One year ago, insomnia and anxiety brought me to mirtazapine, 7.5mg. I’ve been feeling much better of late, so decided to come off. Over the last forty days I’ve tapered by grinding down my tablets to uniform sizes, 1mm at a time (I don’t have access to liquid mirtazapine). As the doses got lower, I did notice improvements in my daytime mood, as well as IBS symptoms. The past two nights have been my first without taking anything and insomnia is back in full force, but I’m not anxious like I was a year ago. I don’t know what to do though and don’t know what to expect. Please help before I get anxious and don’t sleep for three months again!
Hi
I am on day 10 of being off, I felt better yesterday I must admit, IBS worse this morning so back on the peppermint tea. I would say the more days off it the better I have felt. Not getting a great sleep but we were on pills to sedate us so we are bound to feel like this. I have listened to relaxing music and practiced breathing during the night. I have had 6 hrs of broken sleep but still glad I am off it, keep fighting on…
Hi
I am on day 10 of being off, I felt better yesterday I must admit, IBS worse this morning so back on the peppermint tea. I would say the more days off it the better I have felt. Not getting a great sleep but we were on pills to sedate us so we are bound to feel like this. I have listened to relaxing music and practiced breathing during the night. I have had 6 hrs of broken sleep but still glad I am off it, keep fighting on…
Hi
I am on day 10 of being off, I felt better yesterday I must admit, IBS worse this morning so back on the peppermint tea. I would say the more days off it the better I have felt. Not getting a great sleep but we were on pills to sedate us so we are bound to feel like this. I have listened to relaxing music and practiced breathing during the night. I have had 6 hrs of broken sleep but still glad I am off it, keep fighting on…
Have you thought about talking to a doctor??
hi! a very fast taper indeed! - well done, i completly understand though.
My best advice would be to become a member of mitrazapaline support on Facebook as its very very buoyant andnpopular with posts with people going exsctly thtough this - much much easier to vommunicete and grt infirnation .
you may need to rrinstate sone dosage ofvyour tablet and ease fown a little mire grntly
My story is exactly the same as yours. I don’t have any useful help to offer unfortunately as I’m not as far along as you on the tapering process, but just wanted to send some good vibes your way as I know how debilitating insomnia is when it’s as severe as we get it (at my lowest point in the summer I hadn’t slept for more than about 2 hours in 10 days and my mental health really declined very badly). Can I ask - you say you tapered 1mg at a time - at what point did you jump off, did you go fro 1mg to 0? This is probably not of much help to you but I’m just wondering if the tapering was too quick because you don’t have access to the liquid (what country are you in?). It could also be psychological, on the first night of not “taking anything” for your sleep. Saying it’s psychological doesn’t help I know because the end result is still the same, but perhaps after a few nights your brain will settle into it. I could list a hundred things to try but my one bit of advice would be to stay away from any meds specifically for your sleep (except for the Mirt) as in my experience it only makes it worse. If things don’t improve there is always the option of reinstating and trying to do a smaller cut/jump - for me, sometimes knowing I have a back up plan and all will be ok if it doesn’t work out this time, is half the battle. Good vibes to you xx
my doctor advised to just stop taking it, or to take it one night and not the next night, alternating for a week. most advise against that.
thanks, I’ll do that
thanks so much for your kind words. yes I think I did go quite quickly but I didn’t know what else to do without the liquid. I’m based in Canada. not sure if the liquid just isn’t available here but my doctor said he wouldn’t prescribe it which is strange, not like it’s a big ask.
anyways I’ll try to stay positive and will consider reinstating on a small dose if tonight doesn’t go well.
good luck to you and thanks again
Which country do you live in Ry? I live in England and we don’t t have to pay to see a doctor only pay for the medicine..
Our National Health Service staff are very overworked and under-staffed so patients often get no longer than ten minutes for an appointment!It just isn’t long enough to discuss something as important as changing medication which can have potentially dangerous consequences. I came away from my last appointment feeling a bit confused about what i was supposed to be doing about coming off Venlafaxine and starting Mirtazapine.
I don’t think its me being stupid, otherwise why are so many people trying to get advice on these forums - even though everyone seems keen to try and help.
Sorry, I’m not helping you am I? I’ll finish my rant now and I hope you manage to sort out your concerns.
HAPPY.NEW YEAR !!
Sorry my reply should have gone to Rydav !!!
I’m in Canada, but I was in england for two years and that’s actually where I first started taking mirtazapine.
thanks, happy new year’s!
hang in there ! it gets worse befire its get better but then you will b sooo happy good luck
what advice were you given ?
liquid is not available where I am. I take my pills to compounding pharmacy and he crushes them up and puts them in 60ml of some thin syrup. I did need prescription for him to do that and my doctor cooperated. but honestly it doesnt look hard. they did it right in front of me. it took them 5 minutes to do it. they used a silver bowl and pestle to grind 60 pills of 15mg and mixed in the 60 ml of solution to make 15mg per 1 ml. then they scraped the last bit of it into the bottle. I stayed on liquid 2 weeks on same dose. I have started to make small cuts using 1ml syringe. unfortunately I still have insomnia several days of it. I dont know if it’s the very small cuts I made or just my insomnia. I’ve had insomnia the whole time on mirtazapine. I go through periods of sleeping ok for a couple of nights then get hit with not sleeping but 30 mins. recently fallen into a pattern of sleeping every other night. its really frustrating and I really feel for anyone going through it. I really think you can make it yourself and you can pick ratio if you only want to reinstate small amount. best of luck.
I’ve spoken to a few people in the US who aren’t able to get the liquid version of Mirtazapine like it’s sold here in the UK, but they were able to go to a compounding pharmacy and get a compound version made for them. We don’t have compounding pharmacies here in the UK so I’m not sure what that is, but maybe worth you looking into as an option, just so you know you have a fall back? It makes me so angry that doctors aren’t willing to help people come off the medication properly - I just don’t understand it! Wishing you all the very best and a happy 2020 xx
Hey great work. I cut my Mirt up like you. have been off nearly 2 years. it was a horrendous journey , just click on my name to see if what I went through helps you. Keep going.
Thanks, and will check your posts out now