Remeron (Mirtazapine) Withdrawal Support Group

[[An...]]

Hi everyone

 

Dave:  sorry to hear you are not feeling the greatest - we can all empathise , this is a horrible journey until we reach the finish line.  But you know it passes and there are good days and bad days

 

Tiger Lily:  thank you so much for your encouragement  You are right. Attitude and positivity is so important. Although it worries me a bit you are 3 months out and not quite right yet!

 

Coral Ashley:  good luck with the hormones. When are you planning your Rem taper?

 

Laelani: you are not alone. This WILL have an end. Patience and time. I know it is difficult

 

As for me, the less said the better right now. All I will say is I am coping and getting on with life - but I am not out of the woods yet.  I will update with more positivity in due course.

 

Meanwhile stay strong and positive everybody!

 

Angel xx

 

PS. I hope it's okay with you all but I am you going to have a little break from the thread now and will get back later on

 

[[An...]]

Can mertazapine stop gut pain?  Fast?

[/quote

 

Hi One Love

 

We are not doctors and can't answer anything so specific.

 

Most of us are having difficulty getting off Mirtazapine. In fact having been through what I've been through I can't understand anyone willingly wanting to get on it and take the risk.  I know some have no problem whatsoever but it's a risk all the same.

 

Angel

[[no...]]

hi friends,

 

thank you all kindly for your love and positivity in response to my post yesterday. these are proving some difficult days and reading your dispatches helped me chin up and press onward this day. we face difficult challenges as we emerge from the influence of the substances that we took for the desire to be well. we wanted to be well and we thought the chemicals would help us get there. speaking for myself, there is still some benzo withdrawal going on underneath everything i experience. i know that for sure. i've healed tons, but i've got a ways to go. and then w/ the good old remeron, there is simultaneously side effects and withdrawal to contend with. and under, over, and all around that is, well, our human lives, right? because life isn't always smooth sails and sweet summer fields of daisy mayhem. life is challenging. so we contend, we wrestle and shape, and we try to sort it out as best as we can. and your support is so vital, and received gratefully. know this. i know you feel the same when you come here. it is a place to let loose, unveil fears, discuss victories and setbacks.

 

tiger lily, you are so right. the "waiting symptoms out" is a big part of it. the symptoms are like this crazy itch that we are so impatient to scratch. at least i am. so a lot of breathing and a lot of trying to keep the thoughts in the arena of the positive. i think, considering your responsibilities, you are doing amazingly well. thank you for your words.

 

laelani, day 16. you are moving forward. try to calm those fears. don't let the doctor's assertion that clonazapam is the hardest benzo to come off of scare you. it's different for everyone. are you feeling symptoms now? physical, emotional? or are you primarily concerned w/ what may lie ahead? i would probably refrain, were i in your shoes, from cutting down on the mirt at this time. only because you are doing the clonazapam taper right now and if you start feeling symptoms of one kind or another, you may not be certain as to what cut you should attribute them too, you know? the fatigue during the day could be ANY of those things you listed. try to look at this as a multi-step process. draw it out on paper if you have to. for me, it was benzos->remeron->drug free. remeron is the crutch. and in terms of your life around you - yes, the maelstrom - been there. but remember that all difficulties are only for a little while. everything, in one way or another, works itself out. breathe that truth. if there is sadness, anger, stress, fatigue, or any other troubling emotion in your heart or your household - don't try to push it right out, or ignore it. but cradle those feelings, those negative feelings. hold them and be tender with them and acknowledge them. it is the first step in saying goodbye to them. i talked to a buddhist monk one time. he was from vietnam. i asked him, "is it wrong to hold conflictive emotions?" he said, "no, it is human. but try not to hold them longer than 24 hours." i've tried to employ this in my life. if i am sad about something or angry about something, i allow myself that emotion. but after a day, i put those emotions to rest and wish them well. and try my best to start anew. hold tight.

 

angel, your "less said the better" speaks volumes. about what you are experiencing, but also of who you are. hang tight and thank you for your positivity this day.

 

coralashley, any improvement on sleep for you? we hope you are well.

 

butterflyz did your sickness pass?

 

ok. i should get on w/ my day here. one step at a time. i am alive. i am moving. i can think, taste, see, touch, smell, and hear. i am one day closer to healing. i am thankful for you all.

 

love and healing be yours, and soon...

 

-dave

 

 

[[Bu...]]

Hi everyone! The virus is gone and we are feeling soooo much better! I have yet to take any more remeron since my last rescue dose:) I hope this continues because I feel quite good actually. Yesterday around 3pm I had some very painful gas but I took a probiotic ( ultimate flora) and it helped. Also last night I was having a little difficulty falling asleep but not too bad.

  I'm sure a proper taper would make this smoother, but I feel so much better not taking it. My brain is finally working again so I can deal with tummy issues for a bit:) just wanted to say I think at 6 months post benzo I'm turning a corner! I'm not 100% yet but getting there:) I remember when I felt so bad, thinking this is how I will be forever. It's a lie, we do heal. I also am honest with myself- I had anxiety before this, felt depression, had bad days when I would just feel like nothing was going right. That is life! I know that when I have healed 100% I will still feel these from time to time because we are meant to as human beings. At times it was difficult to remember the "old" me because this lasts so dang long, but I believe it will be like being reborn with a suit of amour! I'm starting to feel that way already, like I can do anything if I can get through this. It is a marathon for our brain.

  Anyways I hope you all are blessed with a wonderful window this week! I'm going on a vacation with the family this weekend so ill check in next week. Xoxo

[[Co...]]

Hi everyone.. just checking in.. I am feeling much better.. I am taking 25mg of progesterone and it is helping me with my sleep.  So if all still goes well this week this Friday I am going to start the UK tapering plan.  I'm a little nervous about it, but I've come so far and now that progesterone is helping me with sleeping and anxiety I feel that I can conquer this beast (remeron).  As you all know limited sleep can cause so many problems and having a helper (progesterone) during this time is going to help.

I really feel that I have always had lower than ideal levels of progesterone, all my life...

Usually around the 25-27 of each month I have bad anxiety days, well not today and the 26th and 25th were manageable.  Yeah!

 

Laelani - I agree with Dave, but I did want to mention that I had to taper some of remeron while I was coming off of valium b/c it would excite me too much up in my head and I had to slowly come done from 7.5mg to 6mg.  Just remember if you do do this then the effects from the remeron cut don't hit you until 2 weeks.  So just go slow if you have to cut.

Can your doctor switch you over to valium?

Don't be afraid we are ladies of faith, God doesn't give us a spirit of fear, but of faith.  His word says "Each of us is given a measure of faith"  Ask God to give you more faith so you can be in obedience with him.

I understand about the husband thing, I had issues with mine in the beginning but I printed out things from benzo buddies for him to read about what was going on in my brain and why I needed to get off the benzo, etc.  It took him a while to understand but after I started to have less anxiety while I was tapering he started to understand.  There were a lot of times in 2010-2012 that I couldn't even drive myself or drive for any length of time. 

But I made it, once I start my weaning off process in February of 2012 I started to feel better.  yes I was having benzo withdrawal, but while I was on the bezno it was slowly taking my life away.

I had a bad episode in the middle of May 2012 when I was tapering off of the benzo way too fast and I actually was bed ridden for almost two weeks, too scared to leave my house or to even go to church (but I forced myself to go).  During that time I was also switching jobs, etc.  It was crazy and my husband was saying why don't you just stay on that stuff and I said no, the Lord told me to get off of them and I'm going to get off of them.

Thank God I listened to Him (God) and I did it, I made it and you will too!  During those 2 weeks I was home between my old job and new job, I was put on remeron, I started out only taking 1/8 of a 15 mg pill and worked my way up to 7.5mg.  I had lots on my plate but it helped me know just how strong I was with the Lord.

So use my story and share it with your husband.  It took me 1 yr 4 months to taper off valium and my husband is so happy b/c I am doing so well.  Now I want to help others with my story, I hope my story will help you.

 

Dave- buddy you are getting so close to jumping.  Have you had a chance to have any of your blood work done?  Like you hormones, (complete) thyroid (complete with t4 & t4), vitamin d, magnesium?

Vitamin D is so important and if you are deficient in it it can cause lots of problems.  Also men who take progesterone say they feel so much better.  Check this site out and read this: http://www.progesteronetherapy.com/progesterone-levels.html#axzz2dCU29Kd0

 

Progesterone plays a major role in the body...

• It is not exclusively a female hormone

• It is not a sex hormone, it plays no part in the secondary sexual characteristics which develop at puberty

• It is the precursor to the two sex hormones oestrogen and testosterone

• It is secreted primarily by the ovaries in females and the testes in men

• Smaller amounts are produced by the adrenal glands, the brain and glial cells

• There are no great quantitative differences between men and women, at least outside the luteal phase

 

 

Read more: http://www.progesteronetherapy.com/progesterone-levels.html#ixzz2dCU5lcmR

Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

 

Tiger L- I’m so sorry to hear about your dad and him hurting himself!  You do have a lot going on.  Do you teach?  If so what do you teach?

How old are your step-kids?

 

Angel- you keep strong and you are doing it!  Congrats! So glad to hear you are back posting!

 

Butterflyz – so happy that your house is feeling better!  You are very brave to of stopped the remeron as you did.  I am almost there myself and I’m so excited to regain my body back.  Remeron has caused to gain weight, ugg.. but soon it will be a thing of the past!

 

[[no...]]

hi all -

 

well, just a quick update to say i did a little UK trial. and here is what i think the deal is w/ me. i think that whatever remeron does for me, it does so pretty immediately. i did my 0mg dose last night and did not sleep at all last night and woke up feeling like keith richards after the rolling stones' '69 tour - that is to say, ugh... nausea, headache, hot skin, anxiety... yeah. sooooo, i think that for me, as impatient as i am, i'll probably just continue cutting between 1/4 and 1/2 mg at a pop, suffer mildly to moderately for 2 weeks or better, and then start the ride again until i can jump. one interesting thing to note. when i make a smallish cut, i don't feel it until about 2 weeks out. when i make a cut like i did last night, whammo! instantaneous.

 

obviously, this is alll subject to change. sometimes the wind blows just right 

 

anyway, sending you all my all. wishing you well. hope to hear from some of you buddies soon. thanks 

 

-dave

[[Co...]]

Hi Dave, you are very brave! I know the 1st night and day after was scary... I would suggest u start the same tapering p,an but instaed of going to  0. you doing half of what you are on, and do that cycle and then once you are down by half.. Then taking it down to 0.

I hope that makes sense! So goto the uk tapering plan I posted and wherever u c a 0 u put in 1/2 and doing that. Buti wouldn't do anything like that yet. I would use what u did as the 1st and then then next week, take instead of 0 doing half of what u r on?

Or if u don't mind going even slower, takeout down by 10% then instead of doing it 2 weeks like that, doing only 1 week liked mentioned to Butterflyz. Please let me know if all this is making sense!

I know u will feel less symptoms this way!

Don't give up in this, it will work!

hugs!

 

[[An...]]

Hi

 

Dave- sorry to hear of the UK system w/ds at 0mg. We are all so different and no one can predict whether this is the best method nor the level of discomfort we will face as our bodies react very differently.  I do applaud you though for sticking the slow taper out but am not certain how the intermittent suffering over a longer period of time weighs against a quicker taper and getting it over with.  Sometimes I wish I had been brave enough to stick my cold turkey out.

 

My extremely competent doctor ( not the prescribing one) hates mirtazapine and never prescribes it. He says its make- up is very similar to benzodiazapines which is why we often suffer so much in w/d and for longer.

 

Anyway good luck and hope you are feeling better now.

 

I have to be honest with you - the w/d period is very up and down.  For me with the first 2 weeks being the most intense. I am now almost 4 weeks off and it is easing a little bit.  However I am sleeping okay  - havent had a problem with that although I am waking in the middle if the night but sometimes can't get back to sleep.

 

I am keeping really busy and have not cancelled one aspect of my life I am determined not to let the w/ds stop me and am travelling again (air travel) tomorrow for a couple of weeks.  I also have a friend who is very seriously ill in hospital so have been visiting her a lot.  She is being so brave and positive and her positivity helps me put my own situation into perspective.

 

I wish you all good health and happy healing and will write again in due course.

 

Much love

Angel

[[Bu...]]

Oh man Dave, I was sooo hoping you would feel better after skipping a dose! I know what a leap of faith it is to go to 0mg. Well, do what works best for you and you will taper to zero soon enough😃

    The family vacation went well, except for one night. I stupidly decided to climb up a tree and swing into a river on a rope swing. My nerves were shot after that and sleep was patchy at best that night.👎 Watching the wildlife was amazing and being on the water was so peaceful. It was a good trip.

    I'm 11 days out from my last rescue dose of remeron. I'm doing pretty well, symptoms are minor. Everyone is so different, this seems to work for me. I wish it was easier for you all to reduce the dose, I know it's difficult to suffer with each cut.

    It's interesting to think about whether big cut vs slow taper equals the same healing time. I wouldn't cut unless I was functioning, I wasn't comfortable though. Something to think about... Wishing you all the best💕

[[sl...]]

Dave, coralashley took the words out of my mouth.  From what I've read about her uk plan is that you should start by halving.  Start by just halving one dose per week until you are not suffering that day/night.  This could take a few weeks.  Once this goes well, drop to half on a second day. 

 

My jump off was at 3.75mg.  Perhaps the jump from 6 was too steep. 

 

Thinking of all.

 

 

[[Mr...]]

Hello I am currently tapering very slowly 4.5 mg valium per day...my doctor gave me Remeron to take 15mg before bed... I tried that one night, I slept great but found it really hard to drag my self out of bed... Plus i felt depressed all day.... My big question is I only can sleep about 3 to 4 hours per night so if ALL OF YOU ON THIS THREAD COULD GO BACK IN TIME WOULD YOU HAVE USED REMERON AGAIN OR WOULD YOU USE IT TO HELP YOU WITHDRAWING FROM BENZOS ....DID IT HELP

ENOUGH THAT WD WAS WORTH IT? OR WOULD U NEVER HAVE USED THIS IF YOU KNEW WHAT U KNOW TODAY??? Thank you all who give me some input.....Mr scared Ottawa Canada.

[[bu...]]

I had severe GAD, including major sleep problems, (insomnia, night terrors...).  I tried xanax, diazepam, lorazepam, buspar, zoloft, geodon, then back on diazepam, all with little or no relief.

 

I started on remeron, my sleep improved immediately, and my GAD was under control in about 2 weeks.

 

I took 22.5-30 mg/day for almost 3 years.  When I felt my GAD seemed to have gone into remission, I did a quick taper (15 mg one week, 7.5 mg the second week, then off).  I had no WD sxs at all.  When I restarted my V taper, I would occasionally take a small dose (3.75 mg) when I had sleep problems, and it would put me right to sleep.  (I haven't taken any for about 3 months now).

 

For me, remeron was a great drug with no real side fx, and no real dependency.  If my GAD returns, I would go back on remeron without a minute of hesitation.

 

Just FYI, if I were you, I would try 7.5 mg for a while.

 

YMMV

[[Bu...]]

Mr Scared- yes I would use remeron again. It helped me during acute wd when sleeping and eating were impossible. IMO it covers up a ton of benzo wd symptoms and if tapered too soon will just uncover existing benzo wd

  I'm discontinuing use of it now, it hasn't been too hard for me so far. I agree that I would start with 7.5mg. In the future I will use a tiny amount as needed for sleep( if I really, really need it). It does cause some wacky symptoms too, still more important to sleep/ eat I think👍

[[On...]]

Thank you Builder and Butterflyz!  I have been sitting on a Remeron script for awhile, afraid to take it. Actually, I have two. One is 15 mg tabs I can cut and the other is a15 mg sublingual. Which do you take or recommend?

[[bu...]]

You can easily adjust your dosage with tablets.  Not so easy with sublinqual, as I understand.

[[Co...]]

Hello and welcome Mr. Scared!  Yes if I could turn back the hands of time I would have taken remeron as well.  Sometimes I change my mind on this, but for the most part it did help me sleep and get off the benzo.  I'm still on it and tapering off of it slowly.

I'm now down to 4.72mg and am holding for a little while longer. 

 

Don't be scared Mr. Scared.  Do you live in the States by chance?  If so I would recommend finding a doctor that is able to administer the Assurerx Health (Gene Site Test) it will show you which Anti-depressants your body will respond to with the least side effects.  I did the test and it's only a mouth swab and it shows that Remeron is one of the many that aren't best for me.  I am a fast metabolizer and therefor Pristiq would be best for me.  I've gained weight on remeron and it makes me more constipated!

 

Anywho, I highly suggest if you are in the States to have the test done before you start the remeron.  It will ease your mind on whether it will be right for you or not.

http://assurexhealth.com/products/

 

Have a great day!

[[Mr...]]

Hello again did you guys take Remeron just. Few times a week or did u take it every day for months??? I was thinking of just using it here and there as needed??? Any input???

[[Bu...]]

Coralashley- I never knew a test like that existed! I wish I would have done it, I'll have to ask around. Thank you for the info!😃

Mr Scared- I don't see why you can't take as needed. Just take a small dose and remember it takes a while to clear your system.

[[Mr...]]

Hello it's Mr scared I just had a few more questions about Remeron before I start it... Please let me know any one that had come off Remeron what are the common side effects people notice.....maybe top five would be great....., And I notice a lot of people are getting support here while tapering this drug??? Is it as hard to get off as Bezos.... Other wise may I ask.... Why so much support needed from other members.....remeron must be crazy hard to get off to??? Please any input would be great.....  I'm not taking any drug before I get lots of people who took it input.... Because I don't trust worth shit my doctors say.... I FULLY TRUST ALL OF YOU HERE ON BB.... So any more input please... Thanks a million for you time.... Mr scared Ottawa Canada.

[[bu...]]

Hello it's Mr scared I just had a few more questions about Remeron before I start it... Please let me know any one that had come off Remeron what are the common side effects people notice.....maybe top five would be great....., And I notice a lot of people are getting support here while tapering this drug??? Is it as hard to get off as Bezos.... Other wise may I ask.... Why so much support needed from other members.....remeron must be crazy hard to get off to??? Please any input would be great.....  I'm not taking any drug before I get lots of people who took it input.... Because I don't trust worth shit my doctors say.... I FULLY TRUST ALL OF YOU HERE ON BB.... So any more input please... Thanks a million for you time.... Mr scared Ottawa Canada.

 

"I took 22.5-30 mg/day for almost 3 years.  When I felt my GAD seemed to have gone into remission, I did a quick taper (15 mg one week, 7.5 mg the second week, then off). I had no WD sxs at all. "

[[Ti...]]

Hi Mr Scared, my top 5 remeron withdrawal symptoms were:

 

1. Insomnia

2. Anxiety/ social phobia/ panic attacks

3. Depression

4. Twitches

5. Brain zaps

 

And then, in the sixth place, I would include night terrors. At 3 months off I'm 80% healed, and getting at least 6 hours' sleep every night. I found it difficult to withdraw from remeron even though I was only on a low dose (3.75 mg). I gained a lot of weight, too (13 lbs), and I'm having trouble losing it. Stay away if you can... or take it only occasionally, so that your body doesn't get addicted to it. It was hard enough to get off Valium, just to be back to square one with remeron withdrawal. Everyone is different, but how do you know if you're not going to have withdrawal symptoms? I wouldn't recommend a mind altering drug to anyone. I'm so glad I'm medication free, and I hope you all do so eventually.

[[Mr...]]

Thank you sooo much for the great answer ..... My valium addiction is hard enough I sure could not handle doing this all again wt Remeron.... And I

Thank every one else for their input.. Mr scared...

[[Co...]]

Hi Tiger L, I know things will get better for u! Stay strong and don't look back! A little while back u had started 5 htp, r u still on it? If so is it helping, if it why?

 

Tonight I started the UK tapering plan... I was on 4.78 and I took it down to 3.0 tonight and will go back up to 4.78 tomorrow night. And for the rest of that week stay on 4.78 and then on the 2nd week take it to 3.0 for 2 days and each week taking it down another day by 3.0.

I hope this is all making sense!

 

Wish me luck everyone and pray for Gods hands to gentle lead me through this.

 

I am still on the progesterone and it is helping, still not 100% but it is what it is!

 

I am considering taking 5htp, any thoughts, my podcast said I can since I'm on such a low dose or remeron and serotonin syndrome wouldn't be a factor in this.

 

Thanks!

C

[[Co...]]

Mr scared, try 5 htp or tryptophan. Or saint johns wart, something nepatural not a Pharmacuetical!

 

 

[[On...]]

Hi Tiger L, I know things will get better for u! Stay strong and don't look back! A little while back u had started 5 htp, r u still on it? If so is it helping, if it why?

 

Tonight I started the UK tapering plan... I was on 4.78 and I took it down to 3.0 tonight and will go back up to 4.78 tomorrow night. And for the rest of that week stay on 4.78 and then on the 2nd week take it to 3.0 for 2 days and each week taking it down another day by 3.0.

I hope this is all making sense!

 

Wish me luck everyone and pray for Gods hands to gentle lead me through this.

 

I am still on the progesterone and it is helping, still not 100% but it is what it is!

 

I am considering taking 5htp, any thoughts, my podcast said I can since I'm on such a low dose or remeron and serotonin syndrome wouldn't be a factor in this.

 

Thanks!

C

 

CoralAshley, this is an interesting taper plan and I have never see it before. Can you say where you found information on it and why this process works? It seems like back when I had first registered here, someone had seen a doctor that used a plan like this and claimed great success with it. Does it help withdraw at any faster rate? Or is it just better for the CNS?

 

Thanks for any info you have.

 

~OneLove 

 

Btw, I still have not tried a dose of Remeron, me big chicken. I have so much right ribcage pain that I fear is liver related, especially since my liver enzymes were elevated on a blood test several weeks ago. I had a new psychiatric nurse practitioner recommend the  5-htp. Anyone have good results with it? I fear it also. Uhmmm, I think I fear everything these days. Benzo and chronic pain has changed me in this regard. I used to sky dive and be quite the fearless one. You sure wouldn't guess that about me since benzo.