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timhorton: I'm trying to quit mirtazapine


timhorton

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Hello, I recently made a breakthrough with my GAD and want desperately to get off of remeron (mirtazapine). I have been successful in quitting for up to 10 days. I have not been able to sleep well during this time and have had to go back to remeron to get sleep. I am sure that I would have successfully quit cold turkey if I had a way around the insomnia. Any suggestions?

22 year old male.

quitting: mirtazapine.

best attempt : 10 days cold turkey

problems with attempt : insomnia, and nothing else, otherwise a very worthwhile attempt.

started with: 15 mg for 1 year and about a half

currently on: 7.5 mg mirtaz

Tried: ortho sleep (5htp and melatonin), valerian root, warm milk, meditation, advil nighttime, neurophone, magnesium citrate (which I have taken for 4 days)

 

other info: smoked cannabis daily 2 years ago (quit cold turkey), briefly took Cymbalta many years ago, ALSO I have been off of cipralex completely for about 5 weeks and quit cold turkey without issues

 

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  • Member

Welcome to the site and we are sure you will find helpful information here.

 

I must first ask you that if that is your real name you have used as you may not want it associated with the site as all of your posts (except in our private forums for benzos and 'off topic') are visible to anyone and are indexed by the major search engines. All you have to do to change it is to say so in your topic and the information on what you would like it changed to will be seen by the administrator and it will be done.

 

We never recommend anyone try to quit these powerful drugs cold turkey as they can cause a very uncomfortable 'withdrawal syndrome' one symptom of which is insomnia (as you have seen). We always recommend coming off slowly in no larger than 10% or less of the current dose increments no oftener than every 4-6 weeks and only if you are 'stable'. One of the worst things that can happen is that the insomnia becomes 'intractable' (means can't be relieved) by going back up in the dose. The nervous system does not like rapid changes of drugs like mirtazapine. These links have a lot of good information on the wisdom of tapering slowly:

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Why taper? Paper demonstrates importance of gradual change in plasma concentration

 

Important topics in the Tapering forum and FAQ

 

So what dose are you taking now and for how long? Put this information and any other drugs you are taking (such as over the counters and supplements) in a 'signature' like this:

 

http://survivinganti...your-signature/

 

Here is our topic on how to reduce remeron:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/5301-tips-for-tapering-off-remeron-mirtazapine/

What happened and how I arrived here: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4243-cymbaltawithdrawal5600-introduction/#entry50878

 

July 2016 I have decided to leave my story here at SA unfinished. I have left my contact information in my profile for anyone who wishes to talk to me. I have a posting history spanning nearly 4 years and 3000+ posts all over the site.

 

Thank you to all who participated in my recovery. I'll miss talking to you but know that I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines, suffering and rejoicing with you in spirit, as you go on in your journey.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

TH, hey.

 

First off, if you are THE Canadian Tim Horton, you serve some damned good coffee at your fine establishments. :)

 

In terms of the MIrt, I have weaned myself down to 1.9mg from 30mg. As you know from being on it yourself, it makes eating and sleeping possible in many cases when people are suffering intense anxiety, especially at the lower doses. That is why when people try to discontinue, they often have trouble with lack of appetite and insomnia as you are experiencing with the latter.

 

I don't think cold turkey is a good idea for anyone on these things because of the risk of withdrawal syndrome, and therefore think a slower taper would be a good idea. Just saying. You may find that you won't suffer the insomnia if you slowly wean yourself. I have yet to experience any degree of serious insomnia.

 

It'd be helpful to know where you are starting from. 15mg? 7.5mg? Are you on anything else.

 

Hang in there.

 

Dave

1996 - .5mg Ativan as needed, 7.5mg Remeron daily2008 - .5mg Xanax, Ativan discontinued, Remeron continued2012 - .5mg Xanax, .25mg Ativan 3x daily, Remeron continued2/2012 - Jumped from Remeron, continued .5mg Xanax .25mg Ativan 3x daily4/2012 - Began rapid taper of .5mg Xanax .25mg Ativan 3x daily6/2012 - Jumped from Xanax and Ativan, voluntary hospitalization followed7/2012 - 2nd voluntary hospitalization, reinstated Remeron, bumped to 30mg, also given risperidone.8/2012 - discontinued risperidone, tried gabapentin, dicontinued gabapentin, Remeron 30mg continued10/2012 to current - tapered Remeron 10% every 4 to 6 weeks (sometimes more time) using liquid compound12/2014 - 2mg Remeron 1/16/2015 - 1.9mg Remeron 8/1/2015 -1.6mg Remeron - 03/1/2016 - 1.5mg Remeron - 1/2/2017 1.3mg - 5/7/2017 1.2mg - 5/13/2017 - syringe size change - 6/8/2017 - 1.1mg - 7/10/2017 - 1mg - 9/1/2017 - 0.9mg - 10/22/2017 - 0.8mg - 11/22/2017 - 0.7mg - 2/2/2018 - 0.6mg - 3/13/2018 - new compound pharmacy - 5/20/2018 - 0.5mg - 8/31/2018 - 0.4mg - 11/16/2018 - 0.3mg - 12/24/2018 - 0.2mg - 4/1/2019 - 0.1mg - 5/1/2019 - .05mg - 0mg achieved 2019-06-15. 🤞

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Yeah my real name is not tim Horton. I did work at one for many years, yes in Canada. I understand that it is not recommended to go cold turkey on mirtazapine. However I have become strongly convinced that antidepressants are really bad. They probably should only be prescribed to 1/10  of the people who are currently on them. I require a more proactive plan than the 10 percent decrease per month.

 

I have been on 15 mg for just under a year and a half. I recently was able to go cold turkey for 10 days and only went back because of trouble with sleep. I wonder if I found the right vitamin or something if that would help? I have done meditation for over a year on a daily basis (for up to 3 hours in one day) and it has not helped with sleep. I have gone back to 7.5 mg because of the insomnia issue.

22 year old male.

quitting: mirtazapine.

best attempt : 10 days cold turkey

problems with attempt : insomnia, and nothing else, otherwise a very worthwhile attempt.

started with: 15 mg for 1 year and about a half

currently on: 7.5 mg mirtaz

Tried: ortho sleep (5htp and melatonin), valerian root, warm milk, meditation, advil nighttime, neurophone, magnesium citrate (which I have taken for 4 days)

 

other info: smoked cannabis daily 2 years ago (quit cold turkey), briefly took Cymbalta many years ago, ALSO I have been off of cipralex completely for about 5 weeks and quit cold turkey without issues

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi TimHorton

 

I agree with you on the 1/10 thing but there is only one thing worse than being on antidepressants and that is coming off them too fast. If you believe that they negatively impact your brain, as I do, then don't exacerbate this by crashing your system through withdrawal.

 

I've been there

 

I am on remeron. I tried the push through strategy. I lasted 3 months. 3 months of dizziness, nausea and extreme insomnia. I had to stop driving, had visual disturbances through lack of sleep and couldn't think. Like you, I thought the insomnia would go away. It didn't And nothing helped. I tried supplements, acupuncture, meditation, even sleeping tablets. Nothing helped. Not even a little bit. I had test after test trying to work out what was happening. No answer. Then I worked out it was withdrawal and luckily I was successful in reinstating.

 

In deep withdrawal, the insomnia is relentless. It stops you from functioning, markedly reduces your well being and crashes your mental health

 

I am now a slow taper convert. I'm not off them yet but am at a real low dose and I have got my life back.

 

That's the key point and outcome of a conservative approach to tapering - getting your life back

Please note - I am not a medical practitioner and I do not give medical advice. I offer an opinion based on my own experiences, reading and discussion with others.On Effexor for 2 months at the start of 2005. Had extreme insomnia as an adverse reaction. Changed to mirtazapine. Have been trying to get off since mid 2008 with numerous failures including CTs and slow (but not slow enough tapers)Have slow tapered at 10 per cent or less for years. I have liquid mirtazapine made at a compounding chemist.

Was on 1.6 ml as at 19 March 2014.

Dropped to 1.5 ml 7 June 2014. Dropped to 1.4 in about September.

Dropped to 1.3 on 20 December 2014. Dropped to 1.2 in mid Jan 2015.

Dropped to 1 ml in late Feb 2015. I think my old medication had run out of puff so I tried 1ml when I got the new stuff and it seems to be going ok. Sleep has been good over the last week (as of 13/3/15).

Dropped to 1/2 ml 14/11/15 Fatigue still there as are memory and cognition problems. Sleep is patchy but liveable compared to what it has been in the past.

 

DRUG FREE - as at 1st May 2017

 

>My intro post is here - http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2250-dalsaan

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