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Thank you,I was warned!

Posted , 7 users are following.

Sunbird8
Sunbird8

Well it is now 2 weeks since I began taking 15mg mirtazapine in place of 30mg which I had taken for a few weeks.

I have been ok until 3 days ago!

Now I can not sleep, pains every where, feel sick, can not eat and losing weight.I feel as if there is a 'lump' in the middle of my chest and this aches too! No energy and beyond exhaustion.

Feeling dizzy and feel as if I am going to faint.

I was given mirtazapine for anxiety and insomnia.

Slept well until WD but anxiety is dreadful, much worse now.

I weigh 8st 2lbs and I wonder if a smaller person can not tolerate mirt although I am sure there are many who are small and do not have a problem.

Think I'm grasping at straws!

If it were not for all the good folk on this site I would be completely at a loss.

When I joined 2 weeks ago and read all your helpful comments and my heart went out to those of you who are suffering so much.

My stuff is small compared to others here.

Any way just wanted to thank you for all the information you share.

It is good to know that 'this too will pass' and knowledge is power!

I always try to convince my self that my roller coaster is going up but as we know this is very difficult at times.

Best wishes to all.

0 likes, 26 replies

26 Replies

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  • tina89895
    tina89895 Sunbird8

    Posted

    Sorry that you're going through the WD symptoms I've got them to come but I haven't got past the start up symptoms. Only been on mirtazepine for 3weeks doesn't bode well. Might just give up altogether. Hugs to you Sunbird. X
    • Sunbird8
      Sunbird8 tina89895

      Posted

      Hope today is a better day for you Tina,thanks for your kind words.

      Craig I am sorry you are having such a horrible time.

      Interesting that you find anxiety went when you got down to 7.5.

      What a weird drug this is!

      It is so good of you to post when you are having such a dreadful time your self.

      Thank you Craig and may the Prozac bridge give you some relief.

  • david28533
    david28533 Sunbird8

    Posted

    Sunbird, if you are suffering this kind of withdrawal, and are still on the drug at 15 mg, I would consider going back to 30, get settled, and maybe try 25. You are having the symptoms that I had going cold turkey from 7.5 to off the medicine. Just a suggestion. Above all else, be kind to yourself!
    • Sunbird8
      Sunbird8 david28533

      Posted

      Hi David,

      Many thanks for your advice which I shall certainly consider.

      I hope you are having a better day,your suffering is horrendous.

      Calmer I am so gratful for your advice and support.

      As you say it is due to the kindness of others on this forum that we can at least know we are not alone.

      Not feeling good today and still losing weight.

      How ever got showered and walked my dog but I was exhausted and relieved to get back while still upright!

      I feel a little better now and glad to be able to let you all know how I value your advice and amazing support.

      It seems I may need to go back to 30mg but will decide end of week if I can keep going!

      I need to be able to function as my husband has heart failure, Lymphoma as well as other serious conditions.

      I can not give him course to worry so I feel I really need to keep going.

      I am so glad I found this excellent forum with many kind, compassionate folk.

      Many, many thanks to you all and as Calmer says ,Please keep posting!

  • lee1111
    lee1111 Sunbird8

    Posted

    Stay strong and yes we will support you all the way! Did nothing for my anxiety, and just made me feel immobilised. I hope it gets easier as you decrease your dose. I am in the process of quitting since I can't stand the side effects or function during the day. Others have suggested that a short term benzo may be in order for the anxiety as you decrease your dose. I am going that route if it feels unmanageable. There is a FB group for people doing the WD. you can send a request to Rose MCKay to join. Her profile pic is a red/ orange flower. She has given me loads of support and guidance , as has this group. Keep going, and know that it will eventually pass. PS. I was prescribed it for the same problems, so maybe there is a better way to address them than a med that causes you problems. Much love, Lee .
    • Sunbird8
      Sunbird8 lee1111

      Posted

      Hi Lee,

      Thank you so much for your advice.

      Strange how we were given mirt for anxiety and it did nothing!

      I am not on Face book so will not see the page Rose has started.

      I really appreciate all the advice given.

      I hope today is a better day for you dear Lee.

      Thanks for your support.

  • craig2828
    craig2828 Sunbird8

    Posted

    Hi sunbird, sorry to hear of your problems, i can sympathise as I am still withdrawing from mirt and it's awful, I have made it down to 7.5 but it's no easier, only thing I found is when I went below 15 the anxiety seemed to disappear, just a real rough feeling all day. I can't make the final jump as I'm barely coping on 7.5 so have been given Prozac to use as a bridge,. I told the doctors I needed something as it was unbearable, hope you do ok
  • Calmer
    Calmer Sunbird8

    Posted

    Sunbird, so sorry for your sudden wd after 2 weeks - this is what folk on here are saying - "all goes well during wd until between two to three weeks" then it HITS BIG TIME.  I agrede with David, seems clear you're not going to get off the Mirt lightly.  Go back to 30 mg, settle there on 30 for a week or so, then reduce

    s-l-o-w-l-y.  From all the advice given from the wise folk within the discussions on this forum, to sum it up ...   ...   ... now you have experienced the wd devil effects of Mirt' go slow, just be kind to yourself.  Reduce 10% every 2 or even better every 3 weeks, stay on the dose until "stable" - even if its for a lot longer.  Then go 10% down again ... it should be available in liquid form which will help.

    Some say stay on 7.5 for 3 months, then 3.25 for 3 months.  

    Hope this helps a little Sunbird ~ sending a big hug  (((((((  ******  ))))))

    • david28533
      david28533 Calmer

      Posted

      Yeah, Calmer, I went cold turkey off 7.5. That was over 9 weeks ago, and I am still paying the price. I am better in some ways, my sleeping is better, no crying spells in a while, headaches aren't bad enough to need Tylenol, I have my appetite sometimes, still losing a little weight, but none in the last 8 days, not quite as sick. Still weak, fatigued, and having dizzy spells. However, at times, for no apparent reason, everything comes crashing in as bad as ever, and I just have to suffer through it, like a rollercoaster. So if sunbird8 wants to feel like a human being through this, then taper - taper - taper. Take Care, David
    • Calmer
      Calmer david28533

      Posted

      So glad I have you people to advise me ... it's overwhelming at times.  

      My GP just ticks her box when I leave and doesn't seem to care a hoot.  

      Sounds like the road of recovery is looking up slightly for you David, hope it continues.  We need people like you and Rose to continue posting on here, at least until someone else seems to be taking over - sometimes I feel like shouting out in the doctors surgery "IS ANYONE TAKING MIRT" and letting them know not to wd cold turtky ....

      Wishing you a good day David, and warm wishes for your family too who are sharing the hard times.

    • david28533
      david28533 Calmer

      Posted

      Thank you Calmer. I wish you the best as well. I slept well last night, and so far this morning, not doing too bad. Wednesday will be 10 weeks since making the jump. Those overwhelming times were the crying times for me, and it helped bring some relief. Don't feel ashamed or weak if you cry, it is your emotional release to overwhelming stress and misery. Take care, treat yourself well, David
    • david28533
      david28533 Calmer

      Posted

      One more thing, Jesus can comfort and heal anything!
    • Calmer
      Calmer david28533

      Posted

      Ahhh that's great ~ that you slept well ... phew, don't you just feel like it's a whole new world when you sleep well though.

      Crying doesn't come easy to me, although I can cry at most films !  I agree, huge sense of relief after a good cry.  Indeed, our faith helps us to make the improbable happen, it's when we don't believe we CAN DO IT and that little bit more of wd is edging away ... and David will be better ... therefore it's important, keep believing ~ you will get to the finishing line.

      LET IT BE

    • Sal60
      Sal60 Calmer

      Posted

      During my slow withdrawal I have stayed on a dose for at least 4 weeks often longer, 6 weeks is better.

      There's an alternative to the liquid form if your GP will not prescribe it (mine wouldn't, I live in the UK, too expensive).

      Dissolve your normal dose e.g. 15mg tab. in 15ml of water, use a small syringe (minus needle!) to suck up whatever dose you require & squirt into mouth.

      This is an easy way to get to small doses like 2mg & drop by 0.5 at a time.  

       

  • Sunbird8
    Sunbird8

    Posted

    Again I thank you for your advice.Feeling dreadful and as I can not eat weight continuing to plummet.

    I try to remain positive no matter how I feel so this moring after showering I took my dog to a local water fowl park which is really beautiful.

    I kept reminding my self how fortune I am to be in this lovely place.

    How ever each time I took a step as I tried to walk round the lake I was aware of the weirdest feeling!

    As my foot made contact with the ground a horrible' electric shock and internal shivering made me feel sick.

    Does any one else have this or is it just part of the WD?

    I am drinking a lot of water as I feel it is important to keep hydrated but have no intrest at all in eating.

    Some times I think I will indeed go back to 30mg but I was not very good on that either!

    I wish you all better times ahead and thank you for being here.

    • david28533
      david28533 Sunbird8

      Posted

      Sunbird, how much weight lost? Just curious, I have lost over 20 pounds. Please answer in pounds as I don't know how to convert stones. David
    • Sal60
      Sal60 Sunbird8

      Posted

      Sal60 HI, Sunbird

      I've been quite distressed reading all the different posts about withdrawal.  I got some good encouragement from a post entitled Mirtazapine withdrawal, the key to sucess.

      I strikes me that the people having the hardest times are those coming off too sharply and too quickly. 

      I have been very slowly reducing my dose of Mirtazapine from 15mg since January 2014.  

      Jan. I reduced to 3/4

      March,  1/2

      June, 1/4

      Had a setback in August and increased to 1/2 again.

      September, back to 1/4

      Stayed on this (3.75mg) 'till Feb 2015 when I reduced by dissolving a 15mg tablet in 15ml of water and sucking up 3ml in a syringe, giving myself a 3mg dose.

      Stayed on this for five weeks.  No ill effects so reduced to 2mg.

      After five weeks reduced to 1.5mg in April

      Got cocky and reduced to 1mg after only two weeks at start of May and after two weeks stopped altogether.

      BUT that was rushing it; believe it or not I had nasty withdrawal not helped by just getting over 'flu. 

      So...I'm back to 1mg and taking it gently.

      Patience and being gentle with yourself are the keys.

      Best wishes.

    • Sunbird8
      Sunbird8 Sal60

      Posted

      Hi Sal60,

      Thanks for your great post.

      It seems that patience and gentleness are indeed the keys and I shall try to remember this.

      I hope you are well and enjoying the week end.

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