[Johnb]

Hey there

I spent 2 years tapering off Mirtazapine going from 30mg to 0.4mg , making my own liquid formulation and mostly following a hyperbolic taper. I came off in November 2025.
I hit extreme insomnia around weeks 6-10 ( early jan- mid Feb), stabilised somewhat and now having intermittent insomnia but still quite brutal at times, leading to zero or close to zero sleep.

Depending who you talk to, most medical people will say the Mirtazapine withdrawal effect is negligible and im dealing with the original issue i have – anxiety and sleep issues.
However, theres a trend towards realising that coming off meds, even if slowly, can take a very long time before stability. ( i.e theMaudsley report).

A while ago it was suggested by a psychologist that i may have Cyclothymia or Bipolar II.
so, now i am at the stage of investigating this properly and wondering how to navigate the murky water of what is what- im still suffering withdrawal and hence wait things out vs possibly needing new medication if properly diagnosed with the above.

Please excuse my rambling and i hope i am clear here. Is there anyone able to relate, been in a similar position and offer any suggestions?

Thanks in advance

[Martin Reed]

I get the impression that moving away from mirtazapine is an action that is important to you. And, as an action, it’s within your control.

Withdrawing from medication (or experiencing any kind of change) can affect sleep. And, sleep seems to be something that’s out of your control.

It seems that what this comes down to now is how you want to respond to sleep not happening as you want it to happen — whether that’s caused by the medication withdrawal or not (and whether that’s caused by Cyclothymia or Bipolar II or not).

What I would like to do is reassure you of something important. The human body doesn’t require any kind of medication for sleep to happen. That doesn’t mean that medication is never appropriate — just that sleep can still happen, medication or not.

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If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.

The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.

[Johnb]

thanks for your wisdom, Martin and i am very happy to start your 6 week program as of yesterday

[Martin Reed]

I wish you all the best with it!

—

If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.

The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.

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