Mirtazapine muscle, bone and joint pain

Treatment and medication
1

Hi, can anyone share their experiences of mirtazapine with me. I was prescribed 30mg daily 6 weeks ago due to severe depression and insomnia due to bereavement. I have gained around 10lbs which judging by other forums is common but I have a history of bulimia which in fairness my gp is unaware of but it's actually making me feel worse even though the deep depression has lifted. I can actually live with the weight gain and hopefully sort it out later. The thing is, in the last couple of weeks I've been stricken with debilitating muscle, bone and joint pain to the point where I can barely sleep, I lie on my shoulder and waken after 20 minutes, lie on my back and wake up with back pain etc. I can't even bear to walk on

My bare feet and before I could've walked on stones. Has anyone else had the same side effects? I can't get an appointment with my regular gp for three weeks and don't like discussing my problems with a locum. Should I go cold turkey or just try and ride it out. I'm a 34 year old female and otherwise in good health - I think! Any replies would be really, really appreciated.

2

Hi Claire,

Sounds crazy but this is far more likely a physical bodily response to the trauma from the bereavement working its way through the body.

Trauma and significant stress will (in many many many people) equate to physical pain, usually idiopathic pain which is even more frustrating. I know this because this is exactly what has happened to me. It took me about a year and a number of books and online research before I eventually realised my pain was 100% caused by stress and trauma. I went through every possible other explanation and time after time after time I was being told by both doctors and holistic therapists, chiropractors and just generally people with life experience that my trauma was the root cause of my pain.

I know this may be an unsatisfactory reply as we all like to have a clean cut answer to our stuff but I very very much doubt mirtazapine is the cause. I have used mirtazapine for years and successfully come off the drug over the simmer; I am not pro or anti the drug per se but often I do feel that the medical model will give out serious drugs (like mirtazapine) for experiences that aren't necessarily to do with being chemically or medically depressed. I am not for a second saying that bereavement is not seriously depressing, I know full well it is. But more that it is a human experience that is probably more beneficial to 'work through' with other natural therapies and talking therapies than simply cover with pharma drugs. Please don't think I am preaching, the only reason I say any of this is your situation is identical to the one I found myself in in 2011 and I simply did what the doctors told me and took my medication. That was the greatest mistake of my life and to this day has left me in non stop serious disabling chronic pain. I wish I could turn back the clock and simply have dealt with my loss and trauma rather than masking with pharmaceutical drugs that have left me with a problem so much greater than my initial one.

Anyway, just a thought. Another thing to take into consideration is the titration period of these drugs at the end of use. They can take many years to come off and many never can achieve that goal due to the sickness they produce when stopping (even very slowly stopping).

3

I think what jack has said is very true,we all need straight talking answers so we can deal with it and put it away,

I went through a bereavement and i wish I'd dealt with it without meds,my issues were rather small(in comparison to what the Mirtazipine had caused) and normal for what I'd experienced,

You can have thoughts of being fed up which is fine(we can cope with that)

it's when you get the Mirt w/d that it becomes so physical you just want to go back to dealing with just being fed up,

All of a sudden I could cope with being depressed and become very greatfull for only having depression

(this only happened when I got my life back).

The Mirtazipine made me feel unwell.

I'd never go on Mirtazipine again not for love or money because nothing prepares you for what can happen

I'm 41,female and relatively healthy,I'm not taking any meds for anything,

I had a shock bereavement when I was 32 and had heavy depression because of it,I came out of this depression fully 5months ago(without meds)and it was only after getting clean and sober that I went on Mirtazipine for help with sleep...Urrrg... biggest mistake ever.

After everything I'd come through I had to experience this on top.

For me the Mirtazipine has been the hardest time ever,it's made me very greatful for the small things in life and that's all it has done,made me very greatful.

Have I mentioned that!!!

I only took the Mirt for 10weeks in all and the first three weeks were sporadically,it took around 8weeks for me to get my old self back.

My advice is to not ever take this horrendous drug,try every other avenue first.

I have one more thing to add,I feel so strongly about this that maybe i should share my experience in a new discussion.

Just get over the embarrassment and share!

Do not smoke Cannabis whilst suffering with Mirt W/D,something dangerous happened,my heart was beating out my chest,this was due to the Anxiety and what happened will stay with me forever.

For 20 years I've smoked a cheeky spliff and I've never had a feeling like the one I had whilst I was in the thick of the W/D.

I've said it now" NO CANNABIS" it can make you feel so shaky.

MIRTAZIPINE W/D is physically debilitating

(people your not going mad).

I did cold turkey and wouldn't recommend this to anyone,

Good luck on your journeys and remember the withdrawals will go one day!

4

Hi Vicky,

I totaly agree with everything you have said, i also am going through delayed greiving, my husband passed away nealy 4 years ago, and i went 2.5 years and thought i had gone through it, had a knee op, and was given tramodol, stopped it suddenly and started with anxiety, instead oof riding the storm as you did the doctor put me on Sertraline, felt as though i was going crazy, then I was put on the NIGHTMERE, MIRTAZAPINE, I was on them 7.5 weeks, slept of a night, to which i was already doing and anxiety from hell of a day, i went 6 weeks with withdrawal i could not take, but unaware I thought i was going worse, then they put me on Fluoxetine, i was on them 10.5 weeks, just shaking, went into a private hospital, only to be told, you weren't on strong enough Mirt and put me back on, a year on i am still struggelling, and now I realize i am still coming down off Mirt, one of the worse tablets, they might be okay for some people, but the withdrawal is hell for most.... no tablet can help for bereivement, it's just makes matters worse, you still have to face your sadness, as I am doing right now, the very hard way... i am trying to look to the future without any medication, and looking forward to finding me again... good look to all of you.... Hilary xx  smile

5

Hi everyone, sorry for the late replies, I've had a really rough couple of days. I'm still wrecked with pains but trying to keep active and hopefully it's just a viral thing and not related to to the mirt. I have a an appointment with the gp next week and see ho I go. Thanks again everyone xx

6

I know this was posted 6 years ago but I'm struggling to find anyone else with the same issues. Ive been on 30mg for over a year and for the last 8 months i've been off work with strange joint issues. It feels like my bones are rubbing together when i walk so i cant bend my knees and neither of my arms can straighten they are stuck bent.. and no amount of codine can stop that pain! after 8 months of blood tests my doctor has assumed its the Mitazapine so I'm tapering off.. I'm down to 7.5mg nightly from 30mg within 2 months and I've had very little withdrawals so that's a positive.. I'm a little better but still have the odd bad couple of days like today where I'm frightened to walk as the pain is intense. I actually developed a blood clot in my leg because of all this its been a nightmare 8 months. My advice to anyone using Mirt is to not go above 15mg as its a very powerful drug. I was on 15mg for 2 years and was fine so i regret going up to 30mg. I understand my reaction is something like 1 in 10,000 or something because there's not a lot of posts online about it but my gosh its not a good position to be in.