Mirtazapine -Coming off Meds & Lowering Dosage

[tattybear]

Hiya

Ive been on these tablets wince about december 2004, 3 tablets a night.

Ive spoken to my doc about reducing them, so eventually coming off them.

I feel its the right time, but at the same time Im still a bit worried about it.

Just wondered if anyone has come off these and how they found it etc?

xx

Tatty B xx

[LisaS]

Hiya Tatty,

I am exactly the same as you except different drug! i'm on efexor xl and in the throws of coming off.. i'm also quite concerned - i'm seeing my GP tmrow just to go over some qu's as i'm not sure what to expect!!

good luck to you!!

Lisa xxx

"do not fear to hope...Each time we smell the autumn's dying scent, we know that primrose time will come again"

[loulabelle1]

hi thre i have just started mirtazapine after being on citalopram on and off for 7 years for anxiety this mirtazapine has knocked me for six i have only had 15 mg for 2 days and dont feel like taking anymore as i feel so spaced out and have 3 kids to look after.... the citalopram i think were working and its only horrible thoughts i struggle with and i think i would rather have cbt and stay on my citaklopram rather than feel so tired all the time? any ideas plus im eating loads!!!!

[loulabelle1]

sorry also as anyone else had cbt and found it helpful?

[ElizabethJane]

What dose of mirtazapine are you taking Tattybear? Just curious as I'm on 45mg that is one tablet. It also comes in 30mg tablets and 7.5mg. I take mirt 45mg with my lithium and occasionally a sleeping tablet so that is five tablets. Any sort of withdrawal from mirtazapine should be done very very slowly as it cause severe side effects. I have withdrawn twice from this drug but it is the best anti depressant I have been on. EJ.

[JT69]

Hi EJ,

I have managed to get down to 7.5mg...I have been on that dose now for 2 weeks...do you think I could still expect some withdrawal after this 2 weeks?? I have felt pretty much o.k just the occasional time when all I can describe it is a juddery feeling inside and feeling cold along with a little increased anxiety on waking but I experience this every day anyhow. I think I will stay on 7.5mg for some time yet but just wondered if in your oppinion I am out of the woods with regards withdrawal from 15-7.5mg??

Thanks.
Jo.xx

[deepreason]

Mirtazapine is one of the easier antidepressants to come off. You shouldn't have any problems I should think. I did 30 mg to zero in 2 weeks without any really nasty side effects.

That's the good news for Tattybear, the bad news for LisaS is that Effexor is one of the hardest AD's to come off. Sorry :(

[Maureen54]

hi Tattybear,
I'm in the process of coming off mirtazapine after many years on 45mg at night. Doc dropped the dose to 30mg for 2 months and I had no bad effects from this at all. He has now reduced it to 15mg which I will be on for the next 3 months. I have been feeling a bit more anxious and am not sleeping very well also slight headache but nothing I can't cope with. Its early days for me on 15mg i've only been on that dose for 6 days now so im hoping it will all settle as my body gets used to the reduction. Hope this helps. Best of luck x

[sunshinesomeday]

Hi I am really relieved to read that some of you have found coming off Mirtazapine ok. I am having some trouble coming down after being on them for 5 years. I first came down from 45 - 30mg last year and found it tough but was ok on the 30mg - not less - so stayed on that till now. I now really want to come off because my husband and i want to start a family but i am finding this time i am very 'down'. I have read some withdrawal effect horror stories on other sites so I am really pleased to hear something positive as it gives me hope that I will once day be free of the meds and be happy! Good luck to everyone else coming down. You are not alone xxx:hugs:

[rosa_j_t]

I've recently started taking Venlofaxine, and at the same time reducing the Mirtazapine, which I've been on for a year. I've found mirtazapine really helpful in the past, particularly with sleeping, but the venlofaxine has been brilliant so far for anxiety.

Nearly two weeks ago I reduced mirtazapine from 30mg to 15mg, and increased venlofaxine from 37.5mg to 75mg. Since then I haven't been sleeping very well, and I was wondering if anyone else had found it harder to sleep when reducing dosage of mirtazapine?

I know its said that reducing the dosage can increase the sedation effect, and it still makes me initially sleepy (I don't have trouble falling asleep, but I wake in the night and can't get back to sleep). I'm wondering if it's the effect of reducing mirtazapine or the increase in venlofaxine, or a combination of the two. I'm also wondering how long these side effects are expected to last. It's been nearly two weeks, and I've also got ME so not sleeping very well is a bit risky for medium to long term, as I risk overdoing it or catching a bug and triggering a relapse.

I'm seeing my doctor in another two weeks time, and my CBT therapist in 3 weeks, so I could give it till then to see if things improve. And maybe try some other things to help me sleep (herbal etc). I don't want to stop the venlofaxine as that's been brilliant so far, but I kind of hope that's what's causing it, and that that side effect will wear off soon.

[ankh]

Hi

It's been helpful to read posts about coming off these. I have been taking them since July2011 and I currently take 30mg at night and 15 mg in the morning. I have had CBT with the meds and I feel a lot better. :yahoo: So much so that I agreed with my GP to start coming off. So tonight I am halving my evening dose will probably keep it at that for a month before a further reduction. I have to admit to being a little anxious about it now.:scared15: Any other readers come off without too much difficulty?

Thanks

[ankh]

Hi,

I always find the need to post a message when I am changing my dose. Feels reassuring to share my experiences somehow with others who may be going through the same thing. Family and friends don't always understand this illness. I was in hospital for some tests last week and was astonished by ignorance of one of the nurses who said that medication wasn't the answer for depression! It may not be right for some, but that is a decision of the GP and patient.

Anyway I reduced my dose from 45mg down to 30mg without too much difficulty. A little nausea and waking up in the night but that only lasted a few days. At the beginning of March I went down to 15mg. After a few days I experienced more nausea, some sleep disturbance and general shakiness but nothing too bad.

Dr agreed last week for me to go down to 15mg every other night now. I have hesitated doing this but it won't happen on it's own so I think tonight will be the first night in 9 months without taking anything . Feeling a little apprehensive re going a whole 48 hours between doses. I guess I would prefer to try and take half a tablet every night but I guess Dr knows best!

Bye for now

[Ingenious]

All the best with this. Based on your experiences dropping dosage before I think you'll be fine - but it is a big step having your first day without it :)

Please do let us know how you get on and in particular what effects, if any, you get.

My GP suggested both options for coming off from 15mg and left it to me to decide, either 1 tablet every other day, or half a tablet every night for a while then alternate nights of half a tablet.

[ankh]

Thanks Ingenious. Unfortunately I gave in and had to take one. I was wide awake and had a high pitched continuous whistle in my ears. After that, things settled down and I got to sleep.

I managed without taking a tablet on Friday night though :) . Woke up about 3am wide awake and thirsty. Got up for a drink but managed to get back to sleep for a couple of hours after 4.30. Was OK during the day-very fidgety and some nausea but nothing too bad.

Took my whole tablet on Saturday night as planned. Hoping to skip my 2nd dose tonight-hopefully it will be easier now I have done it once. If it doesn't get easier, I will try taking half a tablet each night as you were advised.

So are you off them now? I am interested in knowing how long to go before decreasing further-I was planning to carry on like this until I felt adjusted and then try half a tablet every other night. Not due to see my GP until May but was hoping to be off them by then.

[ankh]

OK well I have now been taking 15mgs every other night for nearly a week. Until today I think it has gone well. Sleeping a little disturbed waking up a few times on my 'night off' but nothing too bad. The nausea was not as bad as when I went from 30 to 15mg. :)

Definitely feeling more anxious now though.We are going away for a few days which should be enjoyable but I don't seem to be able to look forward to it...perhaps I am feeling the effects of the reduced dose.

[joy]

everything I've ever read about med reduction is that you half the dose but take it everynight then half anotherand do the same. Missing ever other night just confuses the body and mind

Joy

[ankh]

Thanks for the posting Joy. I have been mostly OK on 15 mg every other night.After one week of that I have now reduced that to 7.5 mg last night and plan to skip tonight and take another 7.5 mg tomorrow night. So far only had some nausea which usually settles after a few days. Aim to stick with 7.5 mg every other night for a week or so and then try skipping 2 nights or stopping completely. :)

[ankh]

Hi, its been a few weeks since my last post so thought I would give an update in case anyone else is in the process of tapering down.

Since my last post, I spent 2 weeks on half of 15 mg tablet every other night followed by 1 week on a quarter of 15mg tablet every other night-it was difficult cutting them as the tablets tend to disintegrate.

6 days ago -took my last tablet, and apart from some nausea it has been fine and the nausea seems to be improving so hopefully I am coming out of it now. I was really anxious before I started coming off but it has been fine...assuming I don't have any problems. I will give an update if there are any changes. Good luck if you are going through this.

Ankh

[RaynHay]

hi all,

i started on 15 mg mirt in jan. i then needed the does putting upto 30mg. and 2 weeks ago the doc put them up again to 45mg but since then i cannot swallow food at all. the doctor has now decided to take me off them completley by reducing them. 30mg for 3 nights and 15 mg for 3 nights, then a new medication on tuesday, i think its prozac he is putting me on. will i feel any side affects from this?

thanks

[Tessie28]

:weep:Hi,
can't give you advice on that but good luck. I was recently put up to 45mg but have had flu like symptoms for 5 days so today took my dose down again. I was on prozac for years so will be happy to come off this [which worked well but for 2 months only]. Tomorrow I will see the doc. Good luck,
Teresa

[karenp]

Hope all went well at your docs. I'm on 30mg at night but wake up as early as 3am sometimes and have to take sleeping pills otherwise I have a panic attack. I've only been on Mirtazapine since March but think I will be changing to something else as it's done nothing to help me sadly. I also take 7.5mg in the morning but my anxiety is still as bad, if not worse now. I am so scared of going on Citalopram type drugs as every time I've gone on them I've had terrible panic attack and even worse insomnia but don't see the Mirtazapine suddenly working now and making my anxiety disappear. I'm having cbt sessions too, my second one tomorrow but my entire life is a mess so I don't know if nay meds will work at the mo...I'm going through a horrible nasty divorce. ):

[Geoff2301]

Think I must be a bit fortunate with side effects when stopping medication....... the psychiatrist at the psychiatric unit (where I have been unfortunately living for the last few weeks!!) decided to cut my fluoxetine down from 60mg to 0 over 3 days, mirtazapine 30mg to 0 overnight and put me on a "mood stabilizer" all at the same time........ never noticed a single sideeffect.

[Sasha 2012]

Hi I'm trying to come off this too,doctor has put me on leprexo for anxiety it's early days I'm hoping it may help soon ,so I can withdrawal soon but my CNS is bad as I'm also withdrawing benzos ,maybe I need to stay on benzos until I'm off the mirtz ,any advice for me pls cos I'm confused here

[Tessie28]

Hi Sasha,
can't really help but to say that I came off them altogether and went back on prozac. Also have a beta blocker for the anxiety and the high blood pressure. Doing okay, so you hang on in there. x:bighug1: