LisaZ

[LisaZ]

Hi. I’m new to this forum . I’m looking for a recommendation for an organization/doctor/compounding pharmacy in Israel to help taper off Remeron/Mirtazapine -which I have been on for seven weeks now-which was prescribed to help with an adverse reaction to Cipralex .

[Altostrata]

Welcome, LisaZ.

 

Very sorry, we don't know of any recommendations in Israel. You'll have to phone pharmacies to find one that does compounding, or consult local online groups in Israel.

 

What was your adverse reaction to Cipralex? Why do you want to go off mirtazapine now?

 

See Tips for tapering off Remeron (mirtazapine)

[LisaZ]

I started it and had a week of insomnia

(apparently it’s a well known side effect I guess).

That, combined with life events , served as a trigger to make my ideational anxiety become physical (ie GAD) as well

as fight/flight inability to fall asleep.  I was put on  30 MG mirtazapine  to counteract the effects of all of this.

 

I would like to get off the medication bc I don’t feel like it’s helping enough (I regret ever going down this path). The psychiatrists here recommend a four week  taper schedule.

 

Are you aware of any programs/drs in the San Diego area that specialize in this-ie withdrawing from one drug while at the same time addressing the underlying anxiety issue?

[Altostrata]

If you got insomnia from it, that was an excessive dosage of Cipralex.

 

To help us out, see these instructions Please put your drug and withdrawal history in your signature

 

What is your current symptom pattern, that you attribute to the drugs? What is your sleep pattern?

 

See our list of doctors. If I knew of doctors or centers to go off psychiatric drugs safely, I would send all our members there and close up this site.

 

Also see Tips for tapering off Remeron (mirtazapine)

 

You need to work with your body to re-establish your sleep cycle. Read:

 

Tips to help sleep -- so many of us have that awful withdrawal insomnia

 

Waking with panic or anxiety -- managing cortisol spikes

 

What is the sleep cycle?

 

Melatonin for sleep: Many people find it helpful

 

TV or computer use in evening can disrupt sleep: Bright light signals the brain that it's daytime

 

 

[LisaZ]

Hi

Thank you. I am wondering if some of my current symptoms (anhedonia, cortisol spikes, tingling in my head, horrible morning anxiety, hard to be around people, forgetfulness) are wd from the cipralex (7 days of 5 mg and then cold turkey)  and perhaps I should stay on the mirtazapine longer until I stabilize  my CNS or if these symptoms are as a result of the mirtazapine itself and I should taper off .I’m so scared about making the wrong decision since I still have anxiety and insomnia bouts.

I have times where I can fall asleep on my own , nights where the mirtazapine is enough to get me to sleep and nights where I need Valium in addition to the mirtazapine to sleep several hours . I usually go to bed around 10 pm and wake at four am. I stay in bed petrified until I have to drag myself out of bed at 6:30.

 

Thanks

 

Cipralex- one week 5 mg. Then cold turkey 

currently on mirtazapine 7 weeks  -30 mg 

Debating whether to continue or wd

 

[LisaZ]

Hi.

I am weaning off mirtazapine after being on it for nine weeks due to severe suicidal ideation. I was put on it to “correct my systrm” after being on cipralex  which I took for a week at five mg and then stopped CT bc it caused insomnia. I then developed symptoms that I thought were GAD but I now seem to think were  withdrawal - huge anxiety, brain burn,  akathisia. 

The psychiatrist told me to go from 30 to 15 mg. I agreed against my better judgment. I have been doing that for three days and have noticed paresthesia and brain zaps as well as increased akathisia.

Should I go back to 30 MG and do 10 percent taper (which would mean my taper would be longer than my time on the mirtazapine ).

i have no family support in this nor does my psychiatrist agree to this...I don’t know what to do or where to turn 

[Gridley]

Since you have been on 15mg for only 3 days, you should be all right going back up to 30mg.  Then hold there to stabilize.  This will take some time.  Once you have stabilized, you can begin your 10% per month taper.

[LisaZ]

Hi,

I posted a while ago. I was on Lexapro 5 mg for a week during which time I had severe insomnia the whole time so I quit cold turkey.

i was then put on Remeron 30 mg for sux weeks in an attempt to treat my “anxiety” which I now know was withdrawal.

I tapered the Remeron with the psychiatrist over four weeks (I was on it for a total of ten) against my better judgment. During all of this I have had anhedonia, brain zaps, myoclonic jerks, DP/DR and insomnia but the worst symptom right now is unbearable agitation.

Encouraged by family , a doctor who based on some life events and family history diagnosed me with agitated mania put me on lithium- i have been on it for two days  and plan on stopping since it seems to be making the agitation worse.

im debating if I should try to convince this new psychiatrist to reinstate me on the Remeron and do a slower taper or if I should continue and try to let my body heal on its own (the new dr plans on trying other mood stabilizers if the lithium doesn’t work) 

i have been off the Remeron for five weeks total since my last dose on May 9th. Is it too late to reinstate? If not , at what dosage should I reinstate ?

i am very scared since no one believes me about protracted Wd from either of these meds.

 

 

[Songbird]

Hi LisaZ, I have merged your introduction topics into one, so that all your information is in one place.  You can post all your updates here in this topic.

 

It would be helpful if you could create a signature with your med history, including all drugs, doses and dates (starting and stopping).  You can edit your signature under your Account Settings.  You could look at my signature for an example.  See this topic for more info: Please put your withdrawal history in your signature

 

Unfortunately, withdrawal is often mistakenly misdiagnosed, and more drugs added to try to treat the effects of the previous drugs.  It's what we call the "med merry-go-round".  You are right to be wary of the lithium and other mood stabilizers.  When your system is already destabilized, adding further drugs or switching them around usually only serves to destabilize it further.  Letting your body heal on its own is usually a better path.  Sometimes reinstatement can be a good option, especially if done early, to restabilise and then slowly taper, which is gentler on the body.  Reinstating could be difficult if the only doctor you can get more Remeron from is this one who wants you on mood stabilizers.  In that case, you may have to ride out withdrawal.  See our topic:  about reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms

 

Did you find the Remeron helped at all with the symptoms of the Cipralex adverse reaction?  How did your symptoms change?  How have your symptoms changed since coming off the Remeron?  

 

[LisaZ]

Hi Songbird

The Remeron helped me sleep and got rid of the neck tension and electric waves I experienced down my back.

Since coming off the Remeron, my insomnia has returned , I have brain zaps, myoclonic jerks, and horrible agitation.

I read the string. My dad was bipolar so the psydocs theory is that the SSRI flipped me into an agitated mania .

Given the pressure with the doctor , if I go the reinstatement route-any recommendations on dosage and how long to stay on it? If it doesn’t work and causes an adverse reaction , I know he will want to put me on Abilify.

 

For the insomnia- I have tried lactium (activates me), Taurine and L arginine (limited success)Melatonin helps me fall asleep but not stay asleep. Any other suggestions to help ?

 

Any thoughts on how to help with agitation other than time? Does GabaCalm work?

[LisaZ]

Further-

To get off of the lithium of two doses (300 and 600) can I quit cold turkey or do I need to taper down in some fashion?

[Songbird]

On 4/28/2018 at 9:50 PM, LisaZ said:

The psychiatrist told me to go from 30 to 15 mg. I agreed against my better judgment. I have been doing that for three days and have noticed paresthesia and brain zaps as well as increased akathisia.

 

On 4/30/2018 at 1:11 AM, Gridley said:

Since you have been on 15mg for only 3 days, you should be all right going back up to 30mg.  Then hold there to stabilize.  This will take some time.  Once you have stabilized, you can begin your 10% per month taper.

 

Did you try Gridley's suggestion at the end of April to try going back up to 30mg?  If so, what happened? 

 

On 6/14/2018 at 10:30 PM, LisaZ said:

I tapered the Remeron with the psychiatrist over four weeks (I was on it for a total of ten) against my better judgment. During all of this I have had anhedonia, brain zaps, myoclonic jerks, DP/DR and insomnia but the worst symptom right now is unbearable agitation.

 

Why did your psychiatrist have you fast taper off the Remeron?

 

On 6/15/2018 at 2:43 AM, LisaZ said:

To get off of the lithium of two doses (300 and 600) can I quit cold turkey or do I need to taper down in some fashion?

 

With only two doses,  I would just stop.

 

On 6/14/2018 at 11:50 PM, LisaZ said:

For the insomnia- I have tried lactium (activates me), Taurine and L arginine (limited success)Melatonin helps me fall asleep but not stay asleep. Any other suggestions to help ?

 

If melatonin helps, but you are waking up, you could try timed-release melatonin.

 

On 6/14/2018 at 11:50 PM, LisaZ said:

Given the pressure with the doctor , if I go the reinstatement route-any recommendations on dosage and how long to stay on it? If it doesn’t work and causes an adverse reaction , I know he will want to put me on Abilify.

 

Do you have any Remeron left or do you need to see the doctor to get a prescription?  We usually suggest trying very low doses when reinstating to minimise the risk of adverse reactions.  What date did you stop the Remeron?  Please read our reinstatement topic, especially the first post - about halfway down there is a section Reinstate at what dosage?:  about reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms