Mirtazapine affect on Hashimotos

[carolinepetrie]

Hi Everyone I’ve been tapering off the above drug for over 2 years now after only being on it for 4 months, it was the worst decision of my life and I’ve been suffering terribly tapering off. The drug is causing intense day time drowsiness and sedation. Does anyone else have experience of this drug and how it made them feel, I get my thyroid levels checked regularly and nothing showing that it’s thyroid related. Thanks for reading. 🙏

[RedApple Administrator]

carolinepetrie, So sorry you're having a hard time.

'I get my thyroid levels checked regularly and nothing showing that it’s thyroid related'

When were your thyroid hormone levels last tested? Can you post the test result numbers with their ranges here for members to see please. That will help to get a picture of what's going on.

And are you on thyroid medication? If yes, please say what you're taking and the daily dose.

[carolinepetrie in reply to RedApple]

Hi yes I’ve been on thyroid meds since 2017 and despite playing with the levels I never felt completely well. I have been working with a Naturopath for 4 years now, he has been an enormous help. The antidepressant I’m tapering of can be highly sedating particularly at lower doses which is where I’m at.Currently I take 75mg of Levothyroxine and 3x Metavive 1 tablets which is whole desiccated thyroid gland.

My lab results back in November 2021 were as follows TSH 0.02 range 0.23-5.6

Free T4 19 range 9-28

Vit B12 655 range 180-2000

Ferritin 94 range 20-300

Serum Folate 8.8 range 2.8-20

The last Free T3 result was from Oct 2020 when it was 5 and range was 2.4-6

I currently take Omega 3, a B Vit supplement, Vit C & Vit D+K2

Any comments/thoughts welcome

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to carolinepetrie]

You need to get FULL thyroid test done

TSH, Ft4 and Ft3

Monitor My Health currently has 20% off this week

Remember to stop taking vitamin B complex a week before test

[unblocktheplane in reply to SlowDragon]

First time I've heard one needs to stop B-complex before thyroid testing. Why, please?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to unblocktheplane]

We post about this ALL the time

There are now notices up in phlebotomy departments too

Biotin is used in many lab test processes

Taking any supplements that contain biotin can cause false results

If on low dose biotin - eg vitamin B complex - stop at least 3-5 days before test. If on separate high dose biotin stop 7-10 days before

Just a few posts that mention biotin

healthunlocked.com/search/p...

[carolinepetrie in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you I’ll arrange a full thyroid panel and stop myB complex 5 days before, but I don’t feel hopeful that most of what I’m experiencing is thyroid related, more likely this awful drug that I’m tapering off as excessive daytime drowsiness and fatigue,concentration issues can be major side effects for some.

[carolinepetrie in reply to SlowDragon]

Just a quick question if my B complex supplement contained Biotin I’m assuming it should be listed, if not is it still ok to take before the blood test?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to carolinepetrie]

Should be listed in ingredients yes

[Zmalp]

It's more sedative at low levels so if you're tapering and down to a low dose that may be why you feel so sleepy. I had a relative with undiagnosed Hashimoto's (at the time) who took it and it used to knock him out. He came off it as a result with a taper over about 4 months. He was only ever on low levels of it though, and as he was misdiagnosed it was doing him no good.

[carolinepetrie in reply to Zmalp]

Thanks for your reply your relative must be one of the lucky ones if he managed off in 4 months with no issues, so far it’s been 2 years of suffering for me trying to come off and GP’s are so I’ll informed about it.

[Timetraveler67]

Hi I don’t know how helpful this will be but wanted to share my son is on this antidepressant and has hashi he’s on the highest dose there allowed to give he gets very sleepy and he struggles to keep his weight down as it’s increased his appetite no end he never feels full and always hungry. Myself I was given this antidepressant 10 years ago (before I was diagnosed with hashi). It was hell for me while I was on it and came off them after about 6 weeks because I was falling asleep while driving that’s how bad it effected me. I just stopped and didn’t know about tapering off the withdrawals were awful I remember getting electric shooting jabs of pain in my head and feeling I wasn’t in my body, like I say I didn’t taper off just went cold turkey and wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. I’m sorry to hear your feeling so bad with coming down off them but it does get better it was 6 months for me before I felt normal again after coming off but like I said I was silly to just stop but no one told me any different so I didn’t know. I wish you well and I hope you feel better soon because I can only imagine how bad you Must feel x

[carolinepetrie in reply to Timetraveler67]

This is so helpful thankyou, it’s interesting both you and your son have been affected the same way I have with the drowsiness/sedation. It’s awful when you already have Hashimotos but I never ever felt like this with Hashimotos. Honestly it’s hard to know what’s best I was only on it for 4 months been tapering over 2 years, not been able to drive or concentrate while on it, also get terrible fatigue, had to give up work, it’s just been hell really. My tapering has gotten harder as I’ve gotten lower and apparently I’m still not low enough to come off safely, it make take years unless I jump off earlier and accept the consequences. I’m sorry you went through a terrible time coming off but you sound overall relatively lucky. Is your son staying on the drug or will he try to come off? In my opinion it should be banned. Thanks so much for replying 🙏

[Timetraveler67]

Bless you for your understanding and yes it’s a terrible drug in my opinion. I remember the day the dr write me the prescription and I asked him if it was addictive he laughed and said it was no more addictive then taken an aspirin. I worry now about my son because he’s been on them over a year so there well established in his body and seeing he’s on such a high dose I dread to think what his withdrawals will be like for him. You’ve done well coming down slowly what dose do you now take? Have you asked your Dr what effects be like if you just stopped? I think some of us are super sensitive and can’t tolerate certain meds. What your experiencing with the fatigue plus everything eles is awful for you, what’s your sleep like? I used to walk at night (sounds mad I know) but it kinda helped me earth myself being outside I would walk for an hour or so in the dark trying to make sense of it all. I know that antidepressants are a God send for some people but that particular drug I feel almost destroyed me. P.m me anytime if you like and give me updates how it’s going I’m rooting for you my dear x

[carolinepetrie in reply to Timetraveler67]

Thanks so much I really appreciate that, I’m down to 3.3mg now but the last bit is the hardest. Most doctors and psychiatrists have no idea about safe deprescribing and the severe extent that some can experience in WD. In my 2 years of suffering I’ve done so much research to inform myself I’m having to educate my Dr it’s nuts. I’m in contact with one of the top researchers on deprescribing and AD withdrawl, he’s also coming off Mirtazapine and experienced severe WD when coming off how his GP suggested he was very I’ll and had to reinstate. Since then he says the scales have fallen from his eyes regarding these drugs and how safe they are. If you ever want to talk about your son I’m happy to and can forward a training video Dr Horowitz has recently made about WD and safe deprescribing, following this advice would keep your son safe should he decide to come off. I do not think these drugs are good to be on long term but he has every chance of getting off and being well.

[EebieJeebies]

I was prescribed amytriptaline for arthritis and a trapped nerve in neck and really struggled to get up in the morning! I wasn’t on a high dose. I got in a muddle with my tablets, felt unsafe driving and generally felt like a zombie. Was only on it for about 2 months and then took twice as long to get them out of my system. Didn’t suit me at all.

[tattybogle in reply to EebieJeebies]

....i was prescribed amitriptyline for trapped nerve pain and insomnia. took ONE tablet at about 9 pm . ....stuffed my van into the back of someone at a junction the next afternoon on the way to get the kids from school .... lost myself 9 years no-claims bonus ., cost me a blummin fortune.,, only bump i've had in about 30 years From what i remember the amitriptyline didn't do all that much for the nerve pain either ,, but i didn't fancy taking it again to find out .

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to EebieJeebies]

Am currently down to 10 milligrams of amitriptyline (was on 35 but want to cut down and am doing so).

I do find that waking up is much more difficult - though better now than it was at a higher dose.

[wellness1 in reply to EebieJeebies]

Sorry you went through that. Did it even help with your pain? Have you found an alternative?

[EebieJeebies in reply to wellness1]

One 10mg tablet didn’t help but the two did help me sleep through, albeit leaving me feeling muddled and unconnected the following day and sapped of motivation. Once I stopped taking them, the insomnia, neck pain and discomfort returned. So, I started taking the following at bedtime - turmeric, magnesium, celery seed, montmorency cherry and phosphatidyl serine. This little cocktail improved things , then I added in HRT. I now sleep better and am therefore less conscious of the neck pain. My neck is still stiff and grating but it no longer locks and I can roll over in bed like a normal person (rather than needing to sit up and use my hands to turn my head!). I also have neck & shoulder massages to relax tissues. I wouldn’t want to take amitriptyline for pain again.

[wellness1 in reply to EebieJeebies]

Thanks, I'm glad you've found some safer alternatives. I'm also a fan of soft tissue therapy and anything that improves sleep.

[unblocktheplane]

Funny how every body’s different. After three years of undiagnosed Hashimoto’s, my principal symptoms were sleeplessness, depression, anxiety/panic. I was put on 150ug l-Thyroxine. It did not relieve those symptoms. Then Mirtazapine 30mg 2003-2018 during which I got good sleeps & was really myself. It is the only antidepressant with effect for sleep, though I see others have mentioned amitryptiline.

Mirtazapine stopped working entirely in 2018 & I’ve been struggling with the same symptoms ever since. After 15 years on Mirtazapine, I tapered carefully. A compounding pharmacy made up 3mg capsules. I dropped 10%—3mg—per month, ending in February.

Docs know how to prescribe but few know how to deprescribe. It’s so easy to start but hell to get off! Often one is prescribed a drug which doesn’t work but one still gets physiologically addicted & need to taper for long periods to wean off.

They key, I think, is low & slow. I’m still feeling like crap. I don’t know that the last 3mg were harder, each drop was just a step. Now doc thinks to reintroduce Mirtazapine after a lag period. Scared to do so.

Will you please post a link to Dr. Horowitz. Be well.

[carolinepetrie in reply to unblocktheplane]

Hi I’m so sorry you’ve been through this, it was a relatively fast taper, so no wonder you are suffering. It sounds like you reached tolerance whilst on it, when the drug no longer works, this is an extremely powerful drug which affects receptors over the entire body. I’ll get my kids to show me how to copy the links and send you a few resources including that video this morning, as you know most GP’s are not clued up at all. So far I’ve lost 21/2 years to this drug and the process of coming off has been the most challenging in my life despite only being on it for 4 months.

[unblocktheplane]

At least all of us wingers & moaners have a place here, eh! My taper off 30mg Mirtazapine was 10 months! Yes, please, please, please get me the links. So quick to prescribe & then they forget all about us! Be well...