Withdrawal from meds

Hi Amerantin.
Max dose of Mirtazapine is 45mg.
Am on it now Myself.
Just like diazepam You should not go cold turkey.
You should be on a " reduction "  programme like me to gently weane off.
Withdrawl can be dangerous, trust me.
Call you G.P and tell them it is urgent .
Tell them what you have posted here.
3 weeks ago i told my CMHT team that i was fed up of being on Diazepam.
I told them i was going " cold turky " on the 10mg per Day i had been taking for Years.
They actually prescribed me an anti-epiletic drug in case of seizures due to withdrawl.
My advive is NEVER go cold turkey, You sound like You already have withdrawl.
It can be fatal.
Call Yout g.p ASAP. ( Just to be on the safe side )

Also consider the half life of the particular drug. This can lead to delayed withdrawal x

Pharmaceuticals dont "make' small enough doses to reduce safely and successfully.  Usually the lowest dose is too much of a drop to zero. I know it sounds ridiculous. 

Consider requesting tapering strips: the reduced dosage is done for you. Or request liquid form, so that you can measure the smaller doses. Push for one of these options. The liquid is expensive so you will need to present your case so to speak,  but it is available.

Two ways to contribute to a succesful taper. 

And yes, stabilise before you make another reduction. Take is slow x

So what you're saying is that if you are already on the lowest possible dose once per day, then the next thing is to stop altogether rather than reduce the frequency to every other day?

I think that I can see some logic in that, but as you said, doctors tend to advise to take every other day.

Its not reccomended to take alternate days or skip doses as this can cause choas for yoyr system, despite your doctirs advise. 

Ugh poor you. That's got to be awful for you. Hang on in there, it will get better even if it doesn't feel like it right now. Look at it this way, each day you are one day closer to being rid of the withdrawal symptoms.

Thinking of you and wishing you well.

Thanks Enchanted. I still feel absolutely rotten. I did a bit  of research yesterday and it said the symptoms can worsen for 1-2 weeks after stopping and take 6-8 weeks to go away completely 

I'm sorry you're suffering from withdrawal symptoms. I had this when I came off my bipolar meds and the withdrawal symptoms were horrific for about two weeks. 

How are you now Amerantin? I hope you're better. If it's too bad do call the GP and he or she could probably half the pill and gently wean you off it that way. Positive vibes your way.

There are new guidlines on tapering off SSRI's & SNRI's. This should be done very gradually to avoid nasty withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms are often mistaken for " a clinical need" for the medication. People very often have to reinsate the medication to ease the withdrawal symptoms. This is why a slow taper is very important. 

Dear Dogtooth, 

I’m sorry you are going through such a tough time, it’s good that you’ve let us know what’s happening and how you feel. Many people have similar thoughts when coping with so much and we hope you’re okay.  

If you are unable to cope with the distress or despair, it’s very important to tell someone about your feelings or thoughts of suicide. Call your GP and make an urgent appointment. Your GP can make sure you get appropriate help and support. 

If it’s outside your GP hours call 111 to reach the NHS 111 service: 

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/urgent-and-emergency-care-services/when-to-use-111/ 

The Samaritans also provide confidential non-judgemental emotional support, 24 hours a day on 116 123, or by email on jo@samaritans.org. 

MIND have information pages on coping with self harm or suicidal feelings based on the experiences of people who’ve been through it that you may find helpful.  

If you are very close to doing something to hurt yourself - call 999 now or go to your nearest A&E department. There should be someone there to support you and make sure you get ongoing support. 

You can find more information here: 

https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/mental-health/suicide 

Kind Regards,

Rosie Mod

The NHS site on the drug says stopping suddenly's a bad idea. Guessing you didn't talk to your doctor about it to get a withdrawal program sorted.

www.nhs.uk/.../

Duloxetine is quite a good one but I found it increased my heart rate quite a bit which made my anxiety feel worse. 

I'm sorry to hear your having a tough time, I found duloxetine was one of the more difficult antidepressants to deal with. Over the decades I've been on virtually every SSRI going but nothing prepared me for what I felt coming off this SSNRI.

Good luck and take care.

Amerantin said:

Shadow, who normally tries to sit on my lap 24x7, has been completely avoiding me the last few days.

I hope that (she?) gets back to her usual self soon.

If not I'd have her teeth checked.

Tooth discomfort can be a big problem with cats (but as a cat expert/whisperer, you probably know that).

I think that I'm not comparing like with like here; Benzo's are tranquilisers and Mirtazapine is an anti-depressant, so they are not the same type of drugs. However, they clearly are not easy to stop. I wish you success and hope your withdrawal syptoms quickly subside.

Ben

Thank you. Hopefully you'll be over the worst soon, but if not then perhaps you could give a smaller dose a try and go from there, if your GP thinks it's a good idea for you. 

Sorry you're suffering though. Withdrawal effects are rubbish. Thinking of you right now.

Yeh your right mirtazapine is not the best. Too much weight gain because it is a strong antihistamine. Antihistamines are good in my experience for anxiety but sadly they cause too much weight gain.

Thanks Cora, it’s good to hear that you came off them successfully.

My GP did warn me it might be tough for a week or two and to get back in touch with her if I have problems. If I still feel like this next week I think I will. Maybe a smaller dose for longer is the right approach.

There were two reasons: firstly, I think the effect on my mental state has been quite subtle and probably not worth the bother. The second reason is that I’ve put on 8-9kg I want to get control of my weight back before I turn into a blob.

That’s okay dogtooth, it’s completely understandable. I think we have to try to get back to “normal” without meds but I am realistic in that I know it might not work out.

I hope you get back on an even keel next week.