onemorechance: trazadone

[onemorechance]

Hello,

Seeking help and hopefully some positive outcomes. I discontinued Trazodone 50 mg (will update signature) too quickly out of ignorance and am deeply impacted. I am housebound due to muscle/joint issues. All of my muscle mass wasted away in  a day or two,  including in my hands and feet, which makes it difficult to walk. All of my joints are cracking and popping and very unstable. I have trouble doing basic chores. I cannot walk our dog or walk  on any but the most flat and hard surfaces.  I also cannot feel most of my body except my head and face due to numbness. All I feel is tingling and burning and cannot tolerate any but the loosest clothing. I  cant wear shoes because I cannot feel the ground (feet are also numb) . I am scared and devastated by the sudden turn of events.

 

For anyone that suffered profound musculoskeletal issues, do they go away? I was in great shape when this happened and now cant even do a squat with my bodyweight with my knees and hips near dislocating. 

 

This is nearly unbelievable  and some type of hell.

[getofflex]

Hello, and welcome to SA.  We are a volunteer-run community of people who have been or are getting off of psychiatric drugs.  It may very well be that the fast taper off of trazodone is causing your musculoskeletal issues.  When we taper too fast, it destabilizes the nervous system, which is intricately intertwined with every system in our body. When our brain goes awry, our bodies tend to go awry.  Let me give you some basic info, then some more specifics at the end.  If your doctor told you trazodone led to no physical dependence, they were wrong.  

 

Have you been entirely off the Lunesta since August 2021?  

 

Here is some important information about how these drugs actually work.  This explains why we get symptoms from going off of these medications, and why it's so important to taper slowly and carefully, and be very cautious about changing our doses: 

 

How Psychiatric Drugs Remodel Your Brain

 

 

This helps you understand what withdrawal syndrome is: 

 

Video on Recovery from Psych Drugs

 

Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

 

Here is a link with checklists of common WD symptoms: 

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen Withdrawal Symptom Checklists

 

 

Here are some techniques to cope with symptoms: 

 

Non Drug Ways to Cope with Withdrawal Symptoms

 

Stability is really important when we are tapering off psych meds.  Please read the link about stability:

 

Keep It Simple, Slow, and Stable

 

 

We don't suggest many supplements, but 2 that many of us find helpful are magnesium and omega-3 fish oil. Here are the links for info about those. It is suggested to add one at a time, and start with a low dose to see how it affects you. 

Magnesium

Omega 3 Fish Oil

 

It may be that a very small reinstatement will help you with these symptoms. This is best done very carefully.  This is temporary, and after stabilizing you would then taper gradually off of this.  There is some risk involved.  Here is some information about reinstatement.  

 

About Reinstating and Stabilizing to Reduce Withdrawal Symptoms

 

Here are some search results with specific links about the symptoms you are describing:  

 

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/search/?&q=muscles&type=forums_topic&nodes=14,8&search_and_or=and&search_in=titles

 

I've given you quite a bit of information here.  Please read through it, and mull it over, and we will take it from there.  You can get a liquid trazodone from a compounding pharmacy, or make your own liquid which will make dosing very easy.  Please let us know if you wish to try a small reinstatement, or not, and we can suggest a very low dose.

[onemorechance]

thank you for the response. i have not taken lunesta since aug 2021. i am about 6 weeks out from finishing a water titration taper.I basically c/t the original 50 mg dose due to lack of knowledge, fell apart, and then reinstated at 25mg and tapered over about 8 weeks per doctor recommendation.  the original physical symptoms arrived during the c/t and didn’t relent during second taper (some of the mental symptoms did relent , such as the dp/dr) . i feel like this is what it left me with. zero muscle mass , zero tone including hands and feet, and all muscles totally numb below my neck . it’s scary. i am housebound as i cant get around. is this going to go away? and i wonder if this is lunesta or trazodone? i wonder if the trazodone could have covered the benzo? i am reading on benzo sites trying to understand. not that it matters in the long run as i am left here regardless. it’s so depressing . 

has anybody had profound loss of muscle tone recovered? 

[getofflex]

I couldn't say for sure if it was trazodone or Lunesta either.  I suspect trazodone, since your signature says this started at the end of July, after you discontinued trazodone.  

 

You only 2 options are reinstatement as discussed above, or just stay off the trazodone, and wait for healing to happen.  The good news is, with proper self care, eventually you will recover.  

[traz23]

How are you feeling now, with the muscle wasting and pain, @onemorechance?