Karl tapering mirtazapine / Remeron

[Karl]

Hi everyone, I’ve been on a mess of medications since I was prescribed propranolol for panic attacks last November, stopped them and was put on Sertaline, couldn’t tolerate it so stopped after two weeks, then Prozac with the same results plus tinnitus! Eventually began with Mirtazepine 6 weeks ago, and after initially  feeling ok I really want to get off them, I feel very unlike myself and it’s horrible. I get some days or hours where everything seems completely normal, but mostly it’s making my anxiety worse. Any advice on tapering would be greatly appreciated. 

[ChessieCat]

Hi Karl,

 

Welcome to SA.

 

In order for us to be able to make suggestions we need details of the dates and doses of all the drugs you have taken.

 

 

Please create your drug signature using the following format.   Keep it simple.  NO diagnoses or symptoms please - thank you.

• details for last 2 years - dates, ALL drugs, doses
• summary for older than 2 years - just years and drug/s

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

 

 

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

[ChessieCat]

Propranolol 10mg, Nov 18, ten days then stopped

Setraline, 50mg, end of Nov 18, 14 days then stopped

Prozac 20 mg, Jan 19, 16 days then stopped

Mirtazepine, started 9 Jan, 15mg, then upped to 30mg on 5 Feb 19

Diazepam 2mg as and when for panic

 

Thank you for creating your drug signature.  To make it easier for the mods to read could you please provide the additional information (dates) and change the format as follows.  Please also note the corrected spelling of sertraline and mirtazapine.

 

Propranolol:  10mg ? Nov 2018 to date (no year needed)

Sertraline:  50mg ? Nov 2018 to date (no year needed)

Prozac:  20mg ? Jan 2019 to date (no year needed)

Mirtazapine:  15mg, 9 Jan 2019; 30mg, 5 Feb

Diazepam:  ? Month Year 2mg PRN

 

FYI:  PRN = latin "pro re nata" = as required

---------------------------------

 

Please tell us, in a post, when you have taken the diazapem.  We need as much information about this as possible to work out if you have become dependent.

 

Thank you.

 

I will ask the other mods for their assistance.

[ChessieCat]

Please correct the information in your drug signature to match what you have stated in this post.  We need accurate information about your drugs please:

 

22 minutes ago, Karl said:

Hi B, it seems you’ve had a similar experience to me with various meds being thrown in and adverse reactions to all of them. I don’t feel myself at all on Mairtazapine, been on them six weeks and really want to come off. I was on 15mg for 4 weeks, 30mg for the last 9 days, and went down to 15mg last night and another 7.5mg a few hours later, so initial taper is starting at 22.5mg, which is a bit above the 10 % recommendation, but I’m going to see how that goes. I also have a strange ear zinging, which started when I was on Prozac for a couple of weeks,, thought it was tinnitus but think the meds aren’t helping. All the best with your taper, let’s see how we go along from here. 😁

 

[Karl]

13 minutes ago, ChessieCat said:

Please correct the information in your drug signature to match what you have stated in this post.  We need accurate information about your drugs please:

 

 

Yes of course, how do I get back into my signature to make those corrections? 

[Karl]

43 minutes ago, ChessieCat said:

Propranolol 10mg, Nov 18, ten days then stopped

Setraline, 50mg, end of Nov 18, 14 days then stopped

Prozac 20 mg, Jan 19, 16 days then stopped

Mirtazepine, started 9 Jan, 15mg, then upped to 30mg on 5 Feb 19

Diazepam 2mg as and when for panic

 

Thank you for creating your drug signature.  To make it easier for the mods to read could you please provide the additional information (dates) and change the format as follows.  Please also note the corrected spelling of sertraline and mirtazapine.

 

Propranolol:  10mg ? Nov 2018 to date (no year needed)

Sertraline:  50mg ? Nov 2018 to date (no year needed)

Prozac:  20mg ? Jan 2019 to date (no year needed)

Mirtazapine:  15mg, 9 Jan 2019; 30mg, 5 Feb

Diazepam:  ? Month Year 2mg PRN

 

FYI:  PRN = latin "pro re nata" = as required

---------------------------------

 

Please tell us, in a post, when you have taken the diazapem.  We need as much information about this as possible to work out if you have become dependent.

 

Thank you.

 

I will ask the other mods for their assistance.

Ok thank you 

 

[Karl]

5 minutes ago, Karl said:

Ok thank you 

 

Have taken the Diazepam 2mg or sometimes 2 x 2mg sporadically as and when I felt panic attacks coming on, 14 times in the last two months. Sometimes they are effective in the short term, sometimes not. Thank you. 

[Karl]

Just now, Karl said:

Have taken the Diazepam 2mg or sometimes 2 x 2mg sporadically as and when I felt panic attacks coming on, 14 times in the last two months. Sometimes they are effective in the short term, sometimes not. Thank you. 

In total I have taken 18 of the 2mg tablets, 12 individual 2mg doses, and 3 doses of 2 x 2 mg tablets. In the last week I have taken the 2mg tablet on 2 occasions. Hope this makes sense. 

[ChessieCat]

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

 

This link takes you straight to your own signature.

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Karl.

 

What we see is going on and off psychiatric drugs can make the nervous system sensitive to drugs, supplements, and sometimes even foods. Plus, there may be situational factors causing anxiety. Did you change a job or make other changes at the time your panic attacks started? Had you taken an antibiotic?

 

What time of day do you take mirtazapine? Are your symptoms better or worse at any particular time of day? Do specific foods make them worse? Please keep daily notes on paper with times of day for when you take your drugs, their dosages, and your symptoms. You can post them in this topic with a simple list format with time of day on the left and notation (symptom, drug and dosage) on the right. Post your notes here in your Intro topic.

[Carmie]

Hi Karl, 

 

I wanted to welcome you to SA too. How are you doing? Could you please answer Alto’s questions. Thank you. 

 

I’m sorry you are going through this, all of us on this site are going through withdrawals, or have gone through withdrawals. I’ve been tapering for many years, and have many more to go. We will all eventually heal, it just takes quite a bit of time.

 

It’s best to find some distractions and coping techniques. I love arts and crafts, music, watching DVDs and Netflix, going out in nature, spending time with friends, going to concerts etc etc. I’m stuck in bed a lot of the time because of my illness, but I still find lots of distractions. It’s important to find distractions and not focus all our attention on the withdrawals. Distractions don’t get rid of the withdrawals, but stressing about the symptoms can actually ramp them up even more. 

 

Hope you are coping okay, and wishing you all the best in your healing journey 💚

 

 

[PH1]

Hi Karl.  I'm just checking in with you to see how you are doing.   Let us know.