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Terry4949

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Hi I am new to this forum and this is my first post . I am currently on 30mg mirtazapine and 200mg of pregablin , I have been on these mess for about 3 to 4 months . I have just cut my mirtazapine from 30mg to 15mg and in the space of 4 days I have have horrible side effects , anxiety through the roof , shaking , lack of appetite poor sleep crying spells and the general feeling of feeling crap . The reason I have started to withdraw from the mirtazapine is that after 3 months I feel no benefit only get awfull side effects . No help with my anxiety and depression if anything it's made me more depressed . I have gone through withdrawing from Effexor and that was really tough , however just the drop for a few days of the mirtazapine has left me crushed , my doctor told me that mirtazapine was a easy drug to withdraw from , but after 4 days it has left me house bound . Has anyone got any idea on how I get through this or any experience in mirtazapine withdrawals

2001 to jan 2015 Effexor 150 mg 

jan 2015 15 mg mirtazapine 20 mg quetiapine 

feb 2015 quetiapine stopped 

feb 2015 30 mg of citalopram added 

feb 2015 mirtazapine increased to 30 mg 

july 2015 citalopram stopped 

sept 2015 200mg of pregabalin 

jan 2017 mirtazapine stopped

jan 2017 20 mg fluoxetine

march 2017 all meds stopped 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Terry,

 

Welcome to SA.  Sorry to hear that you are not doing too well.  To enable the mods to better advise you, could you please put your drug history in your signature (drugs, date, dose & how you went off them).  These are the instructions for creating your signature.  Thank you.

 

Because these drugs change the brain, this site recommends a 10% taper of the previous dose with a holding period of 4-6 weeks to allow the brain to adjust to receiving less of the drug/s.  Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

These helped me to understand why tapering is the best way:  Brain Remodelling & Video: Healing from Antidepressants: Patterns of Recovery

 

You may want to consider reinstating a small dose of the last drug you stopped.  Please see About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms.  The idea of reinstating is to reduce the withdrawal symptoms.  If you do decide to reinstate, I suggest you wait for a mod to give you a suggestion of what dose they think would be suitable.

 

Please use this Topic to ask questions and use it as a journal to document your progress.

 

This site has a lot of very helpful information and the members are very supportive.

 

CC

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Terry.  It looks like you've just made too big of a cut in dose.  If it's only been four days, you should be able to go back to your original dose and hold there to restabilise, before beginning a slower taper.  Before we can advise you further, you'll need to provide your med history in your signature, including meds you've taken in the past, dosages, when and for how long, etc.  It would also help to know the reason they were prescribed, if you don't mind answering that.  Is the pregabalin being prescribed for anxiety?  How long ago did you stop the Effexor and how did you stop it?

2001–2002 paroxetine

2003  citalopram

2004-2008  paroxetine (various failed tapers) 
2008  paroxetine slow taper down to

2016  Aug off paroxetine
2016  citalopram May 20mg  Oct 15mg … slow taper down
2018  citalopram 13 Feb 4.6mg 15 Mar 4.4mg 29 Apr 4.2mg 6 Jul 4.1mg 17 Aug 4.0mg  18 Nov 3.8mg
2019  15 Mar 3.6mg  21 May 3.4mg  26 Dec 3.2mg 

2020  19 Feb 3.0mg 19 Jul 2.9mg 16 Sep 2.8mg 25 Oct 2.7mg 23 Oct 2.6mg 24 Dec 2.5mg

2021   29 Aug 2.4mg   15 Nov 2.3mg

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  • Moderator Emeritus

If it's only been four days, you should be able to go back to your original dose and hold there to restabilise, before beginning a slower taper. 

 

Hello Terry and welcome. If I were you, I would do the exact thing Songbird suggests.

 

We will be able to say more once you provide more information indicated.

 

Best,

Bubble

Current: 9/2022 Xanax 0.08, Lexapro 2

2020 Xanax 0.26 (down from 2 mg in 2013), Lexapro 2.85 mg (down from 5 mg 2013)

Amitriptyline (tricyclic AD) and clonazepam for 3 months to treat headache in 1996 
1999. - present Xanax prn up to 3 mg.
2000-2005 Prozac CT twice, 2005-2010 Zoloft CT 3 times, 2010-2013 Escitalopram 10 mg
went from 2.5 to zero on 7 Aug 2013, bad crash 40 days after
reinstated to 5 mg Escitalopram 4Oct 2013 and holding liquid Xanax every 5 hours
28 Jan 2014 Xanax 1.9, 18 Apr  2015 1 mg,  25 June 2015 Lex 4.8, 6 Aug Lexapro 4.6, 1 Jan 2016 0.64  Xanax     9 month hold

24 Sept 2016 4.5 Lex, 17 Oct 4.4 Lex (Nov 0.63 Xanax, Dec 0.625 Xanax), 1 Jan 2017 4.3 Lex, 24 Jan 4.2, 5 Feb 4.1, 24 Mar 4 mg, 10 Apr 3.9 mg, May 3.85, June 3.8, July 3.75, 22 July 3.7, 15 Aug 3.65, 17 Sept 3.6, 1 Jan 2018 3.55, 19 Jan 3.5, 16 Mar 3.4, 14 Apr 3.3, 23 May 3.2, 16 June 3.15, 15 Jul 3.1, 31 Jul 3, 21 Aug 2.9 26 Sept 2.85, 14 Nov Xan 0.61, 1 Dec 0.59, 19 Dec 0.58, 4 Jan 0.565, 6 Feb 0.55, 20 Feb 0.535, 1 Mar 0.505, 10 Mar 0.475, 14 Mar 0.45, 4 Apr 0.415, 13 Apr 0.37, 21 Apr 0.33, 29 Apr 0.29, 10 May 0.27, 17 May 0.25, 28 May 0.22, 19 June 0.22, 21 Jun updose to 0.24, 24 Jun updose to 0.26

Supplements: Omega 3 + Vit E, Vit C, D, magnesium, Taurine, probiotic 

I'm not a medical professional. Any advice I give is based on my own experience and reading. 

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Thanks for your reply , sorry I am having trouble posting my history , can't seem to find the little black arrow under my profile name . But my meds history is as so ,

 

was on Effexor 100mg from 2000 until beginning of 2015 ,when doctor stop it had me reduce it over 2 weeks .terrible withdrawals ,

 

then put on citolapram 30mg for 5 months and again stopped over a period of 2 weeks ,again hell on earth befell me , which led to current medications .

 

i feel everyday for the last 3 years I have been in withdrawal every day , no life , the reason I say 3 years is that is when I believe that the Effexor stopped working . I will say that while on Effexor for a lot of the years I was pretty stable and lived a manageable life .but when they stopped working , not realising until far to late that I was suffering withdrawal , thought I was just getting worse and never link it to the med .

 

Just don't no what to do . I keep taking these hard drugs and feel no better . The mirtazapine was prescribed for depression , which I can say I never suffered with on the Effexor , and I believe I never did all those years ago just had problems with bad anxiety and I was prescribed pregablin for the anxiety

2001 to jan 2015 Effexor 150 mg 

jan 2015 15 mg mirtazapine 20 mg quetiapine 

feb 2015 quetiapine stopped 

feb 2015 30 mg of citalopram added 

feb 2015 mirtazapine increased to 30 mg 

july 2015 citalopram stopped 

sept 2015 200mg of pregabalin 

jan 2017 mirtazapine stopped

jan 2017 20 mg fluoxetine

march 2017 all meds stopped 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Terry,

 

Mine is a white drop down arrowhead on the right of my name.

 

These are the instructions for Complete your Signature from Phone or Tablet

 

CC

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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Terry your story sounds similar to mine. I was switched from venlafaxine to mirtazapine when the venlafaxine stopped working for me and I was getting severe heart palpitations and tachycardia which I believed they were causing among other side effects like brain fog and exhaustion. The mirtazapine was supposed to be a newer sort of drug that might solve that problem which it did for a week until it made me hugely suicidal and a reduction made things worse as I tried to taper off so the psychiatrist had me stop cold turkey. Then I was 'tried' on a series of other drugs which finally fried my brain and set off the most severe reaction that I've never fully recovered from (but was extremely severe for five months before I began to be able to semi-function again). Whatever you do now understand that your brain will be very sensitive. If the mirtazapine wasn't giving you unbearable side effects then maybe trying to reinstate and taper more slowly or hold on your current dose till you stabilise will be more helpful to you. I wouldn't be tempted to try any new drugs you haven't had before as each one may add to the problem. Good luck. 

 

In the meantime supplements that will support your body can be helpful and you can find suggestions for those commonly most useful in the Symptoms and self care forum. I find Omega 3 really good. 

2010: Adverse reaction to citalopram/suicidal.

2010-2014: Venlafaxine doses 75-150-300. Began to cause heart palpitations.

2014: Adverse side effects from Sertraline

2014: Adverse reaction to Mirtazipine/suicidal. CT withdrawal. 

2014: Accute adverse reaction to one prozac pill. Body & brain went on fire. Full WD

2015: Half dose of Lorazepam restarted all the WD symptoms. 

2017: Bad reaction to stopping propranolol beta blockers. Violent shaking WD again.
2023: Severe adrenaline surges triggered by low frequency sound/vibration next door. Heart rate going dangerously high so now 25mg atenolol.

 

Current Supplements: Omega 3 & Vitamin C, magnesium. 
Current other medications: Metformin (type ii diabetic), Lymecycline (for rosacea), Atenolol 25mg. 

 

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* merged with the existing thread

 

Hi as I am new to this and I am using a Apple iPad recently got for Christmas , I am still finding it hard to up load my medical history to my profile , I have been given a link page which tells me what to do but I can't find any arrow or any setting to click on getting frustrated ! Please anybody can you help me and make it simple as I am not very good at these things

2001 to jan 2015 Effexor 150 mg 

jan 2015 15 mg mirtazapine 20 mg quetiapine 

feb 2015 quetiapine stopped 

feb 2015 30 mg of citalopram added 

feb 2015 mirtazapine increased to 30 mg 

july 2015 citalopram stopped 

sept 2015 200mg of pregabalin 

jan 2017 mirtazapine stopped

jan 2017 20 mg fluoxetine

march 2017 all meds stopped 

Link to comment

How to add or edit your signature

  • Click on the small downward arrow next to your name in the top right corner of any page.
  • Select My Settings from the list.
  • On the left of the My Settings page, click on the Signature tab. You will be able to add or edit your signature.
  • Click on the big black Save Changes button at the bottom when you are done.

Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen

We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. 

URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting  for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing.

http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651   

Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos.

Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you

Recovering paxil addict

None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. 

This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! 

  "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped."  Dr Mosher. Me too! 

Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015

I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015

Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017

 

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

 then put on citolapram 30mg for 5 months and again stopped over a period of 2 weeks ,

 

What happened over the 5 months on citalopram, and what was the reason for stopping it?

 

Whatever you do now understand that your brain will be very sensitive. If the mirtazapine wasn't giving you unbearable side effects then maybe trying to reinstate and taper more slowly or hold on your current dose till you stabilise will be more helpful to you. I wouldn't be tempted to try any new drugs you haven't had before as each one may add to the problem.

 

I agree, stability is priority right now.  Were you able to cope on the 30mg mirtazapine prior to your recent dose cut?  I think your best bet is to try to stabilise on your current meds, rather than try any switching which could just confuse your brain even more.

2001–2002 paroxetine

2003  citalopram

2004-2008  paroxetine (various failed tapers) 
2008  paroxetine slow taper down to

2016  Aug off paroxetine
2016  citalopram May 20mg  Oct 15mg … slow taper down
2018  citalopram 13 Feb 4.6mg 15 Mar 4.4mg 29 Apr 4.2mg 6 Jul 4.1mg 17 Aug 4.0mg  18 Nov 3.8mg
2019  15 Mar 3.6mg  21 May 3.4mg  26 Dec 3.2mg 

2020  19 Feb 3.0mg 19 Jul 2.9mg 16 Sep 2.8mg 25 Oct 2.7mg 23 Oct 2.6mg 24 Dec 2.5mg

2021   29 Aug 2.4mg   15 Nov 2.3mg

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Hi I am new to this forum and I wondered if any one has had any experience with withdrawing from mirtazapine , I have been on it for about 5 months now 30mg , after being stopped citolapram 30mg ,withdrawal time 2 weeks . Doctor just says you will be fine ! .

 

What do they no , lm led to believe that you should reduce 10% of you dose at a time , the thing is I went to see my local pharmacy and they told me because this med only comes in 45 30 15mg tablets it's not possible to reduce by 10% at a time.

 

I ask about it being done in a solution form but he said that they don't do it . The pharmacist said that I would have to take 30mgs 6 days a week and one 15mg and then every week drop another day to 15mg , until I finally got to each day 15mg and start the same process again buy cutting a tablet in half to 7.5 mg . The when I reached a full week. At 7.5mg every week start missing a day each week until I was down to none .

 

Does anybody have any experience with this med and this method that can give me any tips or pointers , the reason I want to withdraw from this med is because since I started taking it I have become so much more depressed also it has made me have thoughts about not wanting to be here , there seems to be no point in life. , very emotional and. Bad anxiety , I never experienced this on other meds ,

2001 to jan 2015 Effexor 150 mg 

jan 2015 15 mg mirtazapine 20 mg quetiapine 

feb 2015 quetiapine stopped 

feb 2015 30 mg of citalopram added 

feb 2015 mirtazapine increased to 30 mg 

july 2015 citalopram stopped 

sept 2015 200mg of pregabalin 

jan 2017 mirtazapine stopped

jan 2017 20 mg fluoxetine

march 2017 all meds stopped 

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Hi Terry. Welcome.

There are quite a few here who have or are still tapering Mirtazapine. You will get lots of information here on how to taper safely. Alternating doses is not recommended, as it destabilizes your C.N.S.  Here is some information on tapering Mirtazapine.

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/5301-tips-for-tapering-off-remeron-mirtazapine/

This is your journal / thread for asking questions and keeping track of your progress. Please come back with your questions & concerns.  Please read the link , and see what you think .

Ali

Many SSRI's and SSNRI's over 20 years. Zoloft for 7 years followed by Effexor, Lexapro, Prozac, Cymbalta, Celexa, Pristiq, Valdoxan, Mianserin and more - on and off. No tapering. Cold turkey off Valdoxan - end of May 2014

 

                                                  Psych Drug - free since May 2014
.
         

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hello Terry and welcome to s/a,

 

Have you started that tapering plan yet or are you still on 30mg mirtazapine?  It doesn't sound like a particularly stable plan, and is also very fast. 

 

We recommend tapering by no more than 10% each month.  You can make notes about your symptoms and once you've been tapering for a while you may notice you need to slow down, or that you are possibly be able speed up, depending on how your body responds to the process. 

 

The way you stopped citalopram was basically a CT, which will have destabilised your system a bit so you will probably need to proceed cautiously with this taper. 

 

If you read the link AliG gave you, you'll find instructions for turning your pills into a liquid.  This gives you the ability to taper by 10%. 

 

Would you be able to put your drug and taper history into a signature?  Dates, amounts, reductions etc.  It's really helpful for us to see easily what your situation is.  Thanks :)

 

I'm sorry you are feeling the effects of this drug - they seem very good at taking our feelings and amplifying them greatly.  Try to remember that those negative thoughts are not 'you' they are the drug. 

 

Well, have a read and a think on all that and come back here for more discussion. 

 

Good to have you here,

Karen.

2010  Fluoxetine 20mg.  2011  Escitalopram 20mg.  2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS.  Effexor 150mg. 

2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants.  Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. 

Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms).

8 month hold.

2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent).

2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well.
Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea.

2023 Now on 7 micro-beads of Effexor. Minimal symptoms but much more time needed between drops.

 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.'  Dr Gabor Mate.

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I am currently on 30mg mirtazapine for depression and anxiety , I have been on mirtazapine appx 5 months now .

 

Don't like the med that much and I am thinking about withdrawing from it , but slowly as I have been advised on here , the thing is the anxiety is so severe much worse than the depression this has been going on for 16 months now , morning noon and night.

 

I understand that mirtazapine is for treating depression and not anxiety , has anyone tried any anxiety meds that they feel really do work , I need to get on top of this anxiety so I can start to withdraw from the mirtazapine, my doctor is no help , he just thinks that we need to stop the depression and the anxiety will ease , I struggle to help my self most days as the anxiety is so bad , I would like to add I have never smoked a cigarette in my life , I do not drink alcohol , has been nearly 5 years now , not that I was much of a drinker anyhow , I eat very healthy ,and my diet for the last 10 years has contained no sugar , so there is not a a more I can give up to make myself feel better .

 

But this crippling anxiety will not leave me . Or is it still due to the fact that I have withdrew from 3 meds in 12 months ! See my history notes , any help would be so much appreciated

2001 to jan 2015 Effexor 150 mg 

jan 2015 15 mg mirtazapine 20 mg quetiapine 

feb 2015 quetiapine stopped 

feb 2015 30 mg of citalopram added 

feb 2015 mirtazapine increased to 30 mg 

july 2015 citalopram stopped 

sept 2015 200mg of pregabalin 

jan 2017 mirtazapine stopped

jan 2017 20 mg fluoxetine

march 2017 all meds stopped 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Terry,

 

I merged your two intros - it's just one per member.  Whenever you have more questions just come to this thread and 'reply'.  This way all your info will stay together and people can help you better. 

 

We are a site for helping people to taper safely.  We don't advise about which drugs to take.  So we can help you make a plan for tapering the mirtazapine, but will not be advising any anxiety meds.  You are right that you need to get on top of the anxiety.  The most stable and lasting way to do that is to learn non-drug techniques.  Many of us here have had to do this. 

 

Have a read of that link, and the links people have posted you above.  You will be okay - go slowly and calmly.  Breathe :).

 

Karen.

2010  Fluoxetine 20mg.  2011  Escitalopram 20mg.  2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS.  Effexor 150mg. 

2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants.  Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. 

Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms).

8 month hold.

2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent).

2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well.
Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea.

2023 Now on 7 micro-beads of Effexor. Minimal symptoms but much more time needed between drops.

 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.'  Dr Gabor Mate.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Terry , welcome to the site. I've merged your posts today - one thread per customer in the Introduction section.

 

You went from 30mg to 15mg around January 3 - did you updose back to 30mg as recommended?

 

Your anxiety is is part of the package of an unsettled nervous system from all the drug changes in the past 12 months.

You may find that it will decrease as you start to taper. After this little hiccup , if you've gone back to 30mg , I'd wait another 4 weeks minimum before starting a sensible taper. None of this 50% stuff , okay?

 

In the meantime , check out some of the threads in the Symptoms and Self Care section for non-drug techniques to manage anxiety.

 

bw , Fresh

 

(I'm one step behind Karen today :) )

 

.

1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg

2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg

Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta

Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months.

July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months.

Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg.

October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive.

March 2016 , 21mg

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Don't worry Fresh, New Zealanders are always ahead of the bunch :P.

2010  Fluoxetine 20mg.  2011  Escitalopram 20mg.  2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS.  Effexor 150mg. 

2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants.  Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. 

Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms).

8 month hold.

2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent).

2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well.
Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea.

2023 Now on 7 micro-beads of Effexor. Minimal symptoms but much more time needed between drops.

 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.'  Dr Gabor Mate.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Terry, the picture I'm seeing (correct me if I'm wrong) is that the Effexor pooped out on you (i.e. stopped working) after 15 years use, so your doc switched you to citalopram, which didn't do a great job of covering Effexor withdrawal, so you then got switched to mirtazapine.  So now you are in withdrawal from both Effexor and citalopram, plus your recent mirtazapine drop.  Unfortunately, many people find these meds don't cover for each other very well, and you end up on the med merry-go-round trying everything under the sun trying to find relief.

 

You will be able to slow taper the mirtazapine using a scale or other techniques you can learn about here, so don't worry about your pharmacist saying it isn't possible, it definitely is.  But for now your priority should be trying to get stable.  I would say stick to your 30mg for a couple of months and let things settle down for a while. 

 

The anxiety is because your nervous system is sensitised from the withdrawals.  There are non-med approaches for anxiety you can look into.  I highly recommend books and recordings by Dr. Claire Weekes.  Also relaxation exercises done regularly to calm your nervous system, and being gentle and kind to yourself.  Try to avoid anything stimulating, such as scary movies or TV, strenuous exercise (gentle exercise is good), and stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine and alcohol.  Say positive stuff to yourself.  As much as possible you want to avoid winding up your nervous system with stress and fear, and calm and relax it instead.

2001–2002 paroxetine

2003  citalopram

2004-2008  paroxetine (various failed tapers) 
2008  paroxetine slow taper down to

2016  Aug off paroxetine
2016  citalopram May 20mg  Oct 15mg … slow taper down
2018  citalopram 13 Feb 4.6mg 15 Mar 4.4mg 29 Apr 4.2mg 6 Jul 4.1mg 17 Aug 4.0mg  18 Nov 3.8mg
2019  15 Mar 3.6mg  21 May 3.4mg  26 Dec 3.2mg 

2020  19 Feb 3.0mg 19 Jul 2.9mg 16 Sep 2.8mg 25 Oct 2.7mg 23 Oct 2.6mg 24 Dec 2.5mg

2021   29 Aug 2.4mg   15 Nov 2.3mg

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Hi I am new to this forum and have posted a couple of times , I would like to share my life with you , in order that hopefully it may help give you the strength to continue you withdrawal and reach that goal that I now hope to achieve . At the age of 23 I became anxious basically over night for no reason , I felt anxious most of the time and started to worry about everything and anything . So l went to see my doctor who in 10 minutes done a full check up and sent me packing with Prozac .

 

2 years later feeling no better went back and again sent packing this time with sertraline . by now the anxiety was crippling but I had never had depression , with 2 weeks of starting this med I was depressed and very suicidel I was place in a secure unit at a local hospital for 6 weeks with virtually no help at all ,only to administer my meds , finally I manage to get out , even though I lied and said I felt better when I felt really no better , all this because I was suffering from anxiety ! .

 

So l battle every day untill the year 2000 when I was switched to Effexor 100mg for the next 15 years was my poison , this helped with my depression and slowed the anxiety a bit and perhaps made me get through life with just about my head above water. But towards the end of 2014 things really went bad the Effexor just stopped working , huge crash , crying shaking , suicidel , utter despair , my life was turned upside down again ,so back to the doctors again ,

 

now we have all been here at some point when you are in such despair that you just want something now just to to take the heartache away I was sent packing again with mirtazapine and quetiapine but for the next 2 months I was in hell , probably due to the withdrawal symptoms of the Effexor . So returned to my doctor who said that the meds he put me on should be working by now and so he changed me to citolapram 30mg with a 2 week taper from the other 2 meds ,

 

5 months later and still the anxiety and depression raged on so severe that I honestly went to bed at night and prayed to God that I didn't wake up in the morning , so went to see the doctor again and he said enough of the citolapram you need to go back on mirtazapine , ! So in a nut shell I have been meds for 25 years and I can honestly say in all those years I have not had one single day where I have been free from anxiety depression or some sort of horrible side effect , I truly believe that the meds have made me worse or have kept me ina vicious cycle ,

 

I hope that anyone that has taken time to read my story and is in the early years of taking meds and are trying to withdraw feel encourage to carry on because as you see with me I have given twenty five years of my life to try and find the peace that I want , and have I found it no . I believe that I could not have found life any worse without these meds , remember that I only suffered with anxiety in the beginning . This is why now I have decided to withdraw from my med slowly but with the aim to be free one day , 25 years of chemicals in my brain , I just want to know what it is like to be free from drugs that Are supposed to make us feel better ,

 

in the 25years I have been on these meds not once have I had any support from the people that have given me these , nor have any of these people told me about withdrawal effects and the damage that they can do . My wife is a career at a home with about 40 patients all in their later years many of them suffer with altziemers or dementia ,when the are diagnosed with these poor conditions they are put on meds that help to treat this , but many of these patients are on some sort of antidepressant so being that they are taken of that med with no withdrawal taper as the antidepressants that the are on have serious interactions with the meds used to treat altziemers and dementia , these patients must go through hell , but when it comes to that are choice of taken the med is taken away and some one else takes over for us ,

 

I do not want that t o be the outlook in my life , I want. To be the one to decide if or not I should take a med not some one else , that is why I need to be med free no matter what it takes or how hard it will be , to be honest I have visit hell that many times I don't need drugs to get there , I hope this gives anyone who is withdrawing the will to continue , don't go waisting 25 years of your life , trying to find a life , there is a life but away from meds

Edited by KarenB
added paragraph breaks & merged topics

2001 to jan 2015 Effexor 150 mg 

jan 2015 15 mg mirtazapine 20 mg quetiapine 

feb 2015 quetiapine stopped 

feb 2015 30 mg of citalopram added 

feb 2015 mirtazapine increased to 30 mg 

july 2015 citalopram stopped 

sept 2015 200mg of pregabalin 

jan 2017 mirtazapine stopped

jan 2017 20 mg fluoxetine

march 2017 all meds stopped 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

What an utter tragedy and an indictment on our modern medical system.  How lazy is it that when someone has anxiety they just get Prozac straight away, no real investigation, no attempt to try gentler, non-med methods of treatment first.  The whole system is geared to push drugs.  It makes me so angry.

 

My heart breaks for you, Terry.  Hang in there.  Look into the non-med approaches described around this site.  They can't really "cure" chemically-induced symptoms, but sometimes they can alleviate them to some extent, and help to manage and cope with them.

2001–2002 paroxetine

2003  citalopram

2004-2008  paroxetine (various failed tapers) 
2008  paroxetine slow taper down to

2016  Aug off paroxetine
2016  citalopram May 20mg  Oct 15mg … slow taper down
2018  citalopram 13 Feb 4.6mg 15 Mar 4.4mg 29 Apr 4.2mg 6 Jul 4.1mg 17 Aug 4.0mg  18 Nov 3.8mg
2019  15 Mar 3.6mg  21 May 3.4mg  26 Dec 3.2mg 

2020  19 Feb 3.0mg 19 Jul 2.9mg 16 Sep 2.8mg 25 Oct 2.7mg 23 Oct 2.6mg 24 Dec 2.5mg

2021   29 Aug 2.4mg   15 Nov 2.3mg

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Terry, 

 

I agree with Songbird's sentiments.  It is truly awful what has been done to you in the last year.  Your nervous system has been yanked all over the place! 

 

Given it is only a year since you went off Effexor, I am wondering if Effexor withdrawal still isn't the main problem, now complicated by all the med changes since.  You were on it for 15 years and with that duration, a 4 week taper is a Cold Turkey.  I was on Effexor for 12 years and came off of it equally fast 1 1/2 years ago and experienced horrid withdrawal for 10 months before reinstating. I was put on mirtazapine about 8 months out but it failed, just couldn't hold up to the withdrawal and I was totally apathetic.   No one realized I was in withdrawal. Had I not reinstated I'm sure the hell would have continued perhaps to this day.

 

Given that, I'm not sure what the answer is.  Generally speaking, it is not recommended to reinstate so far out.  It did work for me, perhaps in combination with the mirt.  Your situation is more complex than mine with the other meds thrown in.

 

Though you are undoubtedly having neuro emotions, your story tells that you were hit with anxiety at 23, and I wonder if you were ever able to determine what triggered that?  It is never too late to start doing the work to ease stress and anxiety.  Have a listen to this video as I think it could be very helpful:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze0-vGa-MQ8

 

And I created this topic because i found the audios contained within very helpful:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/10992-eckhart-tolle-the-pain-body-and-mental-suffering-during-withdrawal/

 

I agree that further drug changes at this time will only add to the chaos.

 

If you have not tried magnesium yet, that may help with the anxiety.  I prefer the magnesium glycinate version and take 500 mg AM/PM, as it doesn't have any laxative properties.  Some find inositol powder helpful as well, about 15 g/day, spread out through the day.

 

I'm glad you have found SA!

 

SG

Started ADs back around 1995 after bad break-up, starting with Prozac.  Switched to Wellbutrin, and then to Effexor in 2002
Effexor XR 2002-2014 up to 225 mg at one point, down to 37.5 mg towards end but back up to 75 mg in 2014; now realize I had W/D as I dropped down, memory very poor about history.  Extreme emotions, poor concentration as I stepped back down, didn't connect the dots!
Summer 2014 reduced to 0 very quickly, was sick of anhedonia/sexual dysfunction due to meds, depression never controlled if not worse. Didn't recognize WD since symptoms built slowly (thought I had ADD! and menopausal on top of it), starting with severe sweats, very bad cog-fog and memory issues, culminating in weight loss, severe anxiety and depression, panic, severe apathy and insomnia by eight months off.  Saw p-doc who put me on Remeron, increased from 7.5 mg/day to 37.5 mg by May 22, 2015; still doing very badly though able to sleep.

June 1. 2015 Reinstated Effexor XR 37.5 mg, Remeron dropped to 30 mg PM. Immediate relief of symptoms, like nothing had ever happened!  Joined SA and began on advice of friend who recognized it was WD all along! Began tapering in July 2015.

Been tapering both meds ever since, focusing on one more than the other or doing no more than 5% of each per month.

12 mg Effexor and 5.8 mg Remeron (mirtazapine SolTabs to make a solution with OraPlus) as of 5/4/2017 

Update 3/14/18: 2.9 mg Remeron and 6 mg Effexor; 6/10/18:  2.6 mg Remeron and 4.9 mg Effexor

 

My intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9313-squirrellygirl-effexor-withdrawal-etc/page-2#entry196679

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

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*post moved from symptoms forum

 

Has anyone had any success with magnesium and taurine supplements , I am currently not taking any supplements , but I have been reading a book by Patrick Holborn and he says that these to supplements in conjunction can help ease meds withdrawals , just curious

Edited by Petunia
added note

2001 to jan 2015 Effexor 150 mg 

jan 2015 15 mg mirtazapine 20 mg quetiapine 

feb 2015 quetiapine stopped 

feb 2015 30 mg of citalopram added 

feb 2015 mirtazapine increased to 30 mg 

july 2015 citalopram stopped 

sept 2015 200mg of pregabalin 

jan 2017 mirtazapine stopped

jan 2017 20 mg fluoxetine

march 2017 all meds stopped 

Link to comment

Terry,

 

                         Yes, I have had success with these supplements along with several others.

Magnesium is said to be "nature's calcium channel blocker." This refers more to its anti-hypertensive properties, which strays from the relevance of your topic, but I think it'll send you in the right direction.

Magnesium is a smooth muscle relaxant and helps calm muscle tension, improve heart performance, and may help alleviate depression.

 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolutionary-psychiatry/201106/magnesium-and-the-brain-the-original-chill-pill

 

 

Magnesium also helps to alkalize body pH.

 

Taurine is said to help relax skeletal muscle, but I think you might also benefit from a couple other supplements that deal with inflammation.

 

1.) Fish oil @ 1g/day <------American Heart Association recommendation

2.) Turmeric (curcumin) with piperine

 

I have noticed a considerable lift in mood with these!

 

What withdrawals are you dealing with and with what meds (if you don't mind me asking)?

Vaulted on to 20mg Lexapro in 2004.

Consistently on until 2009, roughly.

Stopped, cold turkey. <----naïve, didn't know any better. :(

Experienced irritability, dysphoria, and - you guessed it - depression.

Went off and on, on and off for a while.

Experimented with Wellbutrin and Zoloft.

On 10mg fluoxetine hcl for the last 2 years.

 

I believe my erratic medication behavior has compounded my

depression 10 fold, and has made it very hard to live without

AD's. Have gone 2 years without them before, and had to

return. It's that bad.

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This feels like it will never end , having a slow morning and then I feel the wave coming , and then overwhelming feelings of not wanting to be here any more ,the heart felt despair and gloom sinks in and nothing is going to lift it ,I'm reduced to tears day after day , and then I feel the wave go after may be 2 or 3 hours and I go back to some sort of calm , this has been my life for the last 24 months , when does it get easier , maybe tomorrow , , does anybody else feel like this and how long does it last . Loosing my mind !

2001 to jan 2015 Effexor 150 mg 

jan 2015 15 mg mirtazapine 20 mg quetiapine 

feb 2015 quetiapine stopped 

feb 2015 30 mg of citalopram added 

feb 2015 mirtazapine increased to 30 mg 

july 2015 citalopram stopped 

sept 2015 200mg of pregabalin 

jan 2017 mirtazapine stopped

jan 2017 20 mg fluoxetine

march 2017 all meds stopped 

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Terry,

 

I've merged this into your intro.  Whenever you'd like to post please find this thread and click 'reply' and type your new post.  This way all your info stays together. 

 

I do feel for you - you are in a really tough place, and it's been going on for a while now.  What self-care do you have in place? 

2010  Fluoxetine 20mg.  2011  Escitalopram 20mg.  2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS.  Effexor 150mg. 

2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants.  Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. 

Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms).

8 month hold.

2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent).

2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well.
Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea.

2023 Now on 7 micro-beads of Effexor. Minimal symptoms but much more time needed between drops.

 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.'  Dr Gabor Mate.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

This feels like it will never end , having a slow morning and then I feel the wave coming , and then overwhelming feelings of not wanting to be here any more ,the heart felt despair and gloom sinks in and nothing is going to lift it ,I'm reduced to tears day after day , and then I feel the wave go after may be 2 or 3 hours and I go back to some sort of calm , this has been my life for the last 24 months , when does it get easier , maybe tomorrow , , does anybody else feel like this and how long does it last . Loosing my mind !

 

You're not losing your mind, your "real mind" is still in there, just not always accessible right now.  I think of it as being like when storm clouds obscure the sun.  The sun is still there behind the clouds, you just can't see it for a while, but eventually the clouds clear and you see it again.

 

I found it helped to give my negative feelings a name - I called mine the "doomcloud", but others have called theirs various names, such as "demons", "Paxil thoughts" and so on.  By giving it a name, when that wave of doom hits, we can tell ourselves "oh, there's the doomcloud again", and so we separate it from ourselves and identify with it less.  Those thoughts and feelings are not us.  We can observe them, and understand that they are from a chemically-induced state in our brains, and not buy into their negative messages.  This is a form of mindfulness - being the detached observer in our minds.  It takes practice, but can be very effective.

 

You might not realise it, but if you're having relief from the waves after a couple of hours, that's good news.  Did you reinstate your 30mg dose?

2001–2002 paroxetine

2003  citalopram

2004-2008  paroxetine (various failed tapers) 
2008  paroxetine slow taper down to

2016  Aug off paroxetine
2016  citalopram May 20mg  Oct 15mg … slow taper down
2018  citalopram 13 Feb 4.6mg 15 Mar 4.4mg 29 Apr 4.2mg 6 Jul 4.1mg 17 Aug 4.0mg  18 Nov 3.8mg
2019  15 Mar 3.6mg  21 May 3.4mg  26 Dec 3.2mg 

2020  19 Feb 3.0mg 19 Jul 2.9mg 16 Sep 2.8mg 25 Oct 2.7mg 23 Oct 2.6mg 24 Dec 2.5mg

2021   29 Aug 2.4mg   15 Nov 2.3mg

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Terry , please can you clarify your current mirtazapine dose?

 

"You went from 30mg to 15mg around January 3 - did you updose back to 30mg as recommended?"

(Jan. 10)

If so , what date? Please can you add this to your signature.

 

If you did , it's going to take a couple of weeks for your system to recover from the abrupt drop.

 

If you click FOLLOW at the top right , you'll receive an email each time someone posts here.

 

.

1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg

2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg

Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta

Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months.

July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months.

Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg.

October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive.

March 2016 , 21mg

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

 

 

I found it helped to give my negative feelings a name - I called mine the "doomcloud", but others have called theirs various names, such as "demons", "Paxil thoughts" and so on.  By giving it a name, when that wave of doom hits, we can tell ourselves "oh, there's the doomcloud again", and so we separate it from ourselves and identify with it less.  Those thoughts and feelings are not us.  We can observe them, and understand that they are from a chemically-induced state in our brains, and not buy into their negative messages.  This is a form of mindfulness - being the detached observer in our minds.  It takes practice, but can be very effective.

 

You might not realise it, but if you're having relief from the waves after a couple of hours, that's good news.  Did you reinstate your 30mg dose?

 

Songbird, you summed that up so perfectly!  Eckhart Tolle calls it the Pain Body, an entity of sorts, our "thought form."  But in this case, it is the neuro-emotion version, like you said "a chemically-induced state."  I loved the sun/storm-cloud analogy, beautiful!  

 

Presence is key, and though it can be a struggle when in a wave, you gotta keep trying.  And I am so happy for you Terry, that it does clear part of the time!  In support of what Songbird wrote, you might enjoy listening to these audios about The Pain Body

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/10992-eckhart-tolle-the-pain-body-and-mental-suffering-during-withdrawal/

 

SG

Started ADs back around 1995 after bad break-up, starting with Prozac.  Switched to Wellbutrin, and then to Effexor in 2002
Effexor XR 2002-2014 up to 225 mg at one point, down to 37.5 mg towards end but back up to 75 mg in 2014; now realize I had W/D as I dropped down, memory very poor about history.  Extreme emotions, poor concentration as I stepped back down, didn't connect the dots!
Summer 2014 reduced to 0 very quickly, was sick of anhedonia/sexual dysfunction due to meds, depression never controlled if not worse. Didn't recognize WD since symptoms built slowly (thought I had ADD! and menopausal on top of it), starting with severe sweats, very bad cog-fog and memory issues, culminating in weight loss, severe anxiety and depression, panic, severe apathy and insomnia by eight months off.  Saw p-doc who put me on Remeron, increased from 7.5 mg/day to 37.5 mg by May 22, 2015; still doing very badly though able to sleep.

June 1. 2015 Reinstated Effexor XR 37.5 mg, Remeron dropped to 30 mg PM. Immediate relief of symptoms, like nothing had ever happened!  Joined SA and began on advice of friend who recognized it was WD all along! Began tapering in July 2015.

Been tapering both meds ever since, focusing on one more than the other or doing no more than 5% of each per month.

12 mg Effexor and 5.8 mg Remeron (mirtazapine SolTabs to make a solution with OraPlus) as of 5/4/2017 

Update 3/14/18: 2.9 mg Remeron and 6 mg Effexor; 6/10/18:  2.6 mg Remeron and 4.9 mg Effexor

 

My intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9313-squirrellygirl-effexor-withdrawal-etc/page-2#entry196679

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

*post moved from symptoms forum

 

Has anyone had any success with magnesium and taurine supplements , I am currently not taking any supplements , but I have been reading a book by Patrick Holborn and he says that these to supplements in conjunction can help ease meds withdrawals , just curious

 

I've also had some symptom relief with magnesium and taurine. Here are our topics on these supplements:

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker

 

Taurine (L-taurine amino acid)

 

Many people find fish oil helpful as faultandfracture mentioned, see King of Supplements: Omega 3 Fatty Acids (Fish Oil)

I'm not a doctor.  My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one.

My Introduction Thread

Full Drug and Withdrawal History

Brief Summary

Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects

2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010

Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal

DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms

Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal)

May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins.

Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes

Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine

Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D

June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens.

Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered

Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days.

April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close.

VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from?



VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made?



VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes?



VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects?

VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes

 

 

 

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Hi Terry,

 

Welcome to SA. I came by to read your thread and see how you are feeling today.

 

The most important thing I have learned this past year is to keep things SLOW and keep things stable. Some doctors are idiots and will have people "discontinue" rapidly creating much pain and havoc in the lives of their patients.

 

You are on your way to getting better. Keep the faith. We care about you and are all here to help you.

 

Leahy

2001-2007 Rem 90 mg, xanax 2 mg synthroid 112mcg - 2007-2014 Rem 60 mg xanax 3-4 mg

2015   Feb Rem 45 mg xanax 2 mg, March Rem 30 xanax 2, April  Rem 22.5, May Rem 30  xanax .25x4 hrs, June Rem 26 xanax 2-3, July Rem 22.5 xanax 2, Aug Rem 15 xanax 2, Sept Rem 22 xanax 2, Oct Rem 18 mg xanax .25 mg /4 hrs, Nov Rem 23 mg xanax .5mg, Dec Rem 24 xanax 2 

2016  Jan Rem 20 xanax 2,  Feb Rem 18 mg xanax 1.5, Feb Rem 14 12 mg xanax 1 mg, March Rem 10 9 mg xanax 1-2 mg Rem 7.3 8 xanax 1-2, April Rem 10 12 mg xanax 2 mg, May Rem 11 xanax 1 .75mg Nov Rem 10mg Xanax 2mg 2017 May Rem 10.25 Xanax 1 mg, November Xanax 1mg

 

 

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I have currently reinstated the 30mg for the last 3 weeks not sure if I am feeling the benefits yet , but to be honest I don't actually think it's doing anything for me from day one , I still believe I am suffering Effexor withdrawals and citolapram withdrawals . My mood changes from day to day , just when I think the cloud is lifting I go to bed wake up the next day and I'm back at square one , I so badly want to get these drugs out of my system , and tapering seems like a life time . Practitioners are a waist of time just want me to keep upping the dosage . The daily anxiety haunts me the last 24 months have been torture and I'm sure the meds are making it worse , the depression is bad in the morning but easier in the late afternoon ,it's like a never ending cycle is it the meds causing the symptoms or will I still feel like this when I am finally of them , I'm so confused as what to think !

2001 to jan 2015 Effexor 150 mg 

jan 2015 15 mg mirtazapine 20 mg quetiapine 

feb 2015 quetiapine stopped 

feb 2015 30 mg of citalopram added 

feb 2015 mirtazapine increased to 30 mg 

july 2015 citalopram stopped 

sept 2015 200mg of pregabalin 

jan 2017 mirtazapine stopped

jan 2017 20 mg fluoxetine

march 2017 all meds stopped 

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

I believe you are right about still suffering Effexor withdrawal and probably citalopram withdrawal as well, and the mirtazapine has never worked to cover those.  I think that trying to reinstate either Effexor or citalopram at this point would have a very high risk of severe adverse reaction.  Not tapering the mirtazapine slowly enough produces additional withdrawal problems.  In your first post you said you were suffering from increased w/d effects 4 days after halving your mirtazapine dose.  Has the updose produced any change since then?

2001–2002 paroxetine

2003  citalopram

2004-2008  paroxetine (various failed tapers) 
2008  paroxetine slow taper down to

2016  Aug off paroxetine
2016  citalopram May 20mg  Oct 15mg … slow taper down
2018  citalopram 13 Feb 4.6mg 15 Mar 4.4mg 29 Apr 4.2mg 6 Jul 4.1mg 17 Aug 4.0mg  18 Nov 3.8mg
2019  15 Mar 3.6mg  21 May 3.4mg  26 Dec 3.2mg 

2020  19 Feb 3.0mg 19 Jul 2.9mg 16 Sep 2.8mg 25 Oct 2.7mg 23 Oct 2.6mg 24 Dec 2.5mg

2021   29 Aug 2.4mg   15 Nov 2.3mg

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Hi songbird. Thank you for your reply I have increased my mirtazapine back to 30mg over the last 3 weeks , it has made me slightly less emotional , still depressed in the mornings but not as deep as when I cut to 15mg , anxiety and nervousness are still present , but being on the mirtazapine I can honestly say it's the first antidepressant that I no I am on , it makes me feel rubbish ,knocks me out , leave a horrible taste in my mouth all the time and when I wake my mouth and tongue are numb and tingle , but I can't just stop taking it if you know what I mean . I do feel better back on the 30mg but I don't want to suffer the side effects for the rest of my life , but as we withdraw we tend to go back to that hell we are trying to escape from . A rock and a hard place !

2001 to jan 2015 Effexor 150 mg 

jan 2015 15 mg mirtazapine 20 mg quetiapine 

feb 2015 quetiapine stopped 

feb 2015 30 mg of citalopram added 

feb 2015 mirtazapine increased to 30 mg 

july 2015 citalopram stopped 

sept 2015 200mg of pregabalin 

jan 2017 mirtazapine stopped

jan 2017 20 mg fluoxetine

march 2017 all meds stopped 

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Terry ,   good to hear things are settling down for you.

 

The whole point of a slow taper is to avoid the onset of the symptoms you've had for the past month.

 

If you go down in small increments , you don't get any bad withdrawal symptoms at all.

That is the way to get off these meds , and it's a long process that takes commitment.

 

After this glitch ,  you'd do well to stay on 30 for another 2-3 months.  

If all is stable , you can then begin the 10% maximum cut tapering method that is recommended here.

 

:)

 

.

1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg

2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg

Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta

Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months.

July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months.

Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg.

October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive.

March 2016 , 21mg

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  • Moderator Emeritus

I would stay on the 30mg for a while until you stabilise.  In your case, this would mean, back to how you were before your big drop.  Because you are still in Effexor/citalopram withdrawal, it is unlikely that you will completely stabilise, as you've had some w/d symptoms all along, but anything that flared up with the drop should settle down to where it was before.  Then you can begin another taper, doing much smaller drops.  With slow tapering you may still have some w/d symptoms, but they should be much milder and easier to cope with.  The reason is because the body can cope with and adjust to small changes more easily than big ones.

2001–2002 paroxetine

2003  citalopram

2004-2008  paroxetine (various failed tapers) 
2008  paroxetine slow taper down to

2016  Aug off paroxetine
2016  citalopram May 20mg  Oct 15mg … slow taper down
2018  citalopram 13 Feb 4.6mg 15 Mar 4.4mg 29 Apr 4.2mg 6 Jul 4.1mg 17 Aug 4.0mg  18 Nov 3.8mg
2019  15 Mar 3.6mg  21 May 3.4mg  26 Dec 3.2mg 

2020  19 Feb 3.0mg 19 Jul 2.9mg 16 Sep 2.8mg 25 Oct 2.7mg 23 Oct 2.6mg 24 Dec 2.5mg

2021   29 Aug 2.4mg   15 Nov 2.3mg

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  • 3 weeks later...

I was just wondering if anyone else suffers with mood changes at the same time everyday , I can wake and go through most mornings with anxiety and depression to various degrees , some mornings mild some mornings severe , some days are manageable , but everyday about 1pm untill roughly 4pm my mood just drops , the feeling of doom and gloom descends upon me and the overwhelming sense of helplessness , the feeling you will never get better , utter despair .

 

I can actually feel it coming on my body and mind just seem to drain away and I don't know how to stop or what causes it to happen at the same time every day , it doesn't happen at any other time of day the sudden draining feeling , so why between them hours , has anyone else had this experience

2001 to jan 2015 Effexor 150 mg 

jan 2015 15 mg mirtazapine 20 mg quetiapine 

feb 2015 quetiapine stopped 

feb 2015 30 mg of citalopram added 

feb 2015 mirtazapine increased to 30 mg 

july 2015 citalopram stopped 

sept 2015 200mg of pregabalin 

jan 2017 mirtazapine stopped

jan 2017 20 mg fluoxetine

march 2017 all meds stopped 

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