Coming Off Mirtazapine

[philglossop]

So here goes my thread

I've been on Mirtazapine since 2008. I started this tablet when I was firstly having issues sleeping but it's important to bear in mind, that I was in a very controlled and destructive relationship with my now Ex husband (I was in a civil partnership from 2007-2013).

I was on 15mg from 2008- 2011 then I jumped to 30mg from 2011-2013. When my ex left me and I fell to pieces I was placed on 45mg which is where I've been since.

However its been 3 years and I couldn't be in a more different place personally- and following on from a lot of blood tests and mood discussions with my GP and friends- they have told me that I can start the long taper off- with a planned end date of around Christmas would you believe.

Does anyone have any tips or advice for this- I'm weirdly excited as I was told today that I shouldn't have been on them for so long in the first place and that the information I was told about my brain not making the correct amount of serotonin was a load of tosh.

So scared yes- but weirdly excited at the same time if that makes any sense? Don't get me wrong- I cannot knock mirtazapine and it helped me brilliantly during my bad period and subsequent divorce in 2013 but I'm ready for this and it's time to move on.

Any tips or advice greatfully received!

Phil

---------- Post added at 14:51 ---------- Previous post was at 14:50 ----------

Oh and in case, I used to live in Glossop but I'm in Plymouth Devon now :)

[sandie]

I was on Mirtazapine last year but only for a few months, and not on such a high dosage as you. Yes, it will be a long, slow and gradual taper off - ideally no more than 10% decrease each time, and this is not easy, for all sorts of reasons.

It may be that you will need to get an assortment of different strength tablets and cut in halves etc, in order to get an appropriate strength. For instance, if you re now on 45 mg, then ideally you could cut one of these in half (22.5 mg) and add to a 15 mg tablet - making a total of 37.5. If you felt it necessary you could then try to quarter a 15mg and add this to the 37.5 - but from my own experience, quartering the tablets is not easy !

How long you stay on each strength is down to you, but I would have said at least 2-4 weeks at each reduction. From your GP's timetable, it would seem he is intending you take a VERY long taper and you should be guided by him.

MyNameIsTerry (another NMP member) has a wealth of information about tapering - including knowledge or the half-lives of the various ADs; if you message him I am sure he will be happy to advise. He may of course see your post and comment,

Well done and good luck. Keep us posted with your progress.

[Cherryade]

I was on 45mgs of mirtazipine for years until my doc thought it a good idea to start decreasing it. I followed the tables published by CITAP (not available any more). Basically you go down from 45 to 37.5 to 30 to 22.5 to 15 to 7.5 to 0 but very very slowly. It takes 12 weeks or more for each step.
The taper is the same for each step. For 45mgs to 37.5 :

weeks 1 & 2 : each week take 6 nights at 45mgs and 1 night at 37.5mgs
weeks 3 & 4 : each week take 5 nights at 45mgs and 2 nights at 37.5 mgs (space evenly as poss. through the week)
weeks 5 & 6 : each week take 4 nights at 45mgs and 3 nights at 37.5 mgs (space evenly as poss.)
weeks 7 & 8 : each week take 3 nights at 45mgs and 4 nights at 37.5 mgs (space evenly as poss.)
weeks 9 & 10 : each week take 2 nights at 45mgs and 5 nights at 37.5 mgs (space evenly as poss.)
weeks 11 & 12 : each week take 1 nights at 45mgs and 6 nights at 37.5 mgs (space evenly as poss.)
Then you are on 37.5mgs every night. Stay on this dose for a few weeks then start again taking 6 nights at 37.5 mgs and 1 night at 30mgs. for 2 weeks etc etc.

It is a very very gradual taper but may be worth doing as you have been on it so long.

I found I wobbled a bit halfway through going from 30mgs to 22.5mgs but just stayed at that point for a few extra weeks before carrying on. There are no hard and fast rules to this. You just need to go at the pace that suits you but slow is always better than fast. I am at 15mgs now but will stick with this for 6 months before going down further. There was no problem getting different sizes of tablets from my doctor once I had explained to him what I was intending to do. He was very supportive but thinks going from 15mgs to zero may be harder.

[karenp]

Good luck coming off, it can be nasty. I wa son it for 8 months 3 years ago and then came off again two weeks ago and am finding my anxiety has been horrible but we are all different remember. This drug never helped me and I didn't want to try it a second time but I too was going through a divorce three years ago and my doctor persuaded me it was probs my divorce causing me to feel so bad not the pills that just seemed to always me feel miles worse. Sadly I discovered going back on it, it was the Mirt that just does not agree with me so in withdrawal right now and struggling but remember it all passed very quickly last time I tapered off. Just take it slow and I only had withdrawal effects this time coming off the very last dose of 3.5mg. This should pass very quickly xxxx