Remeron (Mirtazapine) Withdrawal Support Group

[[Po...]]

Jack37. Worse at the lower doses. It seems the lower I go the worse the symptoms.

[[Ja...]]

Geez, I hope it’s not that way for me. I’ve been through so much already. Can you imagine? This is how the doctor’s HELPED me cope with the loss of my daughter. Way to go doc, big help! They couldn’t just let me grieve. Like a drug dealer they saw me at my weakest hour and siezed an opportunity to score some more frequent prescriber miles with their pharma rep. I guess we’ll see. Some do well at low doses and others struggle like you are. Fingers crossed.

[Guest [Fa...]]

Hello everyone,

 

I was hoping to get some advice on my current situation.  I was in the psych ward for pacing akathesia and mental nightmare torment which I have been dealing with for 9 months straight.  24/7 racing thoughts, looping, ruminations etc.  Trapped in my own mind every waking moment.

 

In the hospital they put me on Zyprexa which knocked me out within 20 minutes.  I was transferred to the psych unit where the next day they gave me 7.5mg of remeron and 100mg seroquel.  I was in the psych ward for 4 days.

 

Out of the psych ward I stopped the seroquel after 3 days and continues the 7.5 remeron for a week.  The first week out of the psych ward I was feeling a little better with the mental torment but had a constant need to eat. 

 

I upped the remeron to 15mg and was hit with major depression with the need to eat constantly.  I was then forced to go up to 22.5 and then all hell broke loose.  Paced for 3 days straight out of my mind.  My hunger went away completely.  I was taking seroquel for about a week hoping it would work a little bit but eventually realized it was doing the opposite.  Went back down to 15mg from 22.5 (only on 22.5 for 4 days).

 

When i went from 7.5 to 15mg I noticed that I became more obsessive. I smoke cigarettes and each time I thought about a cigarette I felt compelled to smoke.  Also, I feel a constant need to seek reassurance and search about my symptoms. 

 

I can't figure out if the remeron is making me obsessive or if this is just the benzo withdrawal manifesting in different ways. 

 

I have been on remeron for a month.  The constant need to eat has been replaced with no hunger at all. 

 

At this point I don't know what to do.  I don't want to be on this drug but it does help with the pacing akathesia and the racing SU.  I am also being forced to take it by my parents because they believe I am just having OCD and anxiety and this is no longer benzo withdrawal. 

 

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks

[[Ja...]]

So I am having some anxiety this morning. Not regular anxiety but that constant drug induxed type of anxiety. It’s not bad but I am thinking od holding my dose for a couple weeks. I have a wedding to go away for in a couple weeks on the weekend. It sucks cuz I could definitely handle my cut tomorrow night and get through work and everything. But I want to enjoy myself at that wedding and I know I should pause and then just resume on the 13th. It will put me .3 mg behind my soft schedule. Not a big deal but I am a very goal oriented person. When I told my wife it could take years to get off this drug she laughed and said not you. She said I am too stubborn. I thought she was wrong about this one but seeing as I have pushed from 15 to 11.4 in only 5 weeks I think she may have been right. However, as much as I want to be free I would really like to enjoy this upcoming wedding and I know I can fully stabilize by then if I chill out now.

[[ja...]]

Hi everyone, hi Jack, if holding will help for the wedding I certainly would. Besides that I’m not sure how much or how long after we get off from the Mirtezapine we will suffer anyway. Not to be a Debbi downer. I’ve read so many stories about this drug I don’t know what to expect, if anything. You’ll get there. Take time to smell the coffee, or roses or whatever you prefer.

 

Failure, welcome to the group. I’m really not sure what to tell you. I can understand why you want to take the Remeron especially because it’s helping you but I would really think it through because you will likely have to taper it someday. Can I ask what caused the Akathisia? We’re you taking other medications? It is helpful to know what brought that on.

 

I made my cut down to 0.023grams on Thursday night even though my heads been a bit messed up. I do feel diet plays a significant role. We celebrated our 40th wedding Anniversary on Saturday and I literally ate chocolate silk pie for the days after, lots of sugar. It’s like I couldn’t stop eating it. I ate a piece every night for 4 nights, don’t judge me, lol. Anyway sugar overload and my anxiety shot through the roof. Needless to say I’m back to low carb, low or no sugar. Hopefully I’ll start to feel better. Otherwise just moving along slowly. One month at a time.

 

Jackie  :smitten:

[Guest [Fa...]]

I did a rapid taper from clonazepam 9 months ago and have been living in hell since.  Do I have to taper the remeron slowly since I've only been on it a month?  I want to get down to 7.5 atleast.

[[Ja...]]

It depends, everyone is different. Don’t drop more than 10 percent at a time because once thenroof comes off it’s too late. I have been able to do .3 mg every 3-4 days but I have been off Xanax for 8 months and am doing relatively well. Some people have no withdrawal at all from remeron. I have been on it for a total of 10 months and tapering for 5 weeks.

 

My days are weird. This morning was rough. I was driving my son out to the beach and was tense and shaky when driving there. Then a fews hours later I was on a roller coaster with my son and shocked to say I was fine. But like I said I am doing relatively well at this point in my benzo withdrawal.

[[ja...]]

Hi Failureisnotanoption, my thought are if your living in hell still then you are still in withdrawal from the Clonazepam and I personally wouldn’t start a taper from Mirtezapine until I was feeling better. That’s one reason I waited to taper Mirtezapine. I c/t Lorazepam and was still in withdrawal from that. Once I felt better I proceeded with the Mirtezapine. If you do do it I would cut small and go very slow. Believe me things can get worse so just be careful.

 

Jackie 

[Guest [Fa...]]

The problem is I don't know what is causing what anymore.  My mind is telling me the remeron is making me extremely compulsive.  I went from eating everything to not being able to eat at all.

 

I've read so many horror stories of remeron. I don't want to continue taking it if its just going to stop me from healing and then have another horror show.  Even if i heal from this clonazepam CT.

[[Ja...]]

I think for most of us here Remeron helped cover up the benzo withdrawal symptoms. It doesn’t work on the gaba receptors so it shouldn’t affect healing from benzo withdrawal. Many have come off it and claimed it did not hinder their healing. But there are many horror stories from the Remeron alone. These psych meds are all like playing with fire and there is no way to know how they will interact with our individual body chemistry until it is too late. I am hoping that you feel better over the next couple months as maybe the other ADs you took are leaving your symptoms revved up.

[[ja...]]

I agree with Jack, there is no way of knowing for sure that’s why I’m saying if you taper go slow and cut small. There again if you are feeling this bad I’d be hesitant and might wait a bit. I’m sorry that we can’t give you a clear answer. I was told by a few buddies that I met on here and who came off of benzodiazepines and Mirtezapine and they all told me to wait until I felt better from the benzo withdrawal and so I did. There are also some who say the Mirtezapine is making them sick so we each have to decide what is right for us. I will tell you that I c/t Lorazepam about 35 months ago so I understand. Please whatever you do don’t c/t it.

 

Jackie

[[ja...]]

Hi everyone! Today is day 5 of my cut down to 0.023grams. Slam city, hot flashes, anxiety, feeling like I’m about to come unglued. Hoping this calms down soon. This month is different then last month. I have to get my drivers license renewed before February. I know, why am I fretting it now, I guess am over thinking it. If I had to do it today I wouldn’t be able to. The anxiety is that bad. I have no ideal how this drug, this teeny, tiny pill can pack this much punch. Anyway, today = not good. Hope others are doing better.

 

Jackie  :smitten:

[[Ja...]]

Jackie, how much are you on? You said .023 grams. That would be 23 mg. Is that correct. What was your original dose?

[[ja...]]

Hi Jack, I was on 3.75mg. I switched over to counting grams when I first started my taper. Im at 0.023 grams now. My pill is really getting smaller now but I’m sticking with the dry cut all the way down. Im to the point now that I don’t care if I’m licking dust at the end. I dry cut all the way on my Valium taper back in 2012. I was licking up the last little bit. The trouble with Mirtezapine is it numbs the tongue a little. Im sure my doses aren’t even correct. I was going to crush a bunch and then mix up and weigh my dose to be more accurate but I decided not to. Maybe I’m just so tired of it at this point I don’t care. I’ll see how long this insane withdrawal last. It should smooth out. Anyone cutting there pills should crush several and then dose out and weigh. It would be more accurate.

 

I’m sweating bullets. Worse then any month I’ve been tapering. I keep asking my kids and husband if they are hot and they say no. I’m swimming in it. Sorry for going on and on. I feel like I drank Red Bull’s or something. I’m so cranked up. Crazy, crazy drug.

 

How are you? Don’t mind me I’m just a little off right now and these doctors don’t think this small of a dose can be withdrawal. Hmmm......

 

Jackie

[[ju...]]

Do you count the cover on remeron as weight?

[[Ja...]]

Pokey,

        Are you using liquid at this point in your taper?

 

Jackie,

          Gotcha. So have you calculated how much of the drug you are actually

on?

 

June,

      Here in the US the pills are just solid white. What cover are you referring to?

[[ja...]]

Jack, it’s 23 mg

 

Jackie

[[Ja...]]

Jackie,

        I’m confused. I thought you were on 3.75 mg?

[[Ja...]]

Oh by the way. It hasn’t gotten severe for me yet but I get the hot stuff too. I am constantly asking other guys at work if it just got hot all of a sudden. Sometimes they say yes and I breath a sigh of relief. Other times it’s just me. We can’t even trust our own senses anymore.

[[ja...]]

Jack this is what I’m doing. Bella did this schedule for me. So far it’s working good. Yes I have some bad days but overall it’s working. I really don’t understand the mg to gram thing. I thought the same thing.

 

https://i.imgur.com/OLB9NPD.png

 

Jackie

 

[[ju...]]

i didnt understand anything from the picture.you are saying you started 3.75 mg, but the picture says 0.036 mg.

[[ja...]]

When I started I was taking 3.75mg, I converted to grams and so it became 0.037 grams. I started tapering from there so Bella started my schedule at 0.036 grams. That’s what I weigh on my scale. I am now at 0.023grams. Trust me it’s confusing but I’m going lower every month and my little pill just keeps getting smaller.

 

 

Jackie 

[[Ja...]]

Yeah I could’nt figure it out either. Lol. That’s fine. If it works for Jackie that’s all that matters. I was just being nosy, it’s not anything I really need to know or understand.

Sounds like you are close to being done though so that’s good.

 

I dry cut off of Ativan. I ended up shaving the pills into water and then separating them into mini tupperwares at the end. It got too small for me to even handle the pills.

[[ja...]]

That’s where I’ll be pretty soon Jack. I’m just so over it now. Today the anxiety has calmed down but the muscles in my stomach are tight and not in a good way. Lose one sx’s and gain another.

 

Jackie 

[[Ja...]]

I’m glad you mentioned that symptom. I am holding for 2 weeks and would like to fully stabilize. The only 2 symptoms that have not settled down are mild anxiety and these weird pains in my stomach muscles. It hasn’t been a week since my last cut so it’s not at all unusual that I am not stabilized yet. I really hope that it doesn’t get harder as I get to the lower doses. I am anxious about that and it is prt of the reason for my earlier line of questions. Having read everything I could here I am noticing a pattern that liquid taperers seem to struggle less at the lower doses than dry cutters do. I am wondering how consistent the dry cut method is? I know that you already know the risks involved. I can tell by the way you talk about it that you know about he possibilities of inaccuracy. I guess I want to tell myself that I will have an easier time because I am using liquid. I guess it doesn’t matter whether it is true or not. If I can convince myself it’s true and it eases my anxieties then it’s a win. So if you disagree don’t tell me. Lie to me please. Lol. Just kidding. But seriously. Haha.