Akathisia from mirtazapine

[[jo...]]

Just now, [[F...] said:

You're welcome.  I think the 10% first go is a good decision.  Be brave!  I think you will feel proactive by taking this step.  It will give you a good indication of where you're at.

[[Fa...]]

30 minutes ago, [[F...] said:

 Just make sure you always round up all the time or down all the time.

I'm looking at what I wrote, and it didn't make sense.  I always round up.  Sorry...it's late.

And, if you can invest $25 or so on a new scale, I may consider it to take away any stress about accuracy as you get lower.  I would not worry about it for this reduction...or the next for that matter.  But, if you are someone who stresses about precision, it may be worth it.  I bought a brand new scale, and I never used it.  Would give it to you if I could.  I decided to water taper.  But, it really is up to what you feel comfortable with.

 

 

[[jo...]]

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

I'm looking at what I wrote, and it didn't make sense.  I always round up.  Sorry...it's late.

And, if you can invest $25 or so on a new scale, I may consider it to take away any stress about accuracy as you get lower.  I would not worry about it for this reduction...or the next for that matter.  But, if you are someone who stresses about precision, it may be worth it.  I bought a brand new scale, and I never used it.  Would give it to you if I could.  I decided to water taper.  But, it really is up to what you feel comfortable with.

so to weigh 3.75 I would round up to 3.80? for eg it would read as 0.038.

[[Fa...]]

Exactly.

[[jo...]]

This is getting to much now. How do you cope with a condition like this? It feels impossible. Does anyone with akathisia have any advice on how to get through this? I'm so tempted to take something just to get some relief.

Has anyone tried Kratom? I have tried propranolol intermittent but am now considering it daily to see if that makes a difference. I cant believe what's happened to me it just doesn't seem real what I'm experiencing. This is inhumane and unfair. I wake up in disbelief that I am going to have to do this again. 

I need to find stability but cannot. It's so difficult to have to fight this for 18 hours a day sometimes before any kind of relief comes, and then it's just exhaustion.

I hate to sound like I'm feeling sorry for myself but this is getting out of control. There's no help for this. If anyone has any advice based on there experience it would be greatly apreciated because I feel like I'm hanging on by a thread.

I dont really have any support system for this. I'm kind of on my own which is why I turn to you. I'm going to start reducing my dose soon in the hope this will get better but am not very optomistic. 

I've been cutting and weighing my dose and feel like it's been an inaccurate way of doing things so I'm going to start making my own liquid. Will this help stabalise me? I need to see some sort of light at the end of the tunnel.

Edited September 17 by [jo...]
adding info

[[jo...]]

Went to the doctor today and got him to take a copy of the Maudsley Deprescribing Guidlines. A ray of hope maybe.

[[Fa...]]

@[jo...]  Have you started liquid titration yet?

[[jo...]]

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

@[jo...]  Have you started liquid titration yet?

Hi @[Fa...] I havn't but I have found a doctor who will taper me off using Maudsly Deprescribing as a guide, so I plan to start soon enough I think. I'm doing the liquid suspension method using mapel syrup and probably going to start at 10% and see how it goes.

[[Fa...]]

@[jo...]  It's been a rough 10 days or so, and I haven't kept up with stuff.  I'm so glad you found a cooperative doctor.  That is great news.  Just remember to allow yourself time to adjust to a new delivery system.  It's important.  Symptoms may amp up a bit until your body adjusts.  I had no problem switching over, but some people do.  So, maybe give yourself some time before you make your first reduction when you switch over until you see how you react.

 

[[jo...]]

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

@[jo...]  It's been a rough 10 days or so, and I haven't kept up with stuff.  I'm so glad you found a cooperative doctor.  That is great news.  Just remember to allow yourself time to adjust to a new delivery system.  It's important.  Symptoms may amp up a bit until your body adjusts.  I had no problem switching over, but some people do.  So, maybe give yourself some time before you make your first reduction when you switch over until you see how you react.

Thanks, sorry to here you've had a rough time. I didn't think it would be a problem since I'm using the same tablets? What's been the problem? is the aka playing up?

[[Fa...]]

@[jo...]  I know they are the same tablets, but some people react to switching to liquid, so it's recommended to let your body adjust to the switch so that if there is an obvious adjustment, you're not dealing with that and a cut at the same time.

Things have changed as I've gotten lower, and so I seem to go through a really rough 10 days of intensified mental AKA.  That's when I kinda step back for a period.

Are you finding the pills too difficult to shave and weigh?  I know your scale is more limited, but is it too difficult?

[[Bo...]]

Hi there, ughh I’m sorry things are so rough. 
sometimes it takes a bit of months to stabilize from all the ip and down that happened at beginning and making bug cuts. Even though it was only a short time it still can rock our cns for awhile and then msking more cuts …. It compounds. 
I as Faith and quite a few others on here have had unfortunately the hellish aka experiences and trying to baby our nervous system as much as possible is key even though it doesn’t feel like it works and won’t right away. Over time a consistent routine, lots of limiting stress, noise , light, anything that ramps us up…. Can bring the intensity down some.

think doing the maple syrup on your own at pace you need to is great and what majority of people in the mirt fb group do and successful. As Faith mentioned it’s wise to not make a reduction right after switching to liquid. Give your body 3 weeks or a month and then look to start your taper.

and no dr is needed bc you have knowledge now and have the manual and know how to hyperbolic taper… once we know that, it’s staying between our thresholds and finding our Goldilocks lane as some call it.  Make sure you understand the maple syrup technique, how long it can be stored in the fridge, etc. the main fb group has sll the details listed out in their guides section.

as for the aka, just take the day . Looking ahead is beyond overwhelming… just take the day and as your body starts to even out and get more regulated you’ll get more functional and aka will lesssn and things will get better.

 

[[Fa...]]

2 minutes ago, [[B...] said:

think doing the maple syrup on your own at pace you need to is great and what majority of people in the mirt fb group do and successful.

This sounds great.  

[[jo...]]

5 minutes ago, [[F...] said:

@[jo...]  I know they are the same tablets, but some people react to switching to liquid, so it's recommended to let your body adjust to the switch so that if there is an obvious adjustment, you're not dealing with that and a cut at the same time.

Things have changed as I've gotten lower, and so I seem to go through a really rough 10 days of intensified mental AKA.  That's when I kinda step back for a period.

Are you finding the pills too difficult to shave and weigh?  I know your scale is more limited, but is it too difficult?

Yeah the scales just aren't acurate and most people advise to go onto liquid at lower doses so I thought I'd try. I get the mental side of aka too. It's indiscribeable. Hope you feel better.

[[jo...]]

9 minutes ago, [[B...] said:

Hi there, ughh I’m sorry things are so rough. 
sometimes it takes a bit of months to stabilize from all the ip and down that happened at beginning and making bug cuts. Even though it was only a short time it still can rock our cns for awhile and then msking more cuts …. It compounds. 
I as Faith and quite a few others on here have had unfortunately the hellish aka experiences and trying to baby our nervous system as much as possible is key even though it doesn’t feel like it works and won’t right away. Over time a consistent routine, lots of limiting stress, noise , light, anything that ramps us up…. Can bring the intensity down some.

think doing the maple syrup on your own at pace you need to is great and what majority of people in the mirt fb group do and successful. As Faith mentioned it’s wise to not make a reduction right after switching to liquid. Give your body 3 weeks or a month and then look to start your taper.

and no dr is needed bc you have knowledge now and have the manual and know how to hyperbolic taper… once we know that, it’s staying between our thresholds and finding our Goldilocks lane as some call it.  Make sure you understand the maple syrup technique, how long it can be stored in the fridge, etc. the main fb group has sll the details listed out in their guides section.

as for the aka, just take the day . Looking ahead is beyond overwhelming… just take the day and as your body starts to even out and get more regulated you’ll get more functional and aka will lesssn and things will get better.

Hi @[Bo...] I'm not on face book but have been on SA. I hope your right about things evening out I could use a break. Unfortunately stress is unavoidable sometimes as we all know but will try to keep that and other aggrevating things to a minimum. How long does the solution keep in the fridge now that you mention it?

[[Fa...]]

@[jo...] I love it when @[Bo...] comes on because I know how much she knows the in's and out's of it all through experience.

I understand your wanting to switch, and it makes perfect sense to me.

 

[[Fa...]]

21 minutes ago, [[j...] said:

I get the mental side of aka too. It's indiscribeable. Hope you feel better.

Thank you.  It's the same cycle with each reduction, it's just changing a bit at the lower dose.  I know you understand the mental AKA.  I can't post well when I'm in it to that degree.  But, I just want to say that it is not how it used to be...it has improved.  So, be as patient as you can while you wait for your body to slowly calm.  Don't be discouraged if you don't see the results as soon as you would like...it's not an indication that things will not improve.  There is our timeline, and then there is the body's timeline.

Edited September 21 by [Fa...]

[[Bo...]]

Is your dose 3.75mg ?

here are instructions for maple syrup if you are at 3.75mg and using 15mg pill 

 

[[Bo...]]

Refrigerate and lasts 3-4 days max!! 

[[jo...]]

8 minutes ago, [[B...] said:

Refrigerate and lasts 3-4 days max!! 

Thanks @[Bo...]

[[jo...]]

2 minutes ago, [[j...] said:

Thanks @[Bo...]

I just watched a youtube video where a guy crushes the pill and add's it to the solution also.

How to liquid taper Mirtazapine (youtube.com)

[[jo...]]

does anyone experience there other symptoms falling off when they have aka? do you experience your other symptoms at the same time?

[[Fa...]]

@[jo...] This question is tricky...at least it was tricky for me. 

The short answer is yes.  I feel it was more difficult to realize it when the AKA was more intense.  I remember trying to sort what was AKA, and what was WD.  It wasn't until things settled more that I could distinguish the two better because I pretty much started with it all at once and really didn't know what was what.

May I ask if something is changing that has you wondering?

[[jo...]]

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

@[jo...] This question is tricky...at least it was tricky for me. 

The short answer is yes.  I feel it was more difficult to realize it when the AKA was more intense.  I remember trying to sort what was AKA, and what was WD.  It wasn't until things settled more that I could distinguish the two better because I pretty much started with it all at once and really didn't know what was what.

May I ask if something is changing that has you wondering?

It's just since the aka has started I feel very different from when I was just in benzo withdrawl. I'm just thinking is there masking going on. And is there still symptoms going on that are being covered. It's just complicated to work out whats waiting for me after this if that makes sense. 

[[Fa...]]

@[jo...] It makes sense to me.

When the AKA is more intense, I found that it did mask the 'lower energy' type of symptoms.  I found that my symptoms were 'excess energy' type symptoms...so, more anxiety and agitation, OCD, rumination, etc., due to the very heightened state of the NS.  I did everything fast...the only speed I had was 'fast'.  When my AKA lessened, I began to experience what I had heard others talk about such as extreme fatigue, depression...'lower energy' type of symptoms.  And, I had the onset of more physical symptoms rather than all mental symptoms when the AKA lessened.  So, the symptoms shifted...some lessened considerably or dropped off, and some new ones showed up.

It felt like peeling an onion, and when a layer was removed, the next layer of symptoms presented themselves.  That is how I have experienced it.  I wonder what others may say.