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Opioids Why does mirtazapine help with opiate withdrawal?

ferinox

Bluelighter
Joined
Aug 20, 2009
Messages
275
I've been taking 40 mg oxycodone daily for about 3.5 weeks now and 30 mg mirtazapine daily. I was expecting I wouldn't be able to go to work while in withdrawal so I took the time off. I would say the W/D was cut in intensity by about 60% because of the mirtazapine. I only felt slight depression and the anxiety wasn't incapacitating like it normally is. Physically I felt pretty shitty but it wasn't anywhere near as bad as normal. I felt like I could have gone to work.

I would've thought mirtazapine would make the withdrawal worse. It's an alpha-2 adregenic receptor antagonist which is the opposite of clonidine which is use for W/D. High norepinephrine is also a key player in opiate W/D. Mirtazapine acts as NE reuptake inhibitor increasing it's levels which I thought would make the anxiety and physical W/D worse. It's also a kappa agonist which antagonizes Mu opoid receptor effects.

I felt less high when I took opiates on mirtazapine so maybe the kappa agonism plays a role in reducing dependence levels. I was also thinking the NE reuptake might desensitize NE receptors making W/D less severe. This is just speculation though. I was if anybody had something else to add. Either their experience with opiate withdrawal on mirtazapine or some reason why it can help with W/D.
 
It helps because it's sedating and you have a very low tolerance to opioids and weren't using very long. If you were IV'ing smack for years, mirtazepine isn't going to help withdrawal anywhere near 60%.
 
I had been taking mirtazapine for 2 months prior to the W/D so the there was almost complete tolerance to the sedative effect. I experienced worse W/D from 20 mg hydrocodone for a similar amount of time without mirtazapine. It seems to directly reduce some of the symptoms. I agree entirely if it had been a larger habit, it probably wouldn't have helped much but I don't think the sedative effects played a role.
 
It helps because it's sedating and you have a very low tolerance to opioids and weren't using very long. If you were IV'ing smack for years, mirtazepine isn't going to help withdrawal anywhere near 60%.

I don't get this argument. Just because someone isn't withdrawing from large amounts of IV heroin doesn't mean their withdrawals don't suck ass, and its very possible that the mirtazapine helps for reasons othre than "its sedating." The drug isn't even sedating at the 30mg level past the first week or so.
 
^ my apologies... if you have other explanation for the reason it helps, please share. I am not very familiar with mirtazepine use in opioid withdrawal.

I didn't mean to imply that his withdrawals wouldn't suck ass, I've had withdrawals several times from relatively small smounts to moderate amounts over long periods and found that certain substances that were useful in the former did fuck all in the latter. That's all I meant to imply.
 
In my view, your WD's were tolerable because you had a tiny habit for a tiny period of time.

I withdrew from bupe after many years and, like Cane2theLeft suggested, mirtazepine did FUCK ALL.
 
^ my apologies... if you have other explanation for the reason it helps, please share. I am not very familiar with mirtazepine use in opioid withdrawal.

I didn't mean to imply that his withdrawals wouldn't suck ass, I've had withdrawals several times from relatively small smounts to moderate amounts over long periods and found that certain substances that were useful in the former did fuck all in the latter. That's all I meant to imply.

No my apologies, looking back I was kind of a dick, especially because there's a good chance you're right. I guess sometimes I read things out loud or in my head in a different tone than they were intended, changing the meaning of the post..heh good thing we don't speak Japanese.
 
^ no worries, if you pissed me off I would've just BANNED YOUR ASS ;)

Obviously we all have limitations to what we know on these topics so it's great to each share pieces so we can figure these things out.

Funnily enough, the OP requesting information seems to be the most informed on this topic =D
 
I know this had already been said but speaking of my own experience mirtazapine does help significantly with opiod withdrawal. My drugs of choice were iv dauladid and heroin. I would agree it help about 60 percent and I was a heavy user. In closing, I know it's hell but stay strong you can do it.
 
I've had Mirtazipine prescribed for anxiety and to aid sleep (Cos I'm on everything else) so I'm not surprised if your anxiety was helped with mirtaz. And yes the sedating effects do wear off quickly though one night it doesn't do shit then the next night the same dose owns me in the sedation department so I don't know. Lyrica and Mirtazapine are great for knock out sleep - It's making it to the bed I find difficult. Falling asleep in random places seems to be my issue the last few days.
 
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