Lyndy: Coming off a tiny dose of mirtazapine

[Lyndy]

Hello, 

 

My story is explained in my profile but the headline is I have very slowly tapered off 30mg mirtazapine in past 18 months and I’ve been taking just a crumb - about .5mg every night for 6 months. The slow taper was very successful. I’ve been on mirtazapine for about 4.5 years altogether. I’m psycologically hooked on the .5 ( fear of re occurance of menopausal anxiety but think I’m through that now) but decided last Friday to come off as I have been diagnosed with high blood pressure and I thought there just might be a link. Also want to lose all the mirtazapine weight. 

 

So I took no mirtazapine Friday night - fine Saturday - .5 Saturday night - fine Sunday until the evening when I started to feel slightly anxious - none Sunday - bad night - tingling in body, hot and cold, headache, mild anxiety. Monday wasn’t easy with slightly more anxiety at times and lots of tingling and prickling in scalp and legs. I was surprised by this as couldn’t believe such a tiny amount of mirtazapine would cause such withdrawal symptoms. Took .5 last night - literally a couple of grains of powder - and felt much better within half an hour and slept really well. This morning anxiety better, very slight tingling but so far so good. Tonight I plan to take 0 again but is this the right way to withdraw from such a tiny dose? Would I expect to have symptoms of withdrawl again and if so what might the pattern and timescale be? Or am I better to just come straight off? 

 

Really appreciate advice on this and hope I’m posting in right place for advice? 

 

Lyndy 

 

Edited November 13, 2018 by ChessieCat
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[Carmie]

Hi Lindy, 

 

Please take the .5mg tablet every night. DO NOT skip doses as it will put you into withdrawals.

 

Firstly stay on the .5 until you stabilise again. Once you stabilise taper no more than 10% of your dosage every month. 

 

You’ve done really well getting down from 30mg n stabilising on .5mg for six months. Keep tapering even the tiniest of doses. I’m on 7.5 mg of Seroquel n I’ll still be tapering for about ten years as I’m really sensitive to even the smallest drop. I’ve been tapering at around four or five percent though. You may be fine at 10% and you’re on a really low dose now so it won’t take you as long to get off.

 

Please take your tablet tonight n then continue to taper slowly.

 

Sending hugs🤗

 

 

[Carmie]

By the way, welcome to SA, 

 

You will get lots of support here. I’ve really found this site to be of immense benefit. No one really knows what it’s like to go through withdrawals unless they have gone through it themselves. Everyone on this site is struggling with withdrawals or has struggled with withdrawals.

 

Could you please put you drug signature on your page as well. Just go to the Read This First section n it will tell you in there how to put in a signature. Thanks a lot💚

[Bridgetini]

Hi Lyndy,

I am with Carmie on this - please start taking the 0.5 mg every night until the tingling, headaches, anxiety and any other symptoms have subsided. Even 0.5 mg to zero is a jump for your system.

I am at 0.5 mg Mirt myself (reduced from 7.5 mg since 2016) and am taking it slowwwwly to minimise the waves that crash into me now and again. There is a lot of advice here on how to make up dosages smaller than 0.5 mg yourself so that you can consistently take 0.4 mg for a month, then 0.3 mg, etc., or more slowly if you get severe withdrawal symptoms.

I empathise with your concern about your blood pressure, but anxiety from sudden jump-off withdrawal can't be good for it. 

Have you discussed this with your prescribers?

 

Bridgetini x

 

[Lyndy]

Thank you both for your replies. 

So helpful

 

I think the GP would not accept that .5 is doing anything at all and therefore would just say stop taking it! As you say she’s probably never tried withdrawl symptoms. 

 

Is there evidence that a that a tiny dose like this can raise blood pressure? 

 

Is is it possible to get mirtazapine in liquid form to measure smaller doses? 

 

Lyndy 

 

 

[Carmie]

Hi again Lyndy, 

 

My autocorrect keeps changing your name to Lindy😀. Yes, you can get mirtazapine in liquid form in some places. I see you are in England and I just read there is a company that makes the liquid there. Just go to the tapering section n look for the page entitled Tips For Tapering Off Mirtazapine. It mentions you can get it from a company in England. 

 

Check out the page as there are a lot of tapering tips there. 

 

As regards doctors and psychiatrists, you will find hardly any of them know anything about withdrawals n tapering and how severe they can be, even in the smallest doses. Just start reading some of the stories on this site and you will see the tremendous suffering doctors and pharmaceutical companies have caused. 

 

I hope your blood pressure lowers a bit, but as Brigetini said, the stress of going through severe withdrawals may raise it even more. I have low blood pressure so I’m not an expert in the opposite. Sometimes mine is as low as 80/60. I feel dizzy n faint a lot n have to sit or lie down. 

 

Im glad you’ve found this site and we are very happy to have you here💚

 

 

Edited November 13, 2018 by Carmie
Spelling mistake

[ChessieCat]

Hi Lyndy and welcome from me too,

 

Many members find that the lower their dose gets the slower they need to go.  As Carmie has already mentioned skipping days is not recommended.  The brain likes consistency.  It might take a few months to stabilise and then you can taper again.

 

Your doctor isn't the only one which thinks that a teeny tiny dose is silly.  Doctors have been misled by the pharmaceutical companies to use the term "therapeutic dose".  However this is an arbitrary term - based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system.  Here at SA we prefer to use the term "lowest effective dose".

 

It helps if you understand that brain has adapted to getting the drug and that it needs to be taken away slowly.

 

Here are some helpful links to check out:

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Skipping Days vs Every Day Dosing Graph

 

When to end the taper and jump to zero?

 

Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

How do you talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal?

What should I expect from my doctor about withdrawal symptoms?

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist

 

Tips for tapering off Remeron (mirtazapine)

 

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

 

This is your own Introduction topic where you can ask questions about your own situation and journal your progress.

[Carmie]

Hi Lyndy, 

 

Just wondering how you’re doing?💚

[Lyndy]

Thanks for asking Carmie

 

I’m back on my crumb every night and I’ve settled down very quickly thank you 

 

I’m just amazed that such a tiny dose can be doing anything or cause withdrawal symptoms - can some people just jump off at that dose? 

 

If I reduce the dose even further and come off say .2 mg over time will that be easier? 

 

Best Wishes and thank you 

 

Lyndy 

[Carmie]

Hi Lyndy, 

 

You’re welcome. I’m so glad you’re stabilising again. It’s never a good idea to skip doses to taper. 

 

Yes, it’s amazing what tiny doses can still do. One member on here is down to 0.0001 n is still getting really bad withdrawals with every taper. Check out the thread in introductions, her name is Freedom21.

 

Please never taper either until you’ve stabilised and only taper the maximum of ten percent a month. I can only do about five. 

 

Chessiecat left you a link that says When To End The Taper And Jump To Zero. Check it out. Also check out the brassmonkey slide on the top of the first page under Symptoms n Self Care. That’s what I’ll be doing next. I’ll be tapering at five percent a month so I cut down 1.25% each week for four weeks and then hold for another two weeks n start the process all over again.

 

If you’re tapering by ten percent though you will taper 2.5% each week for four weeks and then hold for two with the brassmonkey slide. 

 

I’ll probably eventually tweak it here n there but that is my plan to start off with. 

 

Wishing you all all the best in your continued tapering💚