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Reducing Mirtazapine

VLD

Has anyone any experience of coming off Mirtazapine or other antidepressants after realising they are Autistic?

What effects did it have?

In particular,  did it affect masking?

Did it affect any other aspects of Autism?

As background:

A couple of weeks ago I realised I was Autistic having been treated for depression many times over the years. Before this I had already decided I should reduce my Mirtazapine dosage from 15mg pd to 7.5. After discussion with my GP we have decided to do this from next week. 

  • in reply to ConstantRepeat

    Mirtazapine definitely helps sleep. Indeed, one of thd main reasons I am reducing ( but not yet coming off) Mirtazapine is that I am sleeping too much. I did come off a couple of years ago and did get sleep problems , but tgat was before I retired. I did start to use Zopiclone but had to stop as it has issues fir older poeple. I found the original Nytol worked instead but i know it is important to use it sparingly as otherwise it loses its effectiveness. Anyway, I am going to stick at 7.5mg per day for a while now. By the way, Mirtazapine is less effective at helping sleep at 15mg pd or less. Above this and you may get sleep problems again.

  • I want to come off Mirtazapine since I was also prescribed it before my autism diagnosis, but I'm worried about getting insomnia again because the Mirtazapine really helps me to sleep Pensive I have not had a bad night's sleep since I first started taking it in 2018, I don't know if it's a placebo effect or what.

  • I came off sertraline recently, around the time I started the assessment process- the timing was coincidence to be honest, it just happened to be time for my annual medication review and other improvements in my life situation meant I felt ready to stop the meds.

    I tapered off from the original dose the same way you are, doing a half dose every day, then every other day, and then stopping completely. I didn't notice any physical effects at all. I did start having more meltdowns but that feels a bit less bothersome now that I know what they are and am learning how to deal with them properly. A fairly hefty chunk of my anxiety has been caused by masking, specifically pretending that my sensory issues aren't bothering me because I don't want to be an inconvenience, so hopefully things will balance out again as I figure everything out.

  • I'd follow your GPs advice to come off it. Allow time to regroup and get used to feeling like yourself again.

    Autistics don't mask, it's a NeuroTypical mode of being, which is "encoded" (like software) into their subconscious and something they're rewarded for. Have a look at the Jungian Persona, which is part of how the neurotypical brain is 'wired' to use language and meaning. Because autistics tend to communicate and connect rather than simply create meaning and a bit of theatre with vocabulary, we use this as a different function and it is part of why there's this seemingly invisible barrier obstructing communication. 

    All humans mimic in some way or another though. The idea that we 'camouflage' to fit in is a better construct. It's a conscious effort and one can become better at it, should they like to have more command over when and how and for what purpose with a bit of theatre training, some improv techniques and then by studying ethics, manners and learning to integrate deeper principles of being into words / actions. 

    Coming down off any thing you've been on for a long time will and should feel different. But give yourself time to heal and learn more about how you naturally think!