Remeron (Mirtazapine) Withdrawal Support Group

[[...]]

I think it is a good plan but let me suggest you do not try to make plans (they create anxiety). 

 

Remember, making long term plans about something your have no control over breeds anxiety.

 

Instead, start with your 2% taper and keep a journal each day where you write your dose and you symptoms and any life stress going on.

 

Then use the journal to slow down or speed up your taper. 

 

Living in the future is a path to anxiety

Living in the past is a path to depression

Live in the moment. 

 

Let your daily journal guide you each day.

[[Fi...]]

I think it is a good plan but let me suggest you do not try to make plans (they create anxiety). 

 

Remember, making long term plans about something your have no control over breeds anxiety.

 

Instead, start with your 2% taper and keep a journal each day where you write your dose and you symptoms and any life stress going on.

 

Then use the journal to slow down or speed up your taper. 

 

Living in the future is a path to anxiety

Living in the past is a path to depression

Live in the moment. 

 

Let your daily journal guide you each day.

 

Thank you so much Bob.

 

I know I will be turning to you for more support along the way. I tapered Mirtazapine some years ago though I was on a much higher dose. I want to approach this taper with openeas and the belief that I can get off of this med again.

 

I will keep track of how it goes.

[[se...]]

Slowphie -

 

It's great to hear from you and I'm glad your taper is going well! I agree that everyone is different. It's super individual.

 

Seeking -

 

I hope you're doing ok! I'm curious why you aren't just dry cutting ... it seems so much simpler, especially considering that you've had such a rough go of it this past year ... why not just go down 3% of .103 grams by using a file and a scale?

 

Bob7 - Thank you

 

Open Road - I hope you are doing well and your taper is progressing along. This whole year has been a struggle. Remeron is proving just as hard as klonopin was. First, I tried liquid compounding to get exact dosages and that proved expensive and the compounding formulation only lasted a good 2 weeks for me and I never got stable, so I am going back to dry cutting again. I am at 5.82 mg dosage and for a .103 mg pill you are looking at around 0.040 grams in weight. Also, my pill weights vary I am sure like others. So, I was thinking about using Bob's approach and would get more of a balance.

 

I feel like I am in acute every day. The drug feels like it is a poison to my system. Part of me just wants to jump and be done with it. But really scared to do that.

 

Seeking

[[op...]]

Seeking,

 

I am so sorry it's been so hellish for you . I guess you've determined that the remeron is responsible for the way you are feeling?

Go with whatever tapering method seems best for you. I am doing dry cutting and it's been working reasonably well, so thought I'd offer that to you as an option. It would help if you could get the 7.5mg pills, if you wanted to dry cut. Mine are about .75g in weight, which makes the math very simple.

 

Either way, good luck and I just hope you feel better soon.

 

Openroad.

[[se...]]

Seeking,

 

I am so sorry it's been so hellish for you . I guess you've determined that the remeron is responsible for the way you are feeling?

Go with whatever tapering method seems best for you. I am doing dry cutting and it's been working reasonably well, so thought I'd offer that to you as an option. It would help if you could get the 7.5mg pills, if you wanted to dry cut. Mine are about .75g in weight, which makes the math very simple.

 

Either way, good luck and I just hope you feel better soon.

 

Openroad.

 

Openroad. Thank you for your thoughts. I honestly do not know if it is all remeron. So hard to find stability. My diet I try to stay away from the triggers. For all I know it is remeron triggering benzo. I am trying to try different things to find what works and is sustainable. I am glad your method is working for you. Thank you for your kind words. I may try the 7.5 mg pills.

 

Seeking

[[op...]]

Hi All -

 

I'm going to chime in here and give an alternate perspective. I have found that the more precise I have been with my taper, the easier it has gone. I do think precision matters if you are very sensitive.

 

I have a 7.5mg remeron pill that weighs appx. .75mg. This makes the math very easy to do cuts. Every 10 days or so, I go down .01mg. This means if I am at .30, which is where I am now, I will go to .31 for my next drop. This is very slow and you could certainly go faster, especially if you are starting from a higher dose. But the point is that I am microtapering, and when you microtaper, you want to be as precise as you can.

 

I don't agree with what was previously stated that having a plan causes anxiety. For me, not having a plan was causing anxiety. Having a plan was the single best thing I did for myself during this time. I have had to change that plan and make a new plan at times, but I still had a plan. I think every person is different and has different triggers for anxiety, and we can't generalize this way.

 

If weighing pills makes you very anxious, then obviously find another way. But if you are ok with cutting, weighing, and filing down, you will get a more precise taper that way, and remove another variable from this already trying situation.

 

 

Openroad

[[Fi...]]

Hi All -

 

I'm going to chime in here and give an alternate perspective. I have found that the more precise I have been with my taper, the easier it has gone. I do think precision matters if you are very sensitive.

 

I have a 7.5mg remeron pill that weighs appx. .75mg. This makes the math very easy to do cuts. Every 10 days or so, I go down .01mg. This means if I am at .30, which is where I am now, I will go to .31 for my next drop. This is very slow and you could certainly go faster, especially if you are starting from a higher dose. But the point is that I am microtapering, and when you microtaper, you want to be as precise as you can.

 

I don't agree with what was previously stated that having a plan causes anxiety. For me, not having a plan was causing anxiety. Having a plan was the single best thing I did for myself during this time. I have had to change that plan and make a new plan at times, but I still had a plan. I think every person is different and has different triggers for anxiety, and we can't generalize this way.

 

If weighing pills makes you very anxious, then obviously find another way. But if you are ok with cutting, weighing, and filing down, you will get a more precise taper that way, and remove another variable from this already trying situation.

 

 

Openroad

 

Hi Openroad,

 

Thank you for your perspective. Its very clear and encouraging as well. 

 

You say your pills weigh approximately 75.  What do when your pills vary in weight? For example if you had a pill that weighs 76 or 78?  How do you handle that?

 

Also, if your pill weighs 30 now, your next cut would bring you down to 29 on the scale, yes?

 

My 15mg pills vary in weight so its complicated for me.

 

Final

[[Fi...]]

Hi All -

 

I'm going to chime in here and give an alternate perspective. I have found that the more precise I have been with my taper, the easier it has gone. I do think precision matters if you are very sensitive.

 

I have a 7.5mg remeron pill that weighs appx. .75mg. This makes the math very easy to do cuts. Every 10 days or so, I go down .01mg. This means if I am at .30, which is where I am now, I will go to .31 for my next drop. This is very slow and you could certainly go faster, especially if you are starting from a higher dose. But the point is that I am microtapering, and when you microtaper, you want to be as precise as you can.

 

I don't agree with what was previously stated that having a plan causes anxiety. For me, not having a plan was causing anxiety. Having a plan was the single best thing I did for myself during this time. I have had to change that plan and make a new plan at times, but I still had a plan. I think every person is different and has different triggers for anxiety, and we can't generalize this way.

 

If weighing pills makes you very anxious, then obviously find another way. But if you are ok with cutting, weighing, and filing down, you will get a more precise taper that way, and remove another variable from this already trying situation.

 

 

Openroad

 

Hi Openroad,

 

Thank you for your perspective. Its very clear and encouraging as well. 

 

You say your pills weigh approximately 75.  What do when your pills vary in weight? For example if you had a pill that weighs 76 or 78?  How do you handle that?

 

Also, if your pill weighs 30 now, your next cut would bring you down to 29 on the scale, yes?

 

My 15mg pills vary in weight so its complicated for me.

 

PS How long were you on Mirt before you started to taper?

 

Final

[[op...]]

FH -

 

I don't know where you live (which country) but I have found that mirtazapine in either the Aurobindo or Rising brands are quite reliable in terms of weight. They vary at most between .74-.76, and if they vary more than that, it's so rare, I just toss the pill. So, basically, I weigh the pill in its full weight each time, make sure its VERY close to .75, and then cut it and shave it down from there. The pills are much harder than the benzos and you need a good, sharp pill cutter. Then I use a nail file. I use the tray that came with the scale to get a base weight, and then I tare it and weigh the pill. I do this a few times with each dose to make sure I get it right. It's annoying but I like knowing exactly what I'm taking and now that I'm down lower, it is more important to be precise.

 

If your pills vary more wildly, then you have a few options. Like you said, some folks will weigh 10 pills and get an average weight. I did that for a while with my benzo taper, but then as I got lower, I had a little crash and so re-evaluated my system. So, this is a bit laborious and not for everyone, but what I do is, when I get my prescription, I weigh all the pills in the bottle, and then I place them into categories: .165-.166; .166-.167, etc. Then I taper one category at a time, and redo the math for the next category. It's been helpful for me, but if this feels like too much for you, then just go with averaging the weight of the 10 pills. The problem is if they vary VERY wildly (my benzo pills vary in weigh from .165-.181 - that's a lot!) then you could unintentionally bouncing up and down on your taper. That may matter less for mirt. than benzos. I just don't know.

 

And yes, my next cut for Mirt will be .29. But I'm still tapering my benzo, and I want to finish that first, so I'm going much slower than someone only tapering mirt would probably go. When I get to .20, I might switch to compounded liquid b/c the pill is getting super small.

 

I hope this is helpful and that your sxs resolve soon and that we all have final healing very soon. As Bob7 said, it's very important to manage anxiety during this, so if this feels too specific/cumbersome to you, than certainly skip it. For me, managing my anxiety meant having a well-thought out plan. Everyone is different. As they say here, YMMV.

 

peace,

OR

 

[[Fi...]]

FH -

 

I don't know where you live (which country) but I have found that mirtazapine in either the Aurobindo or Rising brands are quite reliable in terms of weight. They vary at most between .74-.76, and if they vary more than that, it's so rare, I just toss the pill. So, basically, I weigh the pill in its full weight each time, make sure its VERY close to .75, and then cut it and shave it down from there. The pills are much harder than the benzos and you need a good, sharp pill cutter. Then I use a nail file. I use the tray that came with the scale to get a base weight, and then I tare it and weigh the pill. I do this a few times with each dose to make sure I get it right. It's annoying but I like knowing exactly what I'm taking and now that I'm down lower, it is more important to be precise.

 

If your pills vary more wildly, then you have a few options. Like you said, some folks will weigh 10 pills and get an average weight. I did that for a while with my benzo taper, but then as I got lower, I had a little crash and so re-evaluated my system. So, this is a bit laborious and not for everyone, but what I do is, when I get my prescription, I weigh all the pills in the bottle, and then I place them into categories: .165-.166; .166-.167, etc. Then I taper one category at a time, and redo the math for the next category. It's been helpful for me, but if this feels like too much for you, then just go with averaging the weight of the 10 pills. The problem is if they vary VERY wildly (my benzo pills vary in weigh from .165-.181 - that's a lot!) then you could unintentionally bouncing up and down on your taper. That may matter less for mirt. than benzos. I just don't know.

 

And yes, my next cut for Mirt will be .29. But I'm still tapering my benzo, and I want to finish that first, so I'm going much slower than someone only tapering mirt would probably go. When I get to .20, I might switch to compounded liquid b/c the pill is getting super small.

 

I hope this is helpful and that your sxs resolve soon and that we all have final healing very soon. As Bob7 said, it's very important to manage anxiety during this, so if this feels too specific/cumbersome to you, than certainly skip it. For me, managing my anxiety meant having a well-thought out plan. Everyone is different. As they say here, YMMV.

 

peace,

OR

 

Thanks @openroad

 

I found another bottle of 7.5s and they  Aurobindo.

  They are weighing on average between 79 and 80 gems on the scale.

 

I also think I need to hold off from tapering for a bit as I'm still pretty sensitive from my setback qns the recent Trazadone  withdrawal.

 

My main complaint right now is insomnia. The Mirt is not procing me with any real consistent sleep.  I read in another withdrawal site ther that others struggle with insomnia on Miet even when they aren't tapering.  I've had to resort three to other sleep meds to help but am very conscious of not wanting to do that. But after 3-4 nights of not sleeping, I can feel pretty scared.

 

I've added a little bit of L Theanine a couple of times q day to help with my sensitized nervous system. It helped me a lot during my last Remeron taper.

 

 

 

 

[[Fi...]]

Does anyone know if Mirtazapine poops out after awhile?

 

Not only is it not helping with sleep but I don't dewl.amyrjing when I take it except for restless legs.

 

FH

[Guest [ai...]]

Does anyone know if Mirtazapine poops out after awhile?

 

Not only is it not helping with sleep but I don't dewl.amyrjing when I take it except for restless legs.

 

FH

 

It's most potent mechanism of action is antagonizing the H1 receptor. I have heard that this doesn't cause tolerance over time. I think it depends if there is underlying things causing the insomnia.

[[Fi...]]

Does anyone know if Mirtazapine poops out after awhile?

 

Not only is it not helping with sleep but I don't dewl.amyrjing when I take it except for restless legs.

 

FH

 

It's most potent mechanism of action is antagonizing the H1 receptor. I have heard that this doesn't cause tolerance over time. I think it depends if there is underlying things causing the insomnia.

 

Thanks. I think my setback and rapid taper off of Trazadone maybe in the mix. Sure wish it would work again.

[[Sl...]]

Does anyone know if Mirtazapine poops out after awhile?

 

Not only is it not helping with sleep but I don't dewl.amyrjing when I take it except for restless legs.

 

FH

 

For me it did. After about 3-4 weeks it didn’t make me feel sleepy AT ALL anymore. I seem to sleep in-spite of it now, and thankfully I haven’t had any insomnia throughout my taper so far. I stupidly even forgot to take it one night a few weeks ago and slept normally.

[[Fi...]]

Does anyone know if Mirtazapine poops out after awhile?

 

Not only is it not helping with sleep but I don't dewl.amyrjing when I take it except for restless legs.

 

FH

 

For me it did. After about 3-4 weeks it didn’t make me feel sleepy AT ALL anymore. I seem to sleep in-spite of it now, and thankfully I haven’t had any insomnia throughout my taper so far. I stupidly even forgot to take it one night a few weeks ago and slept normally.

 

How has your taper off of it been? I was going to start tapering it and then got worried about the rebound insomnia. But I have insomnia any way.

[[Sl...]]

Thankfully I haven’t had any insomnia for months and very very luckily, my taper off Mirt has been super easy so far. I’m a bit worried that shit will hit the fan when I get to 0, but I’m at 4.12mg atm and will probably spend another year on the rest.

[[Fi...]]

That's good to hear.

[[Fi...]]

@[op...]

 

Circling back to your method of weighing your pills for your micro taper of Mirtazapine. You may have spelled this out but I am not too clear these days. Lots of insomnia with now relief from Mirt.

 

You said that your pills weigh between 74-75grams.

If you can't get your pill to weigh 75, what do you do for a cure? Do you go ahead and make the 0.001 cut off the 74gram pill and do the same for the 75gm pill?

 

Mine tend to weigh between 78-79 grams If thats the case, do I have off the same amount whether its 78 or 79?

 

Just wanting to be consistent.

 

FH

[[op...]]

FH,

 

I think the difference between your pill weighing .78 and .79 is negligible. I would just make sure that's true for all of them, and there aren't any outliers. If you want to try cutting about 10%, just go down to pill weight .70 for your first cut and hang out there for a while and see how you do. Just please do be mindful as I know you're in a setback.

 

As a note to both you and Slowphie, I find my sleep has gotten deeper as I have lowered in the mirtazapine. I'm at 2.9 now. Some say it has more effect on sleep the lower you go b/c that's when it's basically just an antihistamine. I don't have science to back this up - just something I've heard.

 

So, FH, you *may* find it starts to work again for sleep once you get lower on it. Anything is possible with these drugs.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Openroad

 

 

 

 

 

 

[[Fi...]]

Thank you Openroad.

 

Yes, I will be mindful.  At this point, I feel that Mirtazapine is not helping at all so I want to move down.  The fact that I've had to turn to other sleep aids a few times had not made me happy. 

 

I am going to plan on 5% cut for my first cut and see how it goes.

 

It would he great if I too got some sleep going lower. I have slept on 3.5 when I first started.

 

PS Are you still using DAO during your taper and does it help?

 

Final

[[op...]]

FH -

 

I am taking DAO - I use the Omne Diem brand. I do think it has helped.

I would suggest looking back at the pages in this thread. There are a lot of experiences there and a lot of perspectives and I found that were extremely helpful. Some people find DAO helpful and some have not. But I have found it helpful.

 

OR

 

 

[[Fi...]]

Thanks Openroad.

 

I'm leaning towards trying it.

 

I have read a lot of the thread but will hone on more on the FAO topic.

 

Hope your taper of your benzo is okay for you at this time.

[[Fi...]]

After another night of not sleeping on Mirtazapine, I have decided I have to try and start to taper.

 

I'm pretty scared about it because of reading here and on FB how people struggle. I know that doesn't have to be my experience I am feeling fear.

[[Fi...]]

I did my first Mirt reduction  by 2.5% last night.

 

I didn't sleep as usual and will have to see what happens as I hold this cut for the rest of the week.

 

FH

[[Fi...]]

@[op...]

 

I wanted to double check my first cut in terms of the math.

 

My 7.5mg pill weighs 79 on the scale. I made a 2.5% cut. So that woukd be 77.025grms or 77grms on the scale. That means I'm down to 7.3mgs.

 

I haven't slept so I'm double checking.

 

Thanks.

 

Final healing