Mirtazapine -coming off?

[OneMoreStepAlongTheRoadIGo]

I've been on mirtazapine for nearly 2 years now. Before I went on it I was a complete wreck for at least 6 .oaths. hyper vigilant, anxious and really not sleeping.

It got tk the point where I wasn't sure if the sleeplessness was causing anxiety or vice versa.

I agreed to go on mirtazapine and its been a wonder drug for me. BUT I am so groggy in the mornings and lethargic half the day. I do have ME/cfs so it might not be the drug but I'm starting to wonder.

Also I'm morbidly Obese.... I know it's known to contribute to weight gain but I was huge already. I suspect I am heavier but no way of knowing.

I'm looking at zoe diet and gut biome and it looks like mirtazapine really doesnt help there either.

So I'm thinking of stopping (speaking to gp of course but they're variable about withdrawal advice I find and let you decide)

I am really worried about the insomnia retuning. I would love to sort it . I'm not super anxious right now and in a much better place. But it could be peri or I might get withdrawal jnsomnia . I'd have to see it through wouldn't I? I can't go back to not sleeping though.

I have been fairly balanced the last 2 years . Its worked. But I've also had therapy so maybe I'd manage better now?

My effexor withdrawal was awful many years ago. I'd.lvoe to withdraw safely.

Or maybe I need to be on it forever. I so need to lose weight though...

Beans oh no! Half my motivation was the hope of a bit of weight loss. I'm v overweight and this made it so much worse. Let's hope it does come off!

Sethos - wow great you don't get any problems coming on/off mirtazapine! I haven't tapered properly and am just crossing my fingers and toes it won't be too bad.

I slept 10.5 hours last night!! I didnt mean to but fell asleep about 8.30 having "gone to bed to read". I knew I was tired. Woke at 1 but hadn't realised I'd already slept 4.5 hours!

Then woke around 7.

I knew I hadn't been getting enough sleep this week but so surprised I'd naturally sleep this long.

I hope its not what I need everyday...

Er 10 hours sleep again 😮. There was me worried about not sleeping enough....

It's partly been because we haven't had to be up for anything particularly early this weekend. Obviously I will need to be for work tomorrow.

That's great news! Well done!

Struggling a bit with emotions today. Had one of my triggers and just can't shake it off, feel tearful etc.

I'm hoping this is just adjusting to not being on them and not "how it will be"

I'm coming off mirtazapine for the second time. The first time was cold turkey under medical advice due to it sending me manic
I need to come off it a second time as I would like to explore pregnancy again and I can't be on mirtazapine with the mood stabilizer that's incompatible with pregnancy.
I was on 45mg and I'm doing 1 month on 30mg the following month on 15 mg then stopping it completely to start reducing the other medication.

Good luck! I'm hoping weight loss will be a bit easier without the two drugs as both can cause weight gain.

Good luck Super. I went down from 15 to 7.5 for a week to soften the bump a bit.

I am hoping the weight will fall off but suspect that won't be the case !

I'm waking up feeling quite nauseous now. And very very tired by the afternoon. I wish I could take a day off work but I fo have half term off so I'm trying to limp through

I've woken up at 2.30 and couldn't sleep so now on my phone which I shouldn't be. I'm sort of anxious (I'm hoping it's withdrawal and not my unmedicated self) and stomach feels horrible.

So kept trying to sleep but it didn't happen.

Awake since 2.30. Stomach still rumbling away uncomfortable. Nausea.

I dont want to go to work but need to 😔

I'm so worried this is it. I hate not sleeping. I'm so worried I won't be able to sleep.

Could you take 3.75 mg for a few nights then try again when things settle

Yes I guess I could if this continues. I feel much better than I did this morning though when the panic set in and managed work. I do have half term off so if I can just get to half term that will buy me another week.im really hoping that when I go back it will be 3.5 weeks and maybe it will have settled down.

I've got magnesium spray and will get book. Ready and try and compat the insomnia if it happens tonight.

I'm sorry you're experiencing insomnia. I'll repost what I said above. Def get some melatonin or promethazine

Hey there, it sounds like you're doing it just right. I was on 30 and went down to 22.5 then 15 then 7.5 then stopped, 2-4 weeks each time but I can't remember exactly. I don't think at 7.5 it does much so you shouldn't get withdrawals other than some rebound insomnia. If you are struggling with sleep (I did for a week or two) then get some Melatonin or nytol / OTC antihistamine. Better to have a sleep aid there to stop the anxiety around sleep.

Thanks. Great to hear it only lasted a week or two for you and its not the "new normal" which is my fear.

I think melatonin is prescription only - but then I thought phenargin was too and just found you can still buy that from an online chemist!! It is suggesting night nurse too and I remember from experience that knocks me out! I've been wary of using anything for sleep though in case I get hooked but having it for a few nights if I get stuck isn't a bad thing.

Last night I took some rennies before bed (my stomach is all over the place but hear that's a common withdrawal thing) as I twigged that could be causing me to wake, and also sprayed magnesium on.

No idea if/which one helped but I slept through with just stirring a couple of times. Or it could be because I was so tired and had no sleep the night before!

So slept 10.30-7 last night and feels like I need more sleep!? Maybe I'm someone who does?! It's so strange.

So last class of term today and then I can rest a bit over half term.

I feel okay this morning - yesterday I spent most of the day feeling really nauseous, especially in the evening.

You are doing really well. I'm taking 7.5 to the end of October then a month at 3.75, then I think I will alternate one night nothing, one night 3.75 for December then hopefully stop in the new year.
Maybe I just need to persevere a bit more like you have rather than giving up after a few days and taking them again!

That sounds a plan flower! I was a bit nervous of alternating daily as worried it would be like cycling withdrawing/going on it repeatedly. I think lots of people do do several weeks at each dose which is sensible.

I'm much better today. I've been able to lie in and I'm off the treadmill a bit with work this week.

No nausea. Slept 6.5 hours and then dozed so think I'm on the up!

Nearly 3 weeks!

Nausea is much less overwhelming. Easier if I eat whole foods which is what I was starting to do. Something really greasy still sets it off.

I took an antacid after the day I didn't sleep which helped. Now I do sleep but wake up once. I need tk proactively "go to sleep" early enough rather than stay up to 11.30ish as there isn't a magic tablet knocking me out so do need to pla. To get enough sleep.

I am achey. I dont know if this is due to this.

And needed to take an antihistamine yesterday as I seemed allergic to everything. I hope that doesn't last!

@OneMoreStepAlongTheRoadIGo glad things are going well. I dropped down to 7.5mg last night after 2wks at 15mg.

So far (touch wood) I've not noticed any massive problems. My stomach issue resolved and I've been sleeping fine. Lots of strange vivid dreams but that's not really unusual for me, I've been getting random aches but again I'm not sure if it's related or not.

I have noticed that a couple of days after dropping my dose, for a day I will feel a bit panicky, like I should be worrying about something when there's nothing to worry about. 😂 I just try to stay calm and remind myself it's my body adjusting to my new dose. It usually quickly resolves and then I'm fine.

I'm not sure whether to go cold turkey from 7.5mg in a couple of weeks or split my tablet again. I suppose I'll have to see how I get on at this dose first. My problem is I've been cutting 30mg tablets so my 7.5 dose is a tiny little piece and it will be difficult to cut it again without it turning to crumbs.

Sound slide it's going great! I went 7.5 to 0 which I don't think is recommended but had got to the point I wanted off.

I definitely have had more side effects than reducing gave me. And after a couple of days I did feel really nauseous a lot. I'm so glad that's stopped!

I think some of my cold/flu symptoms now might be mirt withdrawal as they eased significantly when I took an antihistamine! Don't really want to keep doing that though.

Mirtazapine also works as an antihistamine which is why it is so sedating. This is probably why you are finding yourself allergic to more things now as you aren't having that daily antihistamine any more.

Arggg was doing so well. 3.5 weeks off and over the sick feeling and reduced appetite is fab.

But was SO tired last night, helped my son with some work so even though I went to lie down about 9 I went to sleep about 10.30.

And I woke around 1 and around 4. 1 I did go back to sleep but 4am it was like bursting wide awake.

I'm so worried this is what my.sleep is going to be like (and I suspect why I got so anxious 2 years ago!)

I tapered off gradually with no problems.
There is a clinical pharmacist within our GP practice who offered really helpful advice and was much more knowledgeable than GP, she actually talked me through it and offered follow up if I needed.
is this something that is available in your surgery, and would you find it helpful?

I went into the pharmacist attached and they told me they couldn't give advice and I had to go back to the dr 🙄.

I'm off the drugs now and want to stay off but the waking at night is making me exhausted 😔

Well done for coming off! Did you have no withdrawal issues at all?

I was great overall (nausea aside)until now it's affecting sleep.