My Mirt taper - not that bad :)

Hey everyone,

I've been a member of this site for a while and never really posted anything but I see a lot of posts discussing withdrawal and peoples horrible experiences so I wanted to post one that shows it's not bad for everyone

I'm not discrediting those people who have had a really hard time, just want a positive one out there for people looking for info when they start coming off so they maybe don't get so scared!

So I have been on Mirtazapine for 8 months, 1 month on 15mg, 1 month on 30mg then the other 6 months on 45mg, I took it for panic disorder and my terrible anxiety.

After 8 months I found that it was making me feel very down, unable to concentrate (I am a uni student in my third year so I need to stay sharp) and that it wasn't doing much for my anxiety so I decided to lower to 15mg again and then if I wasn't feeling any results come off it completely and maybe try something else.

So I went from 45mg down to 30mg for three weeks, the first four days I had a bit of nausea (on a scale of 1 - 10 only about 6) and found in the mornings I needed to poop a lot but I always felt fine by the afternoon. These symptoms only lasted the first four days and then I was fine, but I stayed on 30mg for three weeks to be safe. I noticed immediately I was feeling much less cloudy in my brain and less irritable, on 45mg I was having INSANE menstrual pain and PMS (crying every day I had my period) and this all seemed to ease once back on 30mg.

Then I went down to 15mg, again the first four days I had the poops in the morning and a bit of nausea (only on the first day this time).

I have been on 15mg for a week now and still feel pretty much fine, it seems to be only the first couple of days I felt ill before I bounced back. Going to stay on 15mg for another two weeks just to make sure I'm clear and to decide whether or not to come off entirely.

I haven't noticed any rebound anxiety when lowering as well, I have intense panic attacks that unfortunately made a comeback while I was still on the medication (which is why I am considering coming off to go on something else) but it definitely hasn't become worse throughout this process.

I did have all the side effects coming on, couldn't move for being so groggy and tired for the first few weeks on and eating like there was no tomorrow as well as the ongoing menstraul pain (so bad that I would just lay in bed feeling sick from the pain all day)! So I was expecting this to be way harder than it was. Who knows what the effects will be when I go down to 0 but that is a bridge I will cross when I am ready and going by the withdrawal so far I am not expecting it will be too terrible.

All I have done to ease this process is I drink at least four large (750ml) bottles of water each day (which I do anyway) to stay hydrated and flush my system as quickly as possible, also when you have been constantly going to the toilet like I did those first few days it's key to make sure you are drinking enough water or you are going to feel much worse as you get more dehydrated.  I have also been eating a can of tuna every day for those first four days (even when I haven't had much of an appetite) for some Omega 3 goodness, I'm probably going to get a bottle of fish oil tablets for when I come off entirely as my Dr suggested the Omega 3 would help and it seems to be helping so far.

I will come back and post again after the 3 weeks on 15mg to let you know how I am feeling and if I do decide to come off the Mirt entirely, I am taking it as a slow and steady process as now on the lower doses the side effects are pretty minimal and I want to see if this amount will start helping my anxiety again before I ditch it completely. Luckily my Dr and my psychologist have been incredibly supportive and helpful and said to just go with what my body is telling me week by week.

So in summary, although unfortunately a lot of people on here have had a really raw deal and all the terrible withdrawal symptoms while tapering off mirt it isn't going to happen for everybody, so be prepared for the worst but not expecting it, because you may not feel anything or you may jst get a few days of mild symptoms like I did.

I hope this was helpful! 

Good luck to anyone out there going through this process as well!

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