Mirtazapine for Withdrawal

[[Pa...]]

Is someone know why Mirtazapine effective in Withdrawal. Intrusive Thoughts are way less when taking it. I mean its not the Perfect solution but i guess it helps for benzo Withdrawal.

[[...]]

As for me, yes, it definitely helped, especially with severe headaches which were just unbearable. It was the only medication to relieve the pain, sometimes just a bit. Don't think i had intrusive thoughts, perhaps bc of mirt... Can't say why though. May be somebody else will.

[[Pa...]]

I dont had them as well. The started when i was back at work after 6 weeks Break and cut mirt down to 4 from 8mg. I take them for 4 years now and had never Intrusive thoughts even when i go up or down. So i think its the CNS which is still in survival Model. And i dont feel the Intrusive thoughts and anxiety at 8mg. Going down to fast i guess.

[[Hu...]]

Mirtazapine user here. 

Well, it all depends on how much you are using. I've never took more than 7.5 mg. It makes you very sluggish. You'll sleep fast after ingesting. Helps tension headaches. Causes weight gain. 

[[wi...]]

Made me hyper and revved up. Didn’t make me sleep. We all react so differently as we have different genetics and situations I guess. 

Edited April 11 by [wi...]

[[Hu...]]

Then you probably took like 15 or even more. Because in the lower regions, it's more like a sedative. 

[[dj...]]

20 minutes ago, [[H...] said:

Then you probably took like 15 or even more. Because in the lower regions, it's more like a sedative. 

This is true for most people.  However, a lot of people on this board are not most people and many can’t tolerate antidepressants.  Even fractional doses of antidepressants can rev people up too much.  
 

My experience with Remeron, during benzo withdrawal, is that it would actually put me to sleep, but by midday of the following day, it made me very agitated and anxious.  This was at 7.5 and 3.75mg.  
 

I took Remeron up to 45mg before I ever touched benzos and it helped me sleep and I tolerated it fine.  It just made me sluggish and didn’t do much for anxiety.  Actually exacerbated anxiety at the higher doses. 

Edited April 11 by [dj...]

[[...]]

1 hour ago, [[P...] said:

I dont had them as well. The started when i was back at work after 6 weeks Break and cut mirt down to 4 from 8mg. I take them for 4 years now and had never Intrusive thoughts even when i go up or down. So i think its the CNS which is still in survival Model. And i dont feel the Intrusive thoughts and anxiety at 8mg. Going down to fast i guess.

Do you mean you cut mirt in half overnight or it took a while? I guess the main point is still the CNS recovering from benzo but  mirt reducing has its input too. 

I'm tapering mirt now. My full dose was 30 mg. It was ok. Now it's about 5 mg. Think i'm also doing it too fast. Makes me feel sometimes weird like dizzy and kind of creeps in the head, poorer sleep.

[[Pa...]]

@[...]

Ya i was working with withdrawal from the beginning ( First 8 weeks in Withdrawal) and take 8mg Mirtazapine. It was very challenging but more for the physical symptoms. Then i was at home for 6 weeks and cut the mirtazapine to 4mg. Then i was back at work for 1 week and the anxiety and insomnia hit me like a truck. I was sleepless for nearly a week and then the Intrusive thoughts kick in.

I dont know what it is, its just anxiety or Intrusive thoughts or Whatever?

Its just a loud scream like aaaaaargh or laughing. I dont know what Kind of symptoms is that? I am very confused about this Symptom. I know its not hallucinations, its more like loud thoughts they scares me.

Maybe you know have an idea? Some here in this forum say its Intrusive thoughts others say its earworms. I would be very happy to know what it is. Fact is i Never had that before i was in Benzo/GABA Withdrawal.

[[wi...]]

50 minutes ago, [[P...] said:

Its just a loud scream like aaaaaargh or laughing

omg i have the same thing. I’m sorry you have this but now I don’t think I’m so alone. Mine has gotten better but it was pretty consistent for several months. Now, I get it occasionally during the day, quieter and less intense.

[[wi...]]

It’s the limbic system of the brain going nuts and dragging up our subconscious fears. It’s not anxiety the way you might think. It’s a disregulated brain that is healing. 

[[Bo...]]

@[dj...]

this is so me right now stuck on mirt after being forced it in psych ward Dec for akathisia. Battling severe aka and amped up during day, thankfully getting some sleep right now. Have tapered from 7.5mh to 6.4mg so have a ways to go bc I can’t handle very much reducing but have been adverse from beginning and need to inch my way down bc I think it’s making my aka worse- horrific this level of it tapering. 
you say it made you hyper, did you come off quickly after or how what did you do? I wish it had done this day two or three for me so I could have tried to ditch it but I was terrified and it didn’t start being crazy adverse until 3 wks on I had Covid and couldn’t just stop then and then hit 4wks and stuck to slow taper.

thanks for thoughts and anyone else- those of you who mirt helps their situation I so wish that was me but it’s made mine so much worse and now stuck so high up and no idea how to do this. Praying for a miracle and if you can hold off starting something please do.

im at 7 1/2mo off and think I’d be decent if I didn’t have mirt I was battling.

hugs and love to everyone 

[[...]]

10 hours ago, [[P...] said:

@[...]

Ya i was working with withdrawal from the beginning ( First 8 weeks in Withdrawal) and take 8mg Mirtazapine. It was very challenging but more for the physical symptoms. Then i was at home for 6 weeks and cut the mirtazapine to 4mg. Then i was back at work for 1 week and the anxiety and insomnia hit me like a truck. I was sleepless for nearly a week and then the Intrusive thoughts kick in.

I dont know what it is, its just anxiety or Intrusive thoughts or Whatever?

Its just a loud scream like aaaaaargh or laughing. I dont know what Kind of symptoms is that? I am very confused about this Symptom. I know its not hallucinations, its more like loud thoughts they scares me.

Maybe you know have an idea? Some here in this forum say its Intrusive thoughts others say its earworms. I would be very happy to know what it is. Fact is i Never had that before i was in Benzo/GABA Withdrawal.

Paul89, i haven't had exactly this symptom but some of mine have been frightening up to absurd  i'm sure we can feel any kind of weird things while in benzo wd. Like a demo version of any affliction a human being can suffer from but they're all still sensations only. Nothing really threatening our life or sanity. If you never had the "screaming" prior to the WD, it must subside over time. And, sure, your being back to work stress affected your temporarily extremely sensitive SNC but, think, it will adapt.

As for me, people who manage to combine work and benzo wd are sort of heroes! Good luck to you!)

[[Hu...]]

17 hours ago, [[d...] said:

This is true for most people.  However, a lot of people on this board are not most people and many can’t tolerate antidepressants.  Even fractional doses of antidepressants can rev people up too much.  
 

My experience with Remeron, during benzo withdrawal, is that it would actually put me to sleep, but by midday of the following day, it made me very agitated and anxious.  This was at 7.5 and 3.75mg.  
 

I took Remeron up to 45mg before I ever touched benzos and it helped me sleep and I tolerated it fine.  It just made me sluggish and didn’t do much for anxiety.  Actually exacerbated anxiety at the higher doses. 

Yes, I agree what with you write. It makes sleepy and asleep for a long time. And about the exacerbating anxiety at higher doses, that maybe because it also stimulates Noradrenergic Action, which probably counterintuitive for ppl with anxiety problems.

[[Er...]]

13 hours ago, [[w...] said:

I did long holds because everyone told me to and looking back I regret it.

it never made me more “stable” and caused me great mental and physical distress. I like your idea of continuing to cut but in super small consistent percentages.

trust yourself!! ❤️

This is the exact question on my mind this morning. I've been doing ok with my klonopin taper except for insomnia, off and on. Last night I didn't fall asleep until 4:30 am and wasn't even feeling tired (brain felt quite awake) even tough I'd barely slept the night before. Last week and for most of the taper, I've been sleeping fine, for the most part (definitely had bad nights mixed in but they have been balanced by good nights of sleep).

Should I hold and see if I acclimate to my current dose (0.15-16 mg) or do a daily microtaper? I'm getting to a very low dose and I know things get rougher at the lowest doses. I also understand the need to go slow but I also don't want to prolong this process. Would a daily microtaper be better tolerated than periodic cuts? Are there instructions on how to do a daily microtaper anywhere on this site? 

[[Bo...]]

@[Er...]the tapering section of this site can help you directly- libertas is wonderful moderator on the taper section. 

are you using dry cut or compound liquid?

I switched to compound liquid at this amount you’re on now but was having consistency issues with dry cutting.(shave and weigh)

once with liquid I dropped .01mg a month the last 15mo and helped regain some functionality- the way my formula was written was .25mg= 10ML so I dropped .1ML a week held and then again.

it worked well until I crashed at the end but whatever  your method is, have an idea of what you want to come down over a month and split that up into 4 and do little 7 day holds and that’s a decent micro taper. Trying to cut every day at low amounts doesn’t work bc it is way too tedious and adds ip more than people want to drop. 
 Ask Libertas for some help if you need to!

[[PE...]]

I have 30mg mirtazapine for wd symptoms but don't take it very often!

I took some last night and what do I suppose to feel? I feel nothing.. crappy medicine.. but I bet I would get wd if I start take every day!! That's good medicines right LOL!! NO EFFECT JUST A BAD AS WITHDRAWAL 

Edited April 12 by [PE...]

[[Hu...]]

18 minutes ago, [[P...] said:

I have 30mg mirtazapine for wd symptoms but don't take it very often!

I took some last night and what do I suppose to feel? I feel nothing.. crappy medicine.. but I bet I would get wd if I start take every day!! That's good medicines right LOL!! NO EFFECT JUST A BAD AS WITHDRAWAL 

I don't know what drugs you are taking right now, but it certainly isn't Mirtazapine...

It is a AD, and those are not PRN

[[PE...]]

15 minutes ago, [[H...] said:

I don't know what drugs you are taking right now, but it certainly isn't Mirtazapine...

It is a AD, and those are not PRN

I know what I took yesterday, I took mirtazapine. I'm off benzos and just take 100mg, was 400mg quentapine.

??

Edited April 12 by [PE...]

[[Er...]]

1 hour ago, [[B...] said:

@[Er...]the tapering section of this site can help you directly- libertas is wonderful moderator on the taper section. 

are you using dry cut or compound liquid?

I switched to compound liquid at this amount you’re on now but was having consistency issues with dry cutting.(shave and weigh)

once with liquid I dropped .01mg a month the last 15mo and helped regain some functionality- the way my formula was written was .25mg= 10ML so I dropped .1ML a week held and then again.

it worked well until I crashed at the end but whatever  your method is, have an idea of what you want to come down over a month and split that up into 4 and do little 7 day holds and that’s a decent micro taper. Trying to cut every day at low amounts doesn’t work bc it is way too tedious and adds ip more than people want to drop. 
 Ask Libertas for some help if you need to!

Yes, I am trying to shave small amounts but the amounts are so small now that it can't be exact using the dry cuts. Do you think 0.01 mg per week is too much? Is that reasonable? Theoretically that could mean that I'm down to almost zero in 4 months. Do I just power through the really rough patches (if it feels even possible) and keep on with tapering or should I hold when I'm not sleeping? I want to get this over with but I don't want to wreck myself by going too fast either. We're moving (to another country) at the end of the summer and I'd like to depart benzo free as who knows how easily I'l be able to connect with a Dr there who understands this. This is really one of my main motivations for tapering as I was not having issues with the klonopin after 18 years (yet).

[[Rh...]]

Hi, I started mirt towards the end of my benzo taper 4 years ago and it did help me, but with horrible consequences.  I am now 9 months off a very slow taper from mirt, using a compounded liquid, and withdrawals are almost worse than my benzo wds.  I used 3.75 mirt for a year and then went to 1.75 held there for a few months and then began a very slow taper off.  I am severely sensitive to meds and quickly become dependent on things, but if I could go back and never touch mirt to “help” deal with the wds from my benzo, I would.  

I do realize there are situations where it is the lesser of two evils, like having akathisia (which I have now experienced thanks to coming off mirt) or other life threatening reasons, so I never blame or judge anyone for going on, but for me personally, I wish I would have endured the months to years of benzo WD and never had to go through a second, almost worse WD now that I’ve come off mirt.

The symptoms I am left with since coming off mirt are bad insomnia, histamine intolerance, GI issues, massive, chronic daily migraines/headaches, eye pain, lots of sensitivities, muscle and joint pain, dizziness, and mental issues to which I have never, ever experienced to such a scary and horrible degree.

I am unable to work and many times I am barely able to care for my family, both benzos and mirt have stolen 8 years of my life and have stolen time from my family.

[[PE...]]

6 minutes ago, [[R...] said:

Hi, I started mirt towards the end of my benzo taper 4 years ago and it did help me, but with horrible consequences.  I am now 9 months off a very slow taper from mirt, using a compounded liquid, and withdrawals are almost worse than my benzo wds.  I used 3.75 mirt for a year and then went to 1.75 held there for a few months and then began a very slow taper off.  I am severely sensitive to meds and quickly become dependent on things, but if I could go back and never touch mirt to “help” deal with the wds from my benzo, I would.  

I do realize there are situations where it is the lesser of two evils, like having akathisia (which I have now experienced thanks to coming off mirt) or other life threatening reasons, so I never blame or judge anyone for going on, but for me personally, I wish I would have endured the months to years of benzo WD and never had to go through a second, almost worse WD now that I’ve come off mirt.

The symptoms I am left with since coming off mirt are bad insomnia, histamine intolerance, GI issues, massive, chronic daily migraines/headaches, eye pain, lots of sensitivities, muscle and joint pain, dizziness, and mental issues to which I have never, ever experienced to such a scary and horrible degree.

I am unable to work and many times I am barely able to care for my family, both benzos and mirt have stolen 8 years of my life and have stolen time from my family.

I have a big box filled with these.

I won't take them. 

Sorry you're suffering brother. 

[[Rh...]]

1 minute ago, [[P...] said:

I have a big box filled with these.

I won't take them. 

Sorry you're suffering brother. 

I believe there are times where people are in such a bad place that meds can, and do help, but usually it comes with a cost.  I unfortunately am paying that price now.

I have also seen people come off with little to no issues, so there is that side of it too.

And thank you for responding, I’m sorry you’re suffering and have also experienced the hell that is akathisia!

…and btw, I’m a “sister”, lol, not “brother”.  🤣😂

 

 

[[No...]]

My experience with mirtazapine is bad.. I was already in tolerance from Klonopin without knowing it and doc started me on mirtazapine and 3 other drugs which I  quit CT in the first month. Used mirtazapine about 3.5 months and it was ok except weight gain and nightmares which made me to quit CT. 1 month in bed unable to get up, 7 months now my body shakes after even light physical activity or if I just tighten my muscles they shake.. And because I am so smart, I tried mirtazapine again 2 months later to help me with Klonopin taper withdrawals. Bad idea, anxiety was extreme and I was down after 20 days. Nasty drug which hits multiple brain receptors (4 if I am not wrong).. But this is just my case. I've found some researches that mirt can help with benzo withdrawal and this is why I tried just to quit CT again. And there are tons of horrific stories about mirt, just like any other psycho drug.

[[Ka...]]

I was given mirtazapine not for tapering/WD but whilst on a benzo. I was I think classed as worn out from anxiety & it was thought mirtazapine might help. ‘Depression’ was a kind of secondary by product of being anxious - but I have always rejected a ‘depression’ label. So I took it for over 2 years. Dr Horowitz in an interview points out that anti depressants suppress joy (if I’m remembering correctly) - I think that is right. I think for me it made me flat & incapable of either being happy or sad. But the benzo made me flat too - emotional blunting. 
I took mirtazapine at 15,30 & 45mg. I was never told that the lower dose is more sedating. The higher dose made me a bit wired. I decided to stop & went backwards 45, 30 & 15mg but was never told I could have divided 15mg into 7.5mg so allowing an even slower reduction.

What I have now pieced together is that I had interdose withdrawal from the benzo that was not recognised. Mirtazapine was added at that time probably when I didn't need it. It confused me as I couldn’t work out which medication was attributed to my symptoms. 
Maybe mirtazapine does have a place as an adjunct when tapering & can be beneficial in WD. But is another thing to have to eventually taper off. 

Edited April 14 by [Ka...]