45 mg of Mirtazapine Doesn't Help Me Sleep — Need Advice for My Disabling Tinnitus

[jbgarrett]

I take Zopiclone, a sleeping tablet. On bad days, I take a full dose—one pill of 7.5 mg—about an hour before bed. On good days, half a pill does the trick. It helps me fall asleep, and if I wake up in the middle of the night with my tinnitus at its loudest, I can easily fall back to sleep.

The pills come with serious warnings about addiction, but they've been a lifesaver for me. The only effect I've ever experienced is a good night's sleep.

 

[RunningMan]

Many tinnitus sufferers on Tinnitus Talk have also recommended Trazodone for sleep. Unfortunately, it has not been sold in France since 1996.

Trazodone at 25 mg and 50 mg doses didn't work any better for me than 25 mg Hydroxyzine or 50 mg Benadryl, which weren't very helpful for sleep. I take 50 mg Quviviq, which was mentioned earlier, which is in the DORA class, like Dayvigo. It might help me sleep better earlier in the night but not after a few hours. I haven't tried Dayvigo, but I would like to try to see if I have better luck with it than Quviviq, as some people do.

 

[Stayinghopeful]

I wasn't aware of Ashwagandha. Thanks for the recommendation! I'll ask my psychiatrist if there are any interactions with Mirtazapine.

Many tinnitus sufferers on Tinnitus Talk have also recommended Trazodone for sleep. Unfortunately, it has not been sold in France since 1996.

I forgot to mention it was Ashwagandha with KSM66.

 

[Tweaker]

I've been taking Mirtazapine for years. I've managed to reduce my dose to a quarter of a 15 mg tablet, but I've never been able to stop entirely for more than 10 days due to the difficult side effects. So, I feel somewhat stuck on it as well. When I take this small dose along with a very low dose of Temazepam (a quarter of a 10mg tablet), I can usually get around 4 hours of sleep.

I'd like to quit altogether, but sleep deprivation is brutal, especially when trying to hold down a job. My tinnitus is severe these days, and its worsening over the last couple of years seems to be noise-induced and possibly related to COVID-19 rather than the medications. I believe this because, despite taking low doses of these meds for years, I was doing okay until the noise incidents and COVID-19 occurred. Now, I hear loud, multiple tones in both ears.

 

[RunningMan]

I've been taking Mirtazapine for years. I've managed to reduce my dose to a quarter of a 15 mg tablet, but I've never been able to stop entirely for more than 10 days due to the difficult side effects. So, I feel somewhat stuck on it as well. When I take this small dose along with a very low dose of Temazepam (a quarter of a 10mg tablet), I can usually get around 4 hours of sleep.

I'd like to quit altogether, but sleep deprivation is brutal, especially when trying to hold down a job. My tinnitus is severe these days, and its worsening over the last couple of years seems to be noise-induced and possibly related to COVID-19 rather than the medications. I believe this because, despite taking low doses of these meds for years, I was doing okay until the noise incidents and COVID-19 occurred. Now, I hear loud, multiple tones in both ears.

3.75 mg is pretty low. Are you having any side effects from using the med? And is sleep deprivation the only side effect when trying to wean off completely?

 

[Tweaker]

3.75 mg is pretty low. Are you having any side effects from using the med? And is sleep deprivation the only side effect when trying to wean off completely?

I don't feel any side effects from taking it. The main issues are sleep deprivation, worsening electrical-type tinnitus, and severe anxiety when coming off it.

 

[object16]

I don't want to get into a competition for "who has the worst case," but trust me, you definitely do not have the worst case. Mirtazapine is really effective for a while, but then tolerance kicks in. Having constant, quiet background sound is essential.

I'm actually on five medications plus novel cannabinoids, and I still feel like I'm living in hell. I've just accepted that this is my reality until I pass away. The emotional response to tinnitus is the hardest part. That is where the real suffering lies. I do my best to stay positive; I've been dealing with this for over 40 years, and yes, it keeps getting worse. But I've reached a point where I just do not care anymore, and I focus on staying positive. I mean, I'm still here, right?

So no, you are not the worst case; that is your brain playing tricks on you. We all think we have the worst case until we start replacing those negative thoughts with positive ones. I know that sounds a bit lame, but apparently, that is how the brain works. Or so it seems. Like now, I'm wide awake instead of asleep, typing replies on this thread, lol.