Medication Question - Mirtazapine

staceyrawrcakes · 03-10-2011, 09:16 AM

I've been on Mirtazapine for nearly 2 years now and they're not doing anything for me anymore. Went to the doctor to try and get a stronger dose or get different tablets but they wouldn't do it.
I know it's probably a bad idea but I've decided to stop taking them. It's been about 3 or 4 days and I've been feeling really depressed and suicidal (which I expected) but I've not been sleeping properly and I've been feeling really irritable and been snapping at everyone.
So I was just wondering if that would be related to me stopping them. I was wondering as well if there's any withdrawal symptoms as such and if there are, how long they last.
I'm determined that I want to stop them and nothing's going to change my mind at the moment so I realise that I'm bringing all this on myself, I just feel that I don't need to be taking something that doesn't work anymore

Bellatrix · 03-10-2011, 09:18 AM

Do NOT stop taking them without seeing your doctor.

Go and make an appointment now, for as soon as possible. There is no other advice we can give.

Call and get a telephone appointment to find out if it is suggested for you to start taking them again until you can see your doctor.

You stop taking medication when you're free of symptoms for a period set by your doctor, but when they're not working anymore. If they're not working, you ask for a consult with a psychiatrist to re-assess your needs.

If you're not going to listen and 'nothing is going to change your mind' then why the hell did you bother posting? You know it's a stupid idea.

Fry · 03-10-2011, 12:20 PM

Of course the symptoms you mentioned are related to you stopping the Mirtaz'. I can't really understand you stopping it when you 'knew' you'd feel suicidal.
Medications do tend to run their course and stop working after a while but simply a change in dose could help you.
See a doctor about what to do next with your meds. Simply stopping isn't the answer.

Cedrus · 03-10-2011, 09:25 PM

You can get quite severe rebound depression stopping anti-deps too quickly.

Heaven Knows · 04-10-2011, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MeaCulpa

Do NOT stop taking them without seeing your doctor.

Go and make an appointment now, for as soon as possible. There is no other advice we can give.

Call and get a telephone appointment to find out if it is suggested for you to start taking them again until you can see your doctor.

You stop taking medication when you're free of symptoms for a period set by your doctor, but when they're not working anymore. If they're not working, you ask for a consult with a psychiatrist to re-assess your needs.

^^
can't really reiterate this enough. go to your GP at the first available appointment you can.

TEAPARTY · 05-10-2011, 01:15 AM

If you want a different medication showing non-compliance to taking what you are being prescribed isn't going to aid that at all...
Also, if they're going to give you a higher dose of it then all of it will have left your system and it will take a longer time to work.

Steel Maiden · 08-10-2011, 09:09 PM

Mirtazapine withdrawal is only the first part, you will also get rebound depression/anxiety, and then you are highly likely to relapse. Your brain cannot adjust "calmly" to such an abrupt change. Start taking them again and see your doctor immediately.

overcome. · 16-10-2011, 06:20 PM

I took mirtazapine for a while, out of many other anti-depressants in different groups I found this one to be slightly beneficial, but not much (must show how little the others did for me I suppose). It sedated me a great deal causing me to sleep excessively, which I suppose is what you want when you feel like ****.

In terms of coming off of it, I haven't had experience in coming off mirtazapine straight away/cold turkey, but I have with a few other prescribed drugs. Symptoms will vary from person to person, drug to drug. It's common for your mood to vary, and to become angry/even more depressed/even suicidal - to things such as nausea/physical sickness/dizziness, and more.

As people have said, do not come off this medication cold turkey, since you already have though, I'd make an appointment to see your GP or whoever prescibes your medication (if it's through any kind of specialist).

staceyrawrcakes · 17-10-2011, 08:55 AM

I went to the doctors last week and asked him about it and he said that if I didn't want to be on them anymore then that was fair enough and I could just stop taking them. I did ask him if he thought I should come off them gradually and he said that I didn't need to. I'm feeling a bit better now than I was when I came off them, just got a bit of an erratic sleeping pattern at the moment which I'm used to anyway after having it since I was 17.