Reduction in dose any advice???

[JT69]

Hi,

Just wondered if anyone has come off mirtazipine sucessfully and how they did it to minimise any withdrawal effects??

I have been on 30mg (2x15mg) and this past week have cut one of the 15mg in half and taken it along with the other 15mg. I guess it has been a bit difficult to tell if the extra bit of anxiety is due to this or the fact that I have been off work and not in my usual routine and this causes a bit of anxiety in my history anyhow.

Just wondered how long to stay at this dose for and when to cut out the half tablet??

Anyone help or offer advice at all??

Thanks.
Jo.xx

[Abs79]

Hi Jo

I am currently in the process of coming off mirtazapine, and have cross tapered onto escitalopram (under the guidance of a psychiatrist). Here is how I have been doing it:

1. Cut down to 15mg mirtazapine. I was originally on 30mg but only for 2 or 3 weeks and was feeling so awful anyway that I don't think I really noticed dropping down to 15mg, which I did literally overnight. As I understand it, cutting down at the higher end of the dose tends to be easier than in the later stages when you are at lower doses, so you should take longer over the later stages.

2. Slowly built up to 10mg escitalopram over about 1 month whilst continuing with 15mg mirtazapine.

3. Started to reduce the mirtazapine with the aim of coming off it. This depends on your patience! I am being very cautious and doing it in 1/4 tablet increments. So, I went down to 3/4 of a 15mg tablet for 2 weeks, then 1/2 for 2 weeks (this is where I am now), then I will go down to 1/4 for 2 weeks, then because I am hugely paranoid about coming off these things I am going to take 1/4 every other day for a few days.

My psychiatrist seems happy with this, I came up with it by myself after doing a bit of research and she didn't argue with it! it is hard to say how I've felt though, since I've been getting used to the escitalopram at the same time. Who knows, I might have been fine coming off it much more quickly but I just didn't want to take the risk of feeling even worse...

Are you planning to start something else instead?

[JT69]

Hi Abs,

Thanks for that....no not planning to take anything else but stay on the pregabalin as I am mostly taking something for anxiety and that has helped me more than the mirtazipine. I am concerned about the weight gain and hoping that when I reduce/come off mirt that I will be able to lose some of the weight I have gained.

Good luck with your change over. When I first took mirtazipine I had previously been on citalopram and tapered 40mg - 0mg in 1 week, horrendous and would never do that again.....the withdrawal of cit was really hard and I had to cope with the side effects of the mirt along with it...not nice but did get there in the end.

Take care
JO.xx

[bexy1970]

hi jo, ive just come of mirt, i was on 45mg for over 12 months, i too wanted to come off it coz of weight gain, i reduced to 30mg for a month, then to 15mg for a month, then 7.5 for a month and even cut that in half for a week or 2 im off them completely now,with not much problems, only withdrawel i had were tummy probs.. but hey ive lost nearly half a stone already !not nearly half as hungry all the time now!!!!!good luck xx

[JT69]

Hi bexy,

Thanks for that. Do you take anything else or are you med free now??? How long have you been off them for? I previously took citalopram and had done so on and off for around 9 years so knew how to reduce without feeling any withdrawal (or very little)...mirt is a whole new ball game for me and I am just hope that I dont dip too much whilst coming off.

Jo.xx

[banana]

Hi Jo

I came off Mirtazine earlier this year after taking 45mg for about two years. I must be honest and admit that I did have side effects coming off of it, but have now been med free for about 3 months. I have also lost weight as my sweet tooth has totally gone and don't seem to be as hungry as I was whilst taking it, so have dropped nearly a stone since stopping it. The way I did it was to drop half a tablet every 2-3 weeks until I felt okay with the new dose, unfortunately I didn't get any support from the docs, but am really pleased that I have come off of the tablets.

Hope it all goes well for you.

Banana:hugs: