Hello, my name is grant, I just want to tell the people who are on mirtazapine how I got off the drug and the fact that I am drug free and feeling myself again shows it can be done.
I had general anxiety for a good few years and never thought too much about it until I started getting panic attacks and kept having to go to hospital because I thought I was dying. Anybody that hasn't had panic attacks will not understand how they make you feel...and the worry of having another panic attack at an in opertune time would usually bring 1 on anyway. My life was literally turned upside down and I went on a roller coaster of different tablets and some of them made me feel very ill and I just got worse and worse. My doctor finally put me on mirtazapine and it definitely helped me for a few months. It then it seemed to stop working so I upped my dose and was eventually on the highest dose you could take. I put on nearly 2 stone and I felt like half the man I used to be... no emotion just feeling very flat and getting through each day was a struggle. I decided to have a go at coming off the drug only to become very ill and go back on them just a week later. COLD TURKEY IS NOT THE WAY TO GO OFF THESE TABLETS.i carried on taking the tablets as I didn't think I could cope without them for about a year and a half. My life was just going downhill and I felt lost and alone and sometimes asked myself if I really wanted to be alive!
I just thought to myself that before I went on these tablets I was fine and that I could be fine again if I could only come off them. So I tried again but this time slowly, I did it by just keep missing a tablet for 1 day for a week then 2 days then 3 and so on until I was just on 15 mg every 4 days. I won't lie because the withdrawal I was having was sometimes unbearable and I was so close to going back to my full dose, but I didn't and after the three week mark of having no tablet I finally started to feel just a bIt better... wow! There was light at the end of the tunnel! My emotions started coming back and I felt human again which made me determined to never go back on the tablets.the withdrawals I got were horrible l, I had the runs for at least 4 weeks and felt sick to my stomach, I was getting headaches loss of appatite severe anxiety spikes and quite a few panic attacks thrown in. I just kept telling myself that it was withdrawal and being positive was a big part of my recovery. I started going back to the gym and running when I had the time and eating healthy. I finally felt like the person I knew was still in there somewhere was back and I was enjoying the little things in life again. The biggest thing that helped my through was DEEP BREATHING whenever I felt an attack coming on, I could literally stop an attack coming on by controlling my breaths. Life is a wonderful thing if your brain will let it be, and now that I am off the drug I feel amazing. I just want to tell anybody that feels lost and scared and that this will be them for the rest of their lives that it is not the case, I didn't want to live at 1 point and now I feel on top of the world. Your mind is the most powerful tool at your disposal and if you think positive that's what the outcome will be!!!! We can get over anything if we put our minds to it .😀
I really admire your determination and spirit. I am desperate to come off Venlafaxine. I am taking 262.5 mg (150 + 75 + 37.5 mg). At the moment I feel so, so anxious. I suffer from Eczema and I have just come back from seeing my GP (she gave me anti-biotics - says it is infected?).
It is the anxiety that is very, very bad, although I was put on them for depression - which was 17 yrs ago - GPs have just increased the dose in relation to my progressive symptoms of depression and anxiety.
I really want to decrease these horrible tablets but I am terrified (even though I would decrease in a sensible way, like yourself). I know that this particular drug - Venlafaxine is apparently the worse anti-depressant to reduce??
Is Mertazapine a very strong drug? Idon't know anything about that drug. Although to come of it I think you are brilliant. It makes me think can do it too?
I am so terrified at the moment, yet I am so very ill with anxiety.
Hello booblet, thanks so much for your post. I am so sorry that you are going through this hell, anxiety symptoms for me was the thing that was sending me loopy. The anxiety you have will be making your exma much worse they tend to go hand in hand, so when you start calming down so will your exma. I have been on quite a few tablets and for me mirtazapine was the strongest as it helped me so much in the beginning. I had read so many nightmare stories about coming off then that it really made me feel worse before I even attempted it.. ultimately it wasn't as bad as what my mind was telling me even though there were times that I really struggled I managed to keep going. It doesn't matter what tablets your on or for how long you have been on them the principal remains the same in that if you keep positive and just focus on getting to your goal it can definitely be achieved. The deep breathing helped me so much and a dose of 500 mg of magnesium really calmed me down and relieved my chest pressure. If you are even thinking about coming off them then that is the right decision for you. I'll be crossing ever I have for you 😊
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How are you feeling booblet, hope your a little bit better 😊
Sorry for the late reply. Going to start the "run down" ...........coming of the dreaded Venlafaxine (anti-depressants) in about a week.........I am so scared and anxious.......I think the main question that keeps triggering my mind is, " How will I feel, and I suppose how do I feel (present tense) in relation to as why I was prescribed these ant-depressants in the first place ........ which was because I was so very depressed........
I know now that the side effects, and the problem of becoming immune to them (which I was told was probably the case....which was really helpful!!!) do have horrendous effects.........which like you is the reason I want to come of them.
I think your suggestion for Magnesium is brill.......I take Magnesium at the moment, but need to up this strength.
Have you heard of 5HPT? I think this is the right abrieviations? They are a natural natural anti-depressant, you can get them from iherb (USA). Another member (who was coming of anti-depressants took these along the way.....??
Anyway, how are you feeling at the moment? What are the positives? I bet you feel that you are back in control of your life.....in the broadest sense? Do you sleep better? And as the anxiety gone?
Nice 1 for coming down off the antidepressants, the best advice I can give is to not think about what symptoms you might get, if you think too much about it you end up fabricating symptoms and feeling much worse. I used to take 1000mg of magnesium in 1 go when I felt really jittery and it worked a treat. I took the 5htp and I'll be honest I was climbing the walls all night, for some people it can be quite horrible. The best thing you can do is stock up on multivitamins and fruit and veg and eat as clean as you can and drink loads and loads of water. The better your. Oft feels the quicker you will get over any symptoms.i feel fine right now Thankyou for asking, the positives are feeling in control of your life again and not being dependant on tablets. The future is bright treasure x
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And yes the anxiety has gone and I'm sleeping like a baby now. If you start feeling crappy just view it as the rubbish leaving your body for good, and focus on the day when you will be fine
Sorry late reply. Not started the "trail down" on venlafaxine (anti-depressants) yet. Will start in about a week........really scared.........But will let you know.........how it is going ALL THE WAY....I'm just so anxious regarding what I will feel like when I do eventually come off them? Will I feel like I felt before I started them? hence, really depressed?
Anyway, how do you feel at the moment? What are the positives?
I am off Mirtazapine a 5 weeks. Of hell. The pain in my legs and feet body is crippling.
I was on it 9 years. Came off to soon. My doctor put me dizapan. I had 4 hrs sleep in 5 weeks. Plus too bursitis in both hips. What a a nightmare. I don’t understand why I am feeling so ill. ?
I can not even drive my car my hips and legs so painful.
Has anyone had as bad as withdrawal symptoms? I want to get my health back. Be pain free.
I’m off 10 weeks now. Still having fun hip pain and leg pain. They say it can be up to six months before you even start feeling better. How are you megdalen ? Are u healing ?
Not really healing, pain in legs is persistent. No one believes its from coming off the drug ofcourse. It started at the hip, then it were my ankles, now whole legs, though right one is worst. Also keep having freezing cold feet. Have been diagnosed with bursitis like you...
Hi Magdalen yes my temperature drop as well. Hip very sore legs yet. No really good days yet.
I’m off now 3 months 2 weeks not much change. Bought a great book called Recovery and Renewal: Your... amazon.co.uk/dp/0957213050?... yes it all wd for sure. It a good read gives me reassurance.
Thank you for sharing this story I have only been on it three weeks but it is helping me as was a lost sorrowful soul but hoping I don't have to be on it long and then can wean off
U should pay yourself on the back every day as this is a remarkable story and well done you👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
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