Hi,
It has taken 17 long months but I am finally down to 0.05mg on mirtazapine.
I have to keep going lower as each time I try to come off it becomes unbearable.
I am still, even at this dose, experiencing really bad withdrawls. I am scared I will never be rid of it.
Has anyone else had to go so low before and how did they feel?
Has anyone gone lower?
Thanks
I am just starting my taper down from 7.5 now. Can you tell me what your withdrawals were and how theynhave affected you? Have you started a new anti dep to replace it?
Hi Ann,
Withdrawls for me are always feeling light headed, heart pulp stations and stomach cramps.
It had been horrendous. Have found life very difficult.
I have not started new AD because this whole experience has put me right off them. Will not touch another one ever.
But that is only my experience. Everyone is different.
If you have any problems just keep talking to your doctor.
Thanks Andy, i hope it doesnt take me so many months to come off. I dont want any more of these drs poison. Hope i dont need it.
I assume you dont have depression and anxiety anymore so dont need treatment.
Hi Andy , my gp took me off mirtazapine cold turkey 18 days ago ( I was on it for 3 months) amd put me on fluoxetine 7 days 10mg and then its my day 10 on 20mg. Since stopping mirtazapine I feel constant nasuea, anxiety,tremors, dizzines, but it could be both things side effects amd withdrawl. I had few bad days when anxiety was burning my whole body and nasuea was making me sick, one day I just laid in bed and couldnt get my thoughts together and thought I was going crazy. But with a help of sickness pills and some benzos I survived (hopefully the worst is behind me but withdrawl likes coming in waves grrr)its getting better now, just having awful stomach cramps and nasuea , I can manage anxiety for now. I come off mirtazapine cause it was making me a diffirent person, felt more depressed and anxious.
Hi aga,
Generally you should always taper when coming off an AD. Having said that I have never switched from one to another.
Keep strong. As I keep telling myself stay with it and it will get better.
Mirtazapine is a fairly strong drug so I think you are doing the right thing.
Hi Andy,
This forum is littered with stories like yours relating to Mirtazapine withdrawal. It is very difficult and you have my deepest sympathy. Have you thought of starting on a different antidepressant..,e.g citalopram or fluoxetine. With such a low dosage of Mirt I dont think it would be irresponsible to try something else. I know you probably think its failure to keep on AD's long term and I am not promoting drug companies products but sometimes you just have to try and dig yourself out of the immediate trauma you are experiencing.
Hi Andy , yes I know I should taper but my doc didnt think so and didnt want to prescribe me more so I could do it myself. When I asked him about witdrawl he looked at me with smirk and said' do you think you are going to have withdrawl?' On which I replied that I dont know, Im not a doctor but I read on internet about crosstapering. He just blanked me and left me without anything. Next day I went to see diffirent gp and she prescribed me fluoxetine to start taking right away. My doctors arent really supportive and dont listen to me. One day when I was feeling really ill I went to see my gp again and explained to him how am I feeling , that anxiety is off the chart etc and he just said that its my condition. I told him that I know my body and this is not normal anxiety. He blanked me again and I nearly had to beg him to prescribe me antisickness pills. No understanding or reasuring me that I might suffer with side effects of fluoxetine and withdrawl. If it wasnt for this forum Id be doomed. And if it wasnt for my mum who sent me some benzos I would really be in agony.
Hello Andy
How long were you on mirt and how did you taper?
I have been on mirt for 8years, 30mg.
I just started tapering 5 weeks ago cutting at 10% reduction.
Am now at 22.5mg
Hi Charles,
I was at 30mg for 5 months and tapered @ 30% every 4 weeks. Which has been hard but I have just about coped.
Yes, that last drop is valuable in as much as it feeds any addiction. i think we're all agreed Mirt can be
addictive, for some.
I went that low Andy, Like you it took 17 months. My original condition (insomnia) returned after 3 months off Mirt ~ I've heard this can happen (protracted withdrawal).
If you want my opinion, stay at that dose, weeks/months until you feel well, I felt great at under 1 mg - it makes one wonder whether to stay on the drug !!!
How long did you hold at each dose&. And did you suffer WD all the 17 months? I ask because it will help anyone else who might be reading this,
Best wishes, I hope things turn around for you soon .
Hi Drew,
Thanks for your kind words.
I have tried many AD's but I simply do not get on with them. Either they take your personality away or they have terrible side effects.
I have got this far I have to keep going.
I really feel for your agony. But you are in good company here. Just stay strong and give the fluoxetine time to work.
It is all these reasons though that I want to be clean of them myself.
It's not easy without them. But for me it's an easier route than dealing with the problems on them. But that is very much a personal choice.
Hi Calmer,
Thanks for all your kind words and suggestions.
On the whole yes I have always had the withdrawls ever since I started to come off. Some days are better than others though.
I have followed a taper of a 30% drop every 4 weeks. Sometimes longer depending on how I feel.
In terms of your insomnia, I take inulin and magnesium. Inulin is a natural prebiotic. It has helped me a lot.
Just a suggestion.
I've been on Mirtazapine for 5 years but this past Feb it just stopped working. I was only on 15mg (tried 22.5 and 30mg but could not function). Over the past 5 months I've gone down from 15mg to 7.5 in a matter of weeks. I'm not sure if I experienced withdrawls or if it was side effects of the new meds I was starting but I felt awful!! I tried Buspar and Clonazapam and didn't like either. I tried Buspar for a month and clonazapam for 3 days. I did not tapper off those ones. I continued with 7.5mg of Mirtazapine & I felt better within a week of stopping the other meds. I dropped down to 3.75mg of mirt and have been on that since about May. I have not experienced any kind of withdrawls. I don't have depression, I was given Mirt for anxiety and panic attacks. I do still have anxiety but it's when I have to drive so I have .25mg of Xanax that I can take if I need it. Could this be an option for you? I do not take Xanax on a daily basis, I don't take it if someone else is driving. I found it so helpful for me. I do agree with going off Mirt slowly. I don't think many gp's will acknowledge withdrawls or even side effects for that matter! I found out than and "infrequent side effect" of Mirt is anxiety and nervousness! Kind of dumb when that's what I was taking it for in the 1st place! We all know our bodies and what doesn't feel right. I don't doubt your awful feelings but wonder if it might be something else. Have you had blood tests run to make sure what you're feeling isn't maybe something health related? Headaches could be dehydration, fatigue could be anemia that kind of thing. If all bloodwork is good then maybe you could ask for a small dose of Xanax to help you. I advise not taking it on a daily basis though.
Hi,
I understand what you are saying. In fact I had a blood test on Monday. Although it is in relation to a leg injury.
But I have been feeling pretty much the same way ever since I started to taper off the mirtazapine. Cannot believe it could be anything else. Although will be interested in what blood tests reveal.
Hi ann: What is the name of the new antidepressant you are taking. I'm contemplating taking Cymbalta after I taper down to 5 mgs. Mirt.
Thanx
I am trying to taper down from 7.5 at the moment by 10% cuts as per advice. Its only been three days and i am feeling terrible. Mainly waking/sleeping with nightmares all night, then feeling fatigued and sickly when waking. If this is 10% then i dread to think what it could be like on 3.75. I am very sensitive to meds, have tried many, i have never really stabilised on them, the mirtazapine was the best of the bunch but couldnt get it higher due to side effects. Now im between feeling bad on them and worse trying to come off. Dr has not suggested anything else at moment. Still using diazepam. Saw psych who suggested again trying to go up but tried it and felt awful. Gp,suggested withdraw at half, quarter then none, couldnt imagine how bad that would be.
Hi Charles, have you had any side effects of 10% withdrawal? I am trying 10% from 7.5 and feeling awful, thr nightmares are the worst and nauseA.. the farigue is not any better.
Hello Ann
So far for me is still ok. Am just at 22.5.
How do you reduced your 10%? Were you better on 7.5?
10% of 7.5 should be 6.75. Are you using liquid or cutting?