Arrêt progressif du Mirtazapine - Mon expérience

Traitement et médication
1

Hi all,

This wll be a brief record of my experience coming off Mirtazapine.

Writing it down might help me stay focused on my goal and I'll try and answer any questions for others along the way.

I've been on 15mg of Mirtazapine for 15 months now.

For the first 9 months it worked wonders for me. Instantly helped with my sleep and anaxity. I can remember telling my doctor how amazed I was with it! 

After 9 months I started feeling I was getting more and tired in the days. 

It was effecting my focus, concentration and memory. I was groggy in the morning till 10am and dozy in the afternoons from 3pm. I was feeling a bit out of control. Zombie like.

I had a decision to either up my dose to 30mg, as higher doses has less of a sedation effect. Or to try and come off it.

I decided in the long run, increasing it would only make coming off it harder in the end so I would TRY reducing it.

I started cutting a tablet into quarters with a craft knife, and taking 3/4 or 11.25mg a night.

For the first 2 night it didn't sleep well but felt about the same in the days so pushed on and it passed.

I always do my drops on a Friday night so I have the weekend to ride out the worst of it.

After 2 weeks I dropped again to 1/2 a tablet or 7.5mg.

This was a lot harder. I was in a really heave sleep until 9am the following days, woke up with a banging headache and couldn't do much all day.

It has been like this for the first 3 days on 7.5mg.

I am tempted to go back up but seeing as I have done 3 days now I will keep pushing on.

I know it is going to be a tough few weeks but I am going to do positive things to keep on top of it.

The classics. Eating well. Exercise. Vitamins and Omega-3.

2

On a side note;

I have also found Mirtazapine has effected my skin. Making it feel more sweaty and sticky. Which has even lead to a few persistent skin rashes, which have not been effected by the standard creams. 

I've search online for any links between Mirtazapine and skin conditions but to no success.

As I've lowered my dose I can feel the stickiness slightly worse so I hope it clears.

3

Hi,

i also found that the medication caused a red rash on my face.

 

4

David,

J'étais à une dose de 45 mg et je suis actuellement descendu à 15 mg, et j'ai eu des maux de tête, des yeux secs et des nerfs qui tressautent autour des yeux, donc inutile de dire que ce médicament a été horrible à arrêter pour moi. Je l'ai fait pendant un peu plus d'un an et ça a bien marché pour moi pendant un certain temps aussi.

Faites-moi savoir comment les choses se passent, car je suis intéressé par la façon dont vous vous en sortez. Bonne chance et j'espère que les choses se passeront bien pour vous !

5

Cher David

J'aimerais avoir un enregistrement de toutes les personnes qui ont souffert de symptômes similaires aux vôtres (et aux miens). Oui, le Mirt peut sembler miraculeux après avoir souffert d'anxiété et d'insomnie (moi aussi), mais après un certain temps, il semble que notre système se transforme en une sorte de syndrome de fatigue chronique qui est difficile à surmonter. C'est si courant avec le Mirt.

Je ne suis pas sûr que vous ayez lu auparavant que pour réduire le Mirt, cela doit être fait après une certaine recherche pour éviter les symptômes de discontinuation/le sevrage - qui peuvent inclure l'insomnie, les nausées, l'anxiété et peuvent même vous tromper (uds) en vous faisant croire que nos anciens symptômes reviennent (rebond). Il est donc sage d'avoir un choix éclairé puis de faire un plan pour réduire le Miort - pour vous aider, vous pourriez vouloir vous renseigner - cliquez sur mon nom et suivez les liens sous mon statut. La règle d'or semble être de ne pas dépasser 10% tous les 3-4 semaines, laissant le temps à votre SNC de récupérer à chaque fois, et en cas de difficulté, d'attendre la stabilisation.

Je vois que vous avez fait une baisse de 25% puis une autre baisse de 33% ce qui peut bien causer un sevrage extrême, cependant vous pourriez être l'un des très rares qui peuvent tolérer une baisse des doses à ce rythme, eh bien j'espère vraiment que cela ira pour vous.

Je vous souhaite du bien, et j'espère une sortie facile et sûre du Mirt.

Meilleures salutations.

6

Rob - Interesting that you mention the problems with your eyes.

The last 6 days my eyes have been dry, even the skin around them. They are also a bit twitchy and sore.

It had been a busy week so I put it down to tirdness but sounds like it could well be the Mirtazapine.

Calmer - Thanks for the advice and information on tapering. My new doctor has been particularly unhelpful so I am doing it under my own research.

I am confident he would say I can come off it if I feel ready and that is what I personally want to do.

It seems lots of the medical advice is is to go from whole, to half, to quarter, to off, every two weeks.

However, personal accounts often say how hard this is to do and find the only we to do it is very small changes as you mention.

Unfortunatly I typically have quite strong reaction to changes in medication so I wouldn't be surprised if I needed to slow down my tapering. However, I was getting to a stage where the side effects were almost as bad as why I went onto it in the first place.

As with a lot of medical advice it is about trying it and see how you respond. 

7

 Bonjour David, Je prends du Mirt depuis 8 semaines à 15 mg. J'ai augmenté à 30 mg il y a environ 3-4 semaines. Je viens de remarquer une éruption cutanée de chaque côté de mon cou, là où repose le col de ma chemise, et parfois ça me démange. Je suis sûr que c'est à cause du Mirt. Dieu vous bénisse, Bob

8

Bonjour David, il y a environ un an, on m'a prescrit 15 mg de Mirt que j'ai pris pendant environ 6 semaines. J'ai commencé à me sentir mieux et j'ai réduit la dose à 7,5 mg, ce qui est la dose que je prends toujours. J'aimerais arrêter complètement et je suis intéressé de savoir comment vous vous en sortez si vous arrêtez. Bonne chance et veuillez me faire savoir comment cela se passe.

9

Hi David!

I too have started to taper. In fact i started my taper 2 days ago. I was on 15 mg of mirtazapine and I am currently taking 3/4 tablet (11.25mg). I have heard of the 10% taper golden rule. But my physician and pharmacist have recommended 25% taper. Seeing as you too are doing it this way....I would love for us to keep a dialogue of how we are doing for support! I am two days in and I feel good. Also drinking plenty of water to flush out the medication, taking vitamins and staying positive.

10

Je me demandais juste comment se passait votre sevrage ? Je suis passé de 45 mg à 15 mg depuis mai, j'ai fait la dernière diminution il y a 4 semaines, donc je vais attendre après la période de Noël et du Nouvel An. J'ai fait la première diminution de 45 mg à 30 mg en suivant les conseils de mon médecin généraliste, et j'ai subi tous les symptômes de sevrage, sueurs, vertiges, tête qui tourne, nausées, diarrhée, tension artérielle très élevée, j'ai dû commencer un traitement pour la tension, alors que j'avais toujours eu une très bonne tension, pics d'anxiété, maux de tête sévères. Cela a pris un mois avant que je fasse des recherches et que je réalise que c'étaient des symptômes de sevrage, donc je suis resté à cette dose pendant 3 mois avant de finalement me sentir vraiment bien.

La diminution suivante a été de 7,5 mg et j'ai subi à peu près les mêmes symptômes, mais j'ai tenu le coup. Depuis, je diminue d'un quart d'un comprimé de 15 mg, et les symptômes de sevrage semblent être les mêmes, mais ils finissent par se stabiliser. Je pense à demander un liquide pour un sevrage encore plus lent après le Nouvel An, mais je ne suis pas sûr d'obtenir l'autorisation car c'est très cher et mon médecin généraliste ne reconnaît pas la nécessité. J'ai même appelé mon pharmacien, qui m'a dit qu'il n'avait jamais eu de problèmes de sevrage chez personne !!! Il devrait lire ce site.

11

Well, I shouldn't have a whole lot of problem to get off. I have been taking 15mm for the last 6 days and 7.5mm the 7th day. Today is the 8th. The fierst 3-4 days it was ok however; the 5th and 6th day I felt like a zombie. It took me 3-4 hours to concentrate and be able to remember and think. I 've tried other antidepressants, but I never remember these kind of side affects. Now my problem is should I take a half again tonight, or take a whole then follow two nights of halves. Any suggestion? I am a senior lady and it can be these meds interfere with my blood pressure pills. One thing I know mirtazapine is not for me. I still work in the morning and I need a clear mind to drive.

12

J’essaie de réduire progressivement 30 mg car ma vue se détériore de plus en plus. Tout conseil serait apprécié.

13

Mirtazapine is horrible. I started it for anxiety and insomnia. All it seemed to do was make tired 24/7.... The worst fatigue ever, have intense hunger and make me angry and aggressive. I have no idea why this drug is pushed so much. So many people have had bad experiences with it and it can also be extremely addictive. Awful drug.

14

David Sorry about your trouble with the Mirtazapine. I too started on 15mm but after 2 weeks that I couldn't weak up in the morning I tapered it off to 7.5mm. So far I am still taking the 7.5 but I'm gaining weight and still have hard time to weak up. I will be seeing my Dr tomorrow, but I am not intending to stay on this drug. Mirtazapine is not a drug to stay on for long time.

15

Hello pam, how is it with you? have you managed to get rid of mirt? I have the same problem with you. currently I am in my third day of tapering off from 15mg.

16

Well,now I’m concerned about weaning off mirtazapine… I’ve been on 30mg for 5 years for mental health reasons.. I was hoping to be able to get off them, but after reading peoples comments I’m not so sure now..

17

hi everyone, ive been on mirtazapine for a year and a half! i was 15mg but a month ago i cut down to 7.5mg. i felt really strange at the start, anxious and irritable, the main reason i used them was for sleeping/ anxiety. so after about a week and a half on 7.5mg i decided to have a drink to handle the withdrawal symptoms which really worked but i found myself drinking a lot more than usual! now im afraid to stop excessive drinking because of more withdrawals because i plan to get rid of this poison from my body. the biggest regret for me was taking mirtazapine in the first place! has anybody else tried alcohol to ease the withdrawal symptoms?

18

Thanks for your feed back Adrian. I’ve been on it for 5yrs 30mg.. Have been weaning myself off now for the last 5 weeks have just about got off them with near zero withdrawals. so i guess some have problems and others others dont. Also depends on strength of mind..