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Withdrawal Symptoms, how long did/have they lasted?

Posted , 5 users are following.

Ponyfeather
Ponyfeather

I was put on Mirtazapine about 24 months ago... and it hasn't been a pleasant experience. I gained excessive weight around 25 pounds I think I'd still be gaining if I wasn't tapering down to get off it I'm starting to loose some of it finally since I finally can stop myself from eating too much most of the time. 

But I'm stuck at 7.5 mg currently because of having serious withdrawal. This seems to happen every time I drop my dose down. I've had flu-like symptoms, I'm irritable more often than not, been having insomnia than the reverse when I finally sleep. My focus has been horrible most recently and it is driving me nuts I can't sit down and read a book, or write creatively and working with my horses isn't easy either because you have to be able to hyper-focus with them. Thankfully I have an old school master who doesn't even twitch because of my erratic unfocused behaviour. Which I am every so grateful for his acceptance my filly is learning not to be bothered by it which in the long run is a good thing.

But I have been on this dose for a few weeks and hoping some of these symptoms go away soonI want my focus back most of all. So I can drop all the way off this medication and I'm curious will these symptoms come back full force?  

I know I have been taking more of my Ativan, recently. Which normally I save for serious panic attacks but I have been having them more frequently. sad

  

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • WantToGetBetter
    WantToGetBetter Ponyfeather

    Posted

    Hi Ponyfeather

    The withdrawal symptoms are horrible arent they!  I have been off of Mirtz for nearly 4 weeks now and the symptoms I experienced varied and only lasted maybe a week at a time.  Firstly exhaustion, tearful, angry, felt constantly sick and unable to sleep at all and really depressed.  Im happy to say that out of all of these symptoms I am only left with being unable to sleep, which I have to say is soooo hard but I have found some sleeping tablets from the chemist which are really good so will take those until I am better.   I am also very tearful, however I know its the tablets so when i feel like that I just talk myself out of it and that usually works.  The depression has lifted too which was the worse symptom out of the lot!!  I think if you can just go through each phase and know that it wont last forever and that you will get through it then you will do just fine.  Take it easy you dont need to rush off of 7.5 only move lower when you feel the symptoms are getting better.  The good thing about being off of Mirtz is that my weight is nearly back to normal without even dieting its such a relief as I didnt look or feel like me anymore I have my confidence back.  There is a lovely lady on here called Betsy who says that each phase is just your brain adjusting to how it used to be and that it will take time.  So for each withdrawal symptom just think OK my brain is trying to work without these drugs and when its over you are functioning all on your own and how you should be.   Good luck and DONT give up!! this drug is so awful why would you want to stay on it or ever go back on it - NEVER be strong you can do this

  • evergreen
    evergreen Ponyfeather

    Posted

    I have horses too, so know how hard it can be working with them when you're feeling below par. I'm afraid that the WD will hit you at each drop of dosage unless you go extremely slowly. I was able to avoid most of them by using a pill cutter to cut my pills and then I made my own liquid for the final drops. I came of the last 1mg 0.1mg at a time and holding each reduction for a few days. But larger cuts were held for at least two weeks each time. I found day 4-5 was the worst for WD but doing it so slowly, it honestly was not that bad. Everyone is different and some people need to taper more slowly than others. I wouldn't make any further cuts until you feel stable on 7.5mg, then I would cut no more than 1mg at a time using a liquid and holding each dose for 2 weeks. You can reduce this time period if you feel your body could cope with a shorter time, but it is trial and error, and lots of patience! Good luck.
  • charles98819
    charles98819 Ponyfeather

    Posted

    I have been on mirt now for 5years now and when i read about these withdrawer sypstoms it reeally scare me but i have decided to start witd in 2 months
  • Calmer
    Calmer Ponyfeather

    Posted

    Hi Ponyfeather

    Sorry for your suffering, so many people boomerang up and down Mirt' because of the WD symptoms.  So from 7.5 mg what dose have you been trying to take?  

    Follow the link for advice of a slow steady wd and you should be OK, you too Charles, although some can drop 25% and be off Mirt in a month or two, I havn't read of any on this forum.  I'm doing a slow taper too.

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/mirtazapine-tapering-simplified-510495

    Follow a plan of no more than 10% every 4 weeks, or 5% every 2 weeks might be kinder to your nervous system.

    Best wishes.

     

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