Remeron (Mirtazapine) Withdrawal Support Group

[[op...]]

Hotcold,

 

Folks here are tapering at all different speeds, so there's not one way to do it. But either way, once you get down to where you are, at around 3mg, you may notice the pill gets super tiny. At some point, you may need to switch to a liquid.

 

I'm at 2.3 and still dry tapering. My 7.5mg pills weigh appx. 75mgs each. That makes the math very easy - but yours may be different.

 

In any case, right now my current tapered pill weighs .023. I am microtapering, so I go down about .01 every week. That's VERY slow, but I'm not in a rush. You could go at any pace that works for you. My point is that, you can microtaper by pill weight if you want. I have found the scale very valuable, especially at these small doses.

 

Hope you can get off this last teeny bit with not too much trouble. Some of us have found DAO tablets useful to support the histamine system as we pull out the mirtazapine, which is also an antihistamine. I take 1 DAO pill before each meal.

 

Other folks may weigh in!

 

openroad

 

 

[[Fi...]]

Hi HCHC,

 

Welcome to the group.

 

Looks like you have made great progress on your taper and are noticing that maybe the 11% drop was steep for you. I have gone through that recently with an 8% drop that was too fast for me at this point.

 

As OpenRoad says, using the scale to make smaller micro cuts of your choice is very helpful. I use the scale and a metal nail file to shave down my pills.

 

What is your current dose now? As OR says, you don't have much to taper, which is good.

 

FH

[[Ox...]]

Welcome HCHC!

 

I agree with FH, cuts might be too big. I'm tapering in a snails pace, but remain fully functional. I've been doing 2% cuts 14 days apart. I seem to be able to do bigger cuts recently, but as long as you are moving forward you will reach your goal! Remember the story if the turtle and the hare.

 

Using the same method. Been filing for more than a year now 

[[Sl...]]

Hey HCHC,

 

I tend to agree with what the others said. It’s very individual for each person. I’m tapering relatively “fast” now but I built up to this and started slow. I would suggest being really conservative to begin with and only increasing the pace if you feel like you can.

 

Good to see everyone’s moving along. I’m currently sick with covid for the first time and it’s been lousy, but luckily *knock on wood* no increase in withdrawal symptoms so far.

[[op...]]

@[ox...]

@slowphie - i hope you feel better soon <3

 

 

[[Fi...]]

Slowphie, I'm sorry to hear that you got Covid but I'm glad you aren't experiencing increased withdrawal symptoms.

 

Also good to hear that though you started out slowly, you were able to speed it up. We are all different in how we react but you've given me hope today.

 

FH

[[Ox...]]

Get well soon Slowphie!

Tnx openroad. 

[[Ho...]]

Hi HCHC,

 

Welcome to the group.

 

Looks like you have made great progress on your taper and are noticing that maybe the 11% drop was steep for you. I have gone through that recently with an 8% drop that was too fast for me at this point.

 

As OpenRoad says, using the scale to make smaller micro cuts of your choice is very helpful. I use the scale and a metal nail file to shave down my pills.

 

What is your current dose now? As OR says, you don't have much to taper, which is good.

 

FH

 

Hi Finalhealing,

Geez I'm not sure what my current dose is! It might be a little over 3 mg at this point. Today is the fourth day since I titrated down from 3.75. Yesterday was doable but not great, and today is definitely a bit better. I think slow is better too. I've had enough of the histamine surges to last a lifetime! Losing 11% of the dose was probably too much for me. There's a part of me that suspects the Mirt has turned on me a bit. It doesn't sedate me at all. I'm eager to get down to nothing! I would like to just feel better. I'd like to feel good sometimes, no burn, no dizziness, no anxiety or blurry eyesight. I don't suppose losing the Mirt will be all that—but it would be nice not to have to think about it. And it would be nice to feel better too!!

Thanks so much for responding! Very grateful!

[[Ho...]]

Welcome HCHC!

 

I agree with FH, cuts might be too big. I'm tapering in a snails pace, but remain fully functional. I've been doing 2% cuts 14 days apart. I seem to be able to do bigger cuts recently, but as long as you are moving forward you will reach your goal! Remember the story if the turtle and the hare.

 

Using the same method. Been filing for more than a year now 

 

Love that phrase 'fully functional'! Turtle and the hare, got it! Since my long-term goal is feeling better, I would rather feel as good as I can all the time. Thanks for the advice!

[[Ho...]]

Hotcold,

 

Folks here are tapering at all different speeds, so there's not one way to do it. But either way, once you get down to where you are, at around 3mg, you may notice the pill gets super tiny. At some point, you may need to switch to a liquid.

 

I'm at 2.3 and still dry tapering. My 7.5mg pills weigh appx. 75mgs each. That makes the math very easy - but yours may be different.

 

In any case, right now my current tapered pill weighs .023. I am microtapering, so I go down about .01 every week. That's VERY slow, but I'm not in a rush. You could go at any pace that works for you. My point is that, you can microtaper by pill weight if you want. I have found the scale very valuable, especially at these small doses.

 

Hope you can get off this last teeny bit with not too much trouble. Some of us have found DAO tablets useful to support the histamine system as we pull out the mirtazapine, which is also an antihistamine. I take 1 DAO pill before each meal.

 

Other folks may weigh in!

 

openroad

 

Yah, slower is gonna be better. I can see that now.It's a pain but I have the jeweler's scale. I have the histamine pills too, but I'm limited as to how much/often I can take them because of a longstanding RLS problem. It sets off my RLS if I take it more than one meal a week, but at least it's there in a pinch!

 

I do hate fussing with those pills and shaving them. I thought I was done with that LOL guess not!!  Thanks so much for your help, it's much appreciated!!!

[[as...]]

Hotcold,

 

Folks here are tapering at all different speeds, so there's not one way to do it. But either way, once you get down to where you are, at around 3mg, you may notice the pill gets super tiny. At some point, you may need to switch to a liquid.

 

I'm at 2.3 and still dry tapering. My 7.5mg pills weigh appx. 75mgs each. That makes the math very easy - but yours may be different.

 

In any case, right now my current tapered pill weighs .023. I am microtapering, so I go down about .01 every week. That's VERY slow, but I'm not in a rush. You could go at any pace that works for you. My point is that, you can microtaper by pill weight if you want. I have found the scale very valuable, especially at these small doses.

 

Hope you can get off this last teeny bit with not too much trouble. Some of us have found DAO tablets useful to support the histamine system as we pull out the mirtazapine, which is also an antihistamine. I take 1 DAO pill before each meal.

 

Other folks may weigh in!

 

openroad

 

Yah, slower is gonna be better. I can see that now.It's a pain but I have the jeweler's scale. I have the histamine pills too, but I'm limited as to how much/often I can take them because of a longstanding RLS problem. It sets off my RLS if I take it more than one meal a week, but at least it's there in a pinch!

 

I do hate fussing with those pills and shaving them. I thought I was done with that LOL guess not!!  Thanks so much for your help, it's much appreciated!!!

 

Welcome to the Remeron/Mirtazapine Board!

 

You are likely still in benzo withdrawal, so be aware that cutting mirtazapine will allow that to increase just a bit. I mean, it might not for you, but it did for me when I tried to cut my Remeron 3 months after I got off benzos. I ended up having to go on a huge dose of Remeron to stop the benzo withdrawal I unleashed by cutting the Remeron too soon and too fast post jump from benzos. But, as we know on these boards, everyone is different! Just wanted to flag that as a reason to go slow.  Remeron is a very good patch for benzo withdrawal because it is a mast cell stabilizer and extremely potent antihistamine. Many benzo withdrawal symptoms are caused by histamine and mast cells.

 

Another reason to potentially go slow is the following:

This is how much the Remeron is still bound to/ blocking the receptors at various doses (I got this from AidenHome2009 and a calculator he posted). Blocking the H1 receptor is the anti-histamine effect. Blocking the 5HT2A is the pro-serotonin effect.

 

            H1 block    5HT2A block

3mg      93%

2.5mg    92%          57%

2.0mg    91%          41%

1.5mg    88%          34%

1.0mg    83%          26%

0.5mg    71%          15%

0.25mg  55%            8%

0.10mg  33%            3%

0.05mg  20%            2%

0.025mg 11%            1%

0.010mg  5%          0.4%

 

So it does seem that at the lower doses, it may get trickier for some. I myself have found this to be the case. Others have not!

 

As OpenRoad has said, DAO enzyme has been really helpful to some. It definitely was to me. It enabled me to taper from 15mg to 3mg with no symptoms basically. I take 2, 2x per day, morning and bedtime. It's not an antihistamine (which may aggravate your RLS?) but an enzyme that your body already makes that eats the histamine basically.

 

Hope everything continues to go well in your tapers! --Quinn 

 

 

 

 

[[op...]]

Quinn -

 

Do you have a source for that chart? I've looked for it all over the internet and haven't been able to find it. I know you say you got it from another buddy, but I'm wondering where they sourced it from ...

 

Thanks!

 

Open road

[[Ho...]]

 

 

Welcome to the Remeron/Mirtazapine Board!

 

You are likely still in benzo withdrawal, so be aware that cutting mirtazapine will allow that to increase just a bit. I mean, it might not for you, but it did for me when I tried to cut my Remeron 3 months after I got off benzos. I ended up having to go on a huge dose of Remeron to stop the benzo withdrawal I unleashed by cutting the Remeron too soon and too fast post jump from benzos. But, as we know on these boards, everyone is different! Just wanted to flag that as a reason to go slow.  Remeron is a very good patch for benzo withdrawal because it is a mast cell stabilizer and extremely potent antihistamine. Many benzo withdrawal symptoms are caused by histamine and mast cells.

 

Another reason to potentially go slow is the following:

This is how much the Remeron is still bound to/ blocking the receptors at various doses (I got this from AidenHome2009 and a calculator he posted). Blocking the H1 receptor is the anti-histamine effect. Blocking the 5HT2A is the pro-serotonin effect.

 

            H1 block    5HT2A block

3mg      93%

2.5mg    92%          57%

2.0mg    91%          41%

1.5mg    88%          34%

1.0mg    83%          26%

0.5mg    71%          15%

0.25mg  55%            8%

0.10mg  33%            3%

0.05mg  20%            2%

0.025mg 11%            1%

0.010mg  5%          0.4%

 

So it does seem that at the lower doses, it may get trickier for some. I myself have found this to be the case. Others have not!

 

As OpenRoad has said, DAO enzyme has been really helpful to some. It definitely was to me. It enabled me to taper from 15mg to 3mg with no symptoms basically. I take 2, 2x per day, morning and bedtime. It's not an antihistamine (which may aggravate your RLS?) but an enzyme that your body already makes that eats the histamine basically.

 

Hope everything continues to go well in your tapers! --Quinn 

 

Quinn, that's an amazing chart! It looks to my untutored mind as if the serotonin goes way low before the H1 receptor drops. I'm probably at 3 mg or thereabouts. My scale is already getting fussy, so I'm not sure how accurate it will be as I titrate down.I really like the idea of NOT SUFFERING!! It appeals greatly. I', leaning towards having my dr. issue some kind of order so I can have the Mirt in liquid form. 

 

Antihistamines definitely bother my RLS. I started having some sleep issues after a few days on the DAO Enzyme, and decided to save it for the second day after I drop down. I don't remember having this much trouble wrapping my mind around science but honestly, I get increasingly confused by all the information. But when my mind clears I"ll be glad to reread this. I get some info from an RLS board They're a bunch of smarty pants too (no shade, I'd love to be one!) but I have to study their responses too.

 

Anyway you're kind to send this to me! I appreciate it so much. If you can find a way to dumb down why titrating down gets trickier the lower you go, I'd appreciate that too! All I can guess is that there's less in your system but that's got to be. good thing right? So I know I'm missing something good.

Again, many many thanks!!

[[Sl...]]

So friends, I’m at day 14 with covid and have been testing negative since day 9 but have sadly yet to recover. I have a little lingering congestion (it’s improving though) and fatigue - which is quite rough. I saw the doctor last week who gave me a third week off work and told me that some people can take several weeks to recover from covid. Have any of you had that experience? Ugh, I really hate this virus rn! I was doing do well until I got sick 😭

 

Regardless, thankfully no uptick in withdrawal, so I’ll go down to 2.56mg tonight. I hope you’re all feeling a lot healthier than I am rn.

[[Ox...]]

I'm so sorry you feel that way Slowphie! I'm afraid it's quite common to still feel fatigued after 14 days. Your body needs time to recover, but you will get there, no worries! Rest and sleep. Your body needs it!

 

 

[[Sl...]]

Thanks for the reassurance Ox! So many people I know recovered within 10 days, so it’s a good to be reminded that it can take a while longer for many others. I just noticed in your signature you’re in the 7s now!! Good for you. ☺️ So happy you’re moving along.

[[Ox...]]

Yes, fifth day on 7.7 mg and I seem to have little symptoms. I am so glad it's going so well. But... just today I picked up my prescription and all of a sudden I got another brand! Orodispersgable too. It's probably due to shortage. Have to call the pharmacy tomorrow to get my own brand. Just what I need in the middle of my taper. 

[[Ox...]]

How are you feeling today Slowphie?

[[Sl...]]

Oh no Ox! I hope you can get your regular brand again, that’s so frustrating!

 

I’m okay… day 16 now, and I feel like the brain fog/fatigue is starting to lift, thank god. Just currently trying to decide if I should take one more week off work next week, or try to go back next week. I’m resting as much as I can atm and giving my body the best chance to fully recover from this virus.

[[Fi...]]

Slowphie, I know quite a few people who got covid and it took them 3 weeks to a month to recover. So you are within range.

 

I'm on day 9 of my cut and really feel it mentally and emotionally. Really hoping it gets better the lower I go.

 

Hope everyone is doing all right.

 

Final Healing

[[Ox...]]

Great progress FH! Keep up the good work.

 

I'm on day 7 of my last cut to 7.7 mg. and it's bearable. Went to my pharmacy yesterday and my brand of Mirta is not covered by insurance anymore, but it turns out it's only a little over 11 euro's for 15 pills of 15 mg so I decided to just pay for it and try to use my pills more efficiëntly. I don't want to risk a transistion to another brand.

 

My next cut to 7.4 mg. is planned for the second of February. I notice with every cut I feel less sedated and more like myself. I can't help but think about spring and summer. On which dose will I be? And how will I feel? Will I be able to lose some weight? We'll see. One day at a time.

[[Fi...]]

Thanks Oxa, it's been a hard day in withdrawal. Can't wait to get to the lower doses where I hear it's easier. My next cut will be to 5.9 and then I have to get through the 5s.

 

I'm glad you were able to get your brand, it really makes a difference. I remember hoarding all my extra pills and pieces when I was tapering my benzo just in case my brand was delayed.

 

I too look forward to the Spring and hope I will be feeling better then.

 

The last time I was on Mirt, I gained 30lbs. When I go low on the dosage the weight started to drop. When I got off, the weight just dropped off with no effort. I haven't gained much weight this time but the medication hasn't worked at all this time so maybe that's why.

 

Let's hope both of our next cuts go well.

 

Final Healing

 

 

[Guest [ai...]]

Thanks Oxa, it's been a hard day in withdrawal. Can't wait to get to the lower doses where I hear it's easier. My next cut will be to 5.9 and then I have to get through the 5s.

 

I'm glad you were able to get your brand, it really makes a difference. I remember hoarding all my extra pills and pieces when I was tapering my benzo just in case my brand was delayed.

 

I too look forward to the Spring and hope I will be feeling better then.

 

The last time I was on Mirt, I gained 30lbs. When I go low on the dosage the weight started to drop. When I got off, the weight just dropped off with no effort. I haven't gained much weight this time but the medication hasn't worked at all this time so maybe that's why.

 

Let's hope both of our next cuts go well.

 

Final Healing

 

Hi Final Healing,

 

Where did you hear that it gets easier on the lower doses? Because I have heard the complete opposite.

[[Fi...]]

Thanks Oxa, it's been a hard day in withdrawal. Can't wait to get to the lower doses where I hear it's easier. My next cut will be to 5.9 and then I have to get through the 5s.

 

I'm glad you were able to get your brand, it really makes a difference. I remember hoarding all my extra pills and pieces when I was tapering my benzo just in case my brand was delayed.

 

I too look forward to the Spring and hope I will be feeling better then.

 

The last time I was on Mirt, I gained 30lbs. When I go low on the dosage the weight started to drop. When I got off, the weight just dropped off with no effort. I haven't gained much weight this time but the medication hasn't worked at all this time so maybe that's why.

 

Let's hope both of our next cuts go well.

 

Final Healing

 

Hi Final Healing,

 

Where did you hear that it gets easier on the lower doses? Because I have heard the complete opposite.

 

Hi aidenhome2009,

 

I've been told directly by some members here. I also have read it in FB group I belong to (at least 3 members) and also on the website Surviving Antidepressants where members have posted feeling better at the lower doses. I'm holding that intention and vision for myself.

 

I also felt better as I tapered my benzo and the medication loosened it's grip on my brain.

 

Are you tapering Mirt as well?

[[as...]]

Oh no Ox! I hope you can get your regular brand again, that’s so frustrating!

 

I’m okay… day 16 now, and I feel like the brain fog/fatigue is starting to lift, thank god. Just currently trying to decide if I should take one more week off work next week, or try to go back next week. I’m resting as much as I can atm and giving my body the best chance to fully recover from this virus.

 

Slowphie: I feel you on the covid! I am in long covid again, and I have terrible insomnia. As for covid fatigue, I don't know how you feel about supplements, but 100mg of Vitamin B1 will get rid of your covid fatigue. The only issue is that you are supposed to take Magnesium with B1 because B1 uses magnesium. Vitamin B1 has kept me upright and functional (once I figured out it is what goes deficient in covid) through 5 bouts of covid (4 of which turned into bouts of long covid.) It's truly a miracle. I have 2 other friends with long covid who had the same results with it! One of them was bedridden before B1.

 

OpenRoad: AidenHome2009 is the one who gave me access to that chart and information on percentage of receptor bound at 3mg dose and below. If you go on my blog, I made a post about it there, and you can find the sources for the information. There is a calculator where you plug the information in.

 

Final Healing: It is possible that symptoms can get easier the lower you get if the body has detoxed a good bit of the drug as you have gotten lower. For other people, this might not be the case. That's my theory anyways. I think poor detox gums up the works and makes withdrawal worse, and I think people's recovery times post-jump are linked to how long it takes them to detox.  That's how the scientologists got folks off drugs-- sauna overload. They even tried to publish a scientific study showing that detox lessened withdrawal symptoms.

 

Praying for all of us and sending each of you buddies a hug, Quinn