Helloimhere: could use some help with remeron

[Helloimhere]

Hi everyone.. thanks for having me.. long story short... I was out on Xanax 4 1/2 years ago at 0.25 and got cold turkeyed at 3 months, I had a terrible reaction to it and have had protracted benzo withdrawal for the last 4 1/2 years... I was out on remeron after I got off benzos because of my terrible insomnia.  At that time I had no idea it was antidepressant.  Anyway.  I have tapered rendering for 3 years from 7.5 down to 0.6.  Things were going fine.  I tapered like this... 7.5 to 7.4 to 7.3 and sometimes if I felt confident I’d taper 7.3 to 7.1... and so on. Well I got low to 1.0 and I tapered to 0.8 and it was tolerable but hard.  I waited about 2 months and tapered to 0.6 and that’s when all the hell broke lose. It took about a week and half for the symptoms to rear their ugly faces....It was way to fast of a cut apparently...the withdrawal was insane.  I talked to my psyc doc and told her how I was tapering and we decided to go to my last stable dose which was 1.2...  I stated to feel better the day after... then 2 days later I felt way worse then I started to feel better and now my withdrawal feels almost as bad as before I updosed.  Not sure where it is all going.  But I feel so exhausted as it has been a long taper and finally at the end I screwed it’s up. I feel like I’m at the beginning.  Any info on stabilizing and how long it may take and the process?

[Shep]

Hi, Helloimhere.

 

Welcome to Surviving Antidepressants. 

 

10 hours ago, Helloimhere said:

Well I got low to 1.0 and I tapered to 0.8 and it was tolerable but hard.  I waited about 2 months and tapered to 0.6 and that’s when all the hell broke lose. It took about a week and half for the symptoms to rear their ugly faces....It was way to fast of a cut apparently...the withdrawal was insane.  I talked to my psyc doc and told her how I was tapering and we decided to go to my last stable dose which was 1.2...  I stated to feel better the day after... then 2 days later I felt way worse then I started to feel better and now my withdrawal feels almost as bad as before I updosed.

 

These last two reductions may have been too much for your sensitive nervous system to handle. Going from 0.8 mg to 1.0 mg was a 20% reduction and going from 0.8 mg to 0.6 mg was a 25% reduction. 

 

And then updosing back to 1.2 mg, which you hadn't been on for several months, was likely too high a dose. What date did you updose? It's possible you may benefit from reducing the dose, so please let us know more specifics about the timeline (the day and month for your reductions over the past couple of months, as much as you can). 

 

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As you provide more information, we can better guide you in adjusting your most recent updose and answer any questions you may have. 

 

[Helloimhere]

Thanks, just updated a short timline

 

[Helloimhere]

I uodated my signature 

[Helloimhere]

Im not sure if its to late now to reduse my dose, please help

 

@Shep

 

[Helloimhere]

Well im still on the 1.2 - been about 2 weeks.  Not answers so I stayed on it.  Not doing well.   Im so sad the small updose didnt work and make me worse.  Im scared it will get worse.... I stil have to taper the 1.2 t some point and cant imagine doing it in this state

[Helloimhere]

I am a long time benzo WD protracted 4 1/2.... I am used to cutting on a scale... I was tapering remeron for 3 years after a year of being off benzos... I waasnt very good at it as I messed up the taper recently and set myself back real good.  I tapered going from 7.5 to 74 to 7.3 and sometime 7.2 to 7.0 and so on.  Well I made it to 0.6 after 3 years and i never thought that it was a 25% cut from 0.8.  I also before that did a 1.0 to 0.8 cut as well......Well it through me into major withdrawal...  My psyc and I agreed to updose to 1.2 my last stable dose.  Well it didn;t work at all.  I should habe just stayed on 0.6.  So I guess it is a paradoxical reaction.  No idea if I will stabilize but eventually I will have to start to taper again no matter the situation.  I have a gemini 20 scale but its not very stable either... I dont mind spending good money on a scale.. Please any suggestions for a more stable accurate scale.  I wont do liquid and would like to keep on the dry cuts.

 

THANKS!

[Helloimhere]

(my routine) I do have to work but I work for myself as an ebay reseller

Wake up - if I sleep - 7.45 am - Take dog out

If I work get ready make eggs and leave by 8.20 am

get home by 11;30

lay around, some chores and stuff, till about 1;30

Lunch around 2 - usually baked chicken

Nap , rarely sleep to 3

Shipping for my work till about 4 - Then take dog out

not much till dinner at 6;30

small amount of work at home till evening - Take dog out 9;30

then tv

If I don't work I do computer work most of the day,

[ChessieCat]

There are many existing topics on SA.  To find them you can use an internet search engine and add site:survivingantidepressants.org to the search term.

 

Using this method and searching for scale found this topic:

 

using-a-digital-scale-to-measure-doses-weighing

 

Many members use the Gemini 20 scale.  If you do a search for Gemini you will find specific discussion about this.

 

If you go to the above link and search for Gemini (in This Topic - from drop down after clicking in the site search field) you will find posts just in that topic.

 

[Helloimhere]

Thanks for the reply, in my post I mentioned that I already have a Gemini and I’m looking for something more stable than that. Thank you

[ChessieCat]

Some drugs are available in prescription liquid and some drugs can be made into a liquid.

 

See this topic Post #1 for a list of links to tips for tapering various drugs:

 

Important topics in the Tapering forum and FAQ

 

 

[Altostrata]

@brassmonkey any suggestions about scales or tips about using the Gemini scale?

[brassmonkey]

Unless you invest in a lab grade scale for several thousand dollars there isn't much else available. All the less expensive scales are pretty much the same and there are no midrange ones. Fresh batteries may help, work on a solid surface like a kitchen counter, avoid all drafts maybe even set up a "wind screen" around them. Use the calibration weight and TARE to bring them into the middle of their range for more accuracy. The very small doses are a pain to try and measure because the scales will only work well down to 4mgpw (milligrams pill weight). From there down you will have to start doing visual divisions,, which isn't all that accurate or try switching to a liquid form which is much easier to control.

[Helloimhere]

Ive been tapering remeron for a long time, and now Im at 1.2mg.  Or the same as 0.0012 g.  I cut to big recently when I was at 1.0 and went to 0.8 and it was terrible.  I am now back to the 1.2 and going to stabilize there for a while.  Is there a more sensitive way to use the scale other than the mode "G"?  Id like to go between 1.2 and 1.1 to maybe taper from 1.2 to 1.1.5 - not sure if that is wriitedn right/  I don;t want to go liquid... Ive been dry tapering happily for 3 years now and would like to keep it that way.

[ChessieCat]

Before creating a new topic please do a search to see if one already exists on that subject.  SA likes to keep similar information in one topic so that it is easier for members to find.  Use a search engine and add site:survivingantidepressants.org to the search term.

 

Here is the existing topic:

 

using-a-digital-scale-to-measure-doses-weighing

 

[getofflex]

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/24450-helloimhere-new-and-could-use-some-help-with-remeron/?do=findComment&comment=526863

 

quoted post merged 

[Altostrata]

On 3/24/2021 at 2:37 PM, Helloimhere said:

Ive been tapering remeron for a long time, and now Im at 1.2mg.  Or the same as 0.0012 g.  I cut to big recently when I was at 1.0 and went to 0.8 and it was terrible.  I am now back to the 1.2 and going to stabilize there for a while.  Is there a more sensitive way to use the scale other than the mode "G"?  Id like to go between 1.2 and 1.1 to maybe taper from 1.2 to 1.1.5 - not sure if that is wriitedn right/  I don;t want to go liquid... Ive been dry tapering happily for 3 years now and would like to keep it that way.

 

@Helloimhere Is there a reason you have not been tapering with a liquid? See Tips for tapering off mirtazapine (Remeron)

[Melaan]

Do you feel better now? How long did it take before you felt stable at 1,2?

[ChessieCat]

@Helloimhere

 

I have moved your post to this topic:

 

using-a-scale-to-weigh-and-measure-doses

 

Alto asked why you were not using a liquid to taper.

 

It is possible to my your own liquid.  From Post #1 of the Tips for Tapering Remeron topic:

 

  

On 4/11/2012 at 10:07 AM, Altostrata said:

 

Make your own liquid from a tablet

 

To taper, many people make liquids from mirtazapine tablets themselves. While water solubility of mirtazapine is "slight" according to http://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB00370 you can make a suspension of it yourself with a tablet and water or a pharmaceutical liquid such as Ora-Plus. See How to make a liquid from tablets or capsules

 

On 2/10/2021 at 4:30 AM, Nomansland said:

I found some german documents that state that the normal mirtazapine/remeron tablets can be made into a suspension ("normally" for patients who are not able to swallow and need a stomach probe). So i will just share these documents with you.

 

(to see the links to the documents mentioned, click on the gray arrow in the upper left of the quote.)

 

Refrigerate the DIY suspension for up to 5 days, then discard.

 

 

This is the link to the post by Nomansland quoted inside the above quote (I am not sure if the arrow link he mentioned will appear once I submit my reply).