RickyIsHealing: mirtazapine withdrawal

[RickyIsHealing]

hello , please check my signature as this is the first time I've posted and not sure if I'm even posting in the right section ? 

I've recently stopped mirtazapine after a somewhat horrible taper .I went on mirtazapine due to a severe panic/anxiety attack i had in September.
I have been of meds now for just over 2 weeks ( i stopped on the 12th of November ).

i am suffering with loss of sleep quite bad , averaging around 3-4 hours a night.

my physical symptoms are strange to be honest.

i feel super tense all day , i think due to anxiety and my body obviously not knowing what's going on maybe? 

my physical symptoms isn't as bad as half i have read on this site i think its mainly really high anxiety and feeling so tense all the time.

but my mood , it is so low i can just cry out of no where , its scary.

is this also a side effect of coming of these meds ? to feel super low and emotional? i went on for anxiety but as I've come of them i feel depressed

would love to hear that this is "normal" to feel so low when coming off them for some reissuance that it will pass , thankyou all and hope your healing to go well.

Edited December 3, 2020 by Gridley

[Gridley]

Welcome to SA, RickyIsHealing.  You're posting in the right place.  I don't see a signature.  You'll need to use a computer rather than a phone for your signature.  Here are the instructions:

 

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 include the dosage you were on, the dosage you were on when you stopped taking the drug, and the date you stopped.

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

The symptoms you describe are very typical withdrawal symptoms and are "normal" in withdrawal.   You will heal, but there is no way to predict how long it will take.  So that you have a better idea of what you're experiencing, here is some information on withdrawal and the healing process.

 

What is withdrawal syndrome.

 

Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (PDF) 

 

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

When we take psychiatric 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.  

 

These explain the healing process really well.

 

Brain Remodelling 

 

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

 

Reinstatement of a very small dose of the original drug is the only known way to alleviate withdrawal.  The alternative is to wait it out until your brain returns to homeostasis, but, as I said, there is no way to predict how long that will take.  Please read:

 

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

 

If you're interested in reinstating, we can suggest a dosage after you're completed your signature with the requested information.  Do not reinstate without letting us suggest a dosage.  Reinstating too much can make matters worse.

 

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) 

 

Add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems. Get supplements that are single ingredient (not mixed with other types of supplements).

 

This is your Introduction topic, where you can complete your drug signature, ask questions and connect with other members.  We're glad you found your way here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RickyIsHealing]

@Gridley i have updated correctly now i think , do you have any opinion on my situation at all?    thankyou!

[Gridley]

53 minutes ago, RickyIsHealing said:

do you have any opinion on my situation at all? 

As I said, you're experiencing withdrawal from your rapid taper of Mirtazapine and also from jumping to zero from higher than we'd recommend.  If you're interested in reinstating, you could reinstate 0.5mg Mirtazapine--no more.  Your system is very sensitized and reinstating too much can make matters worse.  The following link explains how to get the nonstandard dose you'll need for a reinstatement.

 

Tips for tapering off mirtazapine (Remeron)

 

It takes 4 days for the reinstated dose to reach full strength in your bloodstream and a few days more to register in the brain, so be patient and give the reinstatement a chance to work.  If the reinstatement makes you feel worse, stop immediately.

 

Also keep in mind the two supplements I mentioned.  Start out with a low dose of magnesium, then work in the omegas after a few day.

 

 

[RickyIsHealing]

@Gridley ok thankyou ! could i ask what magnesium will do for me and omegas ( is that fish oil?) i think im going to buy some melatonin of amazon as I've read that can help with sleep ? and also the really low mood ( im guessing like what depression feels like? )  could also be the WD you say ? thankyou for your time !! 

[Gridley]

3 hours ago, RickyIsHealing said:

! could i ask what magnesium will do for me and omegas ( is that fish oil?) i think im going to buy some melatonin of amazon as I've read that can help with sleep ? and also the really low mood ( im guessing like what depression feels like? )  could also be the WD you say ? thankyou for your time !! 

Magnesium and omegas are known for their calming effect.  Remembers, start with the magnesium at a low dose.  Id that sits well, after a few days work in some omegas, again at a low dose.  You can work up to higher doses little by little.  Magnesium glyciante is known for its absorbability and calming effect, plus less of a laxative effect (if you start getting diarrhea after taking magnesium the dose is too high.  

 

The low mood or depression is a common withdrawal symptom.  Many doctors misdiagnose this as "return of the underlying condition" and put their patients on more, then more drugs.

 

It's best to start with melatonin at a very low dose, like 0.25mg or 0.3mg.  You can order 0.3mg at this link on Amazon.  (available on Amazon) 

Too much melatonin can make have a paradoxical effect (keep you awake.

 

[RickyIsHealing]

OK thank you!! 🙂

[RickyIsHealing]

hello quick update , 

my sleep is still so bad ..fell asleep around 10pm last night and woke up at 3am ..no sleep after either

i also have this really severe feeling of i can not sit still and rest , it burns all through my body ..has anyone ever had this?

I'm just looking for support as i don't know where else to turn ?

and I'm also scared that what I'm feeling mood wise may be depression from all this situation , i went on these meds for anxiety so i hope it hasn't caused me depression and hope its all due to withdrawals , thankyou all ! 

[RickyIsHealing]

also , if the W/D is tolerable ( 23 days of ) shoudl i stick it out as ive come this far ? 

[RickyIsHealing]

i am just sooo scared that this really low mood and wont go away ? i hope it will of course ! 

[RickyIsHealing]

NOTE:  Post has been moved from Ibanu's intro topic.  I'm sorry to jump in but i don't seem to be getting a reply and I'm really scared  

check my signature to see my dates if you would like to know but this is really just a question to be honest.

i been of mirtazapine around 2 and a half weeks .

I'm struggling atm right now with lack of sleep.

around 3 4 hours a night then wake and cant sleep again but if i do its very light and very short

i think i am suffering with restlessness , a bad case of it , i cant seem to sit still and just watch the tv i feel like i have to constantly  be moving at all times ( cleaning so much to try and counter it  , and a  feeling of wanting just run run and run ).

all in all i have a really low mood and outlook on life atm , would this be due to the W/D as everywhere i read i don't see anything to do with a really low mood , just physical symptoms 

and obviously ridiculous anxiety ! 

no sleep probably don't help i know .

please reply , thankyou 

 

Edited December 5, 2020 by ChessieCat
added note

[Gridley]

5 hours ago, RickyIsHealing said:

fell asleep around 10pm last night and woke up at 3am

This may sound strange, but 5 hours sleep really isn't bad for withdrawal.  

 

5 hours ago, RickyIsHealing said:

went on these meds for anxiety so i hope it hasn't caused me depression and hope its all due to withdrawals

Please re-read my earlier post to you.  Depression is a common withdrawal symptom.

 

1 hour ago, RickyIsHealing said:

also , if the W/D is tolerable ( 23 days of ) shoudl i stick it out as ive come this far ? 

Again, please re-read my earlier post to you about reinstatement.  Sometimes reinstatement works and sometimes it doesn't.  It has to be your decision.  If symptoms are tolerable, you might not want to reinstate.

 

Ricky, time really is the cure here.  You need to try to calm yourself.  All this worrying is not good for you. 

 

 

[RickyIsHealing]

ok gridly i just have no where else to turn , i know i go on abit im just so scared  , thankyou gridly 

[RickyIsHealing]

@Gridley also , do you know why my really low mood is so bad in the morning from like 7-8am to 3-4 then it eases of at night time its confusing ?

and i have bought some "neuro rest "sleeping supplement 

and some vitamin b complex with d-3 

and just tonight i got some tea bags called pukka night tea ..ever heard of them ? 

[Gridley]

37 minutes ago, RickyIsHealing said:

do you know why my really low mood is so bad in the morning from like 7-8am to 3-4 then it eases of at night time its confusing ?

I really can't say for sure.  Many members report symptoms wane as nighttime approaches.

 

37 minutes ago, RickyIsHealing said:

and i have bought some "neuro rest "sleeping supplement 

Regarding 5HTP, Altostrata, the founder  this site has said:

 

"Those people here who have tried to compensate for withdrawal symptoms by taking 5-HTP have not succeeded. Sometimes they get additional adverse reactions from 5-HTP."

 

 

We advise against taking any supplements with a mixture of ingredients such as neuro rest.  If there is a problem you won't know which ingredient is causing the problem.  I'd recommend against this supplement.

 

37 minutes ago, RickyIsHealing said:

and some vitamin b complex with d-3 

B complex is too activating (stimulating) for many in withdrawal.

 

Hypersensitive to B Vitamin or B-Complex  

 

37 minutes ago, RickyIsHealing said:

and just tonight i got some tea bags called pukka night tea ..ever heard of them ? 

Again, we recommend against multi-ingredient supplements or herbal teas.  A single-ingredient tea like chamomile wold be a safer options.

 

Whatever supplements you choose to try, introduce only one at a time and at a low dosage. 

 

 

 

 

[RickyIsHealing]

ok thankyou , i had a nuro rest last night and don't feel any different today and had b -complex twice and also don't feel any difference so i think i might carry on with them as they may be helping me and if i have bad reactions like you said i shall stop immediately.

i haven't had a tea yet so i will try that also tonight and if that is and il also stop that to. 
thankyou .

your the only one who speaks to me     

[ChessieCat]

7 hours ago, RickyIsHealing said:

NOTE:  Post has been moved from Ibanu's intro topic.  I'm sorry to jump in but i don't seem to be getting a reply and I'm really scared  

 

@RickyIsHealing

 

Please do not make posts like this one in another member's Introduction topic.  Thank you.

 

Your own Introduction topic is the best place to make posts about your own situation.  The moderators are unrostered volunteers who assist members as they can.  The moderators also regularly check new posts made by members in the Introduction forum.  Posts made elsewhere may not be seen by the moderators.

[RickyIsHealing]

Sorry 😞 

[RickyIsHealing]

hello guys , quick update , my morning anxiety and anxiety is general has gotten better , last 2 nights i have got around 5 hours sleep both times!

still have this feeling of not feeling myself and a worried kind of feeling witch is hard to explain , kind of like scared that i wont get better , even thoe i know i will kind off . also a slight lingering of thinking im going crazy still but has gone down quite abit witch is good. 

still have a low mood but unsure if that's the withdrawals or if its just everything ive been through during being on the tabs and coming off them.

hoping my mood picks up just like my anxiety has gone down.

hope everyone is feeling a bit better today , love to all !! 

[RickyIsHealing]

Morning everyone ( uk anyway ) ..id say I'm getting better ..well i feel like it but my sleep is so up and down ..is it possible my sleep will fluctuate before I start sleeping proply again ? I feel like mirrazpine has destroyed my ability to be able to sleep longer than 3-5 hours a time ..I used to sleep a solid 8 9 hours ..how I miss those days as!! 

 

Was also more anxious this morning than I've been in past 2 days ..hopefully it dies down again soon..hope everyone is OK and REMEMBER  ..we heal every second everyday !! 

[RickyIsHealing]

update - had hardly any sleep last night and the tiny bit i did have weren't high quality at all , felt so low and miserable all day i hate this feeling.

 

Edited December 9, 2020 by ChessieCat
removed quote

[RickyIsHealing]

Morning everyone 🌄 

 

Had a better sleep last night but feel like my miserable LOW mood has carried into today ..but I will continue to drink my fruit smoothies and eat healthy,  rest when I can and look after my body to help my brain get what it needs.

 

Its so defeating when you have a few ok days then you get pulled back down again.

 

Dindent think I would get windows and waves being on the meds for such a short time 😥 

 

Phsicaly I have symptoms but nothing I can't handle atm but mentally and emotionally is where I get hit hard 😪  

 

I also have this feeling of feeling disconnected to the world 🌎  is this anything anyone has ever experienced? Is so horrible I feel like I'm just here but not alive.

 

Hope everyone has a good day today ! 

[ChessieCat]

There are many existing topics on SA.  Use a search engine and add site:survivingantidepressants.org to the search term.

 

See #26 on this list of withdrawal symptoms:

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist

 

apathy-anhedonia-emotional-numbness-emotional-anesthesia

 

derealization-or-depersonalization-dr-and-dp

 

I've included this one because I think it is a related:

 

brain-fog-blank-mind-comprehension-concentration-cognitive-and-memory-problems

[RickyIsHealing]

Thankyou for your reply !! Its good to see that it is the WD but bad at the same time to feel it ..hope this doesn't last to long ..I went to town with my partner today and i was a panicy anxious mess..had a need to get out of here feeling the whole time 😩 

 

Everyone says it passes so I'm hoping it does 🙏 

[RickyIsHealing]

Can anyone tell me how I know if I am becoming depressed or if this is due to withdrawals,  how do I know the difference..I feel so low its unreal 😫 

[Gridley]

2 hours ago, RickyIsHealing said:

Can anyone tell me how I know if I am becoming depressed or if this is due to withdrawals,

This is an old thread but it may be of some help to you in determining the difference.

 

How do I know it's withdrawal and not relapse?

 

For me the two (depression and withdrawal depression) just feel different.  

 

 

 

[RickyIsHealing]

thankyou gridly , i do try and tell myself that i wasn't feeling so low and hopeless before i had the meds but its hard to keep telling myself that when i feel so low currently , I'm just scared that it is depression ( which i have no reason what so ever to be depressed about ) , I've had no trauma events or anything that could cause depression my life was fine and happy before i had this huge panic / anxiety attack. i was actually probablyly to happy if anything ..and now im sacred that if it is depression i will have to go onto some meds that will just make me worse to try and overcome it , IM SO LOST  

[Gridley]

15 minutes ago, RickyIsHealing said:

im sacred that if it is depression i will have to go onto some meds that will just make me worse to try and overcome it ,

It sounds like withdrawal to me.  

 

Regarding depression, it's important to remember that before the big money-making SSRI's came out, depression was viewed as a self-limiting situation that cleared up on its own without any kind of drug intervention whatsoever.  Read "Anatomy of an Epidemic" by Robert Whitaker.

Edited December 9, 2020 by Gridley

[RickyIsHealing]

I'm so happy you said that , I know as you said your not a dr or physician but just your opinion gives me hope , I'm so scared of becoming depressed due to all this ..I was nearly crying wrapping my kids presents earlier today because I knew I should be enjoying it but my brain wouldn't let me sad  😢  had a bad past few days to be honest and its making me so scared ..I hate this 😒 

[RickyIsHealing]

i also hope it is withdrawal , I've never felt this low in my life.

wish someone would just hug me and tell me i will be ok.

i shall give that book a read as from tonight and hope it helps me along the way , i know its stated everywhere that each recovery is individual , but from what you know and because i was on meds for a short time would you have any idea at all on minimum and maximum  time i could expect to feel this way , even a estimate ? thankyou for your reply's gridly they really help me ! 

[Gridley]

38 minutes ago, RickyIsHealing said:

because i was on meds for a short time would you have any idea at all on minimum and maximum  time i could expect to feel this way , even a estimate ?

I wish I could tell you, but there is just no way to predict how long withdrawal symptoms are going to last.  It is certainly to your advantage that you were on the meds for such a short time.  

 

There are several things you can do to help yourself feel better: gentle exercise, like a 30-minute walk in nature; a healthy diet; avoid alcohol, caffeine, sugar and MSG (look up MSG to see all the foods that commonly contain it); diversions like non-triggering YouTubes or, if you have the concentration, reading (reading is my big diversion); try to remain as calm as possible and not to panic 

 

Take a look at the links in the following link and see which you think might be of benefit.  We strongly recommend non-drug techniques to cope with  withdrawal.

 

Non-drug techniques to cope

 

 

[RickyIsHealing]

yeah i have read so much on this site.

and i ditched the caffeine and i don't even drink alcohol anyway so that's not hard , when i get through this i wont drink for a further year at all until i know i am better.

i eat really clean and drink a lot of water or if i fancy it i have a sugar free can of pop ( naughty naughty ).

i do try to read just my mind wonders off , so i allow myself a few hours on my pc to play some games after vie picked the kids up

 and even thoe its the last thing i want to do i make sure i get outside everyday, and the days i don't i go for a 20 min jog off a evening.

it would be great if we could all love together in a huge mansion to support one another daily!

thankyou for your honesty and your time to reply , i thank god i found this site everyday and people like you who can answer some of my questions! 

 

[Nomansland]

Hello Ricky!

 

Iam sorry that you are experiencing such cruel symptoms. I feel you.

 

After i got off in the beginning of this year (and the reinstatement), i felt so low and depressed the first

time of my life. I know it wasnt me to 100 % because a few weeks or a months before, i felt a bit bad but nothing

like that. Something similar happened when i tapered to fast in september. But after about 1 month

the low and depressed feeling faded. Right now its mainly physical than psychological.

 

It will be less and less as the days go on and on! Try not to worry about next day, next week...

Know its hard but my experince is that it faded slowly!

 

Greetings!

[RickyIsHealing]

Hello nomansland 

firstly i hope your ok and healing! ( enless you have already healed that is im unsure? ) 

and yes I've never felt anything as low as this before , i have felt sad and down , but this is kind of a feel it within the chest eating away at you kind of lowness , i cant enjoy anything i do to be honest.

i think it comes in spells , like a few days ago i had a kind of ok feeling like a level but not happy feeling ( like a " i ain't happy but i aint sad but one day ill be fine again)

then i woke up the next day and BAM back to sadness , its hard to remind yourself that it is WD if you don't actually know it is as i feel traumatized by this whole medication saga.

and just like you i felt abit low before i went on this medication ( for a huge panic / anxiety attack i had ) but nothing comapred to how i feel some hours / days . it tends to get easier on the night for some reason but its still there  

I'm just a shell of who i used to be , i don't even recognise myself anymore if truth be told.

i do try to take one step at a time and stay positive but our feelings are so strong that its near impossible to do that when you feel so low and are not able to think rational.

its mainly..

SUPER LOW DEPRESSED LIKE MOOD AND EMOTIONS 
ANXIATY 
POOR SLEEP ( LOADS OF WAKING UP) 
AND JSUT NOT ENJOYING OR FINDING ANY JOY OR HAPPYNESS IN ANYTHING I DO  



sorry to rabble on haha , it helps me to vent  

merry xmas to us ay !!

thanks for your reply!

 

[RickyIsHealing]

Morning guys 🌄 

 

Can anyone tell me why just like clockwork at 6- 8am I have really high anxiety and panic everyday ..I've read something about colestriol? 

 

I obvusly still stay anxious all day that tends to ease of a night but every single morning without fail at these times I have like anxiety surges? 

 

Thanks all ! 

 

X

[Iamfine]

1 hour ago, RickyIsHealing said:

Morning guys 🌄 

 

Can anyone tell me why just like clockwork at 6- 8am I have really high anxiety and panic everyday ..I've read something about colestriol? 

 

I obvusly still stay anxious all day that tends to ease of a night but every single morning without fail at these times I have like anxiety surges? 

 

Thanks all ! 

 

X

Hi again Ricky. I think what you're talking about is Cortisol. It’s a natural steroid hormone that some people are sensitive to. I often hear those people have more problems in the mornings too.