Mirtazapine cold turkey from 45mg

Treatment and medication
1

Okay so I have been on mirtazapine 45 mg for about 2 years now. Don't get me wrong this done the job for me I was sleeping every night and panic attacks and anxiety had impoved so much. But I have been going to the gym 5 times a week and eating so healthy but still gaining weight I used to be a size 10 I am now a 16!!! This has been making me so depressed and unsociable so I have decided to quit it....cold turkey,, this was my decision I want to be drug free and not a walking zombie anymore.

First couple of days have been great, going gym as normal, happy, lost 6lbs, sleeping is harder obviously I was expecting that, everything brighter, more energy.

Day four- fist sign of withdrawal symptoms was okay through the day felt very tired so went to bed about 10pm......looked at my clock 2.30am and u am still awake tossing and turning, then I began with these awful head pains never felt anything like it before, was like a wave of pain starting from the back of my head going to the front that happened all night. I then began hallucinating, I started seeing someone in my room, then I could see the dog on all fours staring at me. Muscle pains. Coughing and full of cold.

Woke up at 9am so must have got some sleep, feeling much better now, so I think the withdrawal has begin just hope I am strong enough to get through it and that it's not for too long.

I will keep you all updated. ...... 😊 anyone else got similar stories? How long will this last before I am myself again? Any suggestions on how to get through it?

2

Not going cold turkey like you but am tapering down from 30mg. Made my oown liquid and am now down to 0.9mg. No real WDs but when I got down to 1.8mg and tried to miss a dose, I felt dreadful after only one day so decided to taper more slowly off the last little bit. I think you are very brave coming off 45mg without tapering. I would say it could also be quite a shock for your body and not very kind to it at all. You may be lucky and get away with it. I hope so! Keep us posted.

3

I too am coming off Mirt but I am doing a slow WD. I gained 3 dress sizes and despise what has happened to my body. 

I wish you luck. 

Please keep us posted.

 

4

Hi Tyler, I am also tapering off slowly.  I don't know anyone who has done a CT from 45 who didn't reinstate.  Mirt is very cruel with withdrawal and CT isn't smart to do off any of these ADs because your nervous system physically changed to take the action of the drug into account.  That is why when you go CT you are creating a BIG imbalance, like ripping the trellis out from under a vine.

Some people get away with it though.  No one can say for sure how long withdrawal will last as it is all about your nervous system adapting back to life without the drug's action in the equation, and the nerves can be rather sluggish about changing back. CTs often cause withdrawal that lasts for months and even longer.

The worst physical symptoms seem to occur up front for the first month or so.  What nobody anticipates in the protracted withdrawal symptoms, usually emotional - severe anxiety, depression, insomnia - that occur months down the line.  Reovery occurs in a windows and waves pattern:  feel better, then worse, then better, then worse...

I was just reading up on how the alerting system gets so messed up coming off these meds, such that you get cortisol spikes with attendent fear, panic, anxiety and insomnia.  I still don't understand it fully, need to be a frickin' neurobiologist!

Anyway, hopefully you are one of the lucky ones and will snap back, but since you were on for two years, that was a lot of time for your nervous system to get dependent on mirt's influence.   If you find the need to reinstate, don't go all the way back to 45 - try 15 instead, to see if it alleviates symptoms.  Reinstatement should be done within the first three months, otherwise the odds of it helping goes down.

We'll be watching and keeping our fingers crossed for you!  Just thought I would give you a heads up in case the wheels start coming off the bus biggrin  It helps to understand before it happens so that you aren't blind-sided.

Nothing helps the nervous system recover from these drugs but good ol' time.  In the meantime, you need to think about self-care and coping mechanisms for handling the withdrawal anxiety and depression, should they occur.  Having others aware and supportive of what you are doing, being able to talk about it, helps. Learning meditation to soothe yourself is helpful.  Catching yourself thinking distressing thoughts and interrupting them, distraction, recognizing that they are chemically induced from wd and not you, is important.  

People in wd become intolerant of hard exercise.  Be gentle with yourself and tune in to what makes you feel worse.  Your nervous system is highly sensitive now and stress can make wd symptoms worse.  Using other drugs for sleep can go paradoxical, but if your sleep goes then it may be necessary so that you can get rest.  Whatever you put in your body, drug and supplement-wise, start with much smaller amounts than you might otherwise, to see how they affect you.

Two supplements that are usually helpful are 2-3 g fish oil/day and magnesium, preferrably a chelated version since those are more bioavailable and less likely to have a laxative effect.  Mg helps calm, aids sleep.

Again, we're rooting for you to make it!

5

Thankyou betsy0603, that has really helped. I find getting out to the gym is so helpful for me it helps me to clear my stress and feel me again 😊 I am going to take some fish oil though I have read about allot of people taking that to help, which would be the best to take or what would you recommend?

So today has been a bit of an emotional roller coaster with not having much sleep last night does anyone have any recommendations about helping with insomnia when coming of mirtazapine? Without my sleep is when I start to struggle with my emotions.

I have so much will power not to let mirtazapine defeat me as I have been on medication now altogether for 9 year and I feel like I am not getting the most out of my life everything seems to be centred around meds and there side effects I want to be back to my old self as I am only 23 👍

thanks for all your support, so helpful x

6

You are wise to want to be med free.  I just read an article that takes scientific studies into account and shows that these drugs actually CAUSE treatment restant depression and that AD users become more prone to depression!  They cause our nervous system to shut down serotonin production and to become desensitized to serotonin through pruning back receptors!  So, our best hope is to kick start our systems into operating on their own again.

Fish oil with as high EPA and DHA as you can find.  In the store, compare the labels and choose one with the highest amounts of each.  

Magnesium glycinate is my favored Mg supplement.  I take 500 mg AM and 500 mg PM, which is a bit over the 100% RDA.  I also take inositol powder, 15 g a day, part of that at bedtime in herbal tea.  I sleep pretty darn well, knock on wood!

Of course, I recommend reinstating and doing a slow taper, but I understand you have a strong will to be free.  I get that.  I wish I could do that but, having been through a failed attempt to get off Effexor too quickly and suffering protracted WD for 10 months, I know I can't get away wtih it!

7

The thing is (and not just in the uk?) doctors simply just do not recognise the problem of withdrawal, they seem to think that because someone, somewhere has decided there are no withdrawal symptoms it is correct. They are just so wrong.

8

Yes they are so wrong! I also never got told of any side effects of these medications and that the withdrawal process would be something similar to coming of actual drugs! I think they need to give people more information on this.

Good luck all 😊 we will stick together x

9

So true, Philip!

10

I'm lost for words Tyler; that doesn't happen very often.  I hear you when you say the gym helps you & you have strong will power ... that is brilliant, but mind over matter in this case may be lost.  What I can't understand is why anyone would want to CT off the supreme highest dose of a very strong AD ~ it says on the packet not to discontinue suddenly as it can be dangerous.

REINSTATE, do not go off the MIRT cold turkey, do it gradually as people here are advising.  You have 3 of the most experienced helpers here in this discussion, giving their time, wanting to help others because they know how difficult Mirt' is to come off & deal with. 

Strong words yes, but I hope you do the right thing, for yourself, with compassion I understand, let us help you ... the kind and gentle way for your neuro system.  

Wishing you well x

11

I know it's going to be tough but I know my body and I feel so ready to do this. If things begin getting too hard then I will taper but I am such a stronger person than I used to be and have learnt many coping startergies. I have been through so much in growing up....

I need to to this for myself 😊

Day 5, STILL GOING...had a fantastic sleep last night no nightmares or drousy in the morning, going to keep myself busy and get some housework done everything seems so BRIGHT.

Took magnesium and fish oils yesterday so don't know if they are helping but going to carry on taking them as my body needs to recover.

All help appreciated will keep you updated.

12

I went cold turkey after seven months has I blacked out on mine. I never put on weight I lost more then owt else I ended up weighing six stone sad it's hard to cope with out them and my heads always going wearied but best thing I did X and had for sleep I dint sleep for about four months after x

13

I went cold turkey after seven months has I blacked out on mine. I never put on weight I lost more then owt else I ended up weighing six stone sad it's hard to cope with out them and my heads always going wearied but best thing I did X and had for sleep I dint sleep for about four months after x

14

Yes you can always go a step back, although it won't be a quick fix.  

2 weeks is a bench mark, some get hit hard at this point suddenly.  

Keep strong, I hope it goes well for you, do tell your doc' what your medicine plan is.

x

15

Wow why would you go cold turkey vs. weaning yourself off less side affects I am thinking. 

16

So if everything was good why did you go cold turkey?

17

Tyler, how are you doing?

18

So I am still off the mirtazapine and it's nearly 2 weeks I have been feeling great can actually think for myself instead of having this heavy cloud over me.

I have begun healthy eating with slimming world and have dropped half a stone in 2 week starting to feel really good about myself and making me smile. I am not as hungry as I was on mirtazapine I don't have late night snacks and my sugar tooth has gone. .... almost ☺ haha.

I am keeping my head up high, concentrating on my end goal and if I start to think to deep into things I get busy.

I have also had an idea of my psychiatrist which Is to make a 'happy box' ..... and this is for whenever I feel as though I am struggling or feeling down I can open the box and it's full of happy memories, photographs, scan pics, also my goals and achievements. It helps so much xx

19

good job...did the Remeron help with your depression

 

20

That is so wonderful to hear, Tyler!  Good for you!