Posted , 3 users are following.
I am one month off mirtazapine, This is my second attempt in quitting, first time on was on it 2 months , started at 15 mg then 7.5 for 6 weeks. then 3.75 for 5 days then quit, I lasted 31 days and had to reinstate due to withdrawal symptoms. I reinstated at 7.5 for 2 weeks then 3.75 for 4 weeks then 1.87 for 2 weeks then quit, I have been off for a month now, first 2 weeks were I could handle it, third week was really rough , 4 th week was maybe a little better not much, now it's getting worst anxiety is waxing and waning is this normal for withdrawal, how much longer does it last before I see improvement, after a month I don't want to go back on it, any advice
0 likes, 54 replies
tempest1 mark12447
Posted
hang on in there. it does get better. you will get waves of feeling good then back down to dreadful feeling, anxiety, shaking, feeling down etc. it does pass but every one reacts differently. it's taken me four months to feel normal again. just go with it. things will calm down. the more you dwell on it the longer it will take.
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
thanks, it's been rough the last 2 weeks, am now starting my 5th week off, my doctor doesn't want me to restart it or another med and I agree with him, he even said it could be withdrawal, said everyone is different, he also prescribed xanax for me to take as needed but I will be very careful with it , I will only take it if things get to bad. did you have any panic attacks after quitting
tempest1 mark12447
Posted
yeah, my mind would race around about different things. i try to practice mindfulness as this helps calm me down. there r some good apps you can download from the internet. just type in mindfulness and plenty comes up on this. try to keep busy to focus on something else.bit will
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
how long did it take you after you quit to start feeling better
tempest1 mark12447
Posted
least a couple of months. had good and bad day's. then suddenly the good day's increased . now after four months feel back to old self again. it just takes time. try not to dewell on it as this makes it worse and panic sets it. just take each day for what it is and dont compare with how u felt the day before as u will find fault with how u feel. remember everyday in our lives is different and coming off these meds is just the same. once the brain learns to function without these meds things start to calm down.
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
thanks, do you remember what was your worst week after quitting. I'm starting my 5th week and it's bad, my fourth week was bad too.
mark12447
Posted
did you have problems with sleep , if you did what weeks were those, did you take anything, sorry for all the questions but you got through it and that's really good
tempest1 mark12447
Posted
it was about where u r at now i felt dreadful. it started to really ease up after 8 weeks. sleep is still a issue. i take melatonin or herbal sleeping tablets. if in uk tesco do good herbal ones and superdrug. The melatonin i get off the net. If im desperate for sleep i take bendryl,. this really works. I have to use something a couple of times a week. sleep is getting better though and sometimes i take nothing.. try to stay awake until u feel tired. go to bed the same time each night. i read now and this helps.
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
thanks, I am just starting week 5 been off 30 days now, did you take anything to help your nerves during this time my doctor gave me Xanax but I haven't taken it yet, also did you have any agoraphobia during the withdrawal . my doctor is helping me he wants to see me every week which is good I also have a cbt counselor I see once a week. I want to get through this and I don't want to start back on it or any other med, thanks
tempest1 mark12447
Posted
hi, no acrophobia. i got out as much as I could. i took pregablin 50 mg twice a day for morning anxiety. this helped loads to calm me down. off that now. went to cbt councilor for 4 month's this was brilliant . changed my way of thinking. Lost both parents within 9 months, could not eat, sleep, function! I was in such a state. mirtrazapine eased all of my symptoms. the meds calmed me down and give me time to rest my racing. mind. im thankful for them. they helped me when i needed help.
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
hi, I still go out and do what I can too, sometimes its hard but I push trough it I have had 25 cbt sessions and still going it helped me alot too, when things got hard for you in withdrawal how did you know it was withdrawal or a return of original condition, for me it's hard to tell , I was a mess before I got on the med high anxiety, panic attacks, no sleep, it helped me too, my doctor and my counselor both thought it was the right time to come off it, like I said before just starting my fifth week off,
tempest1 mark12447
Posted
i did not know if it was original or withdrawal symptoms. I know I felt in a better place to deal with things. it was trial and error really. A few times i caved in and went back on a low dose of mirt. once i got used to early withdrawal symptoms i stuck with it and plodded on.
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
hi, thanks for the advice , today I am off 32 days, I don't want to restart it , if things get worse do you have any advice. I have xanax but haven't tried it cause I here about the addiction it causes but if I have to I will, do you think at this stage of the wd , xanax is a better choice than reinstating mirtazapine, This is my second attempt at quitting.
tempest1 mark12447
Posted
if your really not coping, then I would try a small dose of mirt. say half of 7.5 mg. i did this a couple of times . it calmed me down a bit. stayed on low dose for 3 weeks then i cut back again. then stayed off. you need to see if you feel better on it than off it. if a small dose keeps u sane take it. thousands of people do. if can look back over the 5:weeks and see a improvement stick with it. if not try low dose.
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
I am going to keep trying since I got this far , the symptoms just come and go now , doing ok then 4 hrs later feel like a panic attack is going to happen but it doesn't then 2 hrs later I'm ok again, was it like that for you,
tempest1 mark12447
Posted
yes, panic came and went in waves. then all of a sudden i felt normal again.like a fog had lifted. I started having more good day's and this has continued. so hang on in there. There is light at the end of the tunnel. just takes different time frames for each individual.
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
thanks, in a couple days I will be 5 weeks off, you have given me hope cause you made it. I am going to see how I feel when I have 8 weeks off, that seemed to be when you started feeling better, so I got 3 weeks to go,
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
hi, do you remember what weeks that you had the windows and waves, I'm on week 5 now, I woke up this morning and had no anxiety then as the morning moved on it came back, anxiety, shakes, is this normal,
tempest1 mark12447
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hi, around week four or five the anxiety came and went then another two or three weeks it got less and less. i had anxiety first thing in the morning but this eased as day went on so a little different to you. i took a small dose of propranolol for this as it eases the symptoms and is not addictive. now but carry it on me just in case. so far so good.
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
I will be 5 weeks off tomorrow, then start my sixth week, I haven't taken any xanax and don't want to, week 4 and 5 were bad, do you think week sixth I should start to see some relief, do you remember when you started to see some relief from this,
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
hi, and thanks for sharing your story, you are helping me get through this, how long were you on mirtazapine and what dose
tempest1 mark12447
Posted
hi, I was on 15 mg for 7 months. After 8 or 9 weeks that fog lifted and i started having fewer bad days. I have a really good doctor who was very supportive. Work has also kept me busy so this takes the edge of bad days. you must try to accept that you will have good and bad days and not set yourself a time scale for recovery as we all recover at different time scales. you r doing really good and will get there no matter how long it takes you.
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
thanks, starting my sixth week today, I am going to keep going , hopefully I can do as well as you, I'm not going to take xanax unless it's an emergency, I haven't taken it yet but I carry it with me.
tempest1 mark12447
Posted
good man. you can do it. Think everyday off as a triumph. think positive thoughts and thing's will ease and anxiety will lessen.
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
thank you, for the support, had a cbt session today and doctor appt, both said I was doing good, both glade I didn't take the xanax, only should use it for a emergency, in my sixth week now, I feel I can make it this time but it's like you said some days are ok and then some days are tough,
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
hi, 39 days off today, my sixth week, will be going into my seventh week in a few days, had a couple good days, just anxiety then today I have high anxiety, shakes, pretty rough , is this the way it was for you,
tempest1 mark12447
Posted
yeah morning anxiety was worst but it subsided after two to three months. then nothing ., which is a good feeling. just say to yourself on the bad days, ' well im having a wobble today with my nerves but i know it will pass and tomorrow is another new day'. Say this to yourself over and over again breathing in and out deeply to calm things down. It does help with practice. dont compare it with previous days just go with it. reading about anxiety helps u understand it more. look on amazon for books on anxiety and depression. there is loads of book u can read. this will also help and calm u.
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
thanks, I'm retired I am 65, so I don't work, I don't think I could have worked this last year, I have never taken these kinds of meds before , just got hit out of nowhere with high anxiety and panic so I didn't know anything about it, now I do. I was put on mirtazapine for anxiety and sleep. I will keep going in 3 days I will be off 6 weeks hopefully I will be like you and see some relief in a couple weeks .
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
Hi, I will be off 6 weeks tomorrow, how long.did you take pregablin was it hard to quit, also.propranolol what dose did you take , did you take it while you were on pregablin, how often did you take it
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
did you try any supplements during your withdrawal
tempest1 mark12447
Posted
i take vit b12 tablets, magnesium and vit d3 tablets. i have ordered gaba tablets as i have read they help with sleep. i still struggle with it but it's getting better slowly. Out of 7 nights 3 are not good. i take valarin herbal tabs and melatonin which do help. i alternate between the two.
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
I am off 6 weeks today, the last 4 days and today have been really hard, high anxiety in the morning, shaky, lasts till evening, don't know what to do, I still haven't taken any xanax, when did you start taking the pregablin , how long did you take it , was it hard to quit, starting to feel like I will have to reinstate but I don't want to, any advice I would be thankful for
tempest1 mark12447
Posted
if it subsides focus on knowing it will subside. Remember anxiety is your self creating it. Its a sensation that makes us panic as it lingers on the more we worry about it. I was on pregabalin for 7 months. started on 50 mg going up to 300 mg within a week as i was a mess. came off easily in fortnightly drops of 50 mg. only had headaches as side affect. Have you tried propranolol? this helps with the sensations of anxiety and can be used as and when needed. could you not take a small dose of xanax to help u a little? try to keep busy, getting out and about. the more u focus on anxiety the worse it gets. I try to picture anxiety as a punch bag and me hitting it over and over and getting nowhere and being exhausted. This mental picture of this has helped me turn away from that punch bag. Sounds silly to picture this but give it a try.
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
my doctor wants me to get massage therapy twice a month, I start next week, I never tried propanolol I think it a beta blocker and I am on a high blood pressure pill so not sure. if I should try it. I tried Activan when this happened to me but never tried xanax kinda scared about those meds, doctor told me to use xanax in case of emergency like a panic attack so I haven't used it yet but the last 4 days and today it's been really bad. so I may have to start taking it, I was hoping for some relief today but it started back up early evening I just rode it out but it's getting really hard , I have a doctor appt this Friday and a cbt session too, I am starting my seventh week off tomorrow. do you remember how your seventh week was, thanks for helping
tempest1 mark12447
Posted
i had good and bad days . like i say anxiety in the morning was the worst but it would subside. after having a cbt session i would feel so much better too. my mindfulness played a big part in getting well too. i would often go and lie down somewhere quiet and practice my breathing to calm me down. i still do it now but much less so. ask about the pregablin for anxiety. this was my Life saver before i started mirt.
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
thanks for the advice , staring week 7 today, do you think things will ease up
tempest1 mark12447
Posted
definitely, just go with it. All that anxiety will get less and faid. You seem to have good support and that's a big plus. think back how you were on week two to three and i bet if you compare, thing's will have improved. another month or so and you will be there.
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
thanks, weeks 4 , 5 ,6, have been the worst, starting week 7 and it's bad, high anxiety, panic, shaky, do you think this could still be withdrawal after 6 weeks
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
I have a cbt session and a doctor appt tomorrow. I don't want to reinstate is this normal to feel this bad after 6 weeks off, panic, high anxiety, tremors,head shaking, not sure if the orginal symptoms are coming back or its withdrawal
tempest1 mark12447
Posted
it could he your original symptoms. i know with the the anxiety etc it felt different to how i felt when i was really unwell. you will have to weigh that up yourself I'm afraid. discuss it with your doctor.
tempest1
Posted
did the mirt help you prior to withdrawal? if it did then maybe reinstate a small dose to keep you right. i would rather feel calm with the meds than battling on trying to cope without them.
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
thanks, I think it's different this time, bad shaking, my head and hands, feel my heart beating, doctor appt today
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
my doctor put me on a muscle relaxer for my tight back and neck and said to use the xanax as needed, he is hoping the muscle relaxers might also calm me down a. little so I might not have to take xanax or just very little, also start massage therapy too, he also said beta blockers may be an option but doesn't want to start that yet, I had another cbt session today
mark12447
Posted
hi, I am 7 weeks off today, the last 3 weeks have been really hard, week 7 I started having a racing heart and palpations did you experience this, did it stop. when do you think I should start to see some relief.
tempest1 mark12447
Posted
no i did did not experience this. By 7 to 8: weeks things were much better. just the morning anxiety which had gone now. I think your r keeping too much a eye on the time scale of feeling better and. This alone can cause everything u say you r experiencing. i forgot about how long it took after a few weeks and then things eased. Try to forget about how u feel, not easy i know. The more u compare and think the worse it becomes.
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
thanks, I will try I think I am worried that it's not withdrawal and I just need a med and I guess only time will tell , did you have a GP help you or a specialist I have a family doctor am wondering if I should see a specialist
tempest1 mark12447
Posted
My doctor was onboard and a great help. He told me how to withdraw and st my own oace, no rush. He did suggest another AD if i needed it but i have been fine. I hated taking the medication and knowing a tablet was keeping me sain. It was either that or a Life if misery. Im glad i opted for this medication. It made me well again.
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
hi, I am 8 weeks off today, still not feeling good. High anxiety, shaky, not much of an apeitte, hope it starts to get better. I have a doctor appt. Tomorrow
tempest1 mark12447
Posted
hi, as you. i started to feel better 8 weeks down the line. Don't rule out another medication if it takes all anxiety away. Would you rather suffer on as you r, or have a life. I known what i would choose. Everyone on this forum reacts in different ways to withdrawl. Many find it great coming off mirt, others a nightmare and need and take other medication to function. Anxiety is a medical condition. It can be managed with or without medication. Keep that in mind.
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
thanks, I am going to keep pushing through and see if I start to feel better, 8 weeks off, into my 9 th week, my doctor has another antidepressant if I decide to take it, but still going to try cause it could be withdrawal
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
Hi, how are you doing, I'm off 9 weeks today, I'm still having high anxiety, my doctor told me to take xanax, having also suguested amitriptyline a antidepressant, I don't want to get addicted to xanax, he would like me to wait another 3 weeks to see if I get better, but that was a week ago, I see him this Friday and I'm still not doing good, I'm thinking of starting the new med, what would you do
tempest1 mark12447
Posted
Hi, if your symptoms have not improved you may require another medication to let you have a life. Im doing fine now no probs. Like i said previously another tablet may help you. Give it ato drr
tempest1
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i mean give it a go. typo error.
mark12447 tempest1
Posted
I'm glade you are doing good, I think you are right.