Emma86: Trying to heal after heavy withdrawal Lorazepam

[Emma86]

Hi I thought I would update my progress. So I am currently as of 6th March on : 

From 400 mg quetiapine I am now on 2mg ! ( Focusing on this one at the moment )

From 30 mg Mirtazipine I am on 25mg ( Holding )

From 0.5 Ativan I am on 0.125mg ( Holding )

 

All tapered on by one. 

 

The Mirtazipine taper was attempted after I paused a while from the quetiapine taper, at that point I was at a much higher dose of the quetiapine. I found the Mirtazipine really hard to move, even changing the pill from a 30 mg pill to taking 2 15 pills caused me to loose my sleep almost immediately. It seems a very delicate pill for me and very connected to my sleep. 

 

As I have tapered the quetiapine my sleep has not been affected and has stayed the same, maybe at times waking earlier. But not drastic. 

 

I take the quetiapine and mirtazipine together at night and the Ativan I dose mid morning and mid evening this has been working well for a while. As in no obvious negative affects when I take any of the drugs.

 

As I taper the quetiapine I do experience jolting and anxiety surges, slight body contorting movements as I fall asleep. But this comes in waves and then goes completely, and is triggered by the tapering. 

 

As I find myself at 2mg of Quetiapine I find myself thinking back to the Mirtazpine and how it is soo connected to my sleep. How will I be once off the quetiapine. And how will it be tapering the mirtazipine..? 

 

It felt impossible to taper it before whilst on the higher dose of quetiapine, hence why I left it at 25mg. Sleep was lost almost immediately each time I tapered, it would resolve only after holding and I had the quetiapine as a back stop. 

 

I read through the tapering multiple medications section, and I can see how using an antiscychotic ( I can't spell that word ever ) can help if the antidepressant causes sleeplessness... and for me the mirtazipine really does!

 

Obviously the want is to get off the quetiapine due to its vast variety of side effects, movement disorders being one of them.. 

 

It is a juggling act, I also thought once off the quetiapine and then leaving good time.. maybe the mirtazipine could be easier to taper without causing this immediate insomnia. 

 

It is a worrying thought, to be left on the 25mg without a sleep aid though.. 

 

Is it wise to take my history of sleep issues with the mirtazipine into account and hold this small  dose of quetiapine. To which could be having no affect on sleep right now, or maybe it could, and attempt to try and lower the mirtazipine. 

 

These are just thoughts. As I have been gearing up to be off the quetiapine and that was my plan to just get off it. I guess as the time is drawing closer you start to wonder more about how one can help the other.. only natural I guess. As I of course want to be medication free. 

 

Sharing this as perhaps this will help others, also to connect with anyone else in the same boat, with similar medications and incase anyone can share perspectives on these decisions. 

 

Thank you in advance for any help.

 

Much love

Emma