Hi! I have been off and on Mirtazapine several times over the past 14 years. I have also taken Gabapentin (off 2 years), Zoplicone (off 2 years), and Seroquel (off 11 months). I have now been off the Mirtazapine for 4.5 months and the w/d symptoms have been horrific (chronic insomnia, burning, tingling, numbness, vibrations throughout body and head, adrenaline surges, depersonalization/derealisation, myoclonic jerks, burning brain, feeling like I'm either going 2 drop dead or go insane at any moment and the list goes on. I have had a few windows the past couple of weeks, but it very soon goes back to being extremely debilitating, painful, terrifying and horrendous). I am feeling extremely weak, exhausted and hopeless.
Has anyone else suffered so horrendously getting off this poison and if so what did you do to manage your symptoms so they were at least tolerable? As I am extremely paradoxical to almost all psych meds and a ton of other pharmaceuticals, going back on any drugs is out of the question. I don't want to have to live through another w/d like this for as long as I live which may not be much longer if I soon don't start getting some regular sleep. At best now I might get 2 hours per week. Please answer as I am desperately in need of some advice and support as I am getting weaker by the day. Thank you.
I would suggest you see a specialist as you cannot go on like this.You may need Temazepam or something similar to get your body back into a regular sleep pattern. I really feel for you but I take Lexapro and that is very good with little or no side effects.See your doc ASAP. Best of luck.
Hi Barbara, I'm sorry you are going through what really does sound like hell. How long have you been off the mirt? How was it coming off it in the past and how long did you go before going back on? Did you have trouble going back on? What dose did you come off this last time and did you do any tapering or cold turkey?
There is nothing that can hasten healing from withdrawal other than time. Believe me, I've been around the withdrawal boards and if there were anything that really did it, I'd know about it. Very reluctantly, I will say that there is one doctor on a website which I'm not allowed to mention who will use benzos very judiciously to help people weather the worst withdrawals (better than taking your life!) but taking z drugs or temazapam may go paradoxical on you and certainly would cause a new dependency if used with any regularity.
Two small things to do to support yourself in WD are to take magnesium and omega 3 fatty acids (fish oil), both good for the neurons. Reinstatement is really the only thing that can fix the symptoms, but it doesn't always work once in the throes of a horrible WD. If you did end up wanting to try it, you'd not want to go back to a full dose in case it does trigger an adverse reaction; you'd do a few mgs to start.
It sounds by what you've offered that you've been around the wd boards, too.
The main thing is to do whatever you need to do to be gentle and kind to yourself. If you need to be on the couch all day, that is fine. Be kind to yourself. Some find mindfulness helpful. I can never get my brain to quiet down for it for very long but I find telling myself that I can take one moment at a time. Try not to think in terms of weeks and months. Try to be present and not allow your brain to engage in rumination which causes more suffering during WD. Allow yourself to be distracted by any means. An epsom salt bath may be soothing, especially before bed. I always find a cup of warmed milk before bedtime to be helpful. Finally, I've found "tapping" to be helpful when having a bout of insomnia, otherwise known on the web as emotional freedom techniques. It takes a 3 or 4 rounds of tapping before I fall back asleep, but I always do!
I'm sorry I don't have any magic bullets. You know that healing happens in windows and waves (you've alluded to windows), and as bad as you're feeling now, you know "this too shall pass." A mantra that I've used that can make one feel better is to repeat "Do not judge; minimize harm; know it will pass."
Hi Alison46649! Thank u 4 responding 2 my post. Unfortunately, I react badly to almost all psych meds and most pharmaceuticals. As I have had some windows while coming off these drugs, I am hoping that my sleep will eventually get back to normal. I have seen on some other forums where people have gone 4 months without sleep while w/d from these poisons and have been o.k. in the end. If I were to start on another drug it would just mean I would have to go through this all over again as all these psych meds have horrendous side effects and w/d symptoms and I am not prepared to do that. I am currently seeing a really intelligent, knowledgeable, caring and supportive herbalist who knows about these drugs and has helped quite a few get off them safely.
I'm really with you believe me. I'm in the same boat as you. I stopped mirt nearly 5 months ago, end of May. I was on 15 mg and on it for less than 6 months. I just went cold turkey because I didn't realise how evil the withdrawal symptons would be. I've had not much support from the GP and the worst bit is the crippling insomnia night after night. Some nights I might get 2 hours, others, I'm awake the entire night. I can't even manage to fall asleep when I go to bed, so if I fall asleep in front of the TV for 2 hours, I take that as a positive. This drug is renowned for its windows and waves and whilst you are really battling right now you have to hold on to the belief that you will get through it. I know it's hard. It's certainly one of the hardest things I've ever experienced. In month 4 free of mirtazapine, I was fine. No anxiety, no low moods, and I was sleeping without Zopiclone (I would take small half doses when I was desperate). I really thought I'd cracked this drug. Then about 2 weeks ago the insomnia was back with a vengeance along with the headaches, churning guts and anxiety. Like you I've felt I just can't go on like this, I cannot believe that a drug can have such a stranglehold over a person's mental and physical health after nearly 5 months. I'm not on any other AD. I take magnesium supplements, get walking every day and have now started a mindfulness course. Like you I will NOT go back to taking these head drugs. However feeling in the depths of despair through lack of sleep, I'm going back to the doctors to insist on some tests. I'm drug free, look after my diet, exercise every day and am on week 3 of an NHS mindfulness programme. The GPs don't acknowledge there are protracted withdrawals from mirtazapine so going back and insisting upon further investigation is the only way forward for me. The regretable thing is.......before I took this drug, I never had a problem with sleeping. What I'm saying in a really long drawn out way, is stick to your guns, go back to your GP. I really feel for you Barbara because the pair of us have stuck this out for so long and it is soul destroying to see hardly any improvement.
I am not quite at your atage yet, down to 3.75,tried tomget down to 1.87 but was so bad had to reinstate.
i feel for you and just want to get off this. I am waking in night internal,shaking and need to take diazepam to try to stop it. Have you any help in advising me how to get off this, should i go cold turkey or keep slowly dropping. I know as i get worse the pdoc will,just throw some other drug at me and like you i dont want to go down that route. I feel,like my whole CNS has beeen assaulted and cannot recuperate, i was on 7.5 cor rwo years, never really worked either.
i am afraid i am still behind you in these stakes but i am having the suffering at early stage. Two years on 7.5, ouldnt get higher. Now cutting slowly down but the sleep,is already bad and i have a constant internal shakiness, along with all other symptoms of depression and anxiety. I am usind diazepam but its not really doing much. If i go back to pdoc i know he will give another of these which i cant stand. My life is on hold and its affecting my whole family too. Where should i go from here, back up, stay or drop off. I dont think i can survive what you are going through. Windows and waves rhey say, i only get waves.
I wrote you a message earlier and it got lost in the ether. You are right when you say your central nervous system has been assaulted. That's exactly how I feel right now. The trouble is mirt has a very protracted withdrawal and most people don't realise it takes months and even years sometimes to get off this drug. I wouldn't advise cold turkey. You have to be gentle with yourself and taper slowly. I know that sounds very frustrating but believe me when I say that I am 5 months into cold turkey right now and I will be honest and say it is dreadful. In month 4 mirt free, I was feeling great. I'm not on any other ADs and I was getting along with just supplements. Two weeks ago and BANG the withdrawal is back. Insomnia is the worst and I'm really struggling. I would advise that you taper by 10% per month. I'm so desperate at the moment that I've just begun a mindfulness course. I exercise everyday, I've seen a counsellor and my diet is good. After 5 months I would expect to feel much better than I do. But I'm not taking anymore ADs. As the doctors don't recognise withdrawal on these drugs, I've made another appointment with the GP. This time I will present them with all the things I have been doing to help myself and firmly request tests be done or referral to a specialist.
WOW Barbara, what a terrible ride you have had. It has been said that Mirt' is the devils medicine and for you I gues that is true. I've read of many folk who have had the symptoms you have had, what I don't figure out is why some people suffer so much more than others ... DNA I suppose.
Like you, I suffered with insomnia, but I couldn't and haven't been able to work out if it was actually WD or my old pre-Mirt symptoms returning as it started 3 months after stopping Mirt.
What dose did you quit at Barbara? I think that is important ??
I react badly to all drugs as well. I'm one month off mirt and feeling absolutely horrendous. I'm not sure what to turn to next. I have had windows but this week I think is the worst I've felt mentally. Let me know if you find anything to help. I cannot take another AD as the start up effects are so bad for me and also they usually make me more depressed. Please let me know how you are doing.
Calmer you seem to be pretty knowledgeable. I don't know what to do! I am in agony at one month off mirt, I was pretty ok them wham at the 4 week mark anxiety through the roof, mental anguish, racing thoughts, afraid to fall asleep, etc. I am so terrified. Please tell me it gets better!
Yes this is hell. I wake with such anxiety every morning and then today nausea. Taken diazepam and anti nausea pill so hope it will pick up. Been out for a walk but still anxious.mental anguish is the worst. Is there nothing they can give for all this?
hope you are better than me still at 1.88 and not feeling any better after several weeks.
Feel for you; of course it will get better, everyone is different so no one can say when the anxiety will clear. The windows grow and the waves subside for sure, and then you get the odd wave, and then you feel well, and so it goes on. What dose did you stop at Sunshine?
The only thing (non drug) to try to ease the anxiety is to try and lean into it, it takes practice, did you look at the Dare response . com at all ? There is a support group on facebook; I know its not GAD you have (Generalised Anxiety Disorder) but anxiety is anxiety, learning and reassuring ourselves that it cannot really harm us is key to relieving it. Also meditation might help, look on You Tube for sleep meditations or look for Michael Seeley there - see what works for you.
I am concerned as i now have nausea and tummy upsets on days now. Makes me feel down, got through the initial lowering but wondering if this loss of appetite etc is next part of what i will get or is there something else going on.
Hi, i am trying to get off this and have got down to 3.75 but find myself so nauseous with rightnside pain as well as the mental torture.
have you had any physical problems like me. I wonder if i have another problem alongside this one. I feel sick so much and have intermittent diahorrea, dont really have any appetite either.
i have tried similar meds to you but i have the same problems with them all, so like you i am not willing tomtry any others. I just want the life affecting symptoms to go.
i am unable to go,down herbal route due to warfarin use.
Hi... I am so sensitive neurological to thease kind of meds... I was on mirtazapine for 2 yrs and I came of them with ease but only by using lorazepam. I recently stupidly started taking them again due to chronic insomnia. 4 days I lasted. You would have thought I had ms or Parkinson's desiease the side effects were so bad.. Let me tell you even after just 4 days I'm having bizare effects.. Today is day 4 off and I've been like a brain dead zombie.. Severe adrenal surges, uncordinated limbs, severe sponge head jolts shakes ear preasure and I feel like im dying.. Never underestimate this drug.. It's worse if you are already compramised in the adrenals. Never felt so ill from head to toe even my hair feels sick.. Shocking after just a few day's on them.. I'm a mess... Can't sleep at all now and I'm just drowsy... Good luck all I know from experience it will pass but vile just vile...