Remeron (Mirtazapine) Withdrawal Support Group

[[dr...]]

Hi drummer boy, you could try to stabilize and see if it helps. I’m new to tapering Remeron. I made a small 2% cut and I’m either feeling it or my w/ d from  Lorazepam 29 month ago. I see you are still on Valium. Could it be the Valium you are feeling? I hope more people come on and give their thoughts on this. I would hold it for a month and see how you feel. I know it’s hard going through this. I’m scared of Remeron because I don’t know what to expect. Some seem to have no problems getting off from this.

 

Jackie  :smitten:

I don't think the Terror is from the Valium

How are you all microtapering this?...with prescription liquid version?

[[ja...]]

I’m dry cutting with my Gemini scale. Reducing by grams

 

[[br...]]

Hi Jackie. I started remeron at 7.5 in Nov 2016 and jumped to about 3.5 a few months later . I did pretty well on 3.5 until I jumped around fifteen months ago .  :sick: This is where I warn anyone trying to get off remeron to do a really slow taper . Mix it with water , compound it , crumble it tiny ort by tiny ort , taper over several months .Anything but a fast jump. I think that if you do this it will be much , much better in the long run . What I know now is that my poor C.N.S was still literally screaming from my rapid benzo withdrawal and I was expecting far too much . Stooooopid  You are already doing the right things and so it should be easier for you.

 

Hugs  and a big welcome to drummer boy .

[[ja...]]

Thank you Brave! Do you think a 5% cut is to much?

[[br...]]

 

No I think that is about right and should help with an easier withdrawal.

It is strange how most of us underestimated how powerful a drug remeron is . In my case I definitely was dealing with the benzo tiger in the room and ignoring the remeron elephant in the corner .

[[ja...]]

Yes, I have been told in the past not to touch the Remeron until I feel my w/d from the benzo has eased up. I’m 29 months off now so I’m hoping I can get off the Remeron. I really have no choice now because my pharmacy is telling me they don’t want to special order the Teva manufacture anymore for more. This was the whole reason I switched pharmacies. So now I’m just ready and luckily I have enough pills to do a 5% taper that will take me14 months.

 

:smitten:

[[ja...]]

I’m a little scared though.

[[sh...]]

Hi Jackie and Brave,

 

I am following.  I am friends with Marija who told me I could find you on this thread regarding the Mirtazapine taper.  I am looking for some support regarding Mirtazapine, whether or not to taper now or not, how to go about it, etc.  I also am wondering if you all had any side effects from it. 

 

I am 17 months off Valium.  It was an extremely difficult taper the whole way due to being crossed over too low (p-doc's advice before I knew better) and then two drug interactions that threw me into acute for the rest of the taper (another year).  I went on Mirtazapine (7.0 mg) about 4 months after those drug interactions to get sleep and anxiety support.  It did that.  I slowly tapered up dry cutting with scale and stopped when I felt enough relief to cope.  I knew I didn't want to be on it forever and therefore tried to take as little as possible.  The first 6 months I felt a lot of support from it and diminished mental symptoms from the Benzo withdrawl.  Then, I started getting side effects from it that have been bothersome (muscle tightness and joint pain, high cholesterol, elevated blood pressure).  However, I was wanting more healing time from the Benzo withdrawal since I am still recovering.  I have a few 24/7 symptoms that linger.  Intensity has lessened over time, but still very compromised and still experience waves. I started to wonder if the Mirt was delaying my healing in some way by simply masking symptoms.  Did eitiher of you think the same in your experience?

 

About 2 months ago I gradually reduced 10% (taking about a month to do so) by dry cutting.  I wanted to see if less would reduce the worsening side effects.  This seemed to go okay at first, but into the second month after the 10% cut, I started having some pretty bad days.

Some days it felt like I was getting no support from it at all and the waves were pretty bad.  Many returning symptoms.  I think it indicates this could be a difficult taper.

 

Anyway, I wonder if you can relate to the Mirt covering up Benzo withdrawal only to have to deal with it later?  Also, any side effects from the Mirt? 

 

Jackie, I too use the TEVA brand and my pharmacy is now needing to special order.  They keep insisting it won't be available soon.  Were you not wanting to use a different brand?

 

Thanks for the help and support.

 

Sharkie

 

 

[[Fo...]]

TEVA are a large company with good consistacy according to my pharmacist. They subcontract manufacturing to small companies but the meds are well quality controlled. I switch from TEVA to Activis without problems

Best wishes

D

[[ja...]]

Hi Forty and Sharkie, I tried other manufacturers and was really messed up mentally from them. I switched pharmacies and they said it would be no problem getting The Teva but now I think it’s about cost. I think they can get other brands cheaper. I take about 3.60 mg but my doctor has prescribed me 15 mg pills so I have enough pills to taper 5% over 14 months. Last night I went back and read this whole blog hoping to get some answers to tapering this drug. I have only ut 2% so far and can handle that but I will have to start cutting 5% this next cut.

 

Thank you Forty for telling us about Activis. For me I just need to get off from this and switching again could really make my taper hard. I’m hoping I can get the pharmacy to keep ordering for me so I can build my stash for emergencies.

 

Sharkie, you are 17 months off Valium so from what I read going back through this blog is that many started there Remeron tapers even at 4 and 5 months off the benzo so I’m not sure that would hurt you. Maybe the 10% cuts are to much. Could you hold for another month and not taper then do 5% cuts and see if that helps. I’m so sorry you are battling this. Please stay on this group so we can all help each other. I hope someone else will come along who understands this better and can give you some better opinions.

 

Jackie :smitten:

[[ch...]]

Please can anyone be of help/ I have been struggling so badly with my Valium taper. probably made harder by my age at almost 74. I am now at 2mg Valium, tapered from 4mg and it has been a terrible bedbound journey. Along the way around the middle of last year I was prescribed Remeron and took it for a week at 15mgs, but felt awful and was told to stop it by my Doctor. Some months later I was again prescribed by the psychiatrist I was now under and tried a week at 7.5mgs. but again I had  some side effects that were severe enough to make me stop it,. That was probably midsummer. Since then I have been on the Valium only which I am really struggling to get off. I have lost so much weight and struggle to eat , anxiety and fear terror are keeping me bedbound and housebound unable to function in any way.

 

My psychiatrist said it was up to me if I wanted to try something to help the withdrawal and underlying GAD I started seeing the Doctor about.

 

Two nights ago I gave in as I needed some sleep and took. 3.75 of Remeron, and I did sleep and though I felt terrible on waking I was able to do a little more like watch tv , and even change my bedding. So I took another 3.75 mgs last night but woke in feeling sick and afraid, and completely panicked. I am too scared to leave my bed and eating has stopped too.

 

 

Would you say it was ok to just stop it after 2 night's use, or do I have to taper even that. and break the tablet down even more to crumbs of approx. 1.37mg, for a night or two. I am so scared I may have created another problem. Please any advice soon as I don't know what to do tonight

 

 

Thankyou for any guidance

 

 

Jen

[[Fo...]]

Jen it has a long half life, you can stop it ok I am sure ....sorry it didn’t work.

Best wishes

Dick

 

Jackie my Gp gave mr liquid Mirtazipine!  At 90 quid for three months.  It won’t be wasted as though she wanted me to taper up — I shall taper down later.  My lates qenerac is Accord and seems ok but as I did some bad maths am dropping Valium at 25% So I am a tad all over the place.

Best w

 

D

[[ch...]]

Thank you for replying D. I think I am in a very bad spot in that I have tried every which was to get of a small amount of Valium first prescribed a year ago, though saying that I have used it on odd occasions before that, but nothing consistent, just odd times of great stress. I soon realised the dangers of Valium and it was not working for the GAD I had developed, at least not at 4mg. I asked to be tapered off following my Doctor's instructions, but it was from a very unstable place and I am getting on too at almost 74, so age not on my side either. I have had a blip it the taper during a 3 day hospital stay which put me back up to 4mgs and have been tapering since then, down to 2mgs as of last night when I dropped .1mg. after a 16 day hold. I am certainly not rushing, but it seems impossible to get off this low amount, and that is why I tried the mirtazapine as a last ditch attempt to help me get off. Now I worry I have made matters worse, but hopefully not.

 

I have gone from outgoing , happy and enjoying life to the full. to skeletal and bedbound in fear and terror all day everyday in just over 12 months. I wish I knew how to get off this last bit and do so without causing years of protracted withdrawal. I cannot for the life of me, knowing what I know now, think what a GP was doing prescribing me Valium for GAD, at my age. I am too old to deal with this and fear my age stands in the way of a full recovery. The only alternative I have is to go up substantially and that would not solve anything as I would keep needing more and more. So I am at a loss.

 

 

I am a bit worried about trying Phenergan as it is very sedating and again at my age not so good, especially as I am still on 2mgs Valium, even though it does nothing for me. I have tried all the usual breathing methods and tapping with positive affirmations, I have severe agoraphobia since the Valium, and yet I have forced myself to walk around the block each day, but even that I could not do today, I cannot watch tv or read a book. all my pleasures gone. I wish I could think of something to bring down the terror enough  for me to get through this and live again. That is what I had hope the  Mirtazapine would do, but seems not, hence I better stop it before it becomes a problem,

 

Once again thank you so much for replying 

[[ja...]]

Hi again Forty, so you are tapering Valium and maybe to much too fast? Keep your chin up I too tapered From 40 mg Valium the first time I came off from benzodiazepines. You will get through this. I’m here to help you if I can. Don’t know all the answers but I did taper Valium so I get it.

 

Chinchuck, please don’t worry we will help you get off the Valium. If the Mirtezapine helps you I would stay on it until you get through the Valium. It is best not to taper to many drugs at once. You said you are 74, I am 60 and I am trying to get off the Mirt as safely as I can. When I tapered Valium I tapered .25 mg every 14 days at the lower doses. If that’s too much for you then go smaller. I was put on Mirtezapine because I wasn’t able to eat or sleep so for me it saved my life. I put weight on and a bit to much weight. you have to do what’s best for you.

 

I’m glad a few others are coming on this blog because we need to have friends to talk to through this. Chinchuck we are here for you. Keep the faith.

 

Jackie :smitten:

[[Ba...]]

Hello everyone,

who is worried about Remeron's reduction. It's a real drug and it's just as dangerous to me as taking BZD.

I've been Klonopin for 26 years. I managed to stop Klonopin in 17 months with a solution. I thank Kay2020 for writing how she was reducing Klonopin. Kay2020 THANK YOU!

 

After I dropped Klonopin I was waiting for 2 months and I started to reduce Remeron from 30 mg. After 6 months I was without Remeron. In 2 weeks I started a very bad period, and I had to go back to Remeron, but I took only 7.5 mg this time. I have read a lot of posts about Remeron's reduction. I started to reduce Remeron by weight, but Remeron doses were inaccurate. I had a lot of nights without sleep. I also read that some were dissolving Remeron in the water, some dissolving Remeron in milk. I did not understand how to prepare Remeron's solution. That's why I let the pharmacies produce capsules that are accurate. I started to decrease from 7.5 mg to 7.45 and 7.40 ..... I'm holding a dose for 3 days and then I keep going. I reduce 0.5 mg Rem per month.

 

I have to write that during the entire reduction of Klonopin as well as Remeron, I suffer from mad insomnia and it takes 2.8 years. I've been thinking many times that I'm gonna die because I do not have a sleep. A few friends here encouraged me and I wanted to go further.

Waiting for 1 year to reduce Remeron and although I have a very bad sleep, I feel better without Klonopin. My body is probably somewhat accustomed to insomnia.

 

I wish all of them much strength, patience and humility  :smitten: .

Margarita

 

How did you get of your Klon?

Yes, lon and mirtazapine seems to be the kiss of death for many

[[Fo...]]

Thanks for the above all of you.

I do find mirtazipine helps my sleep usually. Perhaps it made me calmer? Perhaps Jen should take a low dose if kicking the diazepam but please take it slowly ......I was an idiot.

Poor sleep leads to agoraphobia with me

 

Jen you may be right as phenergan is a phenothiazine and doesn’t help withdrawal side effects.

 

I wonder why we ended up like this. I have a Christian hypnotist who does much more for me than meds.  But without the drugs I wouldn’t have had forty years with Pam or as a doc, I am sure of that as cbt was not around and neither was sick leave!!

Keep the posts running ...it’s good to know others in same boat.

Yours

Dick

[[ja...]]

Hi Forty, how are you today? Do you think 5% cuts sound reasonable for tapering Mirtezapine?

Hi BarbaraAve, are you still on Mirtezapine? I’m sorry that any of us have to deal with this.

 

Jackie :smitten:

[[Fo...]]

Hi Jackie

I am sorry I have no real experience of mirtazipine withdrawal. I thought it a mild a/d and had never prescribed it.

However as I have confessed I decided to come off Diazepam and in error came down by 25% and at day 9 I am really poorly and am going to get back to a steady state and start at ten percent.

However I did reduce from mirtazipine 15 to ten at the same time and I think that’s far too fast and should not have piggybackacked the reduction.

I have before managed to come down from 15 to 12 over a week using a liquid at Christmas but the poor sleep was horrid.

I am popping the mirtazipine up to 15 before I start all over again.

Have have some advice from the mirtazipine forum.

This is the most agitated I have been in 5 years.  My doc and psych unavailable at moment.

This is horrid.

I hope you are ok

Dick

[[ja...]]

I know it’s so hard Forty. Are you a doctor? What in? I agree wait on the Mirtezapine for a bit. I knew a woman on BenzoBuddies several years ago who was tapering 4 different meds at the same time. She was doing the water titrations method. I thought she must be a really, really strong person to do that, however I lost touch with her and have no idea how she did later on.

 

I hope you stabilize soon.

 

Jackie

[[br...]]

 

My feelings about remeron are very mixed . If I had known more about the negative side of the drug I probably would have soldiered on through the insomnia that was such a huge problem in acute, and stayed away from the mirt .  I didn't do that  and as I have said before ,to get off the stuff with less side effects I should have done a really slow taper, and also waited to taper until I was almost healed from the benzo.  But at this stage the ' Would have , should haves ' are not helpful . What is really good and helpful is that I can pass on to y'all my extremely hard won knowledge about the right way to taper and the minefield that mirt be .Slow and steady is the only way to go.

 

Hugs from rabbit land  and to quote Tiny Tim ' G-D bless us , everyone '.

[[Fo...]]

Thanks friends in need,,will be good boy. The elephant in the room is that my deceased wife would have spotted the dip.!

Dick

Ex Gp,psych doc

[[ja...]]

Hi Brave and we are grateful for all and any advice you can give us. I hope you are having a good day. I’ll make my first 5% cut in a week. Hope it goes well.

 

Forty, sorry about your wife, I’m sure she would be a big help to you now. Good to know there is a doctor in the house

 

 

 

[[br...]]

 

I am one lucky ducky ( or rabbit ) that I have had the support of a loving and concerned husband through this rocky passage. In a strange way it has brought us closer and healed wounds ( Don't ask ) . Without this experience we might never have peeled away the polite facade that had become our marriage and got back to the crazy , caring in love couple that we were in the beginning.

I am so glad that we have this new chance to ' Get it right ' . I'm sorry about your wife Forty , but so glad you found us . We are a good bunch to hang out with .

[[Ba...]]

Jackie,

 

I was tapering K, no issues, really, when took 6 weeks low dose mirtaz and was bedridden.  2 1/4 years later I am still a mess.  I should NOT have continued to taper clon in that shape but listened to some idiot on FB

 

Been of mirtaz for 2 1/4 years.  I assume what I have now is benzo withdrawal, an have not slpt more than 3 hrs in this mny years.  Think am going to go to clon try to stabilize try this again.  I'm so worn out and the worst is agorphobia, not driving, huge depression/anxiety.

 

Would never touch mirtaz again.

[[ch...]]

I decided not to take any mirtazapine last night, after 2 nights on 3.7mg then the next night approx. half again. Hard to judge really as the tablet broke so it was just a crumb. but Oddly I felt even that. I must be so sensitive to drugs now.

I imagine that mirtazapine can help with certain aspects of withdrawal, and indeed make it possible to taper off, but for some reason I struggle with it.

Maybe it will be ok for very occasional use in tiny quantities, but I fear I will be making more of a chemical stew of my brain. I wish I knew how to get off this last 2mgs of Valium, and mirtazapine was my last hope.

I drank a cup of pukka night time tea last night as I had taken all my day's allowance of valium during the morning, and had nothing for the night. I did find it helped a little, and contains simple ingredients of outflower, lavendar and limeflower. Probably there will be something in there that prevents healing, but a cup of weak herbal tea surely cannot do too much damage.

I wish I could find a way to keep the agitation down. It's stopping me thinking and I am now worried I am developing  dementia, though probably it's just caused by withdrawals. I need to sort out my banking but the slightest challenge to my brain and I go into a panic. The same with applies to all the things I used to enjoy, I cannot relax to watch tv or read a book, I bought an adult colouring book and pens but cannot concentrate on that, or the jigsaw I ordered. I am getting desperate trying to find something that will bring down the agitation and fear. I keep walking and exercising to try and relieve the tension, but it's not the answer, I am so agoraphobic now I cannot shop. Mostly it's the waiting to pay. I shake just talking to people, It really is hard to deal with.

 

Did anyone find that mirtazapine helped calm them down? . I just don't know if I should give it wide birth after reading how hard it is to get off, and my earlier reaction when on it, Or is it worth the risk to get off the valium..

 

My only other option left is perhaps amitryptaline at a low dose at night, but I am no expert, and my Doctors and psychiatrist wont advise,They say it's up to me, but if I was to go into hospital to get off the valium they would stop the 2 mgs CT. So how do you trust them when no one should CT from 2mg of valium that you have taken for what is now 12 months, including the taper.

 

 

At a loss what to do. My head is bursting with pressure and the tinnitus is so loud. I am used to tinnitus as I lost my hearing in my 30's and gained tinnitus then, but this is an add on, that the valium taper has given me, and I fear it wont leave me. It's so hard to see a beautiful day  going to waste, when not that long ago I would have been out there enjoying it, able to relax in the sunshine, Now I cannot relax at all.

 

 

Do any of you find that mirtazapine relaxes you at all. I only hear about the sleep benefits and appetite increase.

 

 

If I could relax and get off the valium I think it might be worth the risk. I don't see it mentioned in any information though, only that it is used for major depression, and it is used for anxiety etc. off the records

 

Any views would be welcome what I should do. I need to get off the valium so badly.  Thank you buddies,