I had a fairly decent day yesterday, but today is back to ■■■■. It is almost like this drug is designed to make withdrawal as painful for the pitiful people going throug it as it can possibly be. Headache, fatigue, abdominal cramps, bowels churning, muscle weakness, nausea, anxiety, and the list goes on. I had very few symptoms yesterday, and what I had wasn't too bad. I am really beginning to have a hard time coping, particularly going into 12 weeks. I guess that I am just not as tough as some of you folks. David
Hi David. I am suffering too. Do you have insomnia? This seems to be my only withdrawal. Along with crying spells and feeling anxious but I think this is because can't sleep.
Yes, sleeping problems are part of it. How long have you been off the mirt?
2 weeks and I did taper down to 1 mg over six months. Awful drug. How long have u been off mirt? I have tried everything to get some sleep. 😐
Starting week 12!
Sal60 bretjake • 27 minutes agoI have been very slowly reducing my dose of Mirtazapine from 15mg since January 2014.
Jan. I reduced to 3/4
March, 1/2
June, 1/4
Had a setback in August and increased to 1/2 again.
September, back to 1/4
Stayed on this (3.75mg) 'till Feb 2015 when I reduced by dissolving a 15mg tablet in 15ml of water and sucking up 3ml in a syringe, giving myself a 3mg dose.
Stayed on this for five weeks. No ill effects so reduced to 2mg.
After five weeks reduced to 1.5mg in April
Got cocky and reduced to 1mg after only two weeks at start of May and after two weeks stopped altogether.
BUT that was rushing it; believe it or not I had nasty withdrawal not helped by just getting over 'flu.
So...I'm back to 1mg and taking it gently.
Patience and being gentle with yourself are the keys.
Best wishes.
So the withdrawals seem to last a long time. Sal60 you are right I think I dropped doses a bit too fast but been off it two weeks and don't want to start again. I am making myself a healthy shake every day with spinach, banana and other fruits. Walking every day too. So trying to get the withdrawal difficult with no sleep some nights.
Hi David you are very tough for going through this so please do not think you are not....you are doing it and having some very hard times just wanted to say i applaud you and keep going...you will get there eventually and a lot of people on here , including myself, are right behind you all the way...sending prayers and hopefully some positivity....hang in there you can and will do this..kind regards
Yeah Sal, going cold turkey isn't the way to go. Starting on week 12, and every one of them has been hell, and right now I don't see an end, which is even more painful than some of the symptoms.
Thank you Lesley, I needed that. Yesterday at this time I felt completely different. No rhyme or reason. I am a Christian, and wish no ill will toward anyone, but I wish that the people making this drug without a warning about possible withdrawal symptoms could be forced to make it mandatory to see to it that anyone prescribed this drug receives information from the doctor, as there are still folks who can't read, as to what happens when you get off the stuff. My two cents worth, David
Keep going David. Believe it will get better.
12 weeks???? OMG that's horrific! Of course you have a hard time coping!! What does your medical support team say? Any chance you can get a specialist involved?
I actually walked into the ER a few days ago and asked to speak to the Psychiatry team. I wanted to know what other options I had since my Psychiatrist was an arrogant prick.
They gave me a good lead. I followed up and now I am seeing an expert on psychiatric medication in about 4 weeks.
I also was able to switch to another psychiatrist and she referred me to CAMH for an FMRI (they look at your brain function to see which receptors are not working the way they are supposed to and can suggest personalized medication combos based on that).
I feel that I've been stirring up a lot of sh*t over the last weeks, asking, demanding, trying, sending emails, calling.... but somehow the outcome is good. At least there is hope.
Maybe you can get the same for your withdrawal symptoms cause honestly - no withdrawal should take this long!!!
I've only recently been prescribed tis drug. I usually take Fuoxetine. It is more like a sleeping med so I only take when needed. I've gone back to Fluoxetine now. I am a dredful self medicator, I know. Has anyone else done this? I worry the drugs may clash but GP support is dreadful and far too patchy.
There are other sleeping meds. I would consider one of them. Some are over the counter. Mirtazapine would be a last resort for me. If anyone had lived with me for the last year and saw the side effects, and then withdrawal symptoms, they would run from that stuff like a venomous snake. Not my opinion, but a FACT! David
Mermaid, since I have been dealing with this, I have talked a lot with my pharmacist, who is a personal friend. I spoke with him this morning, and he said that he had been researching this subject since I got involved, and had found that the average, to be completely over any and all symptoms is 6 months. And, that there were several that had taken up to a year. I am taking this, with God's help, one day at a time. David