Musab: Remeron (Mirtazapine) cold turkey

[Musab]

*Symptoms are in BOLD font, the other things are just my story. 
I have quit Remeron since 64 days now (quit it abruptly), i am not so sure if these symptoms i am facing are due to my withdrawal. and i really need help with that! so if you think these symptoms are familiar please let me know.  
my life is a nightmare right now, and only yesterday i realized that this craziness that i am living in is maybe because of the medication. i used to fight my ego for (as i thought it was the reason for all of this) i thought that i was over demanding and needy. but no man, i can't be demanding these very basic things that are absolutely have no link with consumption.  
i am a very thoughtful guy, a bookish person, very honest with myself, i don't just blame something for being the reason of my shity life. but now my concentration is zero, like a maniac anything that is moving around me grabs my concentration immediately. i used to be very chill and calm ( i am still for everybody else, but from the inside it's just torture)    
but at this stage, i am pretty confident that this is just not normal. 
my symptoms are as follow: 
I have had an emotional shock before quieting, it made me less concentrated, and at that stage remeron was not doing a good job as it used to be. i made a trip for 1 month and i quit it during that trip. 
after i got back, things started to get so bad. i am literally fearful of light, i just turn off the lights and sleep by myself wishing that no body would come in. fearful of my own family, meeting someone by chance. it's not like normal fear, it's just my heart starts beating so fast that i am paralyzed and can't do anything. 
i am absolutely disconnected from reality, i don't have any logical thinking (i find it hard to differentiate between what is right and what is wrong), ideas cannot be linked together in anyway. i would be thinking about something and an another totally different idea just swipe me with it (like a hallucination, it grabs my attention and just hold on it) 
- severe depression (even though the feeling of depression is not a problem anymore comparing it to these other things), i am totally fine with depression, but not having a sense of reality is just something that i don't think anyone could handle,  i just can't think because my mind keeps jumping with other useless stuff. 
i think i have a digestive problems, dry mouth, cramps (especially when i sleep). 
- social anxiety, with the same type of fear. 
- raceful and self harm thoughts , suicidal thoughts 
- sometimes hallucinations (i see dark objects on the floor, that do not exist) 
- excessive sexual desire 
- stiff muscles all the time, even when i wake up i feel tired as if i was running or smth (i forgot what the concept "relaxation" even means) 
- i have a problem waking up in the morning, with a very very bad depression (i hated the sun (light) for this reason).  
are these a symptoms of withdrawing? or am i having a rough days? 
and if it is, for how long would it take? is it better to keep going cold turkey? (i don't have any problem with it, i can handle it) but i don't know does it have any dangerous results (medically speaking)? 
Thank you ❤️ 

[Gridley]

 

3 hours ago, Musab said:

  
are these a symptoms of withdrawing? or am i having a rough days? 
and if it is, for how long would it take? is it better to keep going cold turkey? (i don't have any problem with it, i can handle it) but i don't know does it have any dangerous results (medically speaking)? 
 

 

Musab,

 

Welcome to SA.  I'm sorry you're having a hard time.

 

To give members the best information, we ask them to summarize their medication history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly.  Please give the dosage you were on when you cold-turkeyed.

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

Many of the symptoms you report are typical of withdrawal from psychiatric drugs.  Here is some information on withdrawal:

 

What is withdrawal syndrome.

 

Glenmullen’s withdrawal symptom list.

 

Light sensitivity is a common withdrawal symptom.

 

Increased sensitivity to light, noise, sound, exercise etc - Symptoms ...

 

When we take medications, the CNS (central nervous system) responds by making changes over the months and years we take the drug(s). When the medication is discontinued, the CNS has to undo all the changes it made. Rebuilding the neurotransmitter production and reactivating the receptor and transporter cells takes time -- during that rebuilding process symptoms occur.  

 

Youtube video, 4 minutes: Healing from antidepressants

Going cold turkey can make the process of healing more difficult and lengthy.  You may want to consider a reinstatement of a very small dose of Remeron.  Re instatement of a very small dose of the original drug s the only known way to reduce withdrawal symptoms.  Once you have completed your signature, including your dosage, we can suggest a dosage to reinstate if this is something you want to consider.

 

The only other alternative is to try and wait out the symptoms and manage as best you can until your central nervous system returns to homeostasis.  Unfortunately no one can give you an exact timeline as to when you will start feeling better and while some do recover relatively easily, for others it can take many months or longer.  

 

Reinstatement works most predictably within three months of the last dose.  Please read:

 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms. -- at least the first page of the topic

 

A lot of people find fish oil and magnesium supplements helpful, see
http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/36-king-of-supplements-omega-3-fatty-acids-fish-oil/
http://survivingantidepressants.org/topic/15483-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/

 

Try a little bit of one at a time to see how it affects you.

 

This is your Introduction page, where you can ask questions and post updates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 24, 2019 by Gridley

[Musab]

23 hours ago, Gridley said:

 

 

Try a little bit of one at a time to see how it affects you.

 

This is your Introduction page, where you can ask questions and post updates.

 

Hey, i just updated my signature. 
Remeron (mirtazapine):
- i started taking 30 mg, 2.5 years ago. 
- i lowered it to 15 mg after one year from starting the medication. 
- 64 days ago, i went cold turkey.  
these are the dosages that i recall, i lowered it and raised it (15 mg or 30 mg) a few times that i can't certainly remember the dates, but they weren't for a long periods. the 15 mg is the dosage that i quit on. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Musab.

 

How's your sleep?

 

Quite often, withdrawal insomnia occurs when people go off mirtazapine. If you're sleeping well -- that's very good. Take care of your sleep, no late nights for a while

 

As Gridley pointed out, you may have some symptoms while you are recovering from quitting the drug too fast. You might try a tiny reinstatement, such as 2mg to start, to stop withdrawal symptoms.

 

Otherwise, you'll have to cope with symptoms until they go away. This can be very gradual. For example, if you're light-sensitive, you may wish to wear tinted glasses indoors, especially when using the computer.

 

Please read the links Gridley kindly gave you.

[India]

On 3/24/2019 at 4:24 PM, Musab said:

i am literally fearful of light, i just turn off the lights and sleep by myself wishing that no body would come in. fearful of my own family, meeting someone by chance. it's not like normal fear, it's just my heart starts beating s

It’s withdrawal. I have it too. Terrified of everything. Bizarre things.

[Musab]

@Altostrata

yes, they were helpful 
my sleep is actually better than it was when i was on the drug, i don't take caffeine or sugar since i left the drug. 

but regarding the reinstatement, i don't feel that i want to do that. is it true that it might elongate the symptoms? 
can the brain handle cold turkey without any reinstatement?  is it faster, slower? 
is it similar to quieting nicotine for example, if you cold turkey it would be faster with higher symptoms, if slower it would take longer but less symptoms, are these two similar cases? 

Thank you 
 

[Ather]

Musab, my question is why did you quit your medicine ?

[Altostrata]

Musab, if you find your withdrawal symptoms intolerable, reinstating a very small amount of the drug can relieve them. But this is not guaranteed, you might have a bad reaction to the drug.

 

Withdrawal syndrome lasts as long as it lasts. Everyone is diffferent. Symptoms keep on changing in a very frustrating way. See

 

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

Are We There Yet? How Long is Withdrawal Going to Take?

 

"Is it always going to be like this?"

[Musab]

17 hours ago, Ather said:

Musab, my question is why did you quit your medicine ?

@Ather

First of all, i have a huge problems with taking chemicals and inject them inside my body. These medications that effect the brain are so random, no body actually knows how they exactly operate, and their effectiveness. 

Second, the effect of the medication in the last period have gone in a negative way, so i had to raise the dosage but no i won't do that. 

And third, i felt better and i have been able to deal with normal depression in my everyday life. 

[Ather]

21 hours ago, Musab said:

@Ather

First of all, i have a huge problems with taking chemicals and inject them inside my body. These medications that effect the brain are so random, no body actually knows how they exactly operate, and their effectiveness. 

Second, the effect of the medication in the last period have gone in a negative way, so i had to raise the dosage but no i won't do that. 

And third, i felt better and i have been able to deal with normal depression in my everyday life. 

 

OK that's cool, stay positive and hopefully you will get better and better with time.

[Musab]

@Altostrata i have took a dose yesterday, 3.5 mg of mirtazapine . 
i have slept over 12 hours over the last 18 hours. i am kind of dizzy and feeling tired and numb.  
is this a bad reaction? or should i keep going with it?