Saturday 4 June 2022

On Sunday Night I Took my Last Mirtazipine

Disclaimer, before I get into this: I'm not your doctor. Don't copy me. 

Back at the start of March, I began to end my 4-year depression medication programme and detailed it on this blog. Titled ‘Renegade Psych Patient,’ the post described that I intended to come down to half dose on Mirtazipine. I felt that the NHS therapy I’d received, and the time spent (and am continuing to spend) in men’s support group Andy’s Man Club, was much more beneficial than just sticking a tablet in my gob and expecting it to solve my problems. 

Granted, that’s an unrealistic expectation anyway, but the course of antidepressants left me less than motivated, constantly hungry, and fat. And getting fatter. Mirtazipine slows metabolism, increasing fat reserves. This couldn’t continue. 

The plan was to take a pill once every two nights. I had a good wad of pills still to go, and reordered so I’d have plenty before coming off. 

A month later I updated, explaining that sleep had been a serious problem- Mirtazipine is taken at night to make you drowsy- but this settled after a few nights. As I slept better, my weight sadly wasn’t as settled, bouncing around between 81 and 87kg. 

On Sunday night I took my last Mirtazipine. I’m now officially off antidepressants. On Wednesday I was 84kg. No real change over the last couple of months. What about the gym? 

I've managed to add one more overhand chinup to my record, bringing it to 17, and got my plank time from 6:15 to 7:00. Dips: 10 more to 110.

I’m hoping that in the next month, there’ll be a noticeable difference. I’ll first have a few food treats, but then I’ll be back on clean food.

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