I reduced my dosage from 7.5mg to 3.75 three weeks ago. I felt relatively OK w that cut, sleep hasn’t been as good, had some anxiety for a few days. But now, sleep has been getting bad for the last few days, really bad insomnia! Some nights only 2 hours sleep, but that seems to be getting slightly better.
However, today is the first day of feeling bad during the day as well: depressed mood and horrible anxiety and restlessness. Can’t focus, brain isn’t clear and can’t seem to calm down. The same feelings I had when I first made the cut.
Is it normal for withdrawals to ramp up like this, weeks after a cut? How long should they last for? Anything I can do to help them? I’m taking magnesium glycinate.
Also, I’m cutting a dissolvable 15mg tablet into 4 pieces. The quartered chunks can be irregular in size, some are bigger, some are smaller. Could these variations in size be causing these symptoms as well?
Thank you!
How long have you been tapering. I tapered too fast . I suffered greatly with my sleep and still do it's awful I have tried everything herbal on the market. I now use magnasium it helps a bit I think. I'm now on another antidepressant venlafaxine and been doing well on that xx
your drop is way to quick. my doctor advised me if doing this, after 15 mg take 3 of the four pieces u have cut for 3 to four weeks depending on how u feel. then 2 pieces for the same time then one-piece the same time. . then take the one piece every other day then every 3 rd day then every fourth day until its down to once a week. once there, stop.. it worked well for me. been off four months now. Propranolol is good for the anxiety symptoms and can be used whenever. this may help. keep busy and try not focus in stuff. it all takes time so be easy on yourself. remember anxiety is just a feeling it cant hurt you and if you focus on it this makes it worse.
Withdrawals can kick in up to 6 weeks later. Your drop is too big and cutting pills is not ideal as you will be getting different size doses.
If you to join as fb support page ket me know
I dropped my mirtazapine last year. I had wonderful results with my anxiety and insomnia with it. But it popped my glucose and weight so I stopped taking it. Nothing has helped as it has. I've been dealing with these problems for thirty years. I would live to get it back. A year later, I'm miserable and barely able to work
I dropped mirt 6 months ago n still struggling with sleep it's driving me nuts xx
Hi Karen,
I took 7.5mg for about 7 weeks before realizing I wanted it out of my life. Cut that in half 3 weeks ago, so I have been at 3.75 mg for 3 weeks now. i am not on any other drugs, and dont plan to be ever again! Especially evil psych meds like this...
How quickly did you taper? What dose did you jump from? How long have you been off?
I am tapering at that same schedule, except i started off at only half of a 15 mg dissolvable pill: 7.5 mg. I then went to a quarter of a pill which is 3.75 mg. Ive been at this dose for 3 weeks and at first i was ok. But these last 4-5 days have been hell, especially when it comes to sleeping! :-(
I have never heard of Propranalol but i will check to see if its available where i live (Thailand).
Thank you!
Hi Sarah,
I am a member of both of the Mirtazapine supoort pages on FB, one is just called: "Remeron (Mirtazapine)" and one is called: "Mirtazapine Should be Illegal"
Both have been helpful! is there anofher group i should join?
15 mg dissolvable pills were the smallest dosage I could find. The only other option is 30 mg non-dissolving pills. I was going to make a liquid, but just learned that mirtazapine doesnt dissolve in water :-( NOW WHAT?!
Hi Marie,
WOW, a full year later and youre still feeling bad?! I am sorry to hear!
Did you taper down? how long were you on? what dose did you jump from?
At this point im just worried! Scared i may have already made a huge mistake by cutting too quickly :-( I JUST WANT TO FEEL NORMAL AGAIN! And sleep! I NEED SLEEP!
sleeping can be a problem.. even now four months on have to take something at least 3 night's a week. i alternate with herbal valarin tablets and melatonin. both available from the internet. as last resort i take a antihistamine as these make you sleepy. The propanalol is a beta blocker that is used for anxiety systoms. its non addictive. i also took pregablin this is sometimes used for anxiety, i live in UK. This was brilliant and totally calmed me down. i had to ween myself off this which was pain free really. no real bad side effects.
There is one called Mirtazapine withdrawal support group. Many in the group make their own liquid. Let me know if you woukd like to join.
I was on 45mg down too 30 then 15 then 0 done it too quick and ended up really ill. I wish I could be meds free but I'm on venlafaxine now doing a lot better it's just my sleep xx
Yes, I am having problems that are beginning to become worse. so much so that my anxiety is unmanageable at times.
I can't take it because the mirtazapine popped my glucose levels and I felt relaxed enough to eat. Ironic.
I keep bring it back up to my doctor...now I'm on Zoloft which, so far, gives me more anxiety.
Why are you stopping?
This has been going on for years for me.
Effexfor gave me panic attacks, NO sleep and me a night in the hospital. I would stand at work and sweat.....horrible. Glad its working for you, tho. Just a caution for others with SEVERE persistent GAD
I am stopping because I do not want to be on any drugs long-term… I only started taking this one regularly because I had a bad reaction to fluoroquinolone antibiotic’s… I was having a difficult time sleeping, which Mirtazapine really helped for.
MIRTAZAPINE HALF LIFE
• Half life is the time required for an AD (or other pharm) to “decrease” by half. Typically five half lives equate to 100%. Meaning 100% gone.
• When we withdraw from mirtazapine, the half life is 20-40 hrs x5 half lives, which is 200 hours or roughly 8 days. This can vary based on how one metabolizes (liver) and percent of dose drop and/or if they CT.
• Once all the half lives (drug) are gone from your body (liver), that is typically when full withdrawal BEGINS.
• Your body was dependent (addicted) to mirtazapine, and now after all half lives are gone, it’s complaining (aka withdrawal or discontinuance syndrome).
Hi Jason
Just a warning about using AH.
DANGERS OF ANTIHISTAMINE (AH) USE DURING TAPER & DISCONTINUANCE OF MIRTAZAPINE
Please be very careful with anything with antihistamine whether it be OTC or script, etc.
Mirtazapine has antihistamine properties in a very BIG way. When you taper or withdraw your very complex histamine receptors are struggling to normalize (homeostasis) by up and down regulating.
Taking an antihistamine can not only impede that healing but also can result in undesireable effects. An overflow of histamine toppling your histamine receptor flood gates.
In a support group there were two members who presented with "anaphylaxis" after using antihistamines (OTC / Pharm based).
One member was prescribed an AH by their provider knowing they were tapering! The other member was completely off mirtazapine taking OTC AH.
They both had to be hospitalized. One in the ER and the other in Resus, and both eventually came home with an epy pen.
Please be careful!