broomegirl intro (toughest time of my life)

[broomegirl]

Hi im new here im so confused i have been on bb but needed more help,hve been on benzo's for 12 years was doing a tapper from 7mg now on5.5,my problem is my AD mirtazipne hav been on it 18 months they put me on it to get off benzo but im still stuck on both mirtz is causing me the most grief nervous,anxious,panic even to leave the house.

 

Would love some advise on which one to move off first i sleep badly so i have stayed on my AD but i really hate how it makes me feel,do i withdraw from beznzo first then tackle AD or the other way i tried to come off AD in feb cold turkey and move to valdoxan it nearly killed me so i wnt bk on mirt,i know comming off mirt is a long ordeal,just wondering if im in tolerance from benzo,i have stayed on 5.5 of Valium for 2 weeks and have moved my ad down slowly im on 22.5 was on 30 mg (so i have dropped 7mg in 3 weeks its alot i know my aim was to get to 15 and stay there until i witdraw off benzo.

 

am i doing the right thing so confused which one is causing me anxiosness BB buddies say get off benzo first

i jutst dont know what to do first,please help me work through this

 

BG

[xDebbiejo]

Hi BG

 

So sorry to hear you're suffering, I'm not experienced to advise you on this matter but there are plenty on this site who can who will be along shortly to help.

 

You have come to the right place! Welcome

 

I was in a mess when I first found this site and am now stable, thanks to Alto and others.

 

Were you feeling ok before starting the AD?

 

Most Doctors are not educated in these types of situations, you will get lots of help and support here.

 

You will Probably need to taper your AD first but don't do anything untill alto comes along to advise you!

 

Once again, welcome to the site, I'm sure you will get the help you need.

 

Debbie x

[annej]

Hi im new here im so confused i have been on bb but needed more help,hve been on benzo's for 12 years was doing a tapper from 7mg now on5.5,my problem is my AD mirtazipne hav been on it 18 months they put me on it to get off benzo but im still stuck on both mirtz is causing me the most grief nervous,anxious,panic even to leave the house.

 

Would love some advise on which one to move off first i sleep badly so i have stayed on my AD but i really hate how it makes me feel,do i withdraw from beznzo first then tackle AD or the other way i tried to come off AD in feb cold turkey and move to valdoxan it nearly killed me so i wnt bk on mirt,i know comming off mirt is a long ordeal,just wondering if im in tolerance from benzo,i have stayed on 5.5 of Valium for 2 weeks and have moved my ad down slowly im on 22.5 was on 30 mg (so i have dropped 7mg in 3 weeks its alot i know my aim was to get to 15 and stay there until i witdraw off benzo.

 

am i doing the right thing so confused which one is causing me anxiosness BB buddies say get off benzo first

i jutst dont know what to do first,please help me work through this

 

BG

 

Hi Broomgegirl,

 

I am Klonkers on BB and I am glad that you took my suggestion to join the forum. You will find many, many helpful and knowledgeable people on this site.

 

I also was started on mirt to "help" me withdraw from benzos. I started mirt the day after I jumped off of K.

 

Mirt and me did not get along, but it took me more than 30 days for the adverse effects of this drug to show up. By this time, I was already addicted to the mirt and I was in a big pickle. Benzo withdrawal and had to taper off the mirt. In the end, I had to c/t off the mirt and as you already know this is horrendous!

 

Sometimes I wonder if the mirt caused the tardive dyskinesia and tardive akathisia as I was tapering off the mirt. Probably not - more likely the longterm exposure to the SSRI's/SNRI's or atypicals.

But one thing is for sure, I consider mirt to be a really dirty drug.

 

I would hold on your benzo taper, get compounded mirt suspension (1mg/ml) and do an ever so slow taper. Ashton, and therefore BB, say taper the benzo first, but I and other members of this site do not agree with this approach.

 

You are in good company and I think you will find some solutions to your problems now that you are here.

 

Hugs, Annej (formerly Klonkers)

[Altostrata]

Hi, broomegirl, welcome.

 

Since you started taking mirtazapine after tapering the benzo, it's hard to tell what's doing what. Your current symptoms, including sleep problems, may be withdrawal symptoms from your benzo taper.

 

To reduce confusion, I suggest you hold on your benzo taper and make notes of your symptoms and how they change.

 

When you started the mirtazapine, did you have any side effects? What were they?

 

When you take mirtazapine each day, do you have any side effects from it now?

 

You may wish to read Benzo "tolerance withdrawal" -- does it exist? and Taking multiple psych drugs? Taper the antidepressant first!

[broomegirl]

HI just wondering should i continue to stay on my benzo im on 5.5 of valium and have been on mirtz for 18moths and on V for 15 yrs will my benzo suport me while i try and quit mirtz i hate it ,it only helps for sleep im on 22.5 ofmirtz,

 

my question is will my benzo suport me comming off mirt as i worry i haave been on V so long,i can get liquid mirtz ,i would like to move off mirtz but am afraid V will not suport my sleep,can i say BB site says get off benzo first but mirtz i hate can anyone help me decide

 

Also im a bad sleeper thats only why i stayed on mirtz it gives me anxiousness and alot of other problems,but V is so bad too,i have only been on low doses all these yr

 

May be droppng mirtz until im on a low dose just thinking here

 

love yr site

 

trace(BG)

[broomegirl]

Sorry everyone im new to this site i put a post in intrductions about me staying on benzos while i come off my AD i hate to re post it again,but have been on benzo for 15 yrs valium i want off m AD mirtaziine ,have been on i 18 mth but i am scared benzo wont suport me while i do this,just dont know wich one to come off first.

 

If any one an help me decide,i wantoff both but the AD helps me sleep ONLY,and as i need my sleep find it hard to decide what to do next

 

I can get liquid mirtz so i was thinking i could stay on benzo until im at a low dose of mirtz and then decide

 

any help

love this site once i can work it all out

newbie i am

[Skyler]

Hi Trace, we have a thread for benzo questions. Please repost this here See you there!

 

PS We can help you better if you put your drug history in your sig line, both ADs and benzos.. do you know how to use the sig line? Go to my profile in the upper right of this screen, and then click on edit right hand corner. You will see the option. Thanks!

[Altostrata]

Thanks, Schuyler.

 

broomegirl, I merged your two topics -- in the Intro forum, there's only one topic to a customer.

 

If you're reading this site on a cell phone, I suggest you use a computer or tablet instead. There's a lot of information that's hard to follow on a tiny cell phone screen.

 

my question is will my benzo suport me comming off mirt as i worry i haave been on V so long,i can get liquid mirtz ,i would like to move off mirtz but am afraid V will not suport my sleep,can i say BB site says get off benzo first but mirtz i hate can anyone help me decide

 

Also im a bad sleeper thats only why i stayed on mirtz it gives me anxiousness and alot of other problems,but V is so bad too,i have only been on low doses all these yr

 

Those are very good questions. Coming off mirtazapine is tricky because it often causes rebound insomnia. On the other hand, for you mirtazapine is also causing anxiety.

 

We suggest staying on the benzo and reducing the antidepressant first for the very reason you've figured out -- the benzo may help the sleep.

 

You might go through a rough bit, but reducing the mirtazapine by very, very tiny amounts may work for you.

 

Read this topic, too how do i get off mirtazapine

[broomegirl]

HI evryone ive surfed the site and would now like to tell my story i have been on antidepressants most my life being on prothidine for 20 yrs but was moved off november 2010 to mirtazipine and have been on this for 18 mnths,as the doctors said the newer antidepressant works beter well since being on them my health has declided greatly as i wanted a drug to work i stayed on it but now know that wasnt a good move my syptoms are restless legs syndrome,lower back pain,muscle pain,headaches and a drugged feeling that lasts all day.

 

I have also been on benzo for 15 yrs and have tried to come off them twice,this is my third attempt i have been tappering from 10mg down to 5mgs this drug is so addictive but i feel after being here i can now see how bad AD's are for you with the help from people here i hope to get advice and withdraw the drug that seems to be more activating and that seems to be the AD.

 

So if anyone else has any advise on being on mirtz and believe like me i should move off this drug first please let me know.

I woluld love to thank:

ALTO,SCHYLER,RHI,ANNIE and others that have allready tried to help me decide but deep down i know this AD is causing me so much heartache,and i do hve a doctor that will help me get the liquid so it will be more gradual.

 

As drugs have controlled my life for so long it will be hard but i am determined to remove these poisons thanks for reading this and i hope to make many friends along my long journey on this road

 

trace

[Skyler]

Hi Trace.. I copied part of the post you made on my thread below as it is a clear response and may help folks reading your message above.

 

i believe getting off my AD is more an issue....

 

Good choice!

 

Alto will be helping you work out your AD taper.. she's the admin here and aces with ADs. You are on the right track, congrats for making the decision. ~S

[Altostrata]

broomegirl, please read this entire topic again. I've merged your new Intro topic with your old Intro topic.

 

I've given you the same advice several times. Please bookmark this topic and read it every time you have the same question about tapering mirtazipine vs benzo.

[broomegirl]

Hi everyone,

Alto

thanks for being patient with me trying to come to terms with deciding wt drug to drop first,i now realize the AD is more activating than the benzo and is causing the most side effects so im going to get stable and then start a slow tapper off my AD,i have read alot of posts from people that have been on mirtz and they did go through hell commimg off them but if i stay on them any longer i think it will be even harder getting off them.

 

So here i go down the merry road of getting drug free,they say the hard things in life were never meant to be easy( so true)

 

Any advice you can give me will be great

thanks again all

trace

[Skyler]

Hi everyone,

Alto

thanks for being patient with me trying to come to terms with deciding wt drug to drop first,i now realize the AD is more activating than the benzo and is causing the most side effects so im going to get stable and then start a slow tapper off my AD,i have read alot of posts from people that have been on mirtz and they did go through hell commimg off them but if i stay on them any longer i think it will be even harder getting off them.

 

So here i go down the merry road of getting drug free,they say the hard things in life were never meant to be easy( so true)

 

Any advice you can give me will be great

thanks again all

trace

 

Hi Trace.. your post was clear, easy to follow even for people like me who have never sent or read a text message (text speak 'words' like wt make a post more difficult to understand). You were also straight forward and to the point. This helps us help you! Again, glad to see you made a decision about tapering the AD first. Going slowly should limit many of the problems you have had.

[broomegirl]

Thanks S,

 

Glad im starting to make sense im sure i just ramble on sometimes so used to text talk on my smart phone iand i think everyone can understand thats me,i really appreciate yr candor and straight forward aprouch i think i just am a blur most the time cutting all the time puts added stress on my allready CNS.

 

I need to be kinder to my self and have believe i can do this as all i know is being medicated most my life,so any help will keep me on track and also will keep me strong.

 

thanks heaps

trace

nice that i have found a friend

i really appreiciate that

[Nikki]

Hi...

 

If you type in Mirtazapine in the search box it will pull up lots of posts from other members trying to get off of it too.

 

Best regards.

 

Nikki

[Altostrata]

broomegirl, can you get mirtazapine made into a liquid at a compounding pharmacy? That would be the easiest way to taper.

 

If you cut up tablets, you may want to weigh the pieces with a digital scale so you can control the amount you taper.

[broomegirl]

Thanks nikki,for that sure will

 

Alto i have to cut my tabs down until i get to 15 mg then my doctor will give me the liquid so that will be good

 

Can i ask is mirtz a phycoitc drug or just a straight forward anti is that why many find it hard comming off it

 

Also rhi suggested getting to a low dose of mirtz get stable and then continue with my benzo as the benzo gives me agrophobia,and memerory loss being on it so long,(i know being on a low dose of mirtz is more like a sleeping tab)

 

Whats your take on this

 

thanks for your help everyone

trace

[Sparrow]

Trace, mirtazapine is not an anti-psychotic drug. It is an antidepressant.

 

Sparrow

[Altostrata]

Trace, mirtazipine is not any more difficult to taper off than another other psychiatric drug. It's tricky because of the rebound insomnia, but withdrawal insomnia is a very common withdrawal problem, so not a whole lot of difference there, either.

[dalsaan]

Trace,

 

Mirtazapine is also a potent antihistamine. This is what gives it the sedative effect

As others have said its no worse or better than any other ADs. It really is about the interactions of the drug and your individual system. That's why people can only give their opinions (well informed as they are) rather than definative statements on what to do, what will happen or what works

[broomegirl]

Thanks all that gives me so much more information that i ever got from my so called phychritrists or GP's i think im ready and prepared now to move to a lower dose of my AD, so i will start slowly cutting my dose down and take it slow getting to 15 mgs is my first aim,then will get the liquid and take it nice and slow,hopefully my valium will help with any anxious feeling that i get from my cuts.

 

thanks to you all for your advice and information

huggs to you all

trace x :)

[Altostrata]

Trace, how are you planning to go from 22.5mg to 15mg mirtazapine?

[broomegirl]

Hi Alto,

yes i just counted and it is 5 and 1/2 weeks now on 22.5 is the drop to 15mg too steep for me or do you think that is do able right now its just so hard cutting those tabs 15 is so much easier and accurate to take

what do you think?

 

huggs

trace

[Altostrata]

Trace, I can't tell you if going from 22.5mg to 15mg is going to be too big a drop for you.

 

As I've posted MANY times, if I were you I'd get the liquid mirtazapine NOW and taper more gradually, by 10% at a time. 10% of 22.5mg is 2.25mg.

 

Dropping from 22.5mg to 15mg is a 33% decrease. It's up to you if you want to risk mirtazapine withdrawal symptoms on top of your benzo withdrawal symptoms.

[broomegirl]

Thanks Alto,

 

My GP can order the liquid for me so i will go from there, thanks for working out the % cuts for me as i can never work it all out,others on BB are having alot of questions also in what order to drop what med first so glad im here with the suport for people like me who just get confused with the AD issue and having prof ashton method drummed into us about dropping the bezno first.

 

Both will be hard but who said it was going to be easy ;DOCTORS THATS WHO and we believed them

thanks Alto

 

huggs trace

[Skyler]

Thanks Alto,

 

My GP can order the liquid for me so i will go from there, thanks for working out the % cuts for me as i can never work it all out,others on BB are having alot of questions also in what order to drop what med first so glad im here with the suport for people like me who just get confused with the AD issue and having prof ashton method drummed into us about dropping the bezno first.

 

Both will be hard but who said it was going to be easy ;DOCTORS THATS WHO and we believed them

thanks Alto

 

huggs trace

 

Hi trace.. glad to hear you are going to order the liquid so you can take 10% cuts. At least I'm taking this to mean you are not going to dry cut your AD to make a 33% drop?..

 

Your system is already sensitized from the benzos, and this sensitization has set you up for more withdrawal symptoms for coming off the mirtz. This does not mean you will have a difficult taper, but is a big CAUTION sign, a strong reason for following the 10% reduction of previous dose, hold for one month guidelines, at least at until and unless you find you can go faster.~S

[broomegirl]

Hi S,

Yes i am going to get the liquid it will take a couple off weeks as i dont live in a major city and my gp has to write to the script and will get compound pharmacy to make it up for me.In the meantime i will proberly drop 10% until my liquid arrives.

 

Hope all is well with you i really appreiciate all the help and friends here

let you know how i go,i think rhi suggustion in dropping my AD to a low dose get stable then dropp my benzo to 2mgms then finish my ad tapper then the last stage will be finishing my last 2mgs of benzo is an option for me too it will be a long process but i think in the past i have rushed things too quickly thats why i have failed in the past with my benzo.

 

Its an option i could take but will concentrate on getting to a low dose of my AD first,ONE STEP AT A TIME

 

huggs trace

[Skyler]

i go,i think rhi suggustion in dropping my AD to a low dose get stable then dropp my benzo to 2mgms then finish my ad tapper then the last stage will be finishing my last 2mgs of benzo is an option for me too it will be a long process but i think in the past i have rushed things too quickly thats why i have failed in the past with my benzo.

 

Its an option i could take but will concentrate on getting to a low dose of my AD first,ONE STEP AT A TIME

 

huggs trace

 

Hi Trace,

 

Please use punctuation in future, as in my redo of your post below? Can you follow what you wrote above?? Clearly written posts are less time consuming for us and a courtesy to the forum. Thanks for understanding.

 

"I think rhi's suggustion in dropping my AD to a low dose to get stable, then dropping my benzo to 2mgs, then finishing my ad tapper, then the last stage will be 2mgs of benzo is an option for me too. It will be a long process but I think in the past I have rushed things too quickly thats why I have failed in the past with my benzo."

 

Sounds like a good plan. Rhi is aces with multiple drug tapers.~S

[broomegirl]

Schyler,

I thought my punctuation was quite clear as what i was planning,i wrote what i thought was a good plan sorry if you didnt understand

 

Any way yes "Rhi is quite informed with wihdrawal methods so i will see how i go,hope all is well with you have a good weekend and will talk to you soon sweetie

 

trace x

[broomegirl]

HI,

well i have got down to 15mgs of mirtz and i must say im proud of myself im also down to 4.5 mg of Valium i know we should not multi cut off both meds but i felt good so i did it.

 

IM staying on both meds now for 1 month then get stable and start my mirtz taper 10% i want off this drug first as the valiuim still helps me for my anxiousness and i will need it while droping my AD .

 

Hope all is well with everyone

huggs trace x

[dalsaan]

Hi Trace

 

Glad to hear its so far, so good. Hope it stays that way for you

 

Dalsaan