Weaning Off Mirtazapine

Wow doug i am happy for you. For me it should be still a long way to go. I was tappering with 1Mg every 10 - 15 days for 2 months and am currently on 9Mg. I hope to have a new cut soon.

What about your anxiety and depression... is that ok for you....???

 

Hang on in there Toni, so far so good, alls well ... keep that strength going buddy.  

Hope tomorrow goes well with the therapist & p.doc, best wishes.

HI Calmer

I am trying to hang on. My situational factors continue to be bad... but i am trying to survive. At the same time i have this Remeron taper to continue so i can not have the luxury to set priorities. I have days of anxiety and depression but manage to some how continue forward. My nights are at least calm so at least i have a moment of relax during the day.

How about you buddy?? Is your sleep OK ?? Did the Linden arrive and have you already tried it...?? Just do not overuse, only when you can not sleep you take it. They say long term and continous use might interfere with the heart. 

Wish me luck... today it seems a better day anyway.

All the best

Hi Toni

Yes the Linden has arrived (!).  Havn't tried it yet; and yes, my sleep is good.

Good luck today with the docs.

I'm still pretty shattered from the chest infection which followed on from a cold/flu virus, so waiting for that to lift, been a while.  

Best wishes

Wow Calmer... That is a success for you not trying yet the Linden. Thanks GOD it arrived though. The trees on Wollington Park are safe now.. :-)

As far as the chest infection I am really sorry to hear that. Just keep tight and inhale some steam. When i have pain or infection in my chest i simply do that. Place my head over a some boiling water on a distance 15-30 cm with a towel over my head and try to inhale the hot steam. It is relaxing for me... i do not know though whether it will work the same for ya anyway..

Good Luck

haha yes ... trees are safe (for now lol).

Been doing the steam, have a little steam inhaler machine from Boots.  Beats putting the whole head through steam, plays havoc with the hair !!

How'd it go today?

HI Calmer

I was good yesterday... a bit near the edge but other than that worry feeling was normal most of the time. Today eventhough my sleep was not at its best (I had some horror dreams in the morning) my day seems OK. How much i miss that time when i was not scared of how the other day would be for me... :-((( These damn medicines.. I KNOW I KNOW i should be Positive.. :-)

Yesterday evening i went to this Therapist who is also a Psychiatrist. One thing is sure that HE does not believe on the WD components of the AD drugs. He agrees with my decision to go on slow taper because it is my decision but not because that is the normal way. He believes in the tests and studies and the theory more than into the practice of those who have suffered. And he is right in one way that we should live the tapering schedule out of our discussion and concentrate on the psychoterapy component of analysing my anxiety factors. He said that we should go back as early as possible and see where the source of my worries and anxiety comes from. I am not very optimistic about this approach but i think i will give it a shot. Let's see where it goes.

I told him that i would be more interested in having someone to asist me on managing the neural emotions of an "injured" CNS. To learn ways on how to cope with these emotions and to be somehow sure that it is the meds talking and not the mind... but he can not help me on that one. As my dose currently is relatively low at 8.1Mg i think that its effect are going to be more physical than psychological... i can live with pain in my stomach, in my ribs, in my joints... but anxiety and depression are my real enemies. And to think that i never experienced such kind of depression in my life as with these damned meds.... I KNOW I KNOW Calmer... you do not need to repeat it.... i need to distract myself and be positive.. :-)))

Hey your children are grown up already... why does an old man has to care for his hair.... ???!!!! Don't tell me you have found some lady who is willing to break branches of Linden trees at the park... !!!! :-))))

Come on man... I am only 40 and i would gladly give all my hair just to be same as I was 9-10 months ago. Now that i am thinking what i said ... i am having second thoughts... my head is not all round i have some defects here and there so maybe would just gladly give half of my hair.... :-)

Wish a speedy recovery from your infection and keep in touch buddy. We really need some good days in a row.

Good Day

Your p.doc sounds good really, it is up to you how you taper.  I say to anyone to try 10% and see how it feels for them, if nothing maybe step it up, if a lot step it down.  Once anyone has found their own threshold go for it.  Whats his style, is he "dynamic pushy" ... or gentle and soothing or maybe a mix.  Great support whilst you come off the meds, wish I had one sometimes!

When you say you could do with some help sorting out the neural emotions of an injured CNS, I got a bit lost there because you also said you thought your symptoms would be more physical at a low dose of 8.1mg ... but if it helps, one guy on here has a symptpm of constant chatter when he woke in the mornings, darting from one topic to another - definately a wd symptom, they key is to be "present in the mind" and not let the mind run away with itself, stay in control, STOP the run away train.

I think wd can cause both physical and psychological problems.

No one knows why the lowest doses cause so much fatigue; only sense I've heard is that at this dose maybe we are already in wd ... anyone know????

I am talking to maybe 3 people who are at 2 mg and "thinking of jumping off" - I think this thought happens to everyone, but most return and do a slower taper, bear that in mind for later.  I am at 2.1 mg and not sure if the lousy virus symptoms might also be some wd ... hard to tell.  Just so tired and lazy.  Still it's DAY 8 of the last drop so's it will probably get better in a day or two, fingers crossed.  

You're in your prime, got a lot on your plate, you'll work through it and be a better man for being in this hole, you'll see.  All the best folk are a result of being kinder and wiser after a fall.

Have a couple of good days, make your mind up that you will starting tonight ... yayyyyyyy its Friday !

Best wishes

 

HI Calmer

My weekedn was OK-ish... :-) with some slight levels of depression but somehow manageable. I have one question regarding Niacine..(vit B3) have you ever tried it...???

I was taking an extended release of 500Mg and currently changed the brand which comes in pill form. Today it was my first pill and i experienced a lot of flushing (red neck, face, and so on). In case you do know something can you please give me some info whether the dose I am taking is too much or something else???

All the best

Santino

Sent you a PM buddy.

HI Calmer

I am not sure whether the new niacin brand i am taking is the same as the previous one. I even threw the bottle away and i can not doublecheck right now..... (sooo stupid of me). I have started to have stomach pain and i am not sure whether it is my ulcer being activated due to niacin or due to the humid and cold weather i have the normal pain i experience as the winter approaches. I had a massive hemorragy some years ago due to taking Ibuprofen (my stomach lining is delicate to antiinflamatory drugs). So right now i am in a crossroad on how to continue... this burning feeling in the stomach is scaring me.

To be on the safe side yesterday i took 20Mg of Pantoprazole and today morning i took it as well. It is a kind of Proton Pump Inhibitor which blocks the production of acid in the stomach. Some people say that it interferes with antidepressants by increasing the AD serum in the blood and this is another reason to worry.

I am into a crossroad at the moment and i do not know how to continue. Today i am meeting my Pdoc (who is also a therapist) and i will discuss this issue with him but I am scared he will not give me any advice on that as he is not the one who has prescribed Remeron in the first place. For him i should stop right now at 8.1. 

Do you have any idea on what should i do my friend...??? Should i continue the niacin at around 250mg per day together with the Pantoprazole until my stomach stabilise or i should check for other options such as taking a multivitamin B-complex and drop both niacin and the Pantoprazole.

Please help me as i tend to ruminate when i am into such places and decisions... :-)

Well thats a difficult one. Not sure sending in another med [Pantoprazole] to cover the B3 can be right, if B3 is giving you acid problems I would stop it for a few days, stop the Pantoprazole also and see what happens.  

I think Mirt' can cause reflux, especially if you overeat, or eat sugar and carbs together - and lets face it, Mirt' can make most of us overeat, me too ... ugh!

I used to be able to take Ibupofen but since Mirt' it upsets my stomach.

I would give an hour between any anti acid and Mirt' ~ I asked the pharmacy this some time ago, it figures really that if you are lining your stomach to settle it, chucking Mirt in at the same time can't be good huh?So if I wake with acid I make sure its not near taking the Mirt.  

I think GERD is listed on the side effects of Mirt.  TICK, another one.

I did an interaction checker and your med Pantoprazole is ok with Mirt, so just an hour apart.

I found a good write up, I think you are taking too much, the RDA is a lot less than you are taking.  Also, if its the Inositol type of B3 it does upset stomachs in most people.  Inositol being recommended by some on this forum for anxiety.  Makes me rush, canot take it.

MyViridian B Comples B12 contains 50mg; I only intend to take these vitamins until I am clear of Mirt.  Giving ourselves a week or two off can be good to rest the liver.  Next time ytou're at your doctor ask for blood tests, see if you have any difficiency.

I'll send you the web site.

Best wishes Toni,  don't worry, have a rest off the B3, see if everything settles; sometimes its hard to see the wood for the trees hey.

 

HI Calmer

Thanks for the detailed answer. Your calming attitude is something to be really evaluated and apreciated. As of today i have stopped Niacin and i am not taking the Pantoprasole. My stomach is better as i added a pair of thick socks to my daily costume list... for good measure. I slept quite well and woke up calm but with a bit of deep inside worry about my situation at work. I had a wave of mild anxiety while at work ruminating that this whole thing can turn into psychosis with me being paranoid of my manager... and how the whole situation will unfold. It lasted until lunch and after that i am calmer.

These days at work are quite boring... i am quite low on self esteem and self evaluation without desire to start new things at work and i just push the days by going at the office, hide at my place... do some stuff from my main duties and than go back home. Normally after lunch in the afternoon i am quite calm and no much worries and it continues the same way until I go to sleep. Is this a way of nature telling me that i will be better off Mirtazapine...??? Does my body metabolises it during the night and day and after 15-16 hours i go back to my normal self...??? Is this hapening to you as well buddy...????

In case this is not hapening to you then i may push forward with my tapering faster or do bigger jumps. Just 3-4 hours ago i had no energy at all and from 1 to 10 i was aroun at the 6th level of anxiety. Now I am feeling quite better with no worries and almost normal.

What do you say Calmer...??? Does this logic stand...??? I have seen some people here who have gone cold turkey and have done OK. I know thier number is very limited but it is still an option. I Know that reachin to 8.1Mg from 4th of July is not a very long time but during all this time I have had problems and not a normal life eventhough somehow at a stable level. SO I was thinking as my afternoons are almost normal maybe Mirtazapine is a problem in itself during the day. Does my logic stand..??? Or I should continue at a snail's pace... ??

Would apreciate your thoughts. 

Can you jog?  The anxiety you feel just in the mronings is probably the cortisol build up, and exercise burns it off, just a thought ... probably no time like most of us.  Do you eat a good breakfast?  I wonder if it would help settle you if not?  

It's the opposite for me, whilst you have symptoms or some anxiety [you are thinking] for 15 hours or so, then feel more back to 'normal' in the afternoon.  I don't really get back to any normal, Mirt has always had me 24/7, but [touch wood] I don't have the anx' just the sedation.  But I've read of many folk like yourself who feel on the up towards the afternoon, we're all different and we metabolise differently.

Mirt' doesn't leave the system so quickly I think, you can read about its half life somewhere I'm sure, but you do seem to be better p.m, yes a lot of folk say this.  

I would maybe gauge your tolerance of what CT might be like for you from your previous tapers, I know you did a big one I remember (14%) .... how it was for you then is your guide as to how your system may cope.

Is it your intention to come off or just find a level that is right for you?  I mean, with all the stress are you thinking of maybe staying at 7.5mg for now (easy half a 15mg tablet)??  Just a thought.

If you aim to get off keep it moving, so going from 8.1 to 7.5 is maybe next?  Or if you feel brave try a 10% of going down to 7.29 (7.3).  Test the water, see how you go.

How have the last drops affected you, any nausea, insomnia, upset tum?  

What other meds do you take now, any?  I know you spoke of a benzo before.

If 10% doesn't affect you (I would give this 3 weeks at least) then you can reassess how to go after that  

Personally, I could never recommend a CT, homeostatis rules !!

HI Calmer

Soooo nice of you responding to everybody... Anyway it is a good thing as you can also distract yourself from your symptoms. I think it is necessary to start a petition to Patient.Info for arranging some sort of payment for your contributions... :-))).

I can jog indeed eventhough the winter is coming here but my office hours are starting very early around 7.45 AM. So in order to make a 4-5 km walk and some stretching exercises i have to wake up around 5.30AM which due to taking Remeron at 9 pm is a bit difficult. Some more in the evening i should stay awake maybe until 11 to help my wife and take care of my baby girl... :-)

I am thinking now that my problems as the dose of Remeron is going lower are more of a psychological nature currently... coupled that with the Remeron taper and it has a very bad effect on my mornings. I tend to get paranoid some days and avoiding my boss at all costs. I know that is not good but what can I do... any amount of stress sets me back and I am currently not being able to enter into a normal routine with the work stuff. 

While you say staying at 7.5 for a while that can be an option as the brain fog on the 3-4th day after a cut is really something tough to handle. There are words around that i can change my position at work going to manage another team (which would be ideal) but starting the new routine would be a bit tough on me and I need to ruminate as less as possible in order to be able to do it.

That is only a short term plan... in the long run i do not see myself taking Remeron for the rest of my life. I will definitely go down as the presence of this medicine in my blood is enough reason to cause me mental anguish. That is why sometimes on my paranoid days i get back to the idea of completely dropping or faster tapering of it. I am not sure whether the afternoons bliss times i have are because of less Remeron in my blood or because of psychological thought that another day is ending OK... How much i hate this kind of thinking... I have had it even before Remeron but it never put me down. I was pushing my days away without being involved in many things but at least i was very normal and enjoying my free time a lot. Right now the level of enjoyment is not the same. I can be happy for some time then as soon as i remember that i would have to take the Rem at the evening... all the happines flies away. I know i sound obsessed and i accept i am but this year has been very tough and there are moments when I feel like my obsession puts me down. Anyway a part from the weekend we gonna have another day off on Wednesday so I think tonight i will go for another drop. It is already 2 weeks from my previous one and i have been normal somehow... 

How about you friend..??? Is your sleep better...?? Be savy with the Linden as we have winter in front and only in the spring you will have chances to break branches of trees at Wollington... :-) 

Thanks again for your patience and answers friend.

Thank you for your kind words.

I broke my own rules and did a larger taper, only because when you get quite low on the liquid version of Mirt, when using the 1 ml syringe and you are drawing up 0.12 ml (equivalent to 1.8 mg) it is hard to differentiate the measure within the syringe ... so I am battening down the hatches, ready and waiting for any reaction ... ok so far, touch wood ... day 2.  I have been tapering for a year now !!!  Can't quite believe it.

I have had brief waves of nausea that arrive suddenly and disappear quickly, can cope with that. It is almost impossible to do a 5% or even a 10% when down at this level because it is difficult to measure such a small amount.  I was at 7.5 last Christmas !  Gosh ... 

Hey a new opening being offered to you, that sounds promising.  Everythings coming at once, too much maybe?  My OH had a big team, (workaholic) very stressful job, American company, terrible, away so much, worked 200 miles away Monday to Friday when we had 2 babies ... have to weigh up the pro's and cons, what's more important.  

So have you thought anymore about CBT which may help greatly with the rumination.  Get a professional, don't wait for the doctor to give you the first one thats free, or maybe your therapist does it? Hope thats going well?

I have Benalyn, Phenergen, Melatonin, and Linden Tea if I'm hit with insomnia; havn't used any yet, I will try the natural tea first my friend !  

Best wishes

 

Hey Calmer

You re at such a low level buddy. Come on do not panic ... you are going to make it for sure. Just imagine the most that you will have will be some sort of insomnia for 2-3 days but you have the extra help for that. Speed up the process a little bit. You are distracting all the time, not much stres... do not think about the WD. I understand that you are feeling somehow stable and do not want to ruin that but imagine the benefits of being mirtazapine free.... Having a happy day without thinking... ohh in the evening i will still have to take that poision... :-)))

Be happy buddy. Weekend ahead. I will drive tomorrow to my hometown. need to check out what is hapening on my investment there (starting up a guesthouse within next month). You can check Korca in the web and you will see the lovely town maybe next year you can come for a visit for free in my guesthouse... :-)))) My parents and my wifes parents are helping me a lot there. I remember in July and August when i was in my hometown i was in full depression due to Benzos and i was like a zombie. No desire for anything. Right now it is more different. I know that i am going to make it. It will take time but i will come to the other side. I have just to accept the situation which on the rumination days is almost impossible to do.

Good luck friend. Read a book, watch a movie, go for a walk at Wallington, call your kids... there are hundred ways of distraction. You are going to feel fine. The reduction you have done is nothing compared to your will.... :-)

Found everything from Patient in my Span folder ... !!  What's that about??    Sorry, here I am now !

Alls well, no problems, feeling positive Toni, touching lucky wood.  

Hope the visit to hometown went well, sounds like a pretty good investment and a lovely life you're building there buddy.  Keep focusing there because it all sounds brilliant for the extended family.  

One day I may make it out there!!  

Busy weekend here also, being busy can be a blessing indeed.

 

HI Calmer

Thanks for your message. As on Friday 14th I am on 7.2Mg... touch wood... knock knock three times.. :-)

I drove to my hometown on Saturday and came back yesterday afternoon. The trip was quite good and i almost forgot that i had some sort of medication problems... :-) The work is the culprit currently for my bad situation but i do not have much choice.

Anyway i wanted to ask you regarding something. AT these low levels of Remeron i continuously feel too tired and apathic during the day. I do not have the desire to do anything on particular days. Is it the sedative effect of the Remeron or any depression creeping back in ...??? My sleep these two days has not been very good but i attribute that to lowering the Remeron dose as well as abusing some sweets and foods just before the sleep (which i know it is not good).

Let me know buddy.

All the best

You're right, I prefer to think of it as fatigue, and I don't think its a withdrawal symptom as such, just that he lower doses do make us more sedated.  I find I can push through it most of the time, but then I'm not at work in the afternoons.  Just taking a walk helps, and lots of water.  Other than than it's just reassuring to know it is a symptom of Mirt and not any depression.  Day 4/5 are usually my worst, so thats now, and not too bad this time.

So well done for making the move down to 7.2, see how it goes.  You might find it doesn't really affect you at all except the few nights of not so good sleep.  Yes sugar makes me restless also whilst on Mirt.  I was naughty too, my daughter 'made me' (lol) drink wine with dinner and after ... once in a while I think you have to just be normal.

Have a great Monday  

 

HI Calmer

I am continuing into 7.2Mg. Yesterday was down but today is more normal. Tomorrow is public holiday here so I think i am going to recover the drop by Thursday.

Anyway my situational factors are still the same and too stressing for me so I am trying to cope. In the bad days i tend to think that i am depressed and lowering Mirt might not be the right thing. My doctor is right in the sense that my problems are more of a psychological nature now and i tend to blame them on Mirt. I tend to focus on Mirt whenever i do not have something to focus on.

This is something i do believe it is right. If i was not working right now my recovery would be really faster... Not because i have much work to do but because i tend to get stressed by my manager. I am hoping for a speedy recovery buddy. I am wlaking 6 -7 km every day at night, eating somehow right and taking the supplements.

I would never thought in January that this year was going to be the way it has been. I am hoping for better times ahead. Hey by the way i really miss a glass of wine on sundays or on those very tiring days, anyway with the amount of problems i have had this year i think i will never touch that again when all this is over.

Good luck buddy and keep in touch

Hey Toni, how did day 4 go, how you feeling buddy?  Hope you got zero symptoms, maybe a little fatigue?  

I just realised today is day 7 for me, I got some fatigue but nothing major, can ride this out.  As my drop was quite big I ought to leave it for at least 2 weeks ... patience was never my strong point !

Well done for all that walking, that'll do yo the world of good.  I walk miles with my dog, and yoga, pilates, would like to say gym but can't find it in myself ... gym is pretty boring.

Hope your day is ok anyways, keep lifting yourself up buddy.

Hi Calmer

I am not sure... not out of the woods yet from this cut. Today again a bad night of sleep but the previous day i was tooo stressed indeed. My mother bipolar cycle seems to show up again and she most probably is in the hyper mode right now. Not really full blown but at a start of it. I had some arguing with her over the phone and then the whole day started on a bad foot. I was anxious and tensed... and most probably it reflected on my sleep last night as well. I am happy i have a weekend in front of me so i can recuperate. I hope this wave does not last long. I feel a bit depressed on such days with not much hope and sometime i get confused whether it is WD or i am really sick and in need of AD-s. 

I want my life back friend but on those days i tend to loose focus and get scared. It sets me back big time. At work is still difficult as when i am in a sort of wave it is soo difficult for me to think and express properly and make decisions. I hope that does not get notted too much.

SO how about you??? On such a low dose i swer you will not have any major problems until the end. Just be careful and take it slowly slowly. you are getting back your life and that is what matters.

Keep in touch buddy. I need some encouragment and reassurance. And so do you... :-)))) Just promise only one glass of wine not more.... :-)))

Toni

Hi Toni

Do you suffer with Bipolar or are you saying your Mother does and you may have a tendancy, bit confused??

I think its important not to live in "apprehension" or "what if's" whilst anyone is tapering ... it may be an art or a gift from practicing meditation

 - being able to swerve the thoughts and slip downt he mental slippery slope of worst case scenarios ... I think it can only come from practice.

Yes I'll be around to encourage you, I'm here for the long haul  I havn't worked out a schedule, I'm just taking one drop [taper] at a time, I don't have a finish date.  

Keep seeing the sunshine and bypassing the negative, it's out there with all the other amazing natural peaceful sights.

 

HI Calmer

No i am not Bipolar, my mother is unfortunately, and i believe she turned bipolar after many continous years of using psych meds. Now i think she is on the hyper side and yesterday morning i was trying to talk to her regarding some not so important issue but then she starts talking nonstop and it is almost impossible to reason with her. I started to have some sort of mild panic while talking and then the whole day went not good.

ABout the slipery slope i know what you mean. I am trying really hard not to go into that direction but after every drop especially now on the lower doses i feel more prone to sliding. Anyway i am trying to hold for the moment. Not sure whether i will be able to but i am trying my best. These forums and the horror stories are a strong NO NO but i can not beat myself and enter time after time. Maybe i should not focus on reading the horror stories and concentrate only on my discussion but that is another aspect....that i have to work with.

Right now i do not have much anxiety but time after time i have some sort of moderate depression feelings and when i think that this taper will take much longer time then what i anticipated i tend to go down. Anyway with every achievement nowadays i tend to have some good time after. I hope today is the last day to have problems from the cut. It is one week already and tomorrow is weekend....

Thanks for your asistance anyway...

hmmm that mild panic your Mum triggered and it stayed is double edged hey?  I mean you have no way of helping her, its out of your control, leads to frustration - and then it manages to wind you and takes you to a place you don't want to be.  And breath ... sorry I hope you are relieved now.

Hope over the weekend you may feel some relief, I'm ready for bed and its only 20.15 haha ... I'm shattered, here's to a restful few days all round.

 

HI Calmer

My weekend was not good. There were moments when i was anxious and right now i think i have problems with handling of stress. Today is Monday and i am at work. Was calm somehow in the morning but then i realise that i am not very able to handle a lot of stress right now. My brain feels tired and not able to think to much. I can not debate a lot with people and if i start talking about some topic it feels like i do not have the nerves to continue talking for long. I tend to get tired easily. I did not take my b-complex today thinking that maybe that one was causing my depressive feelings during the weekend. I was feeling calm in the morning but then after i was checking something for work and debating for some political issues with some of my friends during launch i notice that I am already tired. Can it be the b-complex or my stress handling levels have gone down....??? How long it will last???

How about you my friend...??? Are you able to handle stress better as you have gone lower with your dose or it is the same situation??? I tend to get scared sometimes as this process seems to me a never ending one. Considering all the stress currently this situation was the last that i needed.

 

I just started taking Mirt and after reading this I'm scared to death to continue. I think it is helping with my depression and I tried to go back to 3.5 from 7 last night and barely slept.  My doc wants me to work up to 15mg slowly but after reading all the problems people are having getting off it, it makes me even more scared but I really am having trouble with sleep.  What do you think?

Hi Toni

How are you today? ... time has flown me by.  Sorry to read of your anxieties - you know lots of folk have said they have been through a stage when they just want to be alone, not talk to anyone, intolerant, I think it is a "side effect" rather than a WD symptom.  I get this when my family are "debating" around the table, I think to myself I want to be in the other room!  Missing the B Complex won't be the cause, rest assured.

I think it may be difficult whilst tapering when we hit an anxious time in our lives you're right, like when I had the attempt burglary I had butterflies for about 2 weeks when I went to bed because it happened just as I was getting in to bed, and there was only me in the house.  But I tried to stay strong, accepting the situation and giving it some thought but not let it take over - easier said than done hey?

You know I think we all get tired easily in wd, but at the same time, if you rest for say just 10 minutes - somehow the energy comes back to you, trying hard to relax and concentrating on your breathing may help ... ever done yoga?  

Me, I'm super tired today, to be honest my last drop from 2.1 mg to 1.8 mg was too much, I havn't felt wd symptoms as such, just waking early now, 4.30/5 ish - awake for ages then get back to sleep for a short period ... ugh!  

Hang on in there, tomorrow may well be a completely different picture !

Wishing you well  

 

Hi Laserbeam.

If you have not taken any AD-s before just think twice before going into it. If you are looking something for sleep only than 3.5mg of Remeron would do the work. Just get tired, go for a walk or run 2-3 hours before sleep and than try Magnesium as well as a Chamomile tea. If I was you and know what I know now I would surely stay away from Remeron, but if you have deep depression than better listen to the doctor. I have not have major depression in my entire life and unfortunately I am having now due to benzos and Remeron. Anyway it is your choice buddy. I am not a doctor and I can not give advice in your case.

Hi Laserbeam

How long have you been taking 7.5 mg??  I wonder if you suffered with insomnia?  I think Mirt' can be a great help for anyone suffering with chronic sleep deprevation or chronic anxiety, but personally I wouldn't (myself) take it for depression (knowing what I know now) if I had a choice of another AD.  Not that I can recommend any, I havn't tried them apart from Citralopram and it didn't help me.  

If you had sleep dep', and 7.5 mg helps then I would think there is no need to go to 15 mg really, but as you say you have depression - you say you feel better at 7.5 - don't let the doc rush you up the doses if you don't feel you need it.  

You may have been at 7.5 for several weeks - if so dropping to 3.5 (50% drop) was too big.  I'll wait until you reply.  I would take the 7.5 tonight, and if necessary make a plan to taper more slowly.

Best wishes.

thanks, going  with the 7.5 tonight.  let you know how it goes. Insomnia is real bad for me right now. I know this is a powerful drug but it was working a bit. I'll let you know how it goes. take care!

Laser beam I agree with Calmer. If you are taking it for sleep than 7.5 is good, because Remeron is more sedating at lower doses. At 15 Mg it has antidepressive properties so it is more activating.

HI Calmer

My turn to ask how are you budy??... :-) I hope you are doing fine with your new cut.

On my side i am not doing that well. I have noticed i have started to dwell more than needed on my symptoms and reading tooo much about Mirt wd. I know this is not good for me. I sense depression as at work i am becoming very passive recently. Due to the clashes with my manager i have no guts to start new things or doing things due to an unexplained feeling of being scolded for doing ti the wrong way. I think her attitude has taken its toll on me. I know this is not good and i am really thinking on how i can get out of this situation. Before the meds thing i have had such periods but I would never think too much of it. As soon as i would come out of the office, going home, meeting friends or having a good night's sleep would do the trick and back on track. Now it is a different story.... :-( Unfortunately.

These days i have been coming at work, watching at my computer and waiting for the workday to finish. Concetrating too much on wd and forum reading.

I do not know to what i can attribute these feelings but i doubt it is more psycholigcal than wd related. I need to change some ways otherwise i might fail. What do you think?

I am continuing with 7.2 MG and most probably noticing this depressive situation i might hold longer on this dose. I also meditate before sleeping and in the morning using some hypnosis youtube videos. I am continuing with my walk of 6-7 KM everynight (during the summer days it was under the sun but now due to winter time it is dark when i go out). I am calm during nights and with no bad thoughts. Tiredness seems to be at acceptable levels but left me with this leazy feeling which i do not really like. 

Anyway as you mentioned in your last comment we need acceptance of the situation. I hope things will change. If last year somebody will tell me that this time this year i would be under these circumstances i would surely fall off the chair laughing. Now i see it is a reality. Eventhough there were the benzos and mirtazapine starting all this i need to change my ways. 

Good luck and keep in touch buddy.

HI!  I stopped mirtizapine 18 days ago. last dose was 7.5.  first week was fine, then I had a rough couple days from day 8-10... then better days 10-17... now since yesterday horrible. out of the blue i had a panic attack yesterday while driving and it was so powerful that I thought I was going to pass out. today I am feeling very sick. stomach upset, no appetite, palpitations, just very ill.  is this mirtizapine withdrawals 18 days out??? It is giving me no hope whatsoever.  please let me know your experience. thank you

 

Hi Connie

I think it is WD from Mirtazapine. Anyway you can wait it out but you never know how long it may last. The best way would be to reinstate at a smaller dose and see whether you can stabilize. 3.5 mg would be OK. After you stabilize you can start tapering by 10% of the dose every 3-4 weeks. Myself I am tapering by mixing Mirt with water on 1mg to 1ml and then draw with a syringe the amount I need. Anyway Connie I am not a doctor just talking from my experience. You better talk with the doctor that prescribed it. There are people who have no problems at all jumping from high doses but some are sensitive and face withdrawals. Maybe you and me are not from the lucky group. If reinstating 3.5 improves your situation within 1-2 days that means your body is in WD and tapering slowly will be the solution. You can wait it out but nobody can say how long it might last. Good luck buddy. Take it easy.

thank you! I appreciate your response. keep in touch. 

 

Oh no Connie, I'm afraid it is WD/discontinuation. Toni's advise is very good, j would reinstate straight away before bedtime. Must folk seem to feel it day 4/5 but some not until 2 weeks then it can hit like a sledge hammer.

Hang on if there, treat the nausea with anti sickness from the doctor + Immodium fur for tummy flu. If itching over the counter anti histamine - bless you, look after yourself x

Feel good buddy, just the fatigue but been so busy & out & about, no rest, but prefer that. Did another drop last night, pleased to say NO SYMTOMS from the last drop (touch wood).

That bully boss of yours has a lot to answer for making you feel scolded & trapped - this alone is your cross roads which you can't pass over right buddy ? Damned if you stay put dsmned if you do the other position you spoke of ... ugh

I agree 100% - you have to cut off from reading stuff on the internet & comparing if it's getting under your skin, that's not good for you. I would cut down to just one session maybe for just 40 minutes say

Oops I meant to say 20 minutes... trouble with wifi here ... try not to let Mirt tapering define you, or override everything. Letting it run in the background not foreground, giving your negative thoughts little priority.

I keep losing wifi so gonna hit send & wish you well before I lose everything I wrote again.

after 20 days of not taking Mirtizapine I had to reinstate - I just couldn't take the panic attacks anymore. They got so bad that I couldn't drive as my vision would go so blurry I couldn't see the road.  I am very disappointed in myself and since I have reinstated 4 nights ago , I am wondering if I had waited out more of the withdrawal would I be in the clear by now. but instead I started up and it wasn't a peice of cake. I was still having withdrawals and then start-up side effects.  I hate this medicine but I cannot have panic attacks just come out of the blue because my body is so chemically unbalanced   so frustrated ...sigh... 

it hit me 3 weeks out and hard!  I reinstated 4 nights ago @ 15mg. I am still not out of the woods but feeling 70% better.  I am very disappointed in myself.  I was on MIRT for aprox year and half and I just want to get how I was before I started.  I don't seem to be able to go to the old me again.  20 days after last mirt I was having horrible withdrawal induced panic attacks, worse than I had originally.  took away my vision while driving!  now I have anxiety driving!   crazy!  so frustrating!

that is so messed up connie.. My depression came on when I was laid off from a job that I loved.  I almost ready to take this new job at minimum wage just to save my soul. I can still collect EI which is about the same money if not a bit more but my hope is that I will learn to love this new job in some way and give myself some purpose in life and then combined with some excersise maybe feel more like the old me.  I don't think I can put a value on that.   Hang in there connie. Life can be a bitch but we have do the best we can to rise above this.

So sorry Connie, wd from Mirt' can be hell; important and vital to keep reminding yourself that IT IS NOT YOU OR ANY OLD SYMPTOMS RETURNING but clearly the wd from the drug itself ... and driving isn't scary it was the wd from the drug !  

Time to let yourself settle again and feel stable, its a good sign that you feel 70% better - that means you will be successful with the reinstate.

No need to rush anything hey?  But maybe make the plan to taper slowly later when you feel better ... lots of advice to share.  To start click on my name and read the links under my status, take your time.

I'm still tapering so will be around for some time.  

Don't beat yourself up, lots of people reinstate and start over, its not a race, you may be sensitive to a fast taper, a slow taper can mean going really low on the dose to say 0.1 mg ... its doable, don't worry x

 

HI Calmer

It is already some days we haven't been writen. How are you buddy...?? Everything OK..??

On my side I am not doing good. Still a lot of depression especially during the first half of the day. Tomorrow will be 3 weeks from my last cut and i still do not feel stable. At this stage there are moment where I am not sure. Should i hold at 7.2 and wait it out...??? Or it is better to jump at this level and hope for the best. Two doctors are suggesting me to try the second option but i am not sure.

What do you think buddy...?? My situational factors indeed are not good yet. I have to change my work position from a managing role to an expert one. My salary will not change but the change of the title is something that worries because the people will start to talk... and i am too prone to ruminate right now. 

I notice that i am also getting addicted to the forums same as during the time of benzo wd. I promise myself that i will not enter anymore but as soon as i have some trouble i find the relaxation by entering the forums and blaming all my suffering to the meds. How i regret taking Remeron. It has become my enemy number one but whom i can not fight. I feel imprisoned and i do not dare to jump at this level and take my chances.

If i continue slowly, I am not sure whether this level of depression is normal. If i continue at 7.2 how much more do you think it will take up to my stabilisation...??

Let me know buddy... really worried here.

I am talking to you on else where now, I suggest we quit here.  I will PM you.

Before I do ... do you read your Private Messages Toni?  Don't think you have acknowledged the one's I have sent you before?

it's so crazy because I don't know how to handle the dizzyness.  I still drive but It feels like waves of motion and it brings on anxiety big time.  just one thing after another.  it's got to stop.  I just had bloodwork done tuesday for my appointment next week.  i don't know if the dizziness i2 from high blood pressure, low blood pressure, anxiety, panic, withdrawal, start-up or if it's something else.  I used to be a normal person. x

Search for joseph glenmullen, he list 58 symptoms of AD WD, there are 5 for dizziness,

1.  Disequilibrium

2.  Spinning, swaying, lightheaded

3.  Hung over or waterlogged feeling

4.  Unsteady gait, poor coordination

5.  Motion sickness

So if you are driving and you start to get No. 5 that is what is making you feel panicky.  Its not you, its the WD, it will pass, I'm just sorry is so hard for you, its so much harder after a quick taper ... look after yourself Connie.

x

I mention these not to scare youu but to put your mind at rest ... you're not going do-lally!

I wake up with a sensation of water rushing about in my head when I do a drop in dose ... nice ... I try and ignore it best I can, it may be there a few mornings, then gone again.  

Hey Calmer,

Iam not weaning off I am actually increasing on because I just started taking Mirt. I'm at 11.25mg going to 15. I read about driving and dizzy feelings. Do u think it will ok for me to drive on an 8 hour drive? I haven't experienced any dizzy feelings yet. thanks

 

Laserbeam, not to worry, mine is a different kind of scenerio. I had taken Mirtazapine already for a year and a half.  I stopped for 3 weeks thus feeling withdrawals... started again on for 6 days.  I am probably dizzy due to the withdrawals and start up or could be something entirely different unrelated to mirt.  You will be fine.  I have been on this med for year and half and did not make me dizzy for that time period.  it was only when I stopped and then reinstated.  my brain chemistry still trying to come together.   best to you.  you will be fine.  do check in and let me know how you are doing.  Thanks! 

Gosh thats a long drive, I really dislike driving long distance so can't really advise you ... I would have thought Mirt' may make you feel too tired but we're all different.  Driving has never made me feel dizzy.  Sorry I can't help you further Laserbeam.

thanks a lot for the words. I started my new higher dose last night and actually slept a bit more. I had some real vivid dreams and I woke myself up laughing.. very strange and scary at the same time. I'm still planning on the drive because I want to visit my mom and sisters and watch the election results from there. I will taking the Mert with me and in a few days being going to a whole 15mg my final level hopefully.  Wish that I didn't need this tuff but it seems to be working a bit. I notice that I kind of feel a bit lazy though.  Talk at you later,

Yes those vivid dreams are bizarre but kind of wonderful at the same time lol!  Remember, although 7.5 may not be a dose suitable for lifting depression (or even an inbetween dose like 11.25 mg), if it helps you to sleep well - that alone might help depression and if so, there may not need to be an increase in upping the dose.

I hope the drive goes well, once you are used to the slightlyy higher dose you

may not feel quite so lazy, but 7.5 to 15 does have a sedative effect, for most folk anyways.

 

Encouraged by these posts! I just stopped 4 days ago, and after 3 days of terrible symptoms, I finally can sleep and eat! Do you think I'm out of the woods? I'm hoping I am over the worst of it. It's weird to me that mine started worst at day 1, but day 4 is great! Should I expect more problems?

Its hard to tell Blyther because we are all different; if tapered slowly you should be alright, how did you taper, how long & what dose did you stop at?  I sure hope youu continue to do well.

I was on 7.5 for 2 months, and I didn't like the side effects. So I decided to stop. I did 3.75 for a couple days, and then nothing. My doctor told me to just stop. I just hope it keeps getting easier!!