Hi, I'm Sushi

August 10, 2026

I am 81 years old and tapering Mirtazapine for my Hsband Sam who was given this whilst in hospital following a stroke. The stroke has affected his speech, cognition and mobility all of which have been made worse by Mirtazapine. When we first started tapering there was a marked improvement in all those areas, particularly in his ability to interact with others. Now we are at 4.5 I have noticed he isn't doing quite so well, his balance is slightly worse, constipation and irritability ar all worse. I am scared to go any further, Practice Nurse just told him to CT, which I vetoed as I had done some research. I am cutting tablets at the moment as he is refusing to take homemade liquid. If anyone is going through or has gone through something similar I'd love to hear their experiences as my anxiety is getting out of control

Mirtazapine — 4.5mg — 1 year 6 months — actively tapering

2 Replies

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BasedStaffAug 10

Community AnchorEffexor

Hey Sushi, great call on not stopping CT. I work with many people in the same position and unfortunately there isnt a simple answer. Considering age, it may be best to find a dose that the functioning is best at, rather than to optimize for 0 meds, just to be off all meds. I hope that makes sense, optimizing for quality of life is the main goal in this age group. I would wait until the symptoms fully subside before deciding whether to taper any more.

Creator of Taper Community, here to help you.

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CatinaAug 10

Community AnchorEffexor

Hi @Sushi...a very warm welcome to you! I'm sorry that both of you are having to deal with so much. Your husband is fortunate to have such a caring and supportive wife. You are to be commended for doing your own research in regards to Mirtazapine. Most medical professionals see nothing wrong with suddenly stopping a drug such as this, but that can present its own set of problems. You want to find a taper speed that gets him off the drug without causing him severe withdrawal symptoms. It's best to go slower than faster. Please know that you're not alone and that we'll give you tools needed to help your husband get off this drug safely. I'm going to include some information for you that I hope will help you navigate the rest of the taper. Depending on how slowly you need to go, you may have to cut and weigh the tablets, but we can help you every step of the way! https://taper.community/drugs/mirtazapine https://taper.community/resources/blog/dry-cutting-tablets-for-tapering https://taper.community/thread/0ac03733-1b1d-4728-bc7b-713dfde02bc4 I think your anxiety will lessen once you have the proper guidance and support you need. Hang in there...we're here with you. https://taper.community/thread/cbf196f2-7a92-460e-b78c-419887d02db2 https://taper.community/thread/ecea5d5c-ab7a-43f4-80b2-994bbee9fbf8 Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns and we'll be happy to help! Catina 🩷

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 16.64 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Synthroid - 25 mcg

“Your brain and body know how to heal. Trust the process and keep going.”

Please Note: I am not a healthcare professional. Any advice given is based on personal experience and that of others in the lay withdrawal community.

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