Oriyah4 Posted October 5, 2021 Share Posted October 5, 2021 @Marija, I hope you're feeling better. I haven't experienced body pain during withdrawal but feel like I've gone through everything else. I wanted to let you know that I'm a month off of Mirtazapine at this point and am finally sleeping better. A LOT better. This might just be a long window, but even if it's only that, I'm grateful for it and it seems like progress. It finally feels like recovery is possible now that I've reached this point! The hardest part of my withdrawal was when I got down to less than 2 mg. Please stay steady and stay patient. Started 7.5 mg Remeron in February 2020 Stopped CT in August 2020, I think? Reinstated at about 2.5 mg in September 2020 (liquid taper) Started Buspirone (5 mg 3x day) in November 2020 to deal with debilitating anxiety during remeron taper Tapered to 2 mg for October, then dropped to 1.05 for November, and then down by .15 mg once/week for December (.9 first week, .75 second week, .6 third week, .45 fourth week, .3 fifth week) so that I was at .15 mg (1 mg of liquid) at the start of January 2021 Stopped in second week of January 2021 and couldn’t tolerate the insomnia, so reinstated to .6 mg and tapered slowly until Sept 2021 — jumped off at .075 mg because it was impossible to take less Sept 2021, 0 mg remeron, 15 mg/day buspirone Supplements: 300 mg magnesium, 3 mg melatonin, 2000 mg Vitamin D, Omega 3 (kelp-based) Link to comment
Marija Posted February 5, 2022 Author Share Posted February 5, 2022 Dear @Altostrata, I could really do with some advice from you, please. I've been tapering very slowly (by approximately 5% every 6 weeks) and doing quite well. I'm currently on 1.1mg. I've been using the same generic brand of orodispersible mirtazapine 15mg and making my own liquid. However I have recently been advised that my regular generic brand is out of stock and they can't tell me when it's going to be back in stock so they've given me a different generic brand of orodispersible mirtazapine. I'm terrified of making the switch! Should I do a crossover? If so I'm not sure how because I make my own liquid and use the whole 15mg orodispersible tablet (you can't split them!). Should I use one 15 mg tablet of my usual generic brand plus one 15mg tablet of the new brand and just account for the fact that it's now 30mg instead of 15mg when taking the dose using a syringe? Or... Should I just make the switch and that's it? Not sure of all dates and times 2008 as a teenager I took Haloperidol, diazepam and citalopram. Weird cocktail of drugs from a WEIRD psychiatrist for no reason. Stopped after 3 days. No WD symptoms. 2015 quetiapine for about a month and then stopped and citalopram for about a week and then stopped. No WD symptoms at all. 2018 15mg mirtazapine. The full dose taken only once or twice. Then 7.5mg as and when required (not every night) for about 3 months. Reduced further to approx 3.25mg and carried on taking them every now and then (anywhere between once a week and every night for a couple of weeks). Never consistently though. 7th Dec 2021 tried to stop taking it completely - cold turkey. Severe insomnia (several 0 hour nights), panic. Had no idea it was WD. Was determined to stop still. Was prescribed lorazepam 1mg before bed. Took it 6 times over 3 weeks for sleep and anxiety, it helped. Discontinued. 20th Dec, 2021 one 25mg tablet of trazadone as advised by GP to manage insomnia - didn't agree with it, stopped. Severe insomnia and anxiety again. 5th Jan, 2021 started 3.25mg mirtazapine again out of desperation due to insomnia. Took it approx every 3-4 days. With a two week period where I took it every day. 09/02/2021 last dose of mirtazapine approx 3.25mg on before stopping cold turkey again. Not coping. Total insomnia, anxiety, panic. 19/02/2021 discovered SA and reinstated 0.5mg and took 2mg lorazepam that same day as in crisis at that point. 06/03/21 took 2mg lorazepam as in crisis again due to insomnia and updosed to 0.75mg mirtazapine 09/05/21 took 2mg lorazepam as in crisis again due to sudden onset of insomnia AGAIN and updosed to 2.5mg. Other WD symptoms under control on 2.5mg, doing well but then BAM sudden onset of insomnia again after about 2 weeks on 2.5mg 27/05/2021 down to 2mg Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted February 5, 2022 Administrator Share Posted February 5, 2022 You can take part of your dose in the liquid made from your old tablet and part in liquid made from a new tablet for a few days, then all with the liquid made from the new tablets, to make the switch seamless. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted February 6, 2022 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted February 6, 2022 cross-over-changing-form-eg-tablet-to-liquid-of-drug-or-changing-brand-of-same-drug * NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA * MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: (6 year taper) 0mg Pristiq on 13th November 2021 ADs since ~1992: 25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq: 50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity) Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021 LAST DOSE 0.0025mg Post 0 updates start here My tapering program My Intro (goes to tapering graph) VIDEO: Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management Link to comment
Marija Posted February 6, 2022 Author Share Posted February 6, 2022 Thank you both for your response! Could I mix the two orodispersible tablets together and then just take one dose (adjusted as the concentration would be 30mg) or is taking it from two separate bottles (one with old tablet and one with new) better? Not sure of all dates and times 2008 as a teenager I took Haloperidol, diazepam and citalopram. Weird cocktail of drugs from a WEIRD psychiatrist for no reason. Stopped after 3 days. No WD symptoms. 2015 quetiapine for about a month and then stopped and citalopram for about a week and then stopped. No WD symptoms at all. 2018 15mg mirtazapine. The full dose taken only once or twice. Then 7.5mg as and when required (not every night) for about 3 months. Reduced further to approx 3.25mg and carried on taking them every now and then (anywhere between once a week and every night for a couple of weeks). Never consistently though. 7th Dec 2021 tried to stop taking it completely - cold turkey. Severe insomnia (several 0 hour nights), panic. Had no idea it was WD. Was determined to stop still. Was prescribed lorazepam 1mg before bed. Took it 6 times over 3 weeks for sleep and anxiety, it helped. Discontinued. 20th Dec, 2021 one 25mg tablet of trazadone as advised by GP to manage insomnia - didn't agree with it, stopped. Severe insomnia and anxiety again. 5th Jan, 2021 started 3.25mg mirtazapine again out of desperation due to insomnia. Took it approx every 3-4 days. With a two week period where I took it every day. 09/02/2021 last dose of mirtazapine approx 3.25mg on before stopping cold turkey again. Not coping. Total insomnia, anxiety, panic. 19/02/2021 discovered SA and reinstated 0.5mg and took 2mg lorazepam that same day as in crisis at that point. 06/03/21 took 2mg lorazepam as in crisis again due to insomnia and updosed to 0.75mg mirtazapine 09/05/21 took 2mg lorazepam as in crisis again due to sudden onset of insomnia AGAIN and updosed to 2.5mg. Other WD symptoms under control on 2.5mg, doing well but then BAM sudden onset of insomnia again after about 2 weeks on 2.5mg 27/05/2021 down to 2mg Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted February 7, 2022 Administrator Share Posted February 7, 2022 You can mix them if you wish. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
Marija Posted February 11, 2022 Author Share Posted February 11, 2022 Dear @Altostrata I mixed the two tablets together and adjusted for the increase in the concentration. The first night I took it I was completely fine and last night (second night) I got barely any sleep, had heart palpitations, felt very drugged (similar to how I felt when I was on higher doses), sleep paralysis with horrendous dreams, anxiety. All that scared me. I'm inclined to think that somehow my new tablet is a lot stronger, is that possible? I took the same dose that I have been taking for 6 weeks now and I was very stable on it. I don't usually notice WD after a drop until week 3 or even week 4 which is making me think that the tablet was stronger and that's why my body reacted that way as I don't usually notice decreases that quickly. Still, I find it unbelievable that it caused such a strong reaction... My dose is only just over 1.1mg as well and I mixed the two tablets together! Should I hold or should I try dropping a bit to test my hypothesis of the new tablet being too strong..? Not sure of all dates and times 2008 as a teenager I took Haloperidol, diazepam and citalopram. Weird cocktail of drugs from a WEIRD psychiatrist for no reason. Stopped after 3 days. No WD symptoms. 2015 quetiapine for about a month and then stopped and citalopram for about a week and then stopped. No WD symptoms at all. 2018 15mg mirtazapine. The full dose taken only once or twice. Then 7.5mg as and when required (not every night) for about 3 months. Reduced further to approx 3.25mg and carried on taking them every now and then (anywhere between once a week and every night for a couple of weeks). Never consistently though. 7th Dec 2021 tried to stop taking it completely - cold turkey. Severe insomnia (several 0 hour nights), panic. Had no idea it was WD. Was determined to stop still. Was prescribed lorazepam 1mg before bed. Took it 6 times over 3 weeks for sleep and anxiety, it helped. Discontinued. 20th Dec, 2021 one 25mg tablet of trazadone as advised by GP to manage insomnia - didn't agree with it, stopped. Severe insomnia and anxiety again. 5th Jan, 2021 started 3.25mg mirtazapine again out of desperation due to insomnia. Took it approx every 3-4 days. With a two week period where I took it every day. 09/02/2021 last dose of mirtazapine approx 3.25mg on before stopping cold turkey again. Not coping. Total insomnia, anxiety, panic. 19/02/2021 discovered SA and reinstated 0.5mg and took 2mg lorazepam that same day as in crisis at that point. 06/03/21 took 2mg lorazepam as in crisis again due to insomnia and updosed to 0.75mg mirtazapine 09/05/21 took 2mg lorazepam as in crisis again due to sudden onset of insomnia AGAIN and updosed to 2.5mg. Other WD symptoms under control on 2.5mg, doing well but then BAM sudden onset of insomnia again after about 2 weeks on 2.5mg 27/05/2021 down to 2mg Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted February 12, 2022 Administrator Share Posted February 12, 2022 I would decrease to 1mg, see if that helps. Then you'll know it's stronger. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
Marija Posted February 12, 2022 Author Share Posted February 12, 2022 Thank you! I shall do that. Not sure of all dates and times 2008 as a teenager I took Haloperidol, diazepam and citalopram. Weird cocktail of drugs from a WEIRD psychiatrist for no reason. Stopped after 3 days. No WD symptoms. 2015 quetiapine for about a month and then stopped and citalopram for about a week and then stopped. No WD symptoms at all. 2018 15mg mirtazapine. The full dose taken only once or twice. Then 7.5mg as and when required (not every night) for about 3 months. Reduced further to approx 3.25mg and carried on taking them every now and then (anywhere between once a week and every night for a couple of weeks). Never consistently though. 7th Dec 2021 tried to stop taking it completely - cold turkey. Severe insomnia (several 0 hour nights), panic. Had no idea it was WD. Was determined to stop still. Was prescribed lorazepam 1mg before bed. Took it 6 times over 3 weeks for sleep and anxiety, it helped. Discontinued. 20th Dec, 2021 one 25mg tablet of trazadone as advised by GP to manage insomnia - didn't agree with it, stopped. Severe insomnia and anxiety again. 5th Jan, 2021 started 3.25mg mirtazapine again out of desperation due to insomnia. Took it approx every 3-4 days. With a two week period where I took it every day. 09/02/2021 last dose of mirtazapine approx 3.25mg on before stopping cold turkey again. Not coping. Total insomnia, anxiety, panic. 19/02/2021 discovered SA and reinstated 0.5mg and took 2mg lorazepam that same day as in crisis at that point. 06/03/21 took 2mg lorazepam as in crisis again due to insomnia and updosed to 0.75mg mirtazapine 09/05/21 took 2mg lorazepam as in crisis again due to sudden onset of insomnia AGAIN and updosed to 2.5mg. Other WD symptoms under control on 2.5mg, doing well but then BAM sudden onset of insomnia again after about 2 weeks on 2.5mg 27/05/2021 down to 2mg Link to comment
Marija Posted April 26, 2022 Author Share Posted April 26, 2022 Dear @Altostrata it's allergy/high pollen season here in the UK and coincidentally my WD symptoms have gotten a lot worse, particularly insomnia. I am sensitive to histamine due to mirtazapine affecting histamine receptors and have been following a low histamine diet which helps tremendously but since the allergy season started I haven't been sleeping more than 2-3 hours a night. Any idea if this is going to continue until the allergy season is over..? The thought of that is making me very upset. Is there anything I can do to help myself with this? Not sure of all dates and times 2008 as a teenager I took Haloperidol, diazepam and citalopram. Weird cocktail of drugs from a WEIRD psychiatrist for no reason. Stopped after 3 days. No WD symptoms. 2015 quetiapine for about a month and then stopped and citalopram for about a week and then stopped. No WD symptoms at all. 2018 15mg mirtazapine. The full dose taken only once or twice. Then 7.5mg as and when required (not every night) for about 3 months. Reduced further to approx 3.25mg and carried on taking them every now and then (anywhere between once a week and every night for a couple of weeks). Never consistently though. 7th Dec 2021 tried to stop taking it completely - cold turkey. Severe insomnia (several 0 hour nights), panic. Had no idea it was WD. Was determined to stop still. Was prescribed lorazepam 1mg before bed. Took it 6 times over 3 weeks for sleep and anxiety, it helped. Discontinued. 20th Dec, 2021 one 25mg tablet of trazadone as advised by GP to manage insomnia - didn't agree with it, stopped. Severe insomnia and anxiety again. 5th Jan, 2021 started 3.25mg mirtazapine again out of desperation due to insomnia. Took it approx every 3-4 days. With a two week period where I took it every day. 09/02/2021 last dose of mirtazapine approx 3.25mg on before stopping cold turkey again. Not coping. Total insomnia, anxiety, panic. 19/02/2021 discovered SA and reinstated 0.5mg and took 2mg lorazepam that same day as in crisis at that point. 06/03/21 took 2mg lorazepam as in crisis again due to insomnia and updosed to 0.75mg mirtazapine 09/05/21 took 2mg lorazepam as in crisis again due to sudden onset of insomnia AGAIN and updosed to 2.5mg. Other WD symptoms under control on 2.5mg, doing well but then BAM sudden onset of insomnia again after about 2 weeks on 2.5mg 27/05/2021 down to 2mg Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted April 27, 2022 Administrator Share Posted April 27, 2022 When did you last change your drug dose or schedule? This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
Marija Posted April 28, 2022 Author Share Posted April 28, 2022 Dear @AltostrataI last dropped 4 weeks ago from 1.1mg to 1mg. This insomnia is relentless... Not sure of all dates and times 2008 as a teenager I took Haloperidol, diazepam and citalopram. Weird cocktail of drugs from a WEIRD psychiatrist for no reason. Stopped after 3 days. No WD symptoms. 2015 quetiapine for about a month and then stopped and citalopram for about a week and then stopped. No WD symptoms at all. 2018 15mg mirtazapine. The full dose taken only once or twice. Then 7.5mg as and when required (not every night) for about 3 months. Reduced further to approx 3.25mg and carried on taking them every now and then (anywhere between once a week and every night for a couple of weeks). Never consistently though. 7th Dec 2021 tried to stop taking it completely - cold turkey. Severe insomnia (several 0 hour nights), panic. Had no idea it was WD. Was determined to stop still. Was prescribed lorazepam 1mg before bed. Took it 6 times over 3 weeks for sleep and anxiety, it helped. Discontinued. 20th Dec, 2021 one 25mg tablet of trazadone as advised by GP to manage insomnia - didn't agree with it, stopped. Severe insomnia and anxiety again. 5th Jan, 2021 started 3.25mg mirtazapine again out of desperation due to insomnia. Took it approx every 3-4 days. With a two week period where I took it every day. 09/02/2021 last dose of mirtazapine approx 3.25mg on before stopping cold turkey again. Not coping. Total insomnia, anxiety, panic. 19/02/2021 discovered SA and reinstated 0.5mg and took 2mg lorazepam that same day as in crisis at that point. 06/03/21 took 2mg lorazepam as in crisis again due to insomnia and updosed to 0.75mg mirtazapine 09/05/21 took 2mg lorazepam as in crisis again due to sudden onset of insomnia AGAIN and updosed to 2.5mg. Other WD symptoms under control on 2.5mg, doing well but then BAM sudden onset of insomnia again after about 2 weeks on 2.5mg 27/05/2021 down to 2mg Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted April 30, 2022 Administrator Share Posted April 30, 2022 How are you doing now? Any change in symptom pattern? If not, I would go back to 1.1mg. Let us know how you're doing. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
Marija Posted April 30, 2022 Author Share Posted April 30, 2022 Thank you for checking in @Altostrata. I went back to 1.1mg last night actually as that was the only solution I could think of. I managed to get a few hours of sleep so that's something. I'm still not sure if allergy season is having an effect on me. I'm now leaning more towards thinking that my approximately 9% drop was simply too big as my previous drops were only about 5%. I naively thought I could get away with it... I'm praying I manage to stabilise on 1.1mg again. And no more drops bigger than 5% for me I don't think. Not sure of all dates and times 2008 as a teenager I took Haloperidol, diazepam and citalopram. Weird cocktail of drugs from a WEIRD psychiatrist for no reason. Stopped after 3 days. No WD symptoms. 2015 quetiapine for about a month and then stopped and citalopram for about a week and then stopped. No WD symptoms at all. 2018 15mg mirtazapine. The full dose taken only once or twice. Then 7.5mg as and when required (not every night) for about 3 months. Reduced further to approx 3.25mg and carried on taking them every now and then (anywhere between once a week and every night for a couple of weeks). Never consistently though. 7th Dec 2021 tried to stop taking it completely - cold turkey. Severe insomnia (several 0 hour nights), panic. Had no idea it was WD. Was determined to stop still. Was prescribed lorazepam 1mg before bed. Took it 6 times over 3 weeks for sleep and anxiety, it helped. Discontinued. 20th Dec, 2021 one 25mg tablet of trazadone as advised by GP to manage insomnia - didn't agree with it, stopped. Severe insomnia and anxiety again. 5th Jan, 2021 started 3.25mg mirtazapine again out of desperation due to insomnia. Took it approx every 3-4 days. With a two week period where I took it every day. 09/02/2021 last dose of mirtazapine approx 3.25mg on before stopping cold turkey again. Not coping. Total insomnia, anxiety, panic. 19/02/2021 discovered SA and reinstated 0.5mg and took 2mg lorazepam that same day as in crisis at that point. 06/03/21 took 2mg lorazepam as in crisis again due to insomnia and updosed to 0.75mg mirtazapine 09/05/21 took 2mg lorazepam as in crisis again due to sudden onset of insomnia AGAIN and updosed to 2.5mg. Other WD symptoms under control on 2.5mg, doing well but then BAM sudden onset of insomnia again after about 2 weeks on 2.5mg 27/05/2021 down to 2mg Link to comment
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