Mourningdove: Inoptimal tapering from Trazodone

[mourningdove]

Hello all -- I will be as brief as possible for my own sake; I intend to use this topic as a journal of sorts, if I can remember to update it periodically.

I am currently 26 years old.

As my signature states, I have been on all manner of antidepressants since I was a child.

I was unable to understand the side effects since I was young, and believe my body has been damaged by so many years of medication. I have other genetic conditions that leave me with a sensitive nervous system, and have a history of withdrawal from drugs that I was forcibly taken off of during my teenage years, which certainly caused further damage. I have very severe brain-fog and memory problems that I hope and pray will improve if I save myself from this medicine.

 

I am currently on a combination of trazodone and zoloft. Over the years I have decreased the doses of both of these medications, and currently sit at 50mg trazodone and 25mg sertraline, which I take at bedtime.

I spoke to my doctor about discontinuing my trazodone, as it was suggested that it was causing my condition to worsen, and was given the typical advice of "Well, I haven't heard of any issues; just stop it / skip doses to taper" which I, of course, know are incorrect.

  In a perfect world I would be following a strict 10%-per-dose taper, but due to difficulties obtaining medicine due to my physical disability I made my first cut, down to 37.5mg as it was the smallest I was able to remove from my pills without damaging them in the process and losing medication. I cannot afford a scale at the moment but if I am able to get one, I will, especially if this cut affects me drastically. I intend to hold it, unless anything awful happens, for a month or two if not longer before cutting down again, so I will listen to my body and see.

 

I am very afraid to be doing this, but feel as though it will be the best course of action for me in the long term. I needed to take the first step after years of 'mulling it over' -- which I have a tendency to do, leading to inaction.

 

As I said I will do my best to update this topic as I go, if only for my own records. Thank you all for your knowledge over the years, and I appreciate any specific advice or support.

 

 

[mourningdove]

^ Updating this for myself. Last night ( 1/8) I actually took the full 50mg because I got scared of the potential for side effects. I will do my best to go through with the first cut tonight, or try to go smaller. We'll see.

[Emonda]

Welcome @mourningdove

 

On 1/9/2025 at 11:43 AM, mourningdove said:

I am currently on a combination of trazodone and zoloft.

 

You should put the drugs you take into the drug interaction checker (google it) and see what it tells you.

 

You should have a read of this, too: Taking multiple psych drugs? Which drug to taper first?

 

 

On 1/9/2025 at 11:43 AM, mourningdove said:

"Well, I haven't heard of any issues; just stop it / skip doses to taper"

 

I'm glad you knew better than the doctor! Never skip doses to taper

 

On 1/9/2025 at 11:43 AM, mourningdove said:

In a perfect world I would be following a strict 10%-per-dose taper,

 

That's certainly the recommendation here.

Why taper by 10% of my dosage? The reductions should get smaller and smaller each month, for example: 10mg, 9mg, 8.1mg, 7.3mg etc. This process involves a degree of trial and error, as there is no way of predicting how an individual will respond. Importantly, if you develop unpleasant side effects from tapering, halt the taper, give yourself time to settle, and once stable, taper more slowly and by smaller amounts moving forward. The experience of others suggests that the lower you go in dose, the slower you need to go with tapering.

Those that taper too quickly often develop very unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. This Daily checklist of antidepressant withdrawal symptoms is a helpful summary of what many experience.

On 1/9/2025 at 11:43 AM, mourningdove said:

I cannot afford a scale

Accuracy and consistency are very important. According to the Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines, Trazadone tablets can be crushed and mixed with water, which may help you with tapering accurately. The following two links might be helpful.

 

 

 

On 1/9/2025 at 11:43 AM, mourningdove said:

I intend to hold it, unless anything awful happens,

Pay attention to the items on the WD checklist.

On 1/9/2025 at 11:43 AM, mourningdove said:

I am very afraid to be doing this,

 

I think everyone here felt this way at first. I would describe myself these days as being cautious with my taper and very respectful of these drugs - they are powerful and you don't want to blasé. You have to go slow.

 

Time + Patience are required for this ultra marathon.

 

On 1/9/2025 at 11:43 AM, mourningdove said:

I needed to take the first step after years of 'mulling it over'

 

I can relate to this! It was hard, and I started before finding this site, and I made mistakes. You, fortunately, have landed here at the start of the process.

 

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

Magnesium

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil)

Avoid alcohol.

Don't change the manufacturer of your AD.

Once again, welcome to S.A.

Emonda

[mourningdove]

Emonda -- thank you for all the information! I have perused the website thoroughly and have learned about the combination of traz + zoloft. I wish I had never been put on them... I have made the decision to stop the Trazodone first due to the symptoms it causes + the effect it has on my ( already low ) blood pressure... my doctor had even suggested that it was why I am so prone to fainting.

 

I'm feeling okay, so far - on the night of Jan 9 , last night, I took the decreased dose again and will try to hold it and see how I feel. Future tapers will be smaller.

 

I have ordered magnesium and fish oil and will try to slowly introduce one or the other once I get them + see how they treat me. Thankfully I do not drink so avoiding alcohol will be no problem for me. : ] We'll see how everything goes .. thank you again for the help. Like I said I will try to keep updates coming here for anyone in the future who wants to get off this medicine.

[LiSha0510]

I would like to follow your taper, I quit Zoloft CT 3 months ago and Trazodone 4 weeks ago, but hat to reinstate Trazodone the day before yesterday, because of my insomnia. 

[mourningdove]

Yesterday - the first day post-cut -- I felt fine, with my usual nervous system discomfort in the evening. I slept, though definitely not well; it was patchy and episodic. Today I feel tired, brain-foggy, achy and overall 'under the weather' -- this is relatively normal with my health condition but I am sure a combination of my menstrual cycle, lack of restful sleep and perhaps what could withdrawal are not helping. I'll take it easy as always. I have magnesium and fish oil supplements now, but am afraid to take either of them for fear they will make me feel worse. We will see.

 

As a note it is so hard to tell what is withdrawal and what is the typical condition of my chronic illness; I am not certain how helpful my symptom reports will be due to that. I'm sorry in advance to anybody that uses this as reference, but if anybody else has problems with their autonomic nervous system maybe it will help. I'm not sure.

[mourningdove]

A daily update... I have noticed during the day - typically - I feel fine, but as evening and night roll around my symptoms are worse. Due to their severity compared to the minimal amount of activity I am presuming it is due to the withdrawal. I face most things on 'symptom checklists' daily anyway, but they have been worse since the cut. Stomach pains, nervousness (?) , headache. I do not typically get headaches. I have been sleeping okay, knock on wood. I know it is still early on.

[mourningdove]

I don't think I will update daily on here, at least until the next cut -- I have not been having very intense symptoms or anything very different from the usual, but if this changes I will post it here. I am going to take it slow even if my symptoms are mild for now, as I know rushing it can send me back even further..

[mourningdove]

I have been experiencing  quite severe emotional symptoms in the evenings; sadness and fear -- though whether it is due to hormones or 'actual' real-life stress or withdrawal I'm not sure. Sleep has been fine -- though my dreams have been more vivid.