Remeron (Mirtazapine) Withdrawal Support Group

[[ja...]]

Hi Ryan, best of luck. Sometime down the roa I will be tapering too. I’ll keep following.

 

All my best!

Jackie 

[[Ry...]]

Thanks Jackie!

[[Ma...]]

Well tonight is the night I start my Remeron taper. I've been on it for 100 days and I'm shooting to get off in 100 days. That's just a goal. I'm not trying to be a hero so if things get too dicey, I'll certainly slow it down.  I went on as a band aid for insomnia to get me through the worst of benzo w/d. I'm not healed from that experience but am definitely in a better place. I really just don't want to perpetuate the habit any further than I have to. I'll try to update how things are going from time to time. Also, I will be reducing with a liquid version that I am making on my on with Ora-Plus. Essentially the exact same way a compounding pharmacy would do it. Wish me luck!

 

Hi Ryan - I’ll eventually need to do this as well at some point down the line.  I was wondering if you could let me know how you make your own liquid version - i.e. what’s involved?  I’d be really interested.

 

Thanks so much.

[[Ry...]]

The liquid you want to use is Ora-Plus and Ora-Sweet. This is a pharmacy grade suspension that does not allow as much settling of crushed pills as say water would. Available at Amazon. You want to mix 1 part Ora-Plus and 1 part Ora-Sweet using a graduated cylinder. I am making a 1ml = to 1mg solution. So When I draw it up in an oral syringe, and I want to take 7.5mg, all I have to do is draw out 7.5mL.

 

If I want to make a weeks worth at 7.5mg, I would do the following:

 

Crush (7) 7.5 mg pills to a fine powder using a mortar and pestle.

Pour 26.25 mL of Ora-Plus in graduated cylinder.

Pour 26.25 mL or Ora-Sweet in graduated cylinder.

Total liquid content you have now equals 52.5 mL (which would be exactly a weeks worth @ 1:1 ratio; 52.5/7=7.5)

 

Pour a portion of liquid solution onto the ground pills and using mortar and pestle and make a paste. Pour a little more in until liquid enough for pouring.

Pour into medicine bottle (I bought some with the plastic insert for drawing out liquid with a syringe)

Pour all remaining liquid in bottle and shake well.

Store in refrigerator

 

You could do all this or you could just get a compounding pharmacy to make you some. If you google one's near you, you are likely to find one in drivable distance. You have do get an updated Rx that specifies liquid and ratio from your Dr. I'm just kind of a nerd and like doing stuff like this on my on. 

 

 

[[br...]]

 

Staz I think Ryan has given you excellent advice . Benzo goes first and then the remeron. Also taper slowly, and in really small increments . Remeron can be a sneaky snake .

 

Ryan , I'm sending good thoughts your way . Hopefully you will be one of the lucky ones and have an easy withdrawal. 

[[Ma...]]

Ryan thanks for that info re liquid taper - good to know for the future.  I can’t drive anywhere just now so wouldn’t be able to get to a pharmacy or doc’s appointment so thought I’d better gen up in case I have to do it myself!

[[co...]]

Just wondering since this is such a large thread and has many experienced members with this medication... is Remeron generally ill advised or is something that has helped a lot of buddies in post withdrawal?

 

thank you for your insights,

[[Ry...]]

It’s like playing with fire. Some have had success and it’s made some worse off. Some get off of it easily and some don’t. For me it helped in the early days of w/d but it’s time for me to get off. I doubt I’ll be one of the lucky ones that get off easily. 1) I’m sensitive to meds 2) my cns has already been compromised by benzos.

 

Can’t say definitely stay away bc it can help. Also can’t say it couldn’t hurt bc it can.

 

Sorry there’s no definite answer.

[[br...]]

 

I am one of the unlucky ones and I am having a nasty withdrawal due to the remeron. Like Ryan I am very sensitive to meds. The remeron did help with insomnia and helped me through the first months of benzo withdrawal. I just wish that I had done a longer taper and got off the remeron earlier

[[co...]]

Why did you come off if it was helping? Especially if it through you back into acute. Also, did you find that it makes you really tired during the day? I wonder if that wears off. I hate meds but I’m 14 months out and I really need to start feeling better. My sleep is broken and 5hrs at best. Depression really bad.

[[br...]]

When I came off it I had been on it for about fourteen months. I knew that I could not be on it for ever and I was at a good point with my benzo withdrawal . Also I had gained about twenty five pounds and was still gaining, Remeron will pack the pounds on.

[[Ry...]]

It took about 3 weeks for the daytime drowsiness to wear off. I want off bc I don’t need it any longer.

 

I’m not of the camp that believes all medications are bad. I think you should first exhaust all other options in examining the below:

 

Diet - good idea to be gluten free right now

Exercise - regularly

Sunlight

Exposure to people

How’s your spiritual life?

 

I’m NOT going to say it’s just the benzo. True you likely developed depression due to benzos, and it will go away with time but if you need help then get it. No shame in that man. Just do your research.

 

 

[[co...]]

Do any of you suffer from head pain / pressure most days? I'm trying to figure this out at 14 months. I still have headaches like this almost every day. I think I've done some serious irreversible damage to my brain. I was hoping that if I take something for sleep, that my brain will repair itself fast with a deeper sleep cycle. I tried 7.5mg last night... I think it was too much. I'll try half of that tonight.

 

thanks all,

[[Ry...]]

Colley,

 

The headaches/pressure is one of my core symptoms...along with several others. I notice its worse when I am overstimulated or eat something that doesn't agree with me. I can sometimes get some relief with meditation. I never meditated before this whole mess, but have found some benefit to it. The best, in my opinion, is an app on my phone called Headspace. Walks you through the whole thing. Give it a shot if you aren't already meditating.

 

The irreversible damage question is very common. I wonder it myself. I have to keep reminding myself that there are many others that have thought the EXACT same thing and went on for a full recovery. I believe the question of irreversible damage is a manifestation of anxiety. I find that when my anxiety is a bit better, this question becomes nonexistent and I know that I'll heal. When I am in a wave, the question comes back to the forefront.

 

If 7.5mg is too much, try less. That's great b/c its less to come off of down the road. I've read where a lot of buddies have gotten good sleep on 3.75. It took me a good month to get into the groove of sleeping on Remeron.

 

You are on my mind Colley, and just know that nothing lasts forever. Good, bad....nothing. Stay strong and just know it will pass.

[[co...]]

Thanks Ryan.

[[kr...]]

hi all i am 2 yrs off klonopin and doing good except for anxiety depression and waking early.. i believe its hormonal im 51 So I took 15 mg remeron to help sleep during my taper and im wondering if there is a protocal for weaning off it?? i know everyones experience is different but I hope to hear some positive responses.

Also my bf thinks the remeron could be making me weird but i dont recall these sx being listed as side effects

i did try last spring to cut but also experimented w progesterone cream and i was a wreck so i went back to the full dose and quit the cream

thank you guys!

[[kr...]]

anyone?

an eye dr told me he heard that remeron is harder to wean off than just quit

[[ja...]]

Hi kris, I was told by some others who came off Remeron to wait until I was passed the benzo w/d so that is why I am waiting. As far as how to taper it, I haven't got that far yet. Hopefully someone with knowledge of this will come by to help. Wish you the best.

 

Jackie 

[[Ry...]]

Kris - I am not aware of Remeron being a drug that is easier to jump off of rather than just taper. I would love to know if that is the case however. From my understanding, all psych drugs should be tapered. Mine is a very elementary understanding however which consists basically of what I read about it.

 

We could do our own little clinical trial. You jump and I taper. We will compare notes. 

 

Just kidding. I plan to taper, but wish you luck and would love to know if you uncover anything on this topic.

[[Vi...]]

 

Staz I think Ryan has given you excellent advice . Benzo goes first and then the remeron. Also taper slowly, and in really small increments . Remeron can be a sneaky snake .

 

Ryan , I'm sending good thoughts your way . Hopefully you will be one of the lucky ones and have an easy withdrawal. 

How you doing Brave? Can you eat? What kind of symptoms you have after stoped remeron?

I'm close to jumping? So scared

Love and healing

Vica

[[br...]]

 

You cannot fast jump off remeron. I did a quick taper and did not get down far enough before I jumped  with really horrible results. Basically the first couple of months were Hell. People can still have withdrawal problems even with a proper taper. Remeron is not an easy drug to get off.

[[La...]]

Hi All,

 

I have been Benzo free for almost 6 months now.  I am doing pretty well with just a few symptoms lingering (some depression in the am and some sensitivity to certain foods and stress)

 

I have been on Remeron (Mirtazapine) for about 2 years now and want to slowly taper off.  It does help me sleep, but I do have strange dreams and I am needing to lose weight because I know it caused me to gain it!  I am going to use a liquid taper and will probably start next week.  I am going to check in here and let you know how it goes and I want to see how all of you are doing with your taper also.

 

The Benzo taper was long and hard.  I hope this one goes a little smoother!

 

Wish me luck and those who pray, please pray for me!  Thank you!

[[ja...]]

I’ll be following because at some point I will need to taper as well. I wish you luck LaHenz! We need it going through all of this hell.

 

Jackie 

[[br...]]

 

Vica. I'm at about three months post remeron and I'm not doing too badly. Still having some waves and the restless leg thingie , but the leg and arm muscle cramps are not as bad. I'm getting more sleep and some 'Normal' dreams. When I have the muscle cramps I can still get enough sleep. I am losing weight and I seem to do a lot of B.M.s L.O.L. I think that my whole gastric system is still upset. Sometimes food tastes great and sometimes not. The crazy binge eating is easier and I'm doing a whole lot of body acceptance talk.

 

Again my advice , because I did not do it and I wish that I had , is to do a really slow taper. Remeron has been described as a 'Dirty Drug'

because of all the potential side effects.

 

Hope everyone is doing well.

[[ja...]]

Hi Brave, would you say that Remeron w/d is similar to benzo w/d, waves and windows? If you had to do it again how would you taper it? I'm trying to get myself ready for this. I have probably read this blog several times but still can't wrap my head around another w/d. Waiting a few more months. Truly appreciate your Insight. Thank you!

 

Jackie