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...

I hope the sleep resolves quickly x

I have made down from 45mg to 15mg and feeling a very slightly hypomanic which is odd!
3 weeks to go before I'm off it

Oooh I used to get a hypomanic day if I forgot to take my tablet/ran out. It was a bit scary as felt sort of good and then I'd do or say stuff I would normally hold in.

Last night I got between 5 and 6 hours sleep. So it's not no sleep but not sustainable either. I think I slept the night before though so although it's patchy it hasn't got significantly worse.

I've got magnesium cream and trying not to do caffeine after 4pm, and trying not to look at screens etc. It's hard though when I've been able to just rely on a tablet for 2 years!

I am completely fatigued today and not left my bed pretty much. Not sure if it's withdrawal/the real me/bit less sleep/something else. Finding work overwhelming too.

I've been down to 7.5mg for about 9 days. Slept poorly for the last few days but not sure if the tablets are to blame otherwise I'm doing fine. 🤞🏻

So I have basically been unable to do very much at all the last few days. I've been sat in bed most of today. Just SO exhausted 😔.

I'm eating better which is a plus but I need sleep and I need energy!!

How are you doing now, I'm down to 3.75 mg now since 1 November. Think I might stay at this till the new year or at least until we finish work at Christmas

Hi Florida!

Reading through the posts I think I might be coming out the other side. I'm so much clearer in my head and alert and no longer feel "drugged" when I wake up in the morning. So overall its so much better.

I've got a cold and I feel a bit run down and I think physically I've felt quite under the weather a lot these 6 weeks. My husband has stepped up a lot at home as I'm working and sleeping and crashing quite a lot in between.

Sleep- I do wake but am managing to go back to sleep. Then often wake before my alarm. I'm being super on it about not having caffeine in the evening, and careful to go to bed on time and things to try and protect my sleep as its so different without the drugs.

The nausea has gone now, I don't have much of an appetite but I love this. On mirtazapine I was always hungry. I'm also eating much better so this is probably helping too.

I've lost just over half a stone. Which given I put about 5 stone on with the drug is a good start!

Good luck with it and be really gentle on yourself, build in lots of rests and recovery days.

Well done on the weight loss, glad everything is going well.

I completely stopped my medication a week ago and touch wood I'm doing ok.

Started at 30mg then did 2wks at 22.5mg, 2wks at 15mg then 2wks at 7.5mg before stopping. Thought I'd be doing terrible to be honest as I've been on it for 7 years, never thought I'd be off it within 6wks.

So far only noticed that I'm less hungry than I was before and I'm less groggy in a morning.

I also think my emotions in general were definitely dulled on the tablets because I'm genuinely excited for Christmas this year. I've always loved Christmas anyway and do look forward to it but I don't feel like I've felt this excited about anything in a long time. I feel human.

Oh wow Beans that is brilliant!!! And sounds like you're really not getting withdrawals!?!?! Which is amazing and great to hear 🥳

Wow Beans that is great, I have been taking it since August 2017, it gives me hope that I can get off it too in the new year.
I did manage to stop taking it earlier this year but only for five days, I started to get anxious about sleeping and went back on it, maybe I need to persevere a bit more this time

Thank you. Nope don't seem to be having any awful symptoms so far (touch wood) but I will report back if I do.

Not been feeling anxious and if anything I feel happier than I've done in ages, might be the time of year because autumn/winter are my favourite seasons. I think if I'd come off them in the summer I wouldn't have done so well because my mood is always low in the summer anyway.

Sleep has been fine, I was really worried about my sleep but it doesn't seem much different to usual. I do go to bed anywhere between 11:30pm - 1am so that probably helps.

I tried to come off mirtazapine a few times and they only way I could reduce the dose was slow tapering with a pill cutter and using anti histamines for a while to help with the insomnia, just make sure you don’t use the “non drowsy” type as they don’t work. It took me 3 months to go down from 30mg to 15mg.

Every time I took the GP’s advice of taking a tablet every other day I would wake up in the middle of the night and couldn’t get back to sleep. It’s really poor advice they give tbh, it’s better to slowly wean yourself off than suddenly going to half a dose for a week then nothing (which is what they told me to do!).

How's everyone doing?

Has anyone else become dizzy/lightheaded after coming off Mirt?

I don't know if it's withdrawal or whether I'm just rundown but it's been going on for about a week. When I'm standing sometimes I just feel really funny like I'm going to pass out, it's always worse first thing in a morning before breakfast but does happen throughout the day too. I also keep burning up, I'll feel cold so put an extra layer on but then I feel like I'm burning from the inside out 10 mins later.

This is my 3rd week off so symptoms started after week 2.

Otherwise nothing to report, no other symptoms except severely reduced appetite.

I have 2 15mg tablets left to go and I will be off.
I'm definitely a lot brighter and confident generally feeling positive and engaged with the world. Just watching out for hypomania which I didn't expect when coming off an antidepressant but whatever my brain is weird!

Superscientist are you sure you want to go from 15 to nothing? I'd be tempted to cut it in half and do 7.5 for a bit (and even then some think this is fast but it's what I did!)

Yes I had dizziness and a sort of nausea round about week 2/3.

I've lost 12 pounds now (I gained over 5stone and was already severely overnight before then.... so lots to go) .

I'm focusing on trying to avoid eating ultra processed food, and eating protein and veg etc. So hoping the crazy cravings won't come back too soon.

Good luck everyone.

I had hypomania when I missed a tablet.

Bit also when I came off around week 2/3 I had a couple of weeks of just working g half days and doing v little else (my husband did dinner etc) but sleep.

Ive had a cold and a migraine since so not completely fully functioning but someone noticed I seemed more alert. I think this is because I'm not constantly "drugged."

I also would recommend going to 7.5 for 2 weeks just for insomnia, but @Superscientist are you on other meds like quetiapine which are sedating?

Well done on the weight loss @OneMoreStepAlongTheRoadIGo I hope it continues!

I'm hopeful I will be ok. The previous two times I was on it I had to stop cold turkey once from 30mg and once from 15mg as I was manic. I can't tell how my sleep was affected as I wasn't sleeping anyway but I didn't seem to have any side effects.
I'm on 600mg quetiapine and 800mg of lithium both of which are quite sedating so hopefully that will help! I'm up several times a night as my toddler doesn't sleep through. It might make that easier or less of a challenge.
I have a box of 30mg as the GP messed up a prescription and can cut them into 4 if need a more gradual drop for the next week or so

Ah I'm sure you'll be fine given the quetiapine . I know what you mean having a toddler that's awake at night... mine slept better as a 2.5 month old than as a 2.5 year old...

I'm now more tired on the nights she does sleep! About once a fortnight at the moment but something! She's been a poor sleeper all the way through. We did manage 3 months of sleeping through reliably 3 or 4 times a week earlier this year but then her reflux got out of control again. Her medication has been tweaked which has taken the edge off but need a review with a new paediatrician to hopefully getting a new plan.

The big difference between a 2.5 Month old and a 2.5 year old being in your bed the 2.5 month old doesn't steal your pillow and kick you in the ribs!! 😂

Ah if you've done it before/have other meds that sounds promising.

I had a non sleeping child too (turned out in our case to be sleep apnea) .

We ended up when she was a bit bigger having a "ready bed" (inflatable but includes the sleeping bag) by our bed she could sleep in on the floor next to me - and later on as she started in her bed she'd climb into herself in the night and meant I could still sleep.

I genuinely think not sleeping for 5-6 years lef ti my anxiety/ weight gain in the first place.

Oh really, that's so interesting as I think my son has it too. I only say that as of yesterday as I asked the GP for a referral to ENT as he's nasal, has a cold the whole time, strange pronunciation, and snores....
Did anything help you and your little one?

I was on it for 6 years. I did manage to get off it. Insomnia returned to a degree… it wasn’t easy but it is possible

Sleep apnea? Yes snoring was a big give away . I had a bay who snored like an "old man" and got some surprised looks sometimes when she was asleep on me outside the other kids activities.

We also had constant dribbling to the level at preschool (so nearly 3/just turned 3) I'd worried if she was having muscle tone issues or would go to school dribbling (I had a billion baby bibs).

We'd had lost of waking in tears/waking crying. But also night terrors (waking unaware I was there).

We also had tonsillitis and infections but that alone is no longer a reason for surgery.

We had to do a sleep study from the hospital (this meant sleeping at home a night with a monitor on one of her toes) . The first consultant was almost rude - assumed we were parents asking for surgery (!?) And assumed we knew what a sleep study was when he sent us down the corridor...

However he was quite nice when the results came back/he did surgery.

They took tonsils our (and also adenoids but decided that once they're in) and said they'd all been huge and no wonder they'd stopped her breathing.

Recovery was horrible. But then she slept sooooo much better!!!

Looking back it was hideous. So many people tried ti give us advice about getting her to sleep and to ignore the crying. But cosleeping/cot next to us/ was the way for a long time and then we'd start with the bed and bring her in . It was relentless - people said "shush pat" ans I'd be like "she's standing crying, no shush pat is going to work!"

Good luck x

@SummerWitch well done! That's a huge task after 6 years.

I have to be really careful with my sleep now. I do miss the magic pill for that as I was out like a light.

Did you find your appetite decreased after? Did it come back again? How much later? I'm enjoying eating less but wondered if I'd suddenly get hungry again!

It was very hard and I do miss the medication.

it caused me memory loss though.

I lost a lot of weight after stopping them.. it didn’t strike me that I’d lost my appetite you know … I just thought it had changed my metabolism. Maybe they increase appetite. I’ve heard of people that get up in middle of night and raid the fridge and don’t remember.

Gosh memory loss is a good reason to stop!

I haven't completely lost appetite - its just on the drug I was always wanting my next snack/seconds/"something before bed" and I put on a billion stone.

Now I can eat reasonably. I still want to eat but it's lost the urgency and I'm not binging.

I'm really really hoping to lose the weight I put on (one of the main reasons I came off as the weight was becoming scary )