Withdrawing Mirtazapine. UTI symptoms

Thank you, Yaritza. It definitely sounds similar. I've tried 3 times not to drop the 3.75mg I'm on mirtazapine and every time the UTI-like symptoms start. I am returning lab negative test results.

When I reinstate, things tend to settle down after 10 days to 3 weeks. I think it's the rapid withdrawal that causes it as I don't know what else it could be. I am waiting for my system to get used to the 3.75 again and for the UTI-like symptoms to settle, and then I will try again with a very, very steady taper. I'm desperate to get off them as the food things is awful and they make me so irritable.

As far as I can tell, it isn't a particularly common side effect but who knows what damage these meds do to your CNS. Let me know how you get on and I will check back in too. Best wishes to you. I hope you find a solution

Hi , well its been now 5 days off of mirt and i still feel the urine problem,maybe a bit less but still there, now its much frequency urine what i feel and the annoying feeling on the private part when the frequency urination start. now i wanted to ask you what urine problem symptoms you feel? Are they the same to a UTI or similar and if so can you name what the symptoms you feel? how often and when does it affect you like day,night or all the time? i ask because i want to know if my symptoms are the same as yours. Thank you very much for you answer! take care and plz keep in touch to know the progress 😃

Did you 'jump off' and stop taking mirtaz at 0.7mg? Or did you go lower?

My symptom is frequency. It's not painful but I feel like I'm wanting to go again to the toilet after around 10 minutes, but am trying to hold off for as long as I can. It like this day and night. I don't have any burning sensations, just the urgency to keep going! As I'm still on 3.75mg mirtaz, I'm managing to sleep but I am waking up to go to the loo 3 or 4 times in the night, which is far from ideal

I have been writing in a journal and some days I manage to go 1 to 2 hours but I am completely busting to go at this stage. I am trying to do 'bladder training' and holding off for as long as I can.

Under normal circumstances I probably still have on overactive bladder but not to the extent when the only thing I can think of is my bladder. It is awful and I really feel for you.

Wow, then my situations is waaaay worse. i cant even begin to tell you how much i have suffer from it. it stater oct 27 with not being able to pee like urine retention, and aside from it having to go to often to pee (u can imagen how horrible it was) and look what day its today and its still(the frequency) there my god. I stopped mirt this 11 at 0.7 mg since i felt i couldnt handle the urine problem any long because it was sooo bad. like i said now its a bit better but still there and im kind of loosing hope on to when will it go away for good. ive done blood test to check for cancer and 4 urine test all clear so like i said to you , reading your post made me realize its mirt because it cant be something else right? my god i dont know what else to do ive done everything...but yeah once i read your post that same day i stop taking it. i had been tapering from 15 mg to 0.7 mg for 3 years and a month, but coulndt keep up this drug its a killer. i have an appointment with my gin this may, to long i know but at least its the only thing left to do for i dont know what else or what other then mirt could it be. A true nightmare, never i thought going through this my god. and like you say, you cant find anyone going through the same as you its like a rare symptom , so no help , your all alone 😦 anyways are you planning to taper slow or come if this crap now?

It sounds like you have had a really awful time with it. I can completely relate to what you say. It's bad enough when you have a UTI for a few days but for it to go on for weeks is horrendous.

Have you had any support from your GP?

I went for scans and lab analysis and, in the past, cystoscopy, too, to ensure that everything else is well.

I have made the connection (rightly or wrongly) that the mirtz withdrawal is causing this. I have tried to come off 3 times and the night I've stopped the mirtaz is the night I'm up and down to the bathroom all night. The first coupld of days I was managing to hold on for 20 minutes to half an hour daya and night - today it's an hour...but I'm watching the clock for when I can next go for a wee.

There are a couple of things that have helped so I'll mention them incase it helps you.

• Uva Ursi. You can buy it at health food store. Check it's ok for you to take it first but it has helped with things, I think.
• Destress. The more I worry about it, the worse it is. So lots of meditation, exercise and yoga. Less sugar and rubbish food, but that bit is not easy on mirtaz!!

I have reinstated at 3.75mg and am monitoring that. I am on day 11 today and the symptoms are still there but not as raw as the first coupld of days so, presumably my CNS and bladder are trying to heal.

As soon as my symptoms have eased I intend to start reducing by .46mg every 10 days to a fortnight. I'm hoping to be off in 100 days but it may not work out like that. If it doesn't I will reinstate and start again.

I went on these dreadful tablets last April so I'll be delighted if I can get off them within the year.

I really would check in with your doctor though, even if just to report your symptoms and agree that you need to withdraw.

Keep in touch and I will too

you got that right! horrible. I had in the past UTI but with antibiotics it goes away and no more suffering but now its not a UTI but we have the symptoms as if it was a UTI and for me its be almost 2 months with the symptoms!! So yes its horrible. And yes i went to the hospital nov 1 because i couldnt handle the urinary problem and the did a urine test, 3 blood test and a ct scan. the only thing in the ct scan that still makes me question some things its the underdistended bladder( i think its called) and when i went to my doctor he told me that it was nothing that the ct scan was all good that everything was fine. exacly what the docotor in the hospital told me. the weird thing is( and im questioning if it is also mirt) that i did had a very small infection in my urine at first but went away quickly and then a yeast infection and no one can explain why because im all healthy and all test are clear! and then i got crystals in my urine!!!! So like you say! it IS mirtazapine!! because in the past 3 years ive talk with people who had the most rare symptoms no one else had! and after searching Mirt can cause alot of bad things! and it makes sence, how if everything comes clear, you are healthy and you got bad symptoms? then its Mirt!! wow.

about you suggestions i thank you and i will try to find the uva ursi to see if i can take it and also, i do know that when im stressed and think about it to much because come on, its a very annoying symptom who can hold pee?! well it gets worse so i need to distract myself but its not easy all the time and cant do it to often. My doctor told me stop the med if its causing you so much problems because if all test are clear then its Mirt. its what he told me. so i did this 11 , 6 days off mirt to be exact, so all i have left is to wait... dont know how long it will take but i guess it takes time to get better. Will do! and you 2 to see if we can finally feel healthy again and get out if this nightmare.

It's very difficult for a doctor to make a diagnosis, so I certainly wouldn't want to say it's definitely the mirtazapine but it looks a likely culprit.

Another thing that can help the bladder is to switch to a very basis (boring) diet. Cut out alcohol and caffeine and follow what's know as an 'interstitial cystitis' diet plan. This can work for some people who are experiencing bladder problems.

The bladder does need to time to heal after it's been infected or irritated and, in my own experience, this can take up to 3 weeks. Although, obviously, it's different for everyone.

You can also ask your doctor to be referred to a women's health therapist, who can help with bladder retraining. In all honesty, I'm not sure whether they are taking referrals at the moment as everyone seems to have been redeployed to 'boosting!'

As others have said to me, I will say to you:

This isn't for forever. It's awful while it's happening but it will end!

I keep repeating that and reminding myself of that as it can feel at times like it's never going to end.

Best wishes to you

How are you getting on Yaritza?

Hi i hope we get through these withdrawals. ive had tinnitis for 6 weeks since i stopped and no sign of it getting better. i habe days where it doesnt seem as bad but its still there. is it just time i guess

Hi, have you read the message i send you?