Still feeling awful on mirtazapine withdrawal
Posted , 4 users are following.
I'm now beginning to get worried that either their is something else wrong or the mirtazapine has damaged my stomach. It's been 3.5 weeks now on 15mg from 30mg and I still feel very unwell.
It's looking like a visit to the doctors but what can they give that is fast acting and stop these stomach problems? I meditate, listen to videos, do accupressure, belly breathing all to very little improvement.
Any reassurance appreciated!! 
0 likes, 13 replies
elainec33 kathleen95857
Posted
I really don't know what to think. I feel really rough still on practically nothing, 3.75mg and I swear they have done something to me or even masked something. I am told they give them to anorexics to stimulate appetite so I wonder why they affect the stomach in a bad way. I think taken long enough they can affect the liver and depress bone marrow but you can see all the side effects on the leaflet that came with them. Depending how long you were on the 30mg, I would say that 3.5 weeks is not so long to get over the withdrawal.
kathleen95857 elainec33
Posted
Ok thank you Elaine. I know this drug can take a long time to withdraw from. Just needed an opinion really and youv'e answered my worry.
I may give it a few more days as I am having a lot of anxiety and that could be the reason.
paul_33483 kathleen95857
Posted
I don't think it wil have damaged your stomach.
Prior to taking mirtazapine I always suffered from a tight anxious stomach. Now that I'm reducing I've noticed it coming back including severe stomach cramps and recently diarrhoea.
I saw a fantastic consultant privately. He carried out a gastroscopy to reassure me and I wanted a CT scan done also so had that. All came back normal.
I told him I was coming off mirtazapine and he said there was nothing wrong with me staying on it and that it will relax my stomach.
I trust him 100% but I want to come off it. I know that abdominal problems are a withdrawal side affect and can take weeks/months (according to other posts) to alleviate.
It's great you're doing the breathing, meditation etc.
I can't say for certain but you've maybe dropped from 30 to 15 too quick and may need to go higher and drop more gradually? But I'm not a doctor. I had sever side affects going too quick from 15 to 7.5 to 3.75 in 3 weeks
kathleen95857 paul_33483
Posted
Thank you Paul I appreciate your reply. My doctor advised the drop from 30mg to 15mg but then again as many people have said they can prescribe it but don't always know the bad withdrawal it can have on some people.
Time will tell I suppose...meanwhile feeling like this just so spoils your life. I'm thinking I may have to have the pipe down the throat and I can stand pain but this I would be terrified of.
paul_33483 kathleen95857
Posted
My doctor told me people come off 15mg without tapering! Suppose everyone's different.
I know what you mean about spoiling your life. I was supposed to go to a concert last night that I was looking forward to but had to abandon it cause of my stomach problems and flu like symptoms today. That's been around 4 weeks now I've been on a reduced dose and I think it's only hit me properly in the last fortnight.
As for gastroscopy I've had it twice now. First one was 6 years ago and I was awake for that. Was painless, just gagged a little. This one I was asleep for cause my consultant wanted to take biopsies and was easier for him. Everything they've ever tested me for has been normal.
He said I'll have IBS/fybromalgia which flares up through stress and a healthy diet which releases gases causing pain. I'd never had such sever back pain in my life thought it was something wrong with my pancreas but was shooting nerve pain. Lasted 3-4 months and only got better by going to physio and my body calmed down after my CT scan came back normal. The body can produce some scary symptoms...
May be worth you getting referred to gastroenterologist or a dietician?
kathleen95857 paul_33483
Posted
My doc has suggested I take 22.5mg of mirt then wean off slower then he first advised.
Only time will tell, if I feel better then I know for sure it is the mirt causing my symptoms.
Hope your doing ok.
weenett kathleen95857
Posted
kathleen95857 weenett
Posted
Hi Weenett, I've not been in hospital as yet I'm waiting for a liver scan but that's been messed up through the surgery not sending the request. I'm getting that sorted out today so I'll have 2 more weeks to wait for an appointment. Then depending on the results I'll be referred on to the gastronentologist or heamotologist my doctor said. So if they do find a problem at least I will know it's not all down to the mirt. I'll just have to wait and see.
weenett kathleen95857
Posted
kathleen95857 weenett
Posted
oK no problem might be yet!! Don't jinx me. lol
catherine55994 kathleen95857
Posted
hi Kathleen
The concensus on this forum seems to be that when coming of Mirtazapine do it slowly, and by small amounts. My own experience is that I've come down from 45mg to my current dose of 22.5mg reducing by 7.5mg every three weeks. For some here this proved too big a drop each time and some have adopted a plan of dropping by 10% each interval. Therefore eg 10% of 45mg is 4.5mg so reduce to 40.5mg, at next reduction it's 10% of 40.5mg and so on. I didn't try this but I was lucky that the 7.5mg drop didn't cause me any issue. I may find when I get to the smaller doses that I have to make smaller reductions.
Reducing from 30mg to 15mg in one go seems a bit too much.
The main thing is to reduce by comparative small amounts and listen to your body. If you are suffering a lot of adverse symptoms try a higher dose eg 22.5mg for a few weeks. if you have 15mg tablets you could even cut it in 4 pieces with each quarter being 3.75mg. This way you can reduce by very small amounts each time.
Don't try to rush it. My oppinion is that you should be able to reduce so that you don't feel severe symptoms. Obviously I'm still on the journey and I'm told that it can be unpleasant for a while when people come off it all together.
On the point of giving them to anorexics, I started to question my Mirtazapine when I noticed that the Dr's where I work were prescribing them for elderly and supposidly depressed patients who were not eating enough. Since I've been on them I've gained 5 stones(70 pounds) in weight and I eat regardless of whether I'm hungry. Not good.
kathleen95857 catherine55994
Posted
Hi thanks Catherine for your input much appreciate. As you can see from my reply to Weenett Imay have other problems. But seems a coinciendence that my biggest issues flared up when I cut the dose to 15mg of mirt from 30mg. Anyway, will just have to wait and see but seeing the doc today and I'm hoping he'll at least give me something for this awful naeusea. I't not eating that bother me it's the reason that's causing the naeusea that bother me more. I also will be asking for 15mg like you suggested much easier to cut them down when required.
regards
Kath
kathleen95857 catherine55994
Posted
Hi Catherine, I've spoken to my doc who was surprised I had withdrawal symptoms! I was a bit miffed, felt like he didn't believe me. Anyway he suggested I back on 22.5mg and prescribed me 15mg to cut in half for make 7.5mg and then my 15mg. So we shall see if I feel any different I then know it is the mirtzapine, if not I will then be getting worried.
Thanks for listening, hope your well. x