I'm going to try to stick it out. I'll let you now how it goes.
sunshine1234987 Kc2325
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Kc2325 sunshine1234987
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Unfortunately, I did. My WD process lasted a full three months with the second and third month being the worst. I was unable to sleep without the help of Ambien during this time. I had anxiety that would come and go and my brain was off during this time. I thought I was watching myself go crazy. I almost reinstated so many times but my husband kept encouraging me to stick it out.
WD was the hardest thing I have ever been through except for watching my son suffer for two years with an undiagnosed health issue. And they, sadly, overlapped, making the Mirt taper and subsequent step even harder.
I took a full year to taper because I completely spiraled out of control after my cold turkey stop. It took me over a month to stabilize after reinstating so I tapered down to 0.25 mg before jumping off.
I also took an antibiotic after I was off for one month which I think substantially worsened my WD symptoms. I became depressed, anxious, couldn't sleep and my brain started to not function on the antibiotic. It turns out I don't react to sulfa drugs which this was.
However, I'm now so glad I went through the hellish journey in order to be where I am today. I have learned so much about myself and that I am a survivor who can power through difficult times. And when things don't go as planned, simply say "I am doing the best I can" and move on.
Kc2325 sunshine1234987
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sunshine1234987 Kc2325
Posted
That's very inspiring to hear. Good going! You are so tough. I'm sorry to hear about your difficult time and I do hope your son is better. Let me ask you, did you ever have any problems with restlessness and how long did it take to pass if so? I believe I'm experiencing akathisia as i cannot sit still, am tapping my legs and pacing. It is the WORST thing i have ever felt. No comfort anywhere. Is this mirt withdrawal?
sunshine1234987 Kc2325
Posted
Oh sorry, I remember you saying your son is better with the detox and stuff. I'm so glad.
Kc2325 sunshine1234987
Posted
drew17 sunshine1234987
Posted
sunshine1234987 drew17
Posted
My Dr says I likely have Lyme disease and mold toxicity. I don't normally need antidepressants so I'm trying to just do this the natural way. I've tried 3 and they all made me feel worse.
Kc2325 sunshine1234987
Posted
My son was diagnosed with Lyme, EBV and heavy metal toxicity. He is healing and detoxing through juicing and veggie smoothies and cutting out gluten, dairy and sugar. His healing has been amazing. He is sleeping again, his depression has lifted, his energy has improved and his brain is functioning again. Please let me know if you want more information on how we are healing him.
sunshine1234987 Kc2325
Posted
That's great! My Dr put me on bentonite clay to detox and a gluten free dairy free diet with lots of bone broth. She also put me on a greens blend (spirulina, chlorella among others), b-12, cod liver oil and adrenal support. What other kinds of things are you doing for your son? I'm hoping this will help me through withdrawals a little as well. I'm losing my mind! How long did it take you to feel better after stopping mirt?
Kc2325 sunshine1234987
Posted
Hi Sunshine,
The family now starts of the day with a juice that consisted of about equal parts of cucumber, celery and apple with a small piece of ginger. This has been the biggest detoxer for my son at the moment. I also make him a spinach smoothie in the afternoon 4 days a week that consisted of two handfuls of spinach, an apple, sometimes a few stalks of celery, a small piece of ginger, a handful of almonds and a spoonful of coconut oil.
He also has been taking a bunch of supplements for over a year. B, K, D, fish oil, magnesium, SAMe, spirulina, probiotic and some proprietary supplements from a provider that the dr prescribes.
At the time he was diagnosed with Lyme, ebv and heavy metals, we also gave him zendocrine to help his body remove what he was killing off. He also used ADP, a form of oregano, to help kill off the ebv. He also has used Berberine for the last two months as well. We are just about done with the oregano and ADP, as these were to kill off stuff versus long term support.
He also is supposed to eat two eggs every morning for breakfast as well as meat for lunch and dinner.
We started various approaches at various times with some success and the juicing and smoothies brought the greatest results.
It took us two years to finally get this diagnosis. In the meantime, we tried about one year of an AD with horrendous results. I kept saying he had an underlying health issue which was causing his illness. He spend the better part of those two years in bed while trying to attend school when he felt good enough to get out of bed. The dr we are seeing now believes that his primary isdue was lead poisoning. This would make sense since the diet he is on now removes heavy metals from the body. And the heavy metals somehow support ebv and Lyme. However, it took an environmental dr to test for the heavy metal, different strains of ebv virus (not just the active form of mono), and Lyme. The other tests were looking at why he was vomiting, did he have an autoimmune disease, etc. with no answers for what was going on.
Kc2325 sunshine1234987
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Kc2325 sunshine1234987
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sunshine1234987 Kc2325
Posted
Wow! Good for you for persevering! My holistic dr believes that most anxiety and depression are a result of something wrong in the body and I agree. I'm glad your son is feeling better! Now to get this poison out of my system. Dreading the next few weeks.
raechelrocks Kc2325
Posted
Hello, I was reading your message to Sunshine regarding what you are doing for your son. I have EVS as well, am withdrawing from Mirtazapine and going to start tapering off Klonopin very soon. My desire is to be drug-free, healthy and I really want to feel better. Could you share what it is that you are doing for your son regarding nutrition? I am looking into ways heal from all these meds, etc. thank you so much. ??