Hi everyone,
I need your experiences with switching from Mirt to another Antidepressant/Antipsychotic please.
I have been taking Mirtazapine 15 mg at night for 4 weeks. Because of the weight gain issue I have asked for a replacement and after seeing a specialist yesterday I will be starting Vortioxetine (Trintellix) this week.
The two medications are very similar in chemical structure, medical effect etc. and I am wondering if I have to wean off Mirtazapine or if I can just switch from one to the other.
According to the product description the withdrawal symptoms of Trintellix seem to be the same as those of Mirtazapine:
"Stopping this medication suddenly may lead to side effects such as dizziness, abnormal dreams, numbness or tingling sensations, agitation, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, sweating, or other symptoms."
That's why I am thinking that a switch should have no major side effects since both drugs are of the same "family".
Vortioxetine (Trintellix) is a fairly new drug that has just been approved last year here in Canada for distribution, so I don't expect anyone to have experience with exactly this combination, but maybe you have been switched to Lithium or some other AD/AP.
This is something you need to discuss with your doctor or someone who actually understands these drugs. No way can we advise you to stop one and start another.
I wish you luck....
hi mermaid,
i guess you are in canada too? i don't know the anser to your question i'm afrai. were you put on mirtzapine for sleep? initially i was but then it wasincreased fro it's antidepressant effect .. and it has been difficult. i would definitely ask the dr. if u can. i guess we get more ansers from this website sometimes than we do from the drs
Yes Kathy, I know. The problem is, that my pdoc doesnt have experience with this new drug and I actually find this forum much more helpful than my doc. 
Especially when it comes to side effects and experiences when adding, stopping, switching etc.
My doc may know the chemical side of those two medications, but he has no idea what it means to actually take them.
Then you really need to find someone who has the answers for you before you make the switch. You don't want to experience those side effects if you don't have to.
Yes I am! You are too? I am in Toronto.
And yup... I find the best answers here in the forum and by researching on my own. My dr is nice but it's obvious that psychiatrists know more about the chemical components of a drug than about the "real life experience".
i actually went down to camh (emergncy) just so i could see a psychiatrist. mind you it's still trial and error . but i am going to do a test that is supposed to help determine dosages and medication, as🎒i have been having a really hard time. i have to sleep with a sleeping pill ... and the mirtz at 30mg was giving me anxiety, so doc said to reduce .. then i wasextra sad.. so i am back on 30.
Well.... not many can. Because this drug has just come out in December 2014. There are medical studies of course before its release. But they don't study the effects on such specific cases.
I suppose I'll be the guinea pig.
Once a new drug is released patients and of course doctors can actually report observed side effects and interactions online. The system is called MedEffect Canada.
Good for you! CAMH is the place to go! Trial and Error... tell me about it... I've been going through different meds for 5 months now. I hope this one will be "the one"....
is that all you take 15 mertz
i am so afraid to try anthin
No, I am also on 450 Wellbutrin, 200 Sertraline, 2mg Clonazepam
that's why I am only starting with 5mg Trintellix instead of 10mg, which complies with the drug and dosage information.
Since Wellbutrin and Sertraline have effects on Serotonin, my doc cut those to 300mg and 100mg respectively.
If you dont try, you wont know if it works. And once you found an AD that works for you you will feel LIGHTYEARS better!
what is the trintellix for?
I cannot find where it is similar to mirt. Mirt is an NaSSA antidepressant.
But I did find this. Not sure if I trust it, though. So little is known
http://wiki.psychiatrienet.nl/index.php/Mirtazapine-vortioxetine
It's an antidepressant - but it works a little different than the other two antidepressants I am on.
I can only give you my opinion and that is that I think you may well have withdrawal symptoms if you just stop the mirt. However, as you have only been on a low dosage and for a relatively short time, then I would think the withdrawals will be mild. I would probably halve the dose of mirt for a week before coming off them though.
Thank you Evergreen! That's what I was considering as well. And I believe it makes sense to do the switch just before the weekend, so I have at least 2 days to see if there are any side effects and how bad they are.
Oh wow!!! Thank you so much Kathy! That gives me peace of mind! And yes - I'll see what my doc recommends of course. But it sounds as if the switch from 15mg Mirt wont be as bad as the reports I've read on here!
Thank you!!!!!
I hope it works for you. Make sure to keep us posted.