Mirtazapine and venlafaxine, replies very very much appreciated :)
Hiya,
I've just been to the doctors and he is taking me off the 112mg of venlafaxine that I take everyday because it's really disrupting my sleep and killing my appetite and he is now substituting it with Mirtazapine (At a starting dose of 15mg)
I was a bit worried because when I have been on any other medication and then been taken off it, I have withdrawn from it in graded doses over a period of weeks. However, this Doctor is wanting me to go cold turkey. Has anyone else done that with Venlafaxine (Effexor)? I am really worried that I am going to feel awful because when I miss even one dose I feel really ill :(
Also I'd really like to know about other people's experiences with Mirtazapine. Whether it's helped, side effects, weight gain etc.
I've never been on venlafaxine [so obviously never come off it either, heh] but just to say that Mirtazapine I personally found very beneficial mood-wise but it it did increase my appetite quite dramatically thus causing weight-gain.
Good luck with it!
I really think you need to speak to your Doctor about coming off the venlafaxine slowly. Although I'm not a Doctor it doesn't sound right that you come off it cold turkey because of the withdrawal effects, especially if you suffer from them after just one dose. It might be perfectly safe, I'm unsure, but for your peace of mind I would go back to your Doctor & if they are unwilling to listen, go to another Doctor?
Also, I am on Mirtazapine and have also found it beneficial, although it has increased my appetite!
x
I found that Mirtazepine helped me to sleep and increased my appetite so that sounds like the opposite of what the medication that you are coming off is doing. I hope it helps. Take care.
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How long have you been on the venlafaxine for / Ive not long come off venlafaxine after being on it for 5 months . I had to step down each week so i went from 150 - 75 - 37.5 .
Like others said mirtazapine is really good if you have sleeping problems and it also helps increase your appetite.
Many of us spend our whole lives running from feeling with the mistaken belief that you cannot bear the pain. But you have already borne the pain. What you have not done is feel all you are beyond that pain."
From what I have heard, stopping venlafaxine cold turkey is NOT a good idea. You basically feel like you have the flu until it's completely out of your system.
I'm on Mirtazapine 45mg. It helps me sleep but has increased my appetite. When I was on 15mg it really helped my mood.
Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes but when you look back, everything is different…
you once called your brain a hard drive, well say hello to the virus.
My doctor wanted me to go off my Effexor on weened doses, but I stopped taking it altogether when I was on it, and I didn't experience any withdrawal symptoms, so I think you should be fine.
Oh, but you probably have been on it longer than me, and possibly at higher doses...
Since even my doctor wanted me to ween off of it, I think you should talk about doing the same, because that is how it's supposed to be done, I believe...
Sorry didn't read that properly. I wouldn't of thought cold turkey is a good idea at all, unless the venlafaxine is causing you particularly bad effects?
I knew someone who stopped it dead and they had a horrific time in the process, really not well at all.
What about if you taper the dose down yourself instead?
I was on both for a time, having originally been solely on venlafaxine, and it didn't work out for me either. From what I remember I was on full dose of both for a couple of months, to boost me out of the worst of my depression, then I came off the ven. very slowly - it took me several months. Whilst I was coming off the ven. I was on the mirt. and then solely on the mirt, as I am now.
I did it the other way round, Mertazapine, then Venlafaxine. I got a lot of headaches and tiredness with the mertazapine, but thats about it. After 4 weeks the headaches got really bad so they took me off it
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As mentioned earlier, many drugs should not be stopped abruptly[1] without the advice and supervision of a physician, especially if the medication induces dependence or if the condition they are being used to treat is potentially dangerous and likely to return once medication is stopped, such as diabetes, asthma, heart conditions and many psychological or neurological conditions, like epilepsy, hypertension, schizophrenia and psychosis. To be safe, consult a doctor before discontinuing any prescription medication.
Sudden cessation of the use of an antidepressant can deepen the feel of depression significantly (see "Rebound" below), and some specific antidepressants can cause a unique set of other symptoms as well when stopped abruptly.
Discontinuation of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the most commonly prescribed class of antidepressants, (and the related class serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors or SNRIs) is associated with a particular syndrome of physical and psychological symptoms known as SSRI discontinuation syndrome. Effexor (venlafaxine) and Paxil (paroxetine), both of which have relatively short half-lives in the body, are the most likely of the antidepressants to cause withdrawals.
Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes but when you look back, everything is different…
you once called your brain a hard drive, well say hello to the virus.
Exactly the same thing happened too me. I was taken off effexor cause it was disrupting my sleep so much. Im now on mirtazipine. He should never ever ever ever ever EVER take you off straight away. I came off gradually and had the worst time of life. I got an anger so immense i flipped at everything and everyone. I felt depressed, suicidal, frustrated, upset. I had the most horrifying dreams. I was extremely paranoid and anxious and would come out in cold sweats at night. This lasted for a month. And it was coming off the drug slowly. I had to take them alternative days for one week, then every two days for a week then every three days....
Those feelings lasted for a month coming off of that drug slowly. So god only knows what will happen if he takes you off straight away. and if he does, change your doctor.
Mirtazipine... well. For the first month of taking them i did nothing but sleep. by God you will sleep, but the drowsiness wears off after a while. I have noticed an improvement since being on them. I mean i am still depressed sometimes, but no drug is a wonder cure. I have noticed that i am more up than down however, and that can only be a good thing. Give Mirtazipine a fair chance at least.
Whatever you do, don't go cold turkey on the Effexor. It was the worst month of my life.
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i havent been on any of the other meds but ive been on mirtazipine for a while and its really helped me, the only side effect i got was the restless legs thing but that wore off eventually. it didnt increase my appetite and it didnt make me sleepy. It helped my mood no end though, its been the only anti dep thats worked for me.
Definitely taper the Venlafaxine. I tried twice to come off it cold turkey (my own choice). I am currently coming off it though now by tapering - down to 75mg and about to move down to 37.5mg in a few days and I have had no problems with it this time.
"Everything is possible through Christ, who gives me strength". Phillipians 4:13
I went cold turkey on effexor on advice of my gp and I thought I was dying! I was all over the place, aching, passed out a couple of times and was so dizzy. I had to go straight back on and come off slowly. I still sometimes get the "brain zaps" like a quick buzz in the head :-/
