Currently dealing with hypersensitive nervous system as I'm very sensitive to changes with mirtazapine.

 

Link to my surviving antidepressants thread:

SA Thread

 

 

History:

2019: Sertraline then Lexapro  2020: Lexapro rapid taper over 2 months.

2024 Dec: started mirtazapine 15mg, took effexor 2 times, oxazepam around 10 times. 2025 Jan: 1mg risperidone, Sertraline 25mg for 20 days, took lorezepam for like 25 days. Took zopiclone a few times from December to February. 2025 Feb: tried to half mirtazapine but went back. Feb-Mar: rapid tapered risperidone over a month no issues.

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Hi Lighty,

 

Thank you for joining and posting.

Hi Lighty

 

Thanks for signing up and posting your introduction thread. 

 

As you can see your're the first one do so apart from Luke and I!

 

Hopefully the start of something new and exciting for the community. 

 

Hope you’re doing ok. 

 

Chippy

Vent Trigger Warning:

 

I can never forgive myself for what happened a bit over a year ago, I just can't, i blame it on other as well, because of other people they fucking put me on so many drugs when some of them i was even kindled by all ssris/snris cause of my rapid taper in 2020 that mostly was easy, If this stupid story didn't happen I would never ever taken another psych drug and would be with a decently healthy nervous system (wasn't best cause i got more sensitive to caffeine but yeah)

I feel so angry cause I didn't even choose to go on all these psych drugs, I'm just scared for my life, especielly with people journey's that they go years just surviving, I'm just scared, I'm so sensitive at this point it's crazy, supplements foods and herbal teas and what not

I can't accept years are gonna be struggling with this and then also needing to taper this damm drug, If i was already post drug and in this state, I would be happy being in this state but im not post all drugs and everything can still go to hell for all i know.

Hey Lighty

 

I’m sorry to read this. 

 

We can all empathise with this frustration. It’s not fair or our fault. 

 

I know Luke feels lot of anger about this too. 

 

I know it’s hard to deal with all this uncertainty.

 

Technically you know what you need to do. Get stable. Then carefully taper down as per the current guidelines, listening to your body as you go. 

 

But mentally there is a job here too. You need to do your best to get your mind in the right space for healing and the journey ahead. 

 

Acceptance is really key to this. What is done is done. It’s not your fault. Try to work on any rumination you have and keep bringing those thoughts back down to the now. Forget the past and the future. Just now. 

You’ve been harmed. You must just be at peace with this. 

 

Try to use distraction to get through each day. Your one job is getting through the day. Giving no thought for tomorrow. Take an hour at a time if that’s what it takes. Stay busy with anything that keeps your mind off your symptoms. 

 

I hear you would rather be off the drug but you must accept this isn’t the case and try to find peace with it. 

 

It looks like you’re doing all the right things technically. I think perhaps put some work into the practice of acceptance. I believe this is the key to dealing with chronic situations such as this. 

 

We are here for you. My heart goes out to you!

 

Chippy

There is at least some chance that as you taper, you'll be feeling and doing better.

 

Unfortunately, it can be very unpredictable, but the positive spin on that is that things can change- just because it's bad now does not mean it is guaranteed to be at other doses.

 

 

For example, I had an immediate ADR to Mirtazapine, after a while, I was able to stabilise on it, despite plenty of undesirable symptoms. I lived a somewhat normal life on it around them.

 

Whilst tapering it, I felt better and better, all symptoms reduced by the day. This continued until after coming totally off.

 

 

The point of highlighting this is that we can't easily predict what will happen next. I know you're worried that you're not off the drug and are therefore "not healing", and could better accept your state and current symptoms if you knew they would likely improve in time. I certainly understand this, but just wanted to point out that it is at least possible that life will improve and be tolerable, ok, or even reasonably good before you're fully off.

 

Not guaranteed, but then nothing is. There is at least hope that things can be different.

There is at least some chance that as you taper, you'll be feeling and doing better.

 

Currently I cannot taper as even a less than 1% drop caused me symptoms for a few weeks (4 days were really bad and had other days randomly where I was depressed), so I have to wait for a while for my nervous system to stabilize as currently I react to many things.

I had some period I felt good on compounded pharmacy but I felt like I got kindled out quite a bit.

I have a theory maybe the original thing I had is seasonal or something, so I hope maybe in a few months I will be later when it stops being winter.

Sure, the point I am making is that you do not know what will happen at lower doses.

 

Dropping doses made me feel amazing.

Update:

 

So it hasn't been that easy, there was a week without sun and i wasn't doing that good overall.

 

Today sun came back after a week of rains, I got in my backyard and got most of my skin exposed to the sun in peak UV times for 30 minutes, and I have felt much better after that, had a few hours I felt kind of normal and today was way better than then a lot of the previous day.

 

The sun does much more than just provide vitamin d and I believe it helps the body to heal.

Update:

 

So it hasn't been that easy, there was a week without sun and i wasn't doing that good overall.

 

Today sun came back after a week of rains, I got in my backyard and got most of my skin exposed to the sun in peak UV times for 30 minutes, and I have felt much better after that, had a few hours I felt kind of normal and today was way better than then a lot of the previous day.

 

The sun does much more than just provide vitamin d and I believe it helps the body to heal.

Hey Lighty

 

Ah this is good!

 

Yes I think the sun and just being outdoors is very beneficial to us. We should all do it more.

 

Thanks for the update.

 

Chippy

so im not feeling that well.

 

on monday eve i had a chamomile tea that helped me function and also slept well, and the next day after later morning being kind of bad at afternoon i stressed my body a bit and i suddenly had a medium dizziness that is distressing and also nausea, and right now my head still feels wierd and i don't feel that good from that sudden flare.

 

I had chamomile at other times without having a flare like that a day later so that's weird.

well some good news.

my mom managed to get off the antipsychotic this time, it's been 2 weeks, my mom is way less sensitive and i believe in the future there is a good chance she could taper the ssri with 10% receptor occupancy reduction each time according to maudley's deprescribing guidelines.

I am a believer not everyone needs years to taper off one med, some people can taper in a few months, you just need to do it according to receptor occupancy rate and not dose number linear.

there are a lot of people who can easily go to lowest dose of lets say an ssri, and then they can't go to 0 cause it goes from like 50% receptor occupancy to 0% which is too big of a jump and not just a 10% reduction.

well some good news.

my mom managed to get off the antipsychotic this time, it's been 2 weeks, my mom is way less sensitive and i believe in the future there is a good chance she could taper the ssri with 10% receptor occupancy reduction each time according to maudley's deprescribing guidelines.

I am a believer not everyone needs years to taper off one med, some people can taper in a few months, you just need to do it according to receptor occupancy rate and not dose number linear.

there are a lot of people who can easily go to lowest dose of lets say an ssri, and then they can't go to 0 cause it goes from like 50% receptor occupancy to 0% which is too big of a jump and not just a 10% reduction.

 

I agree with you generally, but unfortunately it can be very unpredictable. What is too fast varies a lot by the person, and once you've gone too fast, it can be very difficult to bring things back under control or not make them worse.

well some good news.

my mom managed to get off the antipsychotic this time, it's been 2 weeks, my mom is way less sensitive and i believe in the future there is a good chance she could taper the ssri with 10% receptor occupancy reduction each time according to maudley's deprescribing guidelines.

I am a believer not everyone needs years to taper off one med, some people can taper in a few months, you just need to do it according to receptor occupancy rate and not dose number linear.

there are a lot of people who can easily go to lowest dose of lets say an ssri, and then they can't go to 0 cause it goes from like 50% receptor occupancy to 0% which is too big of a jump and not just a 10% reduction.

 

I agree with you generally, but unfortunately it can be very unpredictable. What is too fast varies a lot by the person, and once you've gone too fast, it can be very difficult to bring things back under control or not make them worse.

 

which is why you never cold turkey and rapid taper in a dose number linearity, but by receptor occupancy, and each step you monitor how are you doing, you still don't rush it obviously and monitor how it goes.

also obviously you also need to consider a person's history as well and how they tolerated previous reduction attempts and what not.

well some good news.

my mom managed to get off the antipsychotic this time, it's been 2 weeks, my mom is way less sensitive and i believe in the future there is a good chance she could taper the ssri with 10% receptor occupancy reduction each time according to maudley's deprescribing guidelines.

I am a believer not everyone needs years to taper off one med, some people can taper in a few months, you just need to do it according to receptor occupancy rate and not dose number linear.

there are a lot of people who can easily go to lowest dose of lets say an ssri, and then they can't go to 0 cause it goes from like 50% receptor occupancy to 0% which is too big of a jump and not just a 10% reduction.

 

I agree with you generally, but unfortunately it can be very unpredictable. What is too fast varies a lot by the person, and once you've gone too fast, it can be very difficult to bring things back under control or not make them worse.

 

which is why you never cold turkey and rapid taper in a dose number linearity, but by receptor occupancy, and each step you monitor how are you doing, you still don't rush it obviously and monitor how it goes.

also obviously you also need to consider a person's history as well and how they tolerated previous reduction attempts and what not.

 

Not everyone tolerates that well either. For some, these drugs are simply toxic.

 

You're right, but the outcomes can be very unpredictable and sometimes harm is very difficult to avoid even doing everything "right".

one struggle i go through, is that cause i believe this tablet manufacturer isn't very good and it feels not a 100% consistent, plus the degradation issues i exeprienced in the past, so i feel like i get fluctuations just being on this thing. it has been like that since the beginning. i keep going through a lot of bad days at periods where it's unbareable, yet trying to taper 1% gives me a few tough days.

Hey Lighty

 

As I was saying earlier to you it’s a shame you feel your local Mirtazapine is causing you issues with quality. I wish you could perhaps try Remeron you might find that more stable. Although as your sensitive you might not like the switch. 
 

Hope this levels out a bit soon bud and you can continue your taper. 
 

Chippy

new strategy i will try now, I will stop drinking cafix non coffee on and off as i think it might not cause me the best response the drink itself.

and I will regularly drink a tiny bit of chamomile on 8pm daily (with only like 1-2 flowers, so very little as even a tablespoon can cause delayed bad reaction).

32 minutes ago, Lighty said:

new strategy i will try now, I will stop drinking cafix non coffee on and off as i think it might not cause me the best response the drink itself.

and I will regularly drink a tiny bit of chamomile on 8pm daily (with only like 1-2 flowers, so very little as even a tablespoon can cause delayed bad reaction).

Decaf coffees do contain caffeine. Thats the way mate. Listen to what your body tells you. 👍

1 hour ago, Chippy said:

Decaf coffees do contain caffeine. Thats the way mate. Listen to what your body tells you. 👍

cafix is not coffee, it has different ingredients, like my nervous system also reacts badly to a bunch of stuff, i feel like with chamomile i don't get that bad of response and if i take regularly.

unlike lemon balm that when i took a few days in a row, i was insanely depressed for like a few days afterwards.

like rooibos causes me to go really bad emotionally after like 5-7 hours, cafix i think might cause some bad effect and chamomile is immediete okay, i think a little bit is okay with taken at like 8pm which is a few hours before i take the mirtazapine and other stuff and go to sleep.

9 minutes ago, Lighty said:

cafix is not coffee, it has different ingredients, like my nervous system also reacts badly to a bunch of stuff,

I don’t know this brand specifically. I assumed it was a decaf coffee which do contain caffeine just very low dose. Good to stay away from it if it disagrees with you. TBH anything with lots of ingredients in it I would avoid and aim to each whole foods and clean foods and beverages in general. 😀

 

Camomile sounds like a good idea if you can tolerate it. It’s fine for me too from what I can tell. 

im gonna be trying today another tiny reduction, hopefully it will be easier, even tho last time i took a bit of cacao that incited things and probably made it worse.

but i know chamomile can be useful and doesn't cause a multiple days setback at it's worse, so we will see

from now on im planning on starting to do weekly reductions of ~0.13mg every week.

I have to start progressing so i can get to the end at some point.

1 hour ago, Lighty said:

from now on im planning on starting to do weekly reductions of ~0.13mg every week.

I have to start progressing so i can get to the end at some point.

Go steady mate. Make you listen to your body. Weekly is quick but you know that.