Tony85: a mess with mirtazapine - I didnt know

[Tony85]

Hi all, 

 

I need an advise from you. My Story is very stupid in the sence that I didnt well educate myself... 

 

I have a visual snow and the doc told me to try Lamotrigin. I did it and wenn up to 225mg with in couple of months from Oct 2018 till Feb 2019. At a higher dosis I started to experiance anxiety. Thats why I started to taper it.

 

During the taper (1 month mid Feb 2019 - Mar 2019) I started with Mirtazapine to Deal with the anxiety. To be honest I thought I would take couple of Mirtazapine half of tablet (7,5mg) only when I get anxiety attack. I got it quite often, so I took it rather randomly. Then I finished my Lamotrigin taper (also didnt take any Mirtazapine after that) in Mar 2019 and thought I am done. And then got hit by a panick atack. I thought it is a lamotrigin withdrawal syndrom and took 15mg Mirtazapine for couple of weeks. Then I thought it is time to get lower and reduced to 7,5mg. I think that all the time a had a withdrawal from lamotrigin, but now I understand that it was Mirtazapine. After 4 weeks of taking 7,5 I went to 0. Two weeks later bam, and I got the full blown withdrawal. I didnt know what happend to me and I also talked to my Psychologist and she told me that I have a Depression and anxiety and that I need the medication. But actually I was doing pretty fine before lamotrigin. So I got scared and I took 7,5mg first day and 15mg next two days. Now I've read on the forum that reinstating from 0mg to 15mg is absolutely wrong... Now I am not sleeping at All, no anxiety, but nö sleep and Vertigo and tremor. 

 

Can you advise what I should do now? I think this an emergecy case... 

 

I think I've screwed it entirely. Like evry step I did Was wrong. Please help.

 

Maybe I should go to 7,5, since I took 15mg only 3 days... 

 

 

Summary:

15 Oct 2018 - Feb 2019: Lamotrigin up 225

Feb 2019 - Mar 2019: Lamotrigin down to 0

Mid Feb 2109 -  mid Mar 2019: Mirtazapine 7,5

1 week mid of Mar 2019: Mirtazapine 0

End of Mar 2019 - 1. Apr: Mirtazapine 15mg

1 Apr - Mid of May: Mirtazapine 7,5 mg

Mid of May - end of May: Mirtazapine 0 (Panik) 

End of May - reinstate 15mg...

 

Best, 

Tony

 

[Tony85]

Hi all, 

 

I need an advise from you. My Story is very stupid in the sence that I didnt well educate myself... 

 

I have a visual snow and the doc told me to try Lamotrigin. I did it and wenn up to 225mg with in couple of months from Oct 2018 till Feb 2019. At a higher dosis I started to experiance anxiety. Thats why I started to taper it.

 

During the taper (1 month mid Feb 2019 - Mar 2019) I started with Mirtazapine to Deal with the anxiety. To be honest I thought I would take couple of Mirtazapine half of tablet (7,5mg) only when I get anxiety attack. I got it quite often, so I took it rather randomly. Then I finished my Lamotrigin taper (also didnt take any Mirtazapine after that) in Mar 2019 and thought I am done. And then got hit by a panick atack. I thought it is a lamotrigin withdrawal syndrom and took 15mg Mirtazapine for couple of weeks. Then I thought it is time to get lower and reduced to 7,5mg. I think that all the time a had a withdrawal from lamotrigin, but now I understand that it was Mirtazapine. After 4 weeks of taking 7,5 I went to 0. Two weeks later bam, and I got the full blown withdrawal. I didnt know what happend to me and I also talked to my Psychologist and she told me that I have a Depression and anxiety and that I need the medication. But actually I was doing pretty fine before lamotrigin. So I got scared and I took 7,5mg first day and 15mg next two days. Now I've read on the forum that reinstating from 0mg to 15mg is absolutely wrong... Now I am not sleeping at All, no anxiety, but nö sleep and Vertigo and tremor. 

 

Can you advise what I should do now? I think this an emergecy case... 

 

I think I've screwed it entirely. Like evry step I did Was wrong. Please help.

 

Maybe I should go to 7,5, since I took 15mg only 3 days... 

 

 

Summary:

15 Oct 2018 - Feb 2019: Lamotrigin up 225

Feb 2019 - Mar 2019: Lamotrigin down to 0

Mid Feb 2109 -  mid Mar 2019: Mirtazapine 7,5

1 week mid of Mar 2019: Mirtazapine 0

End of Mar 2019 - 1. Apr: Mirtazapine 15mg

1 Apr - Mid of May: Mirtazapine 7,5 mg

Mid of May - end of May: Mirtazapine 0 (Panik) 

End of May - reinstate 15mg...

 

Best, 

Tony

 

[manymoretodays]

Hi Tony85 and welcome,

 

And don't feel too bad, or stupid, as many of us had the same experience.  Lack of education around our medications and WD(withdrawal).

Are you able to put the information from your first post into a signature:

Please put your withdrawal history into your signature

Just follow the instructions ^

The signature will then appear below all your posts and makes it much easier for us to get, at a glance, where you are at with medications.

You won't see signatures unless viewing from a PC, desktop, or tablet.  However, you can create one from a phone device.

 

And I'm so sorry that you are struggling, feeling such a mess, right now. 

We are not really an emergency site, but I think that we can help you and guide you from here.

 

On 5/30/2019 at 7:45 PM, Tony85 said:

I think that all the time a had a withdrawal from lamotrigin, but now I understand that it was Mirtazapine. After 4 weeks of taking 7,5 I went to 0. Two weeks later bam, and I got the full blown withdrawal. I didnt know what happend to me and I also talked to my Psychologist and she told me that I have a Depression and anxiety and that I need the medication. But actually I was doing pretty fine before lamotrigin.

 

Why were you put on the lamotrigine/Lamictal?  I just got your other post merged here, so I am seeing you were put on it for visual snow?

 

I'm also going to give you some links here, with information, for reference, for now.  It does sound like you have some understanding of WD already, yet I think you will find them helpful in your journey now.

 

Here at Surviving Antidepressants, it is recommended that a person taper by no more than 10% of their current dose with at least a four week hold in-between decreases.  The 10% taper recommendation is a harm reduction approach to going off psychiatric drugs.

*Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Tips for tapering off Lamictal/lamotrigine

Tips for tapering off mirtazapine/Remeron

 

On 5/30/2019 at 7:45 PM, Tony85 said:

So I got scared and I took 7,5mg first day and 15mg next two days. Now I've read on the forum that reinstating from 0mg to 15mg is absolutely wrong... Now I am not sleeping at All, no anxiety, but nö sleep and Vertigo and tremor. 

 

I take it, that you are referring to the mirtazapine ^.  And yes, we usually do recommend a lower reinstatement dose, in general.  More about that here:

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms

 

I think you might do okay, with the 7.5 mg dose for now, of the mirtazapine. 

And then lets get your information sorted out, and get to know you a bit better.

 

 

Some general WD information:

Brain Remodelling

What is withdrawal syndrome

The windows and waves pattern of stabilization

 

Dr.Glenmullen’s withdrawal symptom list.

 

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.  The CNS likes stability. Rebuilding the neurotransmitter production and reactivating the receptor and transporter cells takes time -- during that rebuilding process symptoms occur. And sleep is really important during withdrawal.  Insomnia is no small deal.   Often the on and off again nature of using these medications/drugs can be highly destabilizing as well.

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system.  

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

For now Tony85, if you don't mind just getting your information a bit more organized for us, that would be great.  Work on the signature. Get some dates in there.

And let us know what other symptoms you are having that you attribute to WD.   You've mentioned insomnia, panic, and tremors in your previous posts.  We can help you find some non-drug coping as well, that might help, once you've settled in a bit here.  Okay?

 

This is your introduction/journal page where you have now introduced yourself to the community, you can ask questions here regarding your tapering, give updates, and just keep a record of your journey.

 

Love, peace, healing, and growth,

manymoretodays(mmt)

 

 

Edited June 1, 2019 by manymoretodays

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Tony.

 

Until you went up to a dose of lamotrigine that was too high for you and caused an adverse reaction, how did you feel on lamotrigine?

 

It sounds to me like you have lamotrigine withdrawal syndrome, irrespective of mirtazapine, which only caused more problems.

[Tony85]

17 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

Until you went up to a dose of lamotrigine that was too high for you and caused an adverse reaction, how did you feel on lamotrigine?

 

First of all thanks a lot for your reply! I it is very calming when you feel that you are not alone. 

 

When I started lamotrigin in october 2018, after the first 25mg I felt emotionally much better. At 150mg in January 2019. I've noticed, that I became very slow and I could not fall asleep for a hours. Only now I realize that I started to be emotionally unstable, got pissed all the time at my working colleagues, my wife. And I starte to get anxiety about smth. that has to reason. And also tingling in my legs. But I didnt pay much attention to that, I thought it is all normal. 

 

Lamotrigin didnt do much though on the visual snow, I still had it, but less intence. 

 

 

38 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

t sounds to me like you have lamotrigine withdrawal syndrome, irrespective of mirtazapine, which only caused more problems

 I dont Know... The Thing is that I stoped both at the same time, and dont know which Symptom is attributable to which Medikament. In general I thought it is Lamotrigin, since I got really Bad brain zaps and had a feeling all the time that I might get a seizure. These two are now gone. When I went to 0 with Mirtazapine, in couple of days I I didnt get any shaking and tingling any more, but nö sleep, anxiety and Agitation. 

 

What I definetely atrribute to Lamotrigin ist the strange feeling when I Fall a sleep. I get Kind of elektoshok and my legs jump, and my Vision becomes completely white for a second... But I stl dont Know..

 

The funny thing is that my doc from Switzerland, who prescribed me Lamotrigin assured me that there are nö discontinuation syndroms... And I blindly trusted. Now I have to Deal with disabity to Work for while, I dont Know how long I will get stuck with Mirtazapine withdrawal. I am now at 7,5mg since two days, like a Zombie.

 

I will Work on updating my signature and will sort out my Story to make it more clear. 

 

Thanks for your messages! Itss like a balsam on the soul! 

 

Tony

[Altostrata]

Did you start mirtazapine because you couldn't sleep while taking lamotrigine?

 

Lamotrigine is an odd drug, take too much of it and it can keep you from sleeping, as well as give you other adverse symptoms.

 

When did this happen?

14 minutes ago, Tony85 said:

In general I thought it is Lamotrigin, since I got really Bad brain zaps and had a feeling all the time that I might get a seizure. These two are now gone.

 

This sounds like mirtazapine withdrawal:

15 minutes ago, Tony85 said:

When I went to 0 with Mirtazapine, in couple of days I I didnt get any shaking and tingling any more, but nö sleep, anxiety and Agitation. 

 

When did this happen? When you were taking lamotrigine?

15 minutes ago, Tony85 said:

What I definetely atrribute to Lamotrigin ist the strange feeling when I Fall a sleep. I get Kind of elektoshok and my legs jump, and my Vision becomes completely white for a second... But I stl dont Know..

 

How do you feel taking 7.5mg mirtazapine?

 

To help us out, follow these instructions Please put your drug and withdrawal history in your signature You may need to use a computer to do this.

[Tony85]

24 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

When did this happen?

41 minutes ago, Tony85 said:

In general I thought it is Lamotrigin, since I got really Bad brain zaps and had a feeling all the time that I might get a seizure. These two are now gone.

I finished tapering Lamotrigin on 17th of March. These symptoms have gone after 2 month after withdrawal. 

 

26 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

When did this happen? When you were taking lamotrigine?

43 minutes ago, Tony85 said:

What I definetely atrribute to Lamotrigin ist the strange feeling when I Fall a sleep. I get Kind of elektoshok and my legs jump, and my Vision becomes completely white for a second... But I stl dont Know..

 

I am still having the both, and I dont know if it is Mirtazapine or Lamotrigin withdrawal. 

 

29 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

How do you feel taking 7.5mg mirtazapine?

 

I dont really Know yet, since I've reinstated from 0 to15mg (but I've been at 7,5 the läßt 3 month) first for 3 days, today is the second day. At least I dont have anxiety and agitation, the rest is scary (like White Vision for a second) but is manageable.

 

Do you have any experiance with Lamotrigin withdrawal? How long can it take? I am 2,5 month off. 

 

I will Update my Signatur when I get to a PC. 

 

Thanks, 

Tony