Mirtazapine Withdrawal/CBD Oil

[AlanCurb]

Hi,

Having spent the last few months sifting through the mass of horrible stories relating to this drug in the vain hope of finding some positivity, I thought I’d share my recent experience.

My depression & anxiety was slow burning. Over the space of three years culminating in a traumatic event 6 months ago.

This led me to spiral into deep depression & insomnia. 7 weeks without sleep, trying desperately to function & be a parent.

My doctor put me on Mirtazapine which while it allowed me to sleep after a few weeks, the side effects were horrendous. The drug would work for 8-10 days, then stop. My anxiety would spike, burning scalp, hair loss amongst other nasty symptoms.

I increased my dose to 30mg, same thing happened after 8-10 days. I stuck with it for three months. A living hell. Came back down to 15mg, felt better but again after 8-10 days things got worse. I decided I had enough.

I tapered down to 7.5, then 3mg & eventually came off completely after two weeks.

My insomnia returned and I endured horrific anxiety until I discovered CBD oil. Sitting in my car I placed 3 drops under my tongue & within 15mins it was like a cloud of horror had been lifted. I’ve been using it for 2 months now and despite my personal situation being actually worse than it was previously, I am able to function and control my emotions.

I cannot honestly say that CBD oil has created these positive effects, it could well be the Mirtazapine is now out of my system but whereas previously I was unable to keep my mind in the present, I was always freaking out regarding past and future events, I can now focus purely on what’s happening now, despite things being as shit as they are.

Everyone is an individual with specific circumstances leading to the use of Mirtazapine but if you are one of the many people struggling with the withdrawals of this drug, I seriously recommend trying CBD oil which can be purchased legally in the UK in shops like Holland & Barrett.

As I mentioned I can’t 100% say what has created this change in me but it all seemed to coincide with my use of CBD oil.

I can sleep and manage things as they come, something I was completely unable to do a few months back

[Kittykat2]

Where did you buy your oil H@ B or elsewhere.

Glad its helping you .

[AlanCurb in reply to Kittykat2]

Holland & Barrett

[Kittykat2 in reply to AlanCurb]

Was reading reviews on there three strengths which did you get?

Also many complaints on lowest strength of leaky bottles?

Also foul taste.

Mixed revues on it working or not I suppose.

2.5 % 5% and 10%

[AlanCurb in reply to Kittykat2]

5% strength but not sure how that equates to the milligrams of CBD. Also the 30ml bottle does leak.

There are mixed reviews I suppose as people don’t really know what to expect from it & it does vary from person to person.

When I was at my worst it provided me with instant relief however it is the cumulative effect over the last few months I believe has done me the most good.

Your Endocannabanoid system is closely linked to our nervous system and if that is out of whack it can cause all sorts of issues. It appears at least to have rebalanced some element of that particular part of my system.

[AlanCurb in reply to AlanCurb]

And it does taste like shit but you quickly get used to it and the positive effects for me far outweigh the taste issue.

[Kittykat2 in reply to AlanCurb]

Thanks for taking time to explain all that Alan.

👍🏻 to you for getting off the mirt.

I think its worth anyone giving it a try

Especially like me wary and scared of most meds.

Thanks again for your positive posts .

kK

[kenster1]

nightmare coming off them I ended up back on them.

[AlanCurb in reply to kenster1]

I guess it all depends on your situation. I’d class mine as ‘situational depression’ in the sense I know what my issues are I’m just incapable of dealing with them due to extenuating circumstances.

Many people are not so lucky & have clinical depression which dogs them throughout life. I hope you’re not in this bracket.

Best of luck with getting off Mirt whenever the time is right.

[kenster1 in reply to AlanCurb]

I was diagnosed a clinically depressed in 2000.i was suffering before that but never knew what it meant then.years of pain adds up but hey like you wee keep trying for better days.

[AlanCurb in reply to kenster1]

Sorry to hear this Kenster. 18 years is a long time to be dealing with this. I’ve been dealing with the peak of this for only a few months comparatively & it’s not something I want to have to get used to.

I hope the Mirt is bringing you some peace despite the side effects

[MollyStark]

Hi, I started using CBD oil earlier this year and found it very helpful in controlling my anxiety. I switched to the aqua version (apparently you get a higher rate of absorption with this as opposed to the oil) and I find it tastes fine, quite nice actually. I stopped using it a few months ago (partly due to the cost) but my anxiety and physical symptoms have increased a thousand-fold in the past couple of weeks so I have just started using it again and although my anxiety is still pretty bad, I have noticed pockets during the day when the anxiety eases off. I've had some pretty bad anxiety inducing experiences over the past few months so I am not surprised I'm feeling this way and although CBD really does help with my anxiety, I think I suffer so extremely with crippling anxiety, that it has a job on - if you get my meaning!

I buy mine from Simply CBD (based in Gloucestershire) where they sell a variety of strengths etc., and they sell theirs at a competitive price. I have read poor reviews about the H&B oils, apparently they are quite low in strength - but as we say, what works for one person won't work for another so it's always worth trying a few different types to see what suits.

[AlanCurb in reply to MollyStark]

Hi Molly,

I too experience anxiety spikes and dips at certain times of the day. Usually between lunchtime & mid afternoon which I put down to dips and peaks in Cortisol (stress hormone) levels and it eases off at night. Likely because the pressures of the day are past.

I also have a chronic pain condition which flares up during this time, High Cortisol increases pain receptors so I don’t know if the pain is feeding the anxiety or the other way round.

I’ve been seen by the endocrine clinic & although there’s nothing they can really do about this, one theory is that it’s tied in with circadian rhythm. Your body is more likely to be stressed or anxious when experiencing a dip in energy levels.

Will have a look at simply CBD as I’m currently typing while still covered in oil due to the leaking H&B bottle

[MollyStark]

Hi Alan, I had to smile at your comment re the H&B bottle! I can recommend the Simply CBD as they have a good range of CBD products, oil and water based - plus CBD gummy bears which I am tempted to try. Also you can email the guy who sells it and he is usually able to advise on the strength/type suitable.

I notice my anxiety eases off last thing at night soyou are right about the cortisol levels. My energy levels are very low most of the time (my blood tests always show I am very low in haemoglobin/red blood cells, usually just down out of range) so I am sure that is fuelling the anxiety. It can be a vicious circle though as my heightened anxiety results in such awful physical symptoms, which I'm sure depletes my energy even further - which then increases the anxiety - and so on...

Pain and anxiety can go hand in hand, one exacerbating the other, so it can leave you bewildered as to the 'which came first, chicken or the egg' scenario.

I thought I was coping okay with some of the things that had happened recently (husband diagnosed with cancer, a cancer scare for myself and a fibromylagia diagnosis) but obviously not and eveything has caught up with me resulting in anxiety reaching new heights - it's the gift that keeps on giving

[AlanCurb in reply to MollyStark]

The physiological effect heightened anxiety has on your body and general health is well documented. When things started to go wrong for me I was amazed at the extent the mind can effect the body.

I’d never really exeperienced stress before beyond the normal daily trial of life but when the shit hit the fan a few months back my pshyical health took a nose dive in terms of lingering infections, hair loss, weight loss etc.

I’m now saddled up with vitamin C, B complex, magnesium, iron tablets as well as the CBD oil.

Difficult to tell how much of an effect all these are having but I certainly feel more stable.

[kama24]

Like you I had a horrific withdrawal from Paxil. That was 3 yrs ago and I'm still in a "mess"....fear upon waking, shaking, feeling of doom, nausea. In Canada (until this past Nov) you had to be referred to a registered medical dispensary for CBD oil. I was so full of hope. I was to take 1ml of oil daily, ...I got nothing from it. I am now taking a combination of CBD oil and a step up to the next level with some THC in it.....no help! All we can do is keep trying.

[AlanCurb in reply to kama24]

I’m so sorry to hear that Kama. In my case which seems considerably less than what others are going through, I’m questioning if my mind is simply adapting to the reality of my situation, if that is the case then I’m certainly more fortunate than many others. I guess I won’t know for sure until I stop taking it.

For reasons which I cannot seem to control, I am the architect of my own downfall and coming to terms with this fact I guess defines the situational depression I am experiencing.

The reason I posted this however was the fact that CBD oil did offer immediate albeit temporary relief from the crushing anxiety I was experiencing which suggests it may be of some help to others.

The THC element in Marijuana is known to increase cortisol & stress levels (from personal experience) but depending on the strain of plant, it can have the complete opposite effect.

I sincerely hope it offers you some kind of relief or that you may find something that does help.

[kama24 in reply to AlanCurb]

You need to be careful where you buy your oils. Be sure it is from a licenced dispensary. I was full of hope the CBD would help me. I went back to the doctor 3 months after using it and had to report no help. She then combined it with a oil having a very low amt of THC in it. Either I'm one of those who is not going to get any benefit from it or I need to try longer. I go back to see the Dr. in Jan. and we'll decide if I give up on it or perhaps step it up.

[Hope4me1]

I have had amazing benefits from CBD oil. I take it in a gel pill form. I take 150 mg a day. Sometimes more depending on my level of anxiety. I also have a vape pen which uses vape oil. This is a fast way to get the CBD into your bloodstream and works almost instantly! I am still taking .5 mg of Clonazepam as well, but have not had to increase this dose in the 4 months I’ve been taking it! I still take 10 mg of Prozac as I have for the last 20 plus years and that had helped me for a good chunk of my life before anxiety due to extreme stress came back. I hope to wean off the Clonazepam soon. I consider this a poison and wish I never started it at all! Dr says I must be patient and the weaning process is very slow. Meanwhile though, I am thankful for the CBD. The only drawback for me is that it is expensive. I get it online and it is still pricey.