1. Community
  2. Brain and nerves
  3. Mirtazapine

Mirtzapine cold turkey

Posted , 6 users are following.

aga02916
aga02916

Hi all , my gp stopped my mirtazapine 2 weeks ago without tappering(I was on it for over 3 months) and put me on fluoxetine 10mg for 7 days and after that increased it to 20mg , since stopping mirtazapine I feel constant nasuea , but yesterday on day 13th without mirtazapine and day 12th of fluoxetine Ive been sick , woke up with extreme anxiety and sickness , tremors, cant keep anything down , went to see gp to ask if its side effects of fluoxetine or withdrawl from mirtazapine .he said its neither that is my condition 😳 ive told him I know my body and I know when something is wrong but he just thought I was being drama queen and he wasnt supportive . Prescribed me antisickness tablets and sick note for work. I was on mirtzapine for anxiety but noticed it was making me a diffirent person and I felt numb and more depressed . So now I dont know whats happening , is it fluoxetine or withdrawl or both 🤢

0 likes, 20 replies

20 Replies

  • Laserbeam
    Laserbeam aga02916

    Posted

    just wondering if your sleep changed when you stopped the Mirtazapine? I was having a problem with insomnia and the Mirtazapine really helps with that. Do you know why your GP switched Drugs?
    • aga02916
      aga02916 Laserbeam

      Posted

      Hiya , I take lorazepam if I cant sleep but I try to get up early and be tired for night , I have noticed more vivid dreams and night sweats . And I constantly feel tired during the day. My gp switched it cause mirtazapine was making me feel like I wasnt myself , I felt numb and it was making me depressed , and I didnt look in to futher , like i didnt enjoy anything and anxiety was still there . I was on fluoxetine before for 7 years for ocd , but never expierienced such a bad side effects xxx
  • frazzled
    frazzled aga02916

    Posted

    Hi aga  I'm sorry you are suffering and I'm sorry to give you my opinion that you actually answered your own question when you typed "both."  Stopping Mirt without a slow tapper brings on a load of withdrawal effects for most people and starting a different class of drugs  -- flouxetine and then inreasing the dose so quickly, you are no doubt are feeling withdrawal side effects from Mirt and side effects of starting fluoxetine -- my psych told me it takes at least 3 weeks on a new psych med before the beneficial effects are felt (all the starting side effect hit prior to the benefits).  It's a roller coaster ride.  The side effects, hopefully, will ease up soon.   

    • aga02916
      aga02916 frazzled

      Posted

      Thank you Frazzled , that made me feel much better , Ive read that sometimes it takes few weeks for fluoxetine to work so im trying to be patient. And I know it always gets worse before better but feeling like this makes me question if its worth it if you know what I mean xxx
  • wayne1962
    wayne1962 aga02916

    Posted

    Hi aga - sorry to read of your situation. A question that should be asked is 'Are you comfortable with that doctor? Do you feel dismissed when bringing up issues?' If the answer is yes, get another doctor. We are indoctrinated to think doctors are gods and it's somehow 'disrespectful' to question their judgement. Not so. The other alarming thing about your post is the propensity for doctors to just throw another prescription at the problem. Meanwhile, give the fluoxetine time to work and see how you feel. Best of luck to you.

    • aga02916
      aga02916 wayne1962

      Posted

      Hi Wayne , I went to see 3 diffirent gp's and they all the same. Once you suffer with anxiety they dont take you seriously. I think I just might change for diffirent surgery or ask for refferal to a specialist cause in my opiniom Gps got no clue about mental health problems. Like you said throw prescription , without explaining side effects , what to expect and leaving me on my own. If it wasnt for this forum I would really think that there is something really serios going on with me

  • christine15542
    christine15542 aga02916

    Posted

    Hi aga

    I can only give you my opinion here but I was on mirt for 6 months on a 15mg dosage.  I stopped cold turkey without any tapering and went through a lot of your side effects. The GP gave me another AD sertraline but I did not take it. So I know the awful side effects were withdrawal from mirtazapine and nothing else, as I was taking nothing else.  That was 8 weeks ago now and I can say the anxiety, flu like symptoms,

    migraine type headaches, nausea have gone, however I still suffer with chronic insomnia and I'm struggling to stay off the meds, as they do not like prescribing sleeping tablets.   I agree with Wayne when I say it's incredible how gps freely hand over mind altering drugs but they are very unwilling to prescribe a sleeping tablet even for a short period.  I have been on ADs and Zopiclone many years ago and I can honestly tell you that the sleeping tabs were much easier to stop.  There is no easy way with these drugs.  I'm sorry to learn of your suffering but if it is still bad go and see another doctor.

    • aga02916
      aga02916 christine15542

      Posted

      Hi Christine , thank you , I hope you feeling okay. My gp didnt even want to hear about sleeping tablets , never mind some benzos. Good job my doctor in Poland prescribes me some over the phone and my mum just sends it to me. Without it I would be doomed. I try not to take them very often as im scared to get addicted to them. Withdrawl from fluoxetine after 7 years of taking werent as bad as coming off mirtazapine after 3 months. I really hope it will get better soon , Ive got another week to recover before Im due to go back to work xxxx
  • alison18366
    alison18366 aga02916

    Posted

    I am surprised that you were not weined off mirtazapine.  I think your symptoms are probably withdrawal.  Have a look on the NHS website for advice when stopping taking Mirtazapine.
    • aga02916
      aga02916 alison18366

      Posted

      Thank you Alison , I had a look at it , they should do cross tappering with me , put me on fluoxetine and in the same time slowly reduce mirtazapine , but when I said it to my gp she ignored me and told me I will be fine. Diffirent gp when asked about withdrawl looked at me and said ' Do you think you are going to have withdrawl ?' And I said to him that I dont know , how on earth would I know lol he is a doctor lol

    • alison18366
      alison18366 aga02916

      Posted

      That makes me so angry, doctors should be aware by now that you cannot just stop any anti depressant.  Too many of them think that if a drug is not addictive you cannot have a withdrawal.  When in a similar position, I told my doctor I was weining myself off (citalopram) and discovered the company make drops especially for weining off really slowly.  I suggest you do some research to inform yourself also MIND are very good for advise and are aware of how to wein.  And your doctor would find it difficult to argue with their advise!   Good Luck
    • christine15542
      christine15542 alison18366

      Posted

      Hi Alison

      I totally agree with you re your comment regarding the doctors attitude towards ADs and their apparent non addictive nature.  In my ignorant/non medical opinion the fact that most ADs  once stopped produce very  unpleasant withdrawal by their very nature make them seem addictive.  The withdrawal symptoms are so grim most patients have to return to the drug time and time again.  I made the grave mistake of going cold turkey whilst on 15mg of mirtazapine.  I was on it for 6 months and I stopped without tapering on the 31 May.  I deeply regret that now as the withdrawal is still ongoing.  The worst of it is crippling insomnia.  And the opinion at the surgery was "you were only on it for 6 months"!!!!!!!!

    • aga02916
      aga02916 alison18366

      Posted

      Thats the thing , some doctors dont have a clue and this ends in our suffering 😐😐😐

    • aga02916
      aga02916 christine15542

      Posted

      So sorry that you are still having your withdrawl symptoms. How can they say that you were 'only' on it for 6 months. Doesnt matter how long you been on it still needs to come off slowly , especially with mirtazapine as this AD works faster than SSRI and treatment with it usually lasts 6 months. Hope you feel better soon xxx

    • frazzled
      frazzled aga02916

      Posted

      They should be made to read all package inserts BEFORE giving us scripts.  Lots of meds require a weaning process.  I'm cutting back from 15 mgs. to 7.5 starting this coming Monday.  Took me a month to wean from 30 to 15.  The side effects were not that bad but I'm still feeling them.  I'm scared how I'll feel on the 7.5 mgs.  Oh well, guess I'll find out next week.  Wish me luck.

    • aga02916
      aga02916 frazzled

      Posted

      Hi

      Yes I agree they should know all the side effects and procces of coming from them.If they cant do it or dont know how they should send us to specialists. Its not my job to wake up with tremors and nasuea and wonder What the hell is going on with me and search for the answers in the internet. I bet thatnks to this forum we know much more than some gp 😉😉I hope you well and hey you are half way there , you will be fine 🙂if Im alive after going cold turkey you can survive by tappering 🙂🙂good luck ??🤗

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.