7 minutes ago, Finni said:

These really painful symptoms are new in the last three weeks and I got a little reprieve after dropping to 14.7

The fact there is even a little reprieve is so positive...grab on to that. ADs aren't like benzos because it takes much more time to benefit from a drop especially in tolerance or dealing with an adverse reaction. Time is your friend here. It is important to let the symptoms flow and try not to fight them...I find my body tenses and I have to actively try to relax...you are safe....❤️🙏

Just now, Finni said:

I don’t think they were this bad. I can’t remember I don’t know.
It’s just overtaking me right now

 

Maybe it’s the contrast from feeling relatively better for a few days and then having it just come roaring back

 

 

I think that might be it, the contrast.  

It’s so scary because now when I look back and see how I dropped from 22.5 to 18.75 and so on every drop, I would have a little relief and it seems like the symptoms just got worse after that drop and now I’m afraid I’m going to go through another round of getting a lot worse and it’s just gonna keep hanging on for weeks and weeks like it has been for weeks and weeks and maybe I was getting close to turning a corner if I just would’ve held on longer at 15 mg

14 minutes ago, Finni said:

It’s so scary because now when I look back and see how I dropped from 22.5 to 18.75 and so on every drop, I would have a little relief and it seems like the symptoms just got worse after that drop and now I’m afraid I’m going to go through another round of getting a lot worse and it’s just gonna keep hanging on for weeks and weeks like it has been for weeks and weeks and maybe I was getting close to turning a corner if I just would’ve held on longer at 15 mg

This is all fear taking Finni. No regrets it’s going to be ok. 

Thanks to @Pokey449 and @Chippy, I contacted Mark Horowitz and have a meeting with him March 11. ❤️

Let us know what he says @Finni ❤️

I’m going to continue to log how I’m feeling just so I have this all in the same place
03/01-03/02

Flavor of 03/01:

Harder day than yesterday!

The big overwhelming surges are back. Increased electricity in my head and increased vestibular symptoms as well.
Deep pressure and nerve pain in my stomach again. Feeling like I was being taken over by the surges instead of being able to observe them. I wasn’t as able to distract myself.

By evening, I had a good appetite again and could watch Netflix all propped up in bed.

7:30 pm unusual big adrenaline surge for this time of night

8:15 pm took 14.7 mg Mirtazapine 

Woke up intermittently throughout the night with soaked pajamas from sweating.

3:30 AM awake for good with tingling buzzing, electric head hands and feet

4:30 am rocking bobbing swaying sensations lying in bed; nauseated, and an unreal, sort of nightmare quality

Edited March 2Mar 2 by Finni

5 hours ago, Finni said:

contacted Mark Horowitz and have a meeting with him March 11

Excellent...he knows this drug well so I am glad. ❤️🙏

It’s three in the morning on March 3. Yesterday evening and last night before I took mirtazapine I felt like I was in really bad withdrawal- horribly anxious and muscles really tight feeling,and like I had a little tiny fasciculations in my head and electricity in my head and spine. 
it was hard to focus on anything because I was so uncomfortable and almost agitated.

 

Around 730 pm, I started to get a big adrenaline rush, just like the night before, which is very unusual for that time of day.

 

Now it’s in the middle of the night and I feel like I am an absolute withdrawal. This is not just a reaction to the medication. It is withdrawal.

 

My muscles are really tight again with my shoulders up to my ears, and I woke up with a really deep head pressure and squeezing sensations.

 

 

As I was having to come back down to 15 mg of mirtazapine, each reduction wouldn’t feel too bad the first few days and even be a relief …and then I would get worse as time went on… And I’m afraid that’s happening again only this time I don’t have any reserves left. My body has been pushed to the limit. 

 

Of course I’m kicking myself for not just trying to figure out how to talk to Mark Horowitz before I ever reduced the 15 mg.

 

i’ve had five doses of 14.7 mg now.

 

I didn’t wanna have to go back up to 15 mg but I might have to.

Edited March 3Mar 3 by Finni

40 minutes ago, Finni said:

It’s three in the morning on March 3. Yesterday evening and last night before I took mirtazapine I felt like I was in really bad withdrawal- horribly anxious and muscles really tight feeling,and like I had a little tiny fasciculations in my head and electricity in my head and spine. 
it was hard to focus on anything because I was so uncomfortable and almost agitated.

 

Around 730 pm, I started to get a big adrenaline rush, just like the night before, which is very unusual for that time of day.

 

Now it’s in the middle of the night and I feel like I am an absolute withdrawal. This is not just a reaction to the medication. It is withdrawal.

 

My muscles are really tight again with my shoulders up to my ears, and I woke up with a really deep head pressure and squeezing sensations.

 

 

As I was having to come back down to 15 mg of mirtazapine, each reduction wouldn’t feel too bad the first few days and even be a relief …and then I would get worse as time went on… And I’m afraid that’s happening again only this time I don’t have any reserves left. My body has been pushed to the limit. 

 

Of course I’m kicking myself for not just trying to figure out how to talk to Mark Horowitz before I ever reduced the 15 mg.

 

i’ve had five doses of 14.7 mg now.

 

I didn’t wanna have to go back up to 15 mg but I might have to.

I'm really sorry @Finni it's really brutal, especially with no sleep or poor quality one.

Was there a dose you waited long enough for and felt relatively stable? I see you have an appointment with Dr. Horowitz, that's great, is it possible for you to decide on a dose and make no changes until you see him? Stabilization can take so much longer than we would like.

Edited March 3Mar 3 by Fullhealing

It’s a strange situation @Fullhealing

Because I didn’t start off really trying to taper… my dose was increased and then I needed to start coming down from that because it was so activating. On the way down back to 15 mg I probably felt best at 16.87 mg.

19 minutes ago, Finni said:

It’s a strange situation @Fullhealing

Because I didn’t start off really trying to taper… my dose was increased and then I needed to start coming down from that because it was so activating. On the way down back to 15 mg I probably felt best at 16.87 mg.

@Finni the thing is, any change now is likely to trigger a reaction because your system is so unbalanced, do you think you can wait on the current dosage until the appointment and try your best not to analyze the situation or is it really unbearable? If you have even the tiniest moments of relief that's a good sign.

I know it's so hard, my heart goes out to you.

Edited March 3Mar 3 by Fullhealing

@Fullhealing

thank you so much

 

I’m very I’m alarmed at how it has escalated - ramped last night and now feels unbearable 4:35 am 

 

I’ll see what the day brings. I only dose at 8:15 pm 

1 minute ago, Finni said:

@Fullhealing

thank you so much

 

I’m very I’m alarmed at how it has escalated - ramped last night and now feels unbearable 4:35 am 

 

I’ll see what the day brings. I only dose at 8:15 pm 

Truly sorry @Finni hang in there, try not to drill on the symptoms and let us know how it goes, we are all here for you! 

This is the most confusing situation I’ve ever experienced. This medication is such a mystery to me.

I don’t know what it’s doing.

 

This feels like just pure intense withdrawal …so distressing right now, but I was so much better than I am now the first three days after the little reduction!

 

Mirtazapine has a really long half-life so it’s maybe just my brain getting the message now? 

 

Activation lowered dramatically overall but now the withdrawal feeling is taking over. It’s just the worst.

I would give anything I own to have never let anyone adjust my dose in the first place

3/2-3/3/26 

I was able to record Voice Memos for my family to play for my dad ❤️

 

Symptom intensity just kept ramping up throughout the afternoon and by evening I felt like I was in withdrawal with my head very very tingly constantly and  spine and back, feeling constantly tingly and electric; head pressurized and tight; very far away feeling 
 

5:00 pm I was able to eat and watch some Netflix even with all of that going on that never let up.

 

 

7:40 pm adrenaline surge 

 

8:15 pm 14.7 mg mirt 

fell asleep fairly quickly

 

9:00 pm awoke aware of head still pressurized and tight

 

1:45 am awake with same pressurized tight head, feeling also that head and spine had some sort of thick liquid  pulsing and moving 

 

3:30 am very tight muscles and feeling like I’ve gone cold turkey

 

5:00 am cortisol surge? 
Head sensations are very tight and tingly in electric and seem to be ramping up

 

12:00 pm huge surge 

head has remained tight, electric, and tingling 

stomach feels like it’s being pounded with electricity just like it did before the cut; very tight muscles and terror

nausea, huge rumbling vibration rear and torso; motorized pressure is back

 

 

 

On 2/20/2026 at 8:29 AM, Chippy said:

Yeah I think here is the key. You started to stabilise but didnt wait long enough. It can take months to be ready for a taper.

 

I see a lot of typical Mirt reactions in there. You are not alone.

 

On 2/20/2026 at 8:29 AM, Chippy said:

Yeah I think here is the key. You started to stabilise but didnt wait long enough. It can take months to be ready for a taper.

 

I see a lot of typical Mirt reactions in there. You are not alone.

Of course, now in hindsight, I wish that I would’ve just held 15 mg for a lot longer… even though I got relief from this recent reduction down to 14.7 for the first few days, today has been frightening to the point of big regret.  Im afraid to go back up to 15 mg now, though. It’s Day 6.

 

mirt has such a long half life, I think it took my brain a while to register the 2% change. 
 

Such a messy situation.

Bummed out 😔 and scared.
 

 

Edited March 3Mar 3 by Finni

How do I weigh if the withdrawal symptoms are worse than the activation symptoms?

The main difference is that I’d gotten to a point where my head wasn’t in total electricity all day, and I didn’t have that feeling of cold turkey withdrawal all day long. It was more in the  late afternoons.

Now my head and stomach are electrified- starting yesterday and throughout the night and all day long today - its constant and stronger instead of intermittent. 
And I feel very much like I’m in withdrawal, as if something is missing and making it impossible to relax. Very fast vibrations in torso and head. 

11 hours ago, Finni said:

How do I weigh if the withdrawal symptoms are worse than the activation symptoms?

The main difference is that I’d gotten to a point where my head wasn’t in total electricity all day, and I didn’t have that feeling of cold turkey withdrawal all day long. It was more in the  late afternoons.

Now my head and stomach are electrified- starting yesterday and throughout the night and all day long today - its constant and stronger instead of intermittent. 
And I feel very much like I’m in withdrawal, as if something is missing and making it impossible to relax. Very fast vibrations in torso and head. 

It's really hard to know as they can look the same and of course waves and windows happen making it more confusing.

 

IMO you need to work out if you felt an improvement from the drop and then let the WD symptoms pass. Then assess if you still feel dropping has helped and if you think you are reacting to the drug badly still. Im still unsure if this is the case if Im honest and this isn't just WD/DeRegulation and you should hold. 

 

Either way I don't think you should return to 15mg at this point, I think you should stick this dose out now IMO.

 

Hope that helps 

 

Chippy

Thanks @Chippy

 

i’m wondering if this is just more of my nervous system cycling through all kinds of crazy reactions and swinging and freaking out instead of a straight adverse reaction to the medication itself.

 

I did get relief with the cut though for a few days just like I have the other times  when I was trying to get back down to 15 mg.

 

With each reduction, though my baseline has gotten worse and worse.

 

I hope this reduction doesn’t make me even worse. It’s such a tiny reduction. I had no idea I would feel it so strongly

Just now, Finni said:

Thanks @Chippy

 

i’m wondering if this is just more of my nervous system cycling through all kinds of crazy reactions and swinging and freaking out instead of a straight adverse reaction to the medication itself.

 

I did get relief with the cut though for a few days just like I have the other times  when I was trying to get back down to 15 mg.

 

With each reduction, though my baseline has gotten worse and worse.

 

I hope this reduction doesn’t make me even worse. It’s such a tiny reduction. I had no idea I would feel it so strongly

Pleasure Finni

 

It’s so hard as those relief days do imply your body liked the reduction. But as you say you feel worse a few days later. This is likely imo due to additional wd symptoms kicking in.  I’d definitely hold here for the minute and see how things settle.

 

Then I’d reassess. Either keep holding and hope for more relief or take another small cut and see if you get relief again. You’d likely get more wd symptoms from that too. Which you’d need to give a some time to try to settle. It’s like an awful game of getting drug load down whilst balancing those extra wd symptoms. 

3/4/26 (day 7 after reduction to 14.7 mg mirt) 

Slept solid 5 hours last night 

surges started 5:00 am 

9:00 am Powerful, twisting, burning pounding electric surge around waist, especially at sides and back 

it’s so deep that its painful and feels locked on 

10:55 am surge locked on and pounding harder 

rumbling vibrating and flashes of terror 

vestibular rocking, bouncing

pressurized, accelerating sensations waist, back, rear end,

nerve pain in stomach feels like electricity dancing 

Horrible anxiety when symptoms are ramping or at their peak

34 minutes ago, Finni said:

3/4/26 (day 7 after reduction to 14.7 mg mirt) 

Slept solid 5 hours last night 

surges started 5:00 am 

9:00 am Powerful, twisting, burning pounding electric surge around waist, especially at sides and back 

it’s so deep that its painful and feels locked on 

10:55 am surge locked on and pounding harder 

rumbling vibrating and flashes of terror 

vestibular rocking, bouncing

pressurized, accelerating sensations waist, back, rear end,

nerve pain in stomach feels like electricity dancing 

Horrible anxiety when symptoms are ramping or at their peak

@Finni glad you managed to get a 5 good solid hours of sleep though truly sorry about the rest, we could be withdrawal twins, same flare-ups! awful to say the least.

Wishing you significant relief soon, hang in there 💞

25 minutes ago, Fullhealing said:

@Finni glad you managed to get a 5 good solid hours of sleep though truly sorry about the rest, we could be withdrawal twins, same flare-ups! awful to say the least.

Wishing you significant relief soon, hang in there 💞

I wish that right back to you!  
Hang onto to the memory of those windows 💗

The surge of electricity, the constant pounding electricity that started around 11 AM is still going strong. It’s like it’s just locked in and it’s 2 PM now.
It’s very distressing. 
I don’t know if it’s because day seven is bringing back a more steady state of mirtazapine and I’m reacting to it or if it’s just a big reaction to the change

 

I hope to God that Mark Horowitz can help me figure this out

 

does anyone else with mirtazapine experience ever have this happen where you feel better as you reduce and then symptoms catch up later?

 

@Emsy

@The_Taper_Man

@skamen

Edited March 4Mar 4 by Finni