Tapering off Mirtazapine - My Experience

Treatment and medication
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,

I was on a high of 45 mg and I'm currently down to 15 mg and have experienced headaches, dry eye and twitching nerves around my eyes so needless to say this has been a horrible drug to get off for me. I've done it a little over a year and it worked good for me for a while also.

Let me know how things go as I'm interested in how you make out. Good luck and hopefully things go well for you!

5

Dear David

I wish I had a record of everyone who has suffered symptoms similar to yours (and mine).  Yes Mirt can seem miraculous having suffered Anxiety and Insomnia (me too) but after some time it appears that our system changes into some kind of chronic fatigue syndrome which is hard to push through.  It is so common with Mirt'.

I'm not sure if you have read before that to taper Mirt it should be done after some research to avoid discontinuation symptoms/withdrawal - that may include insomnia, nauseam anxiety and may even trick you (uds) into thinking we have old symptoms returning (rebound).  So it is wise to have an informed choice and then make a plan to taper from Miort - to help you might want to read up - click on my name and follow the links under my status.  The golden rule seems to be no more than 10% every 3-4 weeks, leaving time for your CNS to recover each time, and if in difficulty to wait for stabilisation.

I see you did a 25% drop and now another 33% drop which may well cause some extreme WD, however yhou might be one of the very few who can tolerate dropping doses at this pace, well I sure hope it is OK for you.  

Wishing you well, and hoping for a safe and easy ride off Mirt.

Best wishes.

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

 Hi David,I have been on Mirt for 8 weeks at 15mg.Upping to 30mg about 3-4weeks ago.I just started noticing a rash on either side of my neck about where my shirt collar rests and it is itchy sometimes.I'm sure it has to do with the Mirt.God Bless You,Bob

8

Hi David, I was prescribed 15mg of Mirt about a year ago which I took for around 6 weeks, I started to feel better and dropped down to 7.5mg and that's the dose that I'm still on. I would love to stop completely and am interested to find out how you get on if you stop. Good Luck & please let me know how it goes.

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

Just wondering how you are doing on your tapering journey? I am down from 45mg to 15mg since May,only did last drop 4 weeks ago,so going to hold until after Christmas and new year period.did first drop from 45mg to 30mg taking advice from GP,and suffered all withdrawals,sweats,dizzines,swimming head,nausea,diorheah blood pressure sky high,had start BP meds,always had very good blood pressure,anxiety spikes,severe headaches,was a good month in by time I did research and realised these were withdrawals,so stayed that dose total 3 months then eventually felt really well.

next drop did 7.5mg and suffered pretty much same but rode out storm,since then been dropping by quarter of a 15mg tablet,and.withdrawels seem to be the same,but do even out.thinking about asking for liquid to do even slowe taper after new year,but not sure I will get it as very expensive and GP don't recognise the need,I even phoned my pharmacist,who said he had never had anyone had any problems with withdrawels!!! Think he ought to read this 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

I’m trying to taper off 30mg because my eyesight is getting worse and worse.  Any advice would be appreciated. 

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..