Hi
I’m on week 5 off Mirtazapine and having brutal withdrawals, increased anxiety, depression, can’t eat , nausea, some muscle twitching in the morning, waking early and feeling crap about the day , crying spells, no appetite I’m also having brain zaps that feels like a second of a short circuit in my head that leaves me feeling sick and a bit dizzy, some people on these forums say these brain zaps are the brain trying to get back to life without Mirtazapine, has anyone else experienced these ?
Please reply if you have and if they go away , I feel scared and almost at my wits end.
Taking Diazipam to help with the withdrawal but feel like it’ll never end 😩
Matt
Hi Matt,
those are wd symptoms and at least I have had many of those and lot more!
You will get through! It takes time but gradually those symptoms disappear.
Hi timo
The brain zap thing frightens me , all the other WD are awful to and are really getting to me , I’m trying so hard to stay positive and count the weeks down , when will it all end , it’s so hard I keep freaking out that I’ll never get through this.
I tapered off Sertraline first which wasn’t to bad although not pleasant but this Mirtazapine is horrendous to WD from 😩
Thank you for replying to me , I seem to need so much reassurance at the moment.
I had similar WD symptoms. I was on Mirtazapine for one month @ 7.5 - 11 mg, and after 2 weeks decided to taper off as I knew the drug was not going to work for me long term. I tapered down to 3.75 and even 1.875 mg. Then discontinued completely. After about 3-4 days, I started experiencing brain/body zaps. It was scary, but apparently this is quite common with antidepressant withdrawal. Like you I was scared and praying that these effects wouldn't be permanent. Fortunately they were not.
One thing you may want to distinguish are what are known as "hypnic jerks." I still have these and they occur at the boundary between sleep and awake states. It feels like you are falling. The sleep doctor tells me these are normal. I don't necessarily believe that because I never had these hypnic jerks prior to incurring my most recent health issues. In the short term, take a benzo to help you to get to sleep. That's what I did. Or possibly consider low dose Ambien. Let us know how things go as I can understand how frightening this was for you. Mirtazapine is a scary drug.
Hi,
I think you could try omega-3 fish oil for zaps.
I'm taking magnesium before going to bed. Helps me to relax and sleep a little bit longer.
You could try to make a different kind of smoothies because you need energy. Use banana, avocado, different berries, apple, etc.. whatever you like!
I'm exactly the same as you everything you've just said been thru hell last couple o weeks broke down at doctors they've gave me sleeping tablets n the nausea is awful so glad it's not just me going thru this thought I was going crazy xx
I'm the same I need constant reassurance everything's going too get better your not alone how's your sleeping xx
Sorry to jump I but I'm going thru he'll too where do you get the magnesium is it tablet form xx
Hi
Thank you so much for replying, it’s a terrible thing this WD.
I’ve never been so depressed and anxious before, I went on meds during a blip in very low mood due to stress at work , I’m not able to work at the moment so life is very different for me.
I’m normally such a strong person but this Mirtazapine WD has turned me into a wreak! Hoping it’ll pass soon so I can work on getting a life back , at the moment I won’t even go out !
Hi timo
Thanks for the tips , I take magnesium and omega but I’ll give the smoothies a go , I’d do anything to feel better, maybe it’s just gonna take time 😩
Hi Karen
No it seems so many people struggle this bad to get off Mirtazapine, it’s evil isn’t it.
How long have you been Mirtazapine free? Do you cry a lot and do you get the brain zaps that make you feel sick ?
I have morning nausea really bad and have started drinking ginger tea which actually does seem to help.
This can’t go on forever, I couldn’t cope , I’ve had some stupid thoughts at times that I just can’t take it anymore but will keep pushing on
I fall asleep ok , think that’s because I’m worn out with fighting to get through the day ! But I wake several times , sometimes with hot flushes (I’m female, matts my nickname) I normally get back to sleep but wake around 5 am then can’t get back to sleep and just lay there scared of the day a head !
I’m taking Diazipam in the morning and at night sometimes I take one during the day to when I think I’m going insane!
I was on disability recently myself and just resumed work. The psyche meds really mess you up, almost worse than the disease. I'm so happy to be off Mirtazapine - the drug was horrible, made me completely unproductive during the day. Since discontinuing (and now that I am not experiencing WD symptoms), my life has become better. I am able to function. I just completed my 3rd week back at work.
Just take it day by day. That's all you can do. Realize this too shall pass. On Mirtazapine, I experienced the morning nausea, insomnia, racing heart upon waking, brain/body zaps, twitches, hypnic jerks, restless legs, hand feeling like it is detached from your body, in a daze all day, unable to do anything but hang out in a recliner all day surfing the internet. After about a week you should start to normalize. Stay strong.
Hi John
That’s amazing so well done you , be proud of yourself 👍
I worked for over 35 years , the last 24 in a stressful job, I haven’t worked since November, it’s crushing not being able to work or even enjoy not working!
I’m 5 weeks off Mirtazapine and praying things improve soon so I can get a life again. This drug is so easily prescribed but they don’t tell you the hell it is getting off it !
Thanks for your supportive post , we’ll all get there
Yeah, I don't think I could have worked while taking Mirtazapine. It just makes me want to lie in bed all day. Getting out of bed was very difficult. I was taking it because I had loss of appetite and insomnia all due to recent breathing complications from the flu. I lost a lot of weight and was worried about losing more so they put me on this drug, even at a low dose. It helped my appetite and initially it helped with my sleep (sleep benefits soon wore off). The side effects were not worth the benefit.
I started to feel semi-normal after about a week. I suspect you may have been on it longer than 1 month (as was my case) so it will likley take longer to get back to normal. Hang in there. Take care of your body as best as you can; eat healthy food, take some supplements and try to get some exercise.
I meant to say, "I started to feel better after 1 week ... after discontinuing the drug completely."
How long were you on Mirt matt?
Hi John
Yes 5 months in total , some people don’t get withdrawal, wish I was one of them .
Glad it’s all behind you now and you have got your life back on track 👍
I try to get out for a walk every day and when I can eat I make sure it’s healthy, I’ve got supplements too so hopefully this won’t last to much longer 🤞
Hi
I was on for 5 months , 4 months at 15mg then I started the taper which I did over a month.
So been off it just about 5 weeks completely, didn’t realise how tough it would be then started reading other people’s posts and was shocked at how brutal it is , seems like a pretty nasty drug that should be prescribed with caution and a full conversation about the awful WD many people experience.