Karlos: Looking to taper Remeron

[Karlos]

Hello everyone,

I have been reading many posts regarding Remeron/ Mirtazapine in the last few weeks. I found the information very helpful. I wish I had found this site earlier...

 

I started taking 4mg of Ativan and 30mg of Remeron in February of 2014. In May 2014, I reduced Ativan from 4 to 3mg overnight. Was unaware of proper tapering technique, felt terrible side effects from 25% reduction. After becoming familiar with the Ashton manual, started a crossover taper 3mg Ativan to 30mg Valium in August 2014. Completed a slow taper on May 19 2016. Benzo free as of today, but still on 30mg of Remeron. 

 

I believe I am currently feeling strong side effects from the Remeron. I started feeling this way a few days after stopping the Valium. I am feeling dizziness like “walking on moving ship”, headaches, nausea, concentration problems, upset stomach. I find it difficult to function in this condition.

I thought I had accomplished the hard work when I finished my benzo taper. I began reading about the Remeron on Surviving Antidepressants. I was really surprised by what I read: “When you remove the Benzo, the AD’s adverse effects come to the forefront.” and “ Mirt likely to be stimulating and might be uncomfortable without the Benzo.” The recommendations on which drug to taper first goes against what you would find in the Ashton Manual or a site like Benzo Buddies.

“Benzo withdrawal before Antidepressant withdrawal increases the risk of a difficult antidepressant withdrawal.” All these ideas are news for me.

I have read many comments on the forum which reflect the symptoms I have been feeling from the Remeron.

 

I believe I need to taper the Remeron. 

 

I am questioning wether I can taper Remeron successfully in my present condition or in order to do this properly would I need to reinstate a low dose of Valium, possibly 2mg.

 

I should add that where I am currently living I do not have access to liquid remeron or special pharmacies. I will need to create my own liquid mirt  by using the Remeron Soltab 30mg.

 

From reading the recommendations, 10% cut every 4 weeks is the way to go. A first cut would be by 3mg to 27 mg.

 

Had a doctor (that helped me with my Benzo taper) suggest a Remeron taper by taking : 

30 mg 1st night then 15mg 2nd night, back to 30mg 3rd night, then down to 15mg on 4th night, and so on for 3 weeks. If ok then stay at 15mg.

Sounds risky to me…

I am trying to figure out the best way forward. I would appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks

Karlos

[FunkyBaboon]

Hey Karlos,

 

Welcome to the forum - glad you've found us. Sorry to hear that you're in this situation and experiencing symptoms, but you've come to the right place we have all been there and there are some wonderful people here who will be able to provide you with some sage advice.

 

Only thing I can really comment on is that your doctor's suggestion to alternate doses 30mg/15mg/30mg/15mg would cause big problems for anybody who is sensitive to antidepressant dose changes. I'm sure a large percentage of the population, the lucky ones with pretty resilient central nervous systems, could embark on such a regime without too many serious upsets but from personal experience as somebody with an extremely sensitive central nervous system I can attest that dose alternating like that caused me to experience a lot of crazy withdrawal symptoms.

 

I see you've already discovered the recommendation to taper by 10% max every 4 weeks. This is certainly the way to go, and from there you can make the judgement on whether you can increase the rate of taper or decrease it further by listening to your body and making the call. This is best approach for harm reduction and will assist you in getting off the Remeron for good whilst causing the least upset to your nervous system.

 

As far as the benzo situation goes I'm sure somebody with more knowledge on that will be along soon to give you some proper advice. I wouldn't recommend you embark on your Remeron taper whilst you're experiencing the symptoms you describe it sounds like you need to let your nervous system settle down first. That might require you to hold for a while to see if symptoms settle down or you may need to reinstate a small dose of benzo but again this is not my area of expertise so will leave to someone else.

 

Cheers

Funky

[Karlos]

Thanks Funky,

 

Regarding the taper, I guess it's impossible to know if you are one of the lucky ones that can handle a quick taper without side effects.

I wonder if having just completed a slow benzo taper makes me more susceptible to having a difficult time with an AD taper.

I should add that my benzo taper was slow and relatively easy.

Karlos

[FunkyBaboon]

Yep,

 

The only way to find out if you're one of the unlucky ones is by trying to taper quickly, as I have done with both Paroxetine and Citalopram. Yeah, I found out the very hard way that I wasn't one of the lucky ticket holders in the genetic lottery. If you do have bad results then it's too late, you've already injured your nervous system and that will take time, possibly a long time, to heal - and we don't want that for anyone.

 

You say that your benzo taper was slow and relatively easy, I'm guessing that means you didn't have too many symptoms during your benzo taper. So I wonder, when did your symptoms like "walking on a moving ship", headaches, nausea, concentration problems and upset stomach all start? Did they start after you finished with your benzo taper or did they start as you were performing your taper?

 

Funky

[scallywag]

Welcome Karlos!It sounds as if you did a great job with your benzo taper.
 
I'm sorry that you're getting some "kickback," whether from the benzo w/d or the Remeron, which set in a few days after stopping valium. That must have been disappointing and disconcerting. In order to understand what might be going on for you, we'd be assisted with details about:

• the details of your Valium taper, i.e. what were the dosage steps from 30 mg to 0 if you can recall them
• what was your last dose of valium on May 16, how did you feel on that dose?
• at what time do you take Remeron
• timing & intensity of your symptoms: all the time, symptoms come and go (when), symptoms change intensity (when)

Keep track of this on paper so that you can see patterns, if any. I'll ask one of the benzo forum moderators to have a look at this thread and contribute, just in case there's something going on.

 

It's a rotten situation we're in -- the drugs are prescribed freely and are so very easy to start, but medical expertise on stopping is severely lacking, to the point of being non-apparent. As FunkyBaboon has posted, our recommendation is to taper from 10% of current dose each time and track your symptoms while holding for a month. Doing this a few times allows you to see what your withdrawal symptoms are.

It sounds as if you've scoped out SA and seen some key topics. I'll post them here for your reference:

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?
Tips for tapering off Remeron (mirtazapine)
Making a liquid from a tablet or capsules
About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms

[Karlos]

Funky,

The first time I felt motion sickness was during my benzo taper when I cut from 3.5mg to 3mg Diazepam. I stayed at 3mg for 4 weeks but I felt dizzy when I went out everyday for walks. The sensation was that I walking on a ship. It's much stronger now in comparison. I almost always feel that way now wether I am sitting , laying down or walking.The side effect went away when I tapered again to 2.5mg. I did not feel that side effect again until I tapered down to .5mg.

 

Hello Scallywag,

 

Here is a timeline of my benzo taper.

 

9/21/14 Began taper from 30 mg Diazepam to 28mg

9/28/14 26mg, 10/5/14 24mg, 10/12/14 22mg, 10/19/14 20mg, 12/21/15 18 mg

1/25/15 17mg, 2/8/15 16mg, 5/11/15 15mg, 5/19/15 14mg, 5/26/15 13mg

6/2/15 12 mg, 6/9/15 11mg , 6/16/15 10mg, 6/23/15 9mg, 8/11/15 8mg

9/27/15 7mg, 10/25/15 6mg, 11/15/15 5mg, 12/13/15 4.5mg, 12/27/15 4mg

1/12/16 3.5mg, 1/24/16 3mg, 3/1/16 2.5mg, 3/29/16 2mg

4/10/16 1.5mg, 4/20/16 1mg, 5/2/16 .5mg

5/18/16 finish taper

 

As you can see my last dose of Diazepam was .5mg which stayed on for 16 days.

I did not feel well on .5mg which surprised me because I felt fine on all my cuts from 2.5mg to 1mg.

 

I take my 30 mg of remeron between 10pm and 10:30 pm.

I sleep better now than anytime during my benzo taper.

 

My side effects usually start around an hour or so after I wake up.

They stay most of the time until I sleep.

They tend to get worse when I am hungry.

 

I hope I have answered some of your questions.

Thanks for your help.

Karlos

[scallywag]

Karlos: that's clear and complete, thus very helpful.  As I said, I'll ask other mods to review and one of us will come back with a suggestion or two for you to consider.

[Bruin]

Karlos.....am just stopping by to say hi and welcome. Many congrats on your Benzo WD.......

I am a bit behind you in this and am tapering Zopiclone before tackling the Mirt. 

Zopiclone has been described a Benzo in disguise and thus I am dealing with something similar. 

In effect I am on 5 mg Valium, according to Ashton, and intend to switch to Valium to do my taper, 

Valium has a longer half life and thus will help with the inter dose WD.....

 

My guess is that you are still having some WD from your Benzo taper .....

Many seem to continue to have some side effects after tapering a Benzo even if they have gone quite slowly. 

Hopefully they will improve with the passage of time. In my case I know it is the Zop WD which is giving me side effects. 

I have decided to get well clear of Zop before tackling the Mirt but in your case you may be ready to start reducing soon. 

I hope so.....you have made great strides and freedom is well in sight. I am sure that someone with more experience will be

along soon to give you good advice. Many congrats and all the very best. It does get better even though there may be difficult days. 

 

Bruin.

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Karlos.

 

As they started right after dropping the benzo, whether your symptoms are from stopping the benzo or side effects from Remeron isn't clear.

 

Please keep daily notes on paper of your symptoms, when you take your drugs, and their dosages. (Are you taking anything else?)

 

What is your current symptom pattern? How has it changed since you went off Valium May 15? Are there any times of the day when you don't have symptoms?

[savinggrace]

Karlos,

 

My first thought, before I was even done reading your first post, was that you are now in the acute withdrawal stage of the benzo.  With its very long half-life, there is still benzo in your body, and your brain needs time to adjust to this withdrawal.  While your steady taper is admirable, and 2 years is a long time, 30 mg. of valium was a lot of valium to get rid of  and adjust to.

 

I am on valium and remeron so I know how rotten they can both make you feel.  That said, I would stop and think long and hard before even beginning to think about  a remeron taper.  That is just me but I have learned to respect what my brain/body tell me.

 

It may be somewhat comforting to know that the remeron is more sedating at lower doses, so hopefully that will be the case when you begin tapering it.  I, too, had read to taper benzos first before tackling other drugs.  I was unable to taper valium any further so I turned to my other drugs and I am glad I did.  It makes sense to me now, but I understand how/where you got this information.  There really is no one correct answer for anyone.  We are all very different and what works for one, doesn't work at all for the other.

 

It is clear you are going to get off these drugs successfully; you just may need to slow down.  Read the link about "the slowness of slow tapers" on the home page.  I read that piece years ago and it really helped me.

 

Grace

[Wellness]

Karlos,

 

Welcome to Surviving Antidepressants.

 

Regarding the feeling of dizziness you are experiencing, it is often reffered to as  a " boaty feeling" and it is typical of benzodiazepine withdrawal.  My experience with Remeron and benzos, although not founded in hard evidence, is that Remeron can mask the withdrawal symptoms from benzos.  It is possible that if you tried to taper the Remeron now, you would feel strong withdrawal symptoms, part of which would be caused by the tolerance caused by the benzos.  

 

 

It can be difficult to see the "forest for the trees" in withdrawal.  One person's strong withdrawal symptoms is a walk in the park of another.  Other than the physical symptoms that you stated ("walking on a moving ship", headaches, nausea, concentration problems and upset stomach), are you feeling strong emotional symptoms like anxiety, depression, derealization/depersonalization symptoms.  Are you functional, can you go about your day, work, cook, drive?  

 

On the plus side, the fact that you are sleeping is a really good sign.

 

The jump from 0.5 mg Valium, although recommended by Ashton, can be too high for some people.  The Valium should be out of your body by now.   If you are stable now and not getting worse, a hold before tackling the Remeron would be a good idea. 

 

 If you are getting worse, or if you are seriously disabled, you could consider reinstating 0.5 mg V and going down to 0.05 mg over a few weeks. 

 

The "boaty" feeling will go away in time, but it can take a while. 

[JanCarol]

Hey Karlos, I agree with Wellness, this sounds you are frayed from benzo withdrawal, and that a long hold before starting another taper will help stabilise you.  Maybe even as long as 6 months!  To let all of that benzo restructuring of your neurotransmitters settle down before adding the trauma of another taper.

 

You wrote:  

 

Had a doctor (that helped me with my Benzo taper) suggest a Remeron taper by taking : 

30 mg 1st night then 15mg 2nd night, back to 30mg 3rd night, then down to 15mg on 4th night, and so on for 3 weeks. If ok then stay at 15mg.

Sounds risky to me…

 

Your doctor put you on a relentless, straight line benzo taper.  Some people can do this, but it can also be punishing. His suggestions for mirtazapine are unwise.

 

Every other day is Cold Turkey (CT), rinse and repeat. It is like asking for destabilisation.  See this post:  Every-other day dosing

 

Please read the topics Scallywag put up for you, especially Why taper by 10% of my dosage? and Tips for Tapering off Remeron / Mirtazapine / Avanza  It will tell you more about how to make doses small enough for a safe taper.

 

Here is the thread that Grace was talking about:  The slowness of slow tapers 

 

Rhi said it like this:

Rhi's description of healing the brain

and

Rhis's Start Small Listen to Body Taper Plan

 

You cannot withdraw to a formula, a calendar or a schedule.  You need to learn to listen to your body, hold and slow down when you get hit with symptoms like this.  Holding is an important part of healing your brain, because it takes weeks, sometimes, to restructure what has been done to your brain by the drug.  The drugs are not like aspirin, they ***do things*** while they are in your system - so having the drug out of your system is only a fraction of the problem.  

 

Healing from Antidepressants: Patterns of Recovery (Toxic Antidepressants)

 

They will pass, they will change, the will return, they will pass again.  Recovery comes in Waves and Windows.

 

OMG, I just used a day's quota of links in one post!  If you cannot get to them now, you can always come back later.  But it's always a good idea to follow mod guidance first around the site, SA is a big place, and we work hard at knowing the material.  We're more like SA "librarians" than we are "support."

 

Be patient and kind to yourself.  Your nerves are probably quite raw from the benzo taper, so being gentle is an important part of getting your nervous system to settle down.

 

You can do this, please be patient with yourself and hold and heal.

[Karlos]

Hello Bruin, Altostrata, Grace and Wellness 

Thank you for your reply.

It seems that it's difficult to differentiate wether I am feeling Benzo WD or Remeron side effects.

How can one tell?

For Bruin, Grace and Wellness, you seem to be thinking that it’s Benzo related

If I am feeling Benzo WD, better wait before tapering the Remeron.

 

I should add, I am not sure if it’s relevant, that I spent 2 nights(May 10+11) in the hospital for severe diarrhea and some fever. Are these things connected to my meds or did I just catch some infection.My stomach has been upset since I finished the Benzo taper. My bowel movements are mostly loose and watery. Excuse the imagery, I am not sure of the proper terminology. 

 

Bruin, 

Good luck with your taper.

Do you find that the 30mg of Remeron has helped you with sleep?

I have found that my sleep improved as I tapered the Benzo.

 

 Altostrata,

I am only taking 30mg Remeron before sleep. 

I have not been very good at keeping notes of my symptoms. I need to work on that.

The symptoms are pretty constant throughout the day until sleep.

They are more pronounced if I feel tired or hungry. 

 

Wellness,

I am not feeling strong emotional symptoms.

However, I am feeling frustrated because I am not feeling well and I am not sure what to do to get better. It’s like I am on a new drug and I have learn to cope with it’s side effects.

I can be functional but it takes effort.

 

Grace, 

Is 4mg the only dosage of Remeron that you have been on?

Does it help you sleep at that dosage?

The Remeron has been very effective for sleep for me at 30mg. 

I will check out the “slowness of slow tapers”

Thanks again,

Karlos

[Karlos]

Hello JanCarol,

Thanks for the post and the many links.

it looks like you think I am suffering from the Benzo taper.

I hope you are right.

All I can do is wait for things to get better.

If things don’t improve after some time, the AD may be at fault.

I have never taken the Remeron on it’s own.

I am usure of it’s side effects.

It really helps me for sleep. I know that.

The rest I am unsure about.

 

I agree with you that my doctor’s taper suggestion for the remeron is unwise.

I should let you know that I determined my Benzo taper schedule.

My doctor was mostly helpful in the crossover from Ativan to Valium.

I never felt the need to go quickly.

 

Thanks again

 

Karlos

[Wellness]

Karlos

 

Feeling fever and having diarrhea is a pretty good indication that you have a bug, in which case, you should improve in a couple of weeks.  Of course it's just an opinion, not medical advise.

 

Since you are not feeling strong emotional symptoms, consider kissing benzos goodbye forever. Congratulations on ditching that drugs.  One down, one to go.

 

... and remember:  "Slow wins the race".

[FunkyBaboon]

We're rooting for you Karlos! You'll get there.

 

You've just gotta ride out these symptoms while your brain recovers and then once you're feeling improved you can embark on a nice slow taper from the Remeron, listening to your symptoms as you go for guidance on taper speed....

[savinggrace]

Hi Karlos,

 

I was on 7.5 mg. remeron at my highest (I am very sensitive so I always start low) but when trying to taper many many years ago, and failing, I discovered the sedation I needed at half the dose which is technically 3.75.  I made a bunch of changes about 2 years ago and started using a digital scale and rounded that number up to 4 mg. but honestly, I have no idea if it helps me sleep.  I sleep terribly, but haven't stopped it because of w/d.  I plan to start doing so as soon as I get through the current health crisis I am in.  I guess I will find if, after 15 years, the remeron has been doing anything therapeutic for me, but I don't expect tapering off of it to be any picnic.

 

I think it may be different for you though.  If you were sedated at 30 and are continuing to sleep all right, sleep might not be a big problem for you.  Sleep problems have been my Achilles' Heel my whole life and is why I ended up in this poly-drugged mess!

 

Again, congrats on the benzo taper.  You may be in a wave from it now, but you made it to the finish line....don't look back!

 

Grace

[scallywag]

It seems that it's difficult to differentiate whether I am feeling Benzo WD or Remeron side effects. How can one tell?

 

Altostrata,

I am only taking 30mg Remeron before sleep. 

I have not been very good at keeping notes of my symptoms. I need to work on that.

The symptoms are pretty constant throughout the day until sleep.

They are more pronounced if I feel tired or hungry. 

 

Wellness,

I am not feeling strong emotional symptoms.

However, I am feeling frustrated because I am not feeling well and I am not sure what to do to get better. It’s like I am on a new drug and I have learn to cope with it’s side effects.

I can be functional but it takes effort.

 

Karlos, the best way to differentiate is to keep track of the symptoms.  If they decrease in intensity and frequency, then the most likely suspect is benzo withdrawal. A tool that some people find useful is Joseph Glenmullen's symptom checklist. You can find that here: Glenmullen’s withdrawal symptom list

 

Tiredness and hunger are strong signals from and for your CNS. Symptoms becoming more pronounced when those are present would be very common.

 

Not feeling well is bad enough, please try to do what you can to let go of the frustration about it. We have an expectation  that after going off the drugs -- especially if we had a doctor's supervision, support and/or advice -- we'll feel better. For some people it works out; it hasn't for those of us around these forums.  It's a very human thing to feel frustrated in the face of an unfulfilled expectation.  People have tapered off all kinds of psych drugs in the past and have recovered to fully engage in and embrace their lives. You will too.

[Karlos]

Wellness and FunkyBaboon thanks for the support and the words of encouragement.,

I think I need to accept my current condition and be patient.

Hopefully my symptoms will subside in time.

 

Grace

I too have had problems with sleep in the past. That is partly why my doctor had originally prescribed Ativan and Remeron to help me sleep. It helped me sleep but I started not to feel well after a couple months.

 

Scallywag,

Thanks for the link to the Symptoms list. I have printed a copy. I need to keep better track of these symptoms daily. I understand what you are saying regarding expectations. I just thought everything would be better once I had finished with the Benzo taper. 

Thanks again.

Karlos

[savinggrace]

Wishing you peace in your healing....

 

Grace

[Karlos]

Hello everyone,

 

I just wanted to give an update on a new type of symptom I have felt recently.

Five days ago, after my daily walk. I felt really strange. It was like voices and sounds felt really unfamiliar. They were distorted. it was pretty scary. This lasted for around an hour. I just went to bed and turned off the lights and waited for it to go away. It happened again today during my daily walk. I walked for around 45 minutes feeling like my reality was distorted. Sounds and voices felt distorted. I felt a little like my reality was altered. It’s hard to describe these feelings.

I feel better now. i am able to focus on writing these words. I am not sure what to make of these latest symptoms. Does this sound familiar? I understand those feelings are difficult to describe.

Thanks Karlos

[scallywag]

Karlos, nice to see that you've posted and I'm glad that your experience of distorted sounds and voices, though disturbing, was brief  The symptoms you describe are part of antidepressant and other psych drug withdrawal. They are listed here as "perception" symptoms:

Introduction to antidepressant withdrawal syndrome

[Karlos]

I have been off this site for a while. i had tapered Remeron from 30mg to 15mg from October 2016 to December 2017.

I had been feeling well for a few years but I have been suffering from Gastristis for over year. I tried many medications like Prevacid, Famotidine and Mucosta but none of them worked. After an endoscopy on August 21, 2021, which showed erosive gastritis and gerd, my doctor prescribed Dexilant 60mg and a medicine called Ulcefate 1g. I believe it's called carafate in the US. I took the Dexilant for 13 days and the Ulcefate 1g 4x per day before eating. I stopped them cold turkey because I felt I was having trouble with sleep, felt dizzy, had trouble with breathing. I realize now it was probably a mistake to stop cold turkey but I got scared. My doctor told me to switch to Omeprazole 20mg for 1 week then stop. I took the Omprazole for a week but it did not help. I have not taken anything for 2 days. I am not sure what to do. I am beginning  to think that I need to reinstate the Dexilant and Ulcefate(carafate) and taper.  I have trouble sleeping now, my anxiety is through the roof. feeling serious panic. It feels like the meds have affected my Remeron. Something feels out of sync. It's hard for me to write. I have not updated my profile but I am having a hard time right now getting my thoughts in order.

Thanks for your help.

[Altostrata]

Hello, @Karlos

 

Exactly what drugs are you taking now, at what times o'clock and dosages?

 

What are the effects you attribute to Remeron interacting with the stomach drugs?

 

Did your doctor tell you about adverse effects from these stomach drugs? Did anyone check for drug-drug interactions?

 

If you are taking any of these drugs close to the time you take Remeron, they could well be affecting absorption of Remeron. For your own information, Please put ALL your drugs in this Interactions Checker and post the report or a link to it in this topic.

 

We don't know anything about treating gastritis here. You will have to review adverse effects from each of your stomach drugs and potential drug-drug interactions and discuss this will your doctor. 

[Karlos]

Crossover From Ativan to Valium and trouble from Remeron and Insomnia

 

Hello Everyone

 

I wrote a short post back in September about my current situation after having been away from the site for a while.

 

I wanted to give an update to my current situation to see if anyone has any potential advice or insight on my issues.

 

I had been taking Remeron 30mg at night since 2014 then tapered to 15mg in 2017.

I have been on 15mg Remeron since then and had no problems with it.

 

At the beginning of September 2021, my Remeron stopped working properly. It used to give me 8 or 9 hours of sleep. After taking some other medications for some gastric issues, the Remeron lost its effectiveness as a sleep aid.  I started suffering from insomnia. With the lack of sleep, I started getting panic attacks and increased anxiety.

 

Is it possible that the Remeron had a “poop out.” Did It just stop working?

 

My problem with Insomnia became such an issue. I went to see my psych doctor who prescribed me some Ativan. Unfortunately, my sleep was such a concern that I made the mistake to try it again. It did not go well.

 

I started taking 1MG at night but felt withdrawal the next morning. It started spiraling upwards. I was taking 1.5MG 3 times a day. Then I said stop, I am crossing over to Valium. I am at stage 3: 3mg Ativan and 15mg Valium. I plan to crossover to 45mg Valium. My main concern is sleep. I am worried that as I decrease the Ativan I will not sleep well on the valium. I plan on taking most of the valium at night, then I plan to taper the Valium slowly.

 

I was wondering what to do about the Remeron. Should it be tapered? Or Should I potentially increase the dosage in the hope it regains its effectiveness as a sleep aid.

 

My doctor suggested I increase the dosage because perhaps it was just not strong enough anymore.  I was wondering wether I should try to taper it to 7.5mg  after I crossover my Ativan to Valium and Taper the Valium.

 

Has anyone on this site experienced their Remeron just stop working as a sleep aid?

 

How did you decide to proceed with the Remeron did you taper it or increase the dosage?

 

Perhaps someone made the mistake I made and tried like to add a Benzo to the mix

 

I was considering tapering the valium to 20mg and perhaps pause and taper the Remeron from 15mg to 7.5mg .

 

Any advice or suggestions welcome

 

Thanks

Karlos

 

 

Edited January 31, 2022 by ChessieCat
added Intro topic title before merging with intro topic

[marie123]

Hi Carlos. Sorry you are having difficulty with the Mirtazapine. Did the brand change when you started getting insomnia? I don't do well when there is a brand change. Marie.

[kate1385]

Hi Karlos, 

 

I'm sorry for the difficulties you're experiencing at the moment. It can be so confusing because we don't know for sure what's working or what's causing what. 

 

Being a bit of a newbie to all this I wouldn't want to offer any ill informed advice! I will let the moderators do that. 

 

I can however share my experience (which is of course unique) and that is that I tapered 15mg mirtazapine too quickly last year and reinstated at the original dose in late November. Since then I have found it has not seemed to have the same effect of helping me sleep. I fall asleep fine and then always wake up early with cortisol spikes and anxiety. I went to see my doc and he said it's sounds like the mirtazapine is not doing anything and advised me to just stop. Obviously I'm not going to do that. I am going to start a gradual 10% taper, hopefully in the spring. So I can sympathise with your dilemma. 

 

Anyway, just wanted to show some solidarity and support and I hope you can get some advice on what to do!