# How long can a Mirtazapine withdrawal last?



## Under17

I quit both Prozac and Welbutrin cold turkey when I was taking them, so I decided to do the same with Mirtazapine. Things haven't gone quite as smoothly this time, and I suspect there's a good chance that the insomnia, allergies, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and louder tinnitus I've had for the past week are from Mirtazapine. Normally I'd ask my psychiatrist but I'm not seeing her anymore and don't feel comfortable talking to her anymore.

So, is it possible for a Mirtazapine withdrawal to last more than a few days? Weeks? If anyone has any experience here it'd be a big help.


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## Noca

I dont know. I taped down at 15mg every 4 days from 45mg. Had no withdrawal after that.


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## jim_morrison

Yes I think that what your experiencing may indeed be due to withdrawing from mirtazapine. That's not to say that withdrawl from mirtazapine itself is the cause of these symptoms per se, but rather that mirtazapine is known to stop insomnia, allergies, nausea, vomiting and appetite loss, so by stopping mirtazapine these symptoms will naturally return. 

With that said I was on 45 mg from about 6 months, and came off it fairly easily, by memory tapering down by 15 mg per week.


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## euphoria

Under17 said:


> insomnia, allergies, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and louder tinnitus I've had for the past week are from Mirtazapine. Normally I'd ask my psychiatrist but I'm not seeing her anymore and don't feel comfortable talking to her anymore.


Most of those sound like mirtazapine withdrawals.



> So, is it possible for a Mirtazapine withdrawal to last more than a few days? Weeks? If anyone has any experience here it'd be a big help.


Yeah some people don't get them, but some do and they can last weeks to months. I think it depends how long you've been on it.


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## lionheart

First time i quit mirt it went pretty easy in the start, tapped off slowly, felt good, but the withdrawal came after 4 months of beeing clean, had terrible withdrawal, started off with a flu, then insomnia, tiredness, repetitive racing thaughts, terrible anxiety and so on.


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## jim_morrison

LaRibbon said:


> There is withdrawal? Wow, I stopped taking 30 mg cold turkey, no problem.


Are you off mirtazapine completely now LaRibbon or do you take it as needed for insomnia?


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## jim_morrison

Ah ok, yeah I'm currently on 15 mg a night for insomnia, but I've been noticing lately how apathetic and unmotivated it's starting to make me feel once again, so I think I may have to only take it as needed too, perhaps twice a week or something. Hows that working out for you?


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## Under17

I was taking mirtazapine for about 4 months at 30 mg, so I hope that's not too bad. In any case, most of the symptoms aside from nausea and lack of appetite seem to be slowly getting better.


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## jim_morrison

LaRibbon said:


> So far so good. I take it maybe 3 times a week and it helps stabilise my sleeping cycle into a regular pattern, so the effect is as good as taking it everyday. I'd guess you'd need to alter the number of times you take it a week depending on the extent of insomnia.


Cool, I'll give that a try and see how it goes. Some nights even 7.5 mg gives me a peaceful sleep.


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## NewPatient

*Hmm..*

I have been on I think 40mg tabs. And I havent had any for 5 days. Really starting to notice symptoms. But can't afford to buy more... Is there any help you can get to pay for medication from the government when your in need? I am worried.. thanks


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## beaches09

I've been on and off mirtazapine a handful of times and withdrawal never lasted much more than a week give or take. It was also so mild compared to other drugs I wouldn't even call it a withdrawal.

Just eat a lot of foods like pasta, potatoes, turkey. They will take the edge off and chill ya out a bit.


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## Under17

NewPatient said:


> I have been on I think 40mg tabs. And I havent had any for 5 days. Really starting to notice symptoms. But can't afford to buy more... Is there any help you can get to pay for medication from the government when your in need? I am worried.. thanks


Mirtazapine is pretty affordable compared to most medications.. are you getting the generics? It used to cost me no more than $15 a month. Where do you live? If you live in the US it should be pretty cheap at costco, you don't need a membership to use their pharmacy.

I think this forum used to have a sticky for this website called www.needymeds.org that might help you find out how to get drug discounts but I've never used it.

I'm not entirely sure but cyproheptadine could ease some of the withdrawal symptoms, it cost me only $3 for 100 of them so you should be able to get a few for not much and use them for sleep, appetite and nausea. I wish I had known about it before (or tapered off the mirtazapine anyways).



beaches09 said:


> I've been on and off mirtazapine a handful of times and withdrawal never lasted much more than a week give or take. It was also so mild compared to other drugs I wouldn't even call it a withdrawal.
> 
> Just eat a lot of foods like pasta, potatoes, turkey. They will take the edge off and chill ya out a bit.


Luckily it's not the same for everyone. It messed up my stomach pretty bad for about 2 months from what I can remember.


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## swim

I remember than when I stopped mirtazapine then I started to feel better.


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## beaches09

swim said:


> I remember than when I stopped mirtazapine then I started to feel better.


Same here. I just stopped it recently again and after about a week off I started to feel like me again, excited, energetic, etc. That drug fogged my brain, killed my energy, and made me very irritable.


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## A Sense of Purpose

Day 6 of withdrawal from 30mg myself. Still not sleeping till about 4am, and waking a lot of the time. Only sleep till about 9-10am. 

Little nausea during the day, strange feeling in the stomach that usually clears after coffee. Food in the mornings tends to make me feel more uncomfortable but then subsides. Otherwise, its pretty minor. Nothing like the Amitriptyline w/d's.


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## kewlaid

*Trying various reduction methods*

Interesting to see how prevalent, "Mirtazapine Withdrawal," is as a topic on a Google search.

I've been on prescribed psychoactive meds in various amounts since '85 and quit more drugs than most people have contemplated, but this takes the cake.

I've been taking Mirtazapine for 2 years now.

I have a long story but not interested in posting it here at the moment. I've just joined this site so ...suffice to say I went in the hospital Dec. 25, 2010 at 96 pounds and wasn't expected to live more than 2 or 3 days at the most. I'm contrary by nature, so here I am ...not only alive, but thriving.

My current script at bedtime is: 15mg Mirtazapine, 1.5mg Xanax & 20mg Morphine.

My problem with Mirtazapine is the appetite. I'm 5'5" and 177 pounds. My ideal weight is 155-160. I was on a higher dose a year ago and we've reduced it to 15 mg which is the lowest dose available in Canada.

I tried going to half a tab and after one week I developed the following unpleasant symptoms at bedtime:
* I became "squirmy," and felt I wanted to crawl out of my skin when I tried to sleep.
*An extreme fatigue set in. Not tiredness, but an overwhelming exhaustion, like the life-force had been sucked out of me. I'd put my head on the pillow thinking I'd sleep and wake up instantly. The moment I would get up the fatigue would set in. This cycle would not abate without the other half tab of Mirtazapine. The Xanax & Morphine had no effect.

For the last week I've been taking 7.5 mg Mirt. one night (half a tab) and a full tab the next night, the goal being complete elimination of Mirtazapine from my regime. So far, so good.

I'll check back and let you all know how it's going.

It's all Kewlaid in the long run.


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## MachoMadness

Mirtazapine has hellish withdrawals and they're very addictive. It lasted about 2 weeks entirely for me. Stay strong.


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## kewlaid

MachoMadness said:


> Mirtazapine has hellish withdrawals and they're very addictive. It lasted about 2 weeks entirely for me. Stay strong.


Thanks for your reply. So far, by taking just 7.5 one day & the full 15mg the next, I haven't had the withdrawal effects I described. Next week I'll reduce to 7.5mg a night and see.

Now that it appears I'm going to live to what is considered a normal life-span in my family (90-100+ years) and I no longer have to work at a career I hated for years, I'm questioning the need for an antidepressant at all.

I am however, considering getting my Dexedrine script raised from 40mg to 50 mg per day (quick release tabs).

_-It's all Kewlaid..._


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## JPB1

*Muscle and joint pain!!!!*

I've been on Mirtazapine for about 6 months now(30mg). I'm a runner have been for the past ten years. I run 20-25 miles a week. Starting about 2-3 months ago I started geeting some severe muscle and joint pain in my legs as I run. My balance has also been effected.

For the first couple months everything seemed fine but lately the muscle and joint pain has really gotten BAD!!!! I haven't changed anything else in my diet or added any new meds.

I'm just curious to find out if anybody else has had these problems too.

Thanks,
JPB


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## jim_morrison

swim said:


> I remember than when I stopped mirtazapine then I started to feel better.





beaches09 said:


> Same here. I just stopped it recently again and after about a week off I started to feel like me again, excited, energetic, etc. That drug fogged my brain, killed my energy, and made me very irritable.


Same here, similar deal with Seroquel and all antihistaminergics for me really. Foggy and no energy.


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## CD700

beaches09 said:


> Same here. I just stopped it recently again and after about a week off I started to feel like me again, excited, energetic, etc. That drug fogged my brain, killed my energy, and made me very irritable.


I'm wondering why you took it in the first place.


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## JustRachel

I took myself off of the 45mg without weaning myself and I had migraines which lasted around 2-3 weeks.
The insomnia lasted about 1-2 weeks


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## HollieD23

*Long time use*

I was on mirtazapine for 4-5 years, started at 60mg a night, went down to 45mg, then down to 30mg. I stayed at 30 mg for at least two years. This year I decided to ween myself from them with my doctor's approval, and the withdrawals were really awful. I thought that by weening the mg lower and lower over the last month, that would do the trick, but it did not. I would say about 4-5 days after stopping completely, the withdrawals set in. I first thought I had a stomach virus, but after I just kept getting worse, and vomiting and diarrhea for 7 days, I realized what it was. I went to the doctor (all of my visits have been with a medical doctor) and she prescribed me some Phenegren to help with the nausea. I would say all of my withdrawal symptoms included: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, anxiety, sleepiness and fatigue during the day, restlessness at night, irritability, periods of crying for no reason....and then there was just a general feeling of shame and helplessness. I decided to stick it out and wait for the symptoms to go away. It has been a little over a month now, and I feel much better. My stomach is still not right, still not much of an appetite, but no vomiting. I do still have diarrhea and nausea but it isn't constant. The irritability and crying have been replaced with pride in myself for getting this stuff out of my system. I am sleeping great on my own. It gets better!!! But I have to wonder why on earth they put me on this medication just for sleep and weight gain....awful!!!


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## JPB1

*Almost off this junk!!!!*

I've weened down to 7.5 mg's every other day. I'm gonna try running again tomorrow to see what happens. I did talk with my doctor and he suggested 100mg's of magnesium a day and more potasium to see if that helps the muslce pain.

Starting Monday I'll stop all together! I can't take this stuff anymore!

I took seroquel for 4 years and besides the morning hangover it didn't bother me too much. At least I could run without pain. Withdrawing from Seroquel SUCKED!!!!

Take care all,

JP


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## Dysthymia

that drug is pure evil, i've tried a lot of antidepressants, none of them worked for any of my symptoms, but none had the side effects of mirtazapine.

I would sleep 16 hours a day, i would be able to get up and go to work with the help of ritalin and coffee (which i added 4x the regular amount of coffee to) and i would be permanently hungry. Vivid nightmares, cold sweats. Quit it cold turkey, some side effects lasted less than a week, a few others lasted a few months, mainly the mild ones stayed longer for me.


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## Modified

Just signed up to post my experiences here.

First let me say that mirtazapine has been a wonderful drug for me. Before I took it I had waves of extreme nausea and weakness (sometimes close to the point of passing out or being unable to stand), restless sleep and night sweats, colon spasms, extreme lethargy, along with anxiety and moderate depression. These symptoms came and went on approximately two week cycles and, when present, got much better and much worse on approximately ten minute cycles. Things started off mild and got worse over the course of six months or so until I could barely eat and went close to a week with no sleep (and I don't mean ten minutes here or there, I mean none). After some propofol-induced sleep and a few weeks on mirtazapine, Xanax, and Restoril, I was in serviceable shape. I then tapered off everything but the mirtazapine over the next two weeks.

On 30 mg of mirtazapine, my only side effects were sleepiness after taking it, carb cravings, and moderate rls (which I occasionally have without the drug, but on 30 mg, within 15 minutes of taking it I always felt like my lower leg bones were itching). After two months on 30 mg, dropped to 15 with no problems other than a bit of brain fog for a week or so. I had no noticeable side effects at 15 except some mild rls.

Two months later, dropped from 15 to zero. Loss of appetite, restless sleep, waves of nausea, and depressed mood increased over the course of a week until I basically could not eat or sleep. Went back to 15 and nausea and sleep problems were gone within a day, depressed mood got better in a week or so. All of these were symptoms I had before going on the drug, so I think to some extent this was a return of symptoms rather than withdrawal.

Four months later, tapered from 15 to 12.5 for three weeks, then three weeks on 10. No problems except for a bit of brain fog and restless sleep for three or four days after each drop. Then I went to 7.5. After a few weeks I could not concentrate enough to work (I'm a software engineer). This was also a symptom I had before the drug, so it may have been that rather than withdrawal. Went back to 15 and ability to concentrate returned in a few days.

I stayed at 15 for a few months, then 10, 7.5, 6, 5, then 3.75. Had a few days of brain fog and uneasiness with each drop, but no real problems. Did 3.75 twice at 36 hour intervals, the last was 2 1/2 days ago. So far I have some brain fog, slightly restless sleep and floating sensations when falling asleep (or trying to), some loss of appetite and very mild nausea.

After a year and nine months, I'm hopeful so far that I'm off it and no longer need it. Will update when things change or in a few weeks.


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## Modified

OK, five weeks later now and I'm in pretty good shape. After my last post I started feeling wired and unable to completely relax at any time. I couldn't sleep at all one night, felt euphoric all day the next day (not a good sign), then horrible the next day after four or five hours of sleep. I found that by exercising a few hours before going to bed, I could sleep reasonably well. After 10 days or so, I felt more normal.

Previous symptoms returned at mild levels and were present for most of the first four weeks. I've basically been symptom-free for the last week, but I'm not sure if that is due to improvement or just the good part of a cycle.

The only symptom I can purely attribute to withdrawal was dry lips. This was maybe weeks 2 and 3. Lips were very dry especially in four spots about 1/4 of the way from the corners of my mouth, a very strange pattern.


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## Unkie B

*Same Boat*

JB, I'm in the same boat as you, trying to get off this stuff. Used to exercise like champ, but joint/muscle pain and 20 lbs blubber from 11 PM ice cream expeditions are bringin' me down. How long did you taper at 7.5? What was your level of discomfort when you finally just stopped taking it? Thanks. b


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## BudBrownies

I hated RIMEROnnnnn!!!!!!!!!!!


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## anxo29

I was on mirtazapine 30mg for about 6 months at the most. I have just come off it under my psychiatrist's supervision. The time I started weaning my self off (15mg for 1 week and 7.5 for 1 week) I also started taking fish oil and have been so much better!! I have had a headache or two - mild anxiety but I used to have anxiety attacks at least once a day where in the last 3 weeks I've probably had only one a week that didnt last as long and was not as bad. I just hope it stays this way and only gets better but I sure as heck feel 1000 times better without it. I have had no insomnia -- whatsoever.


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