Anksa: Trazodone tapering

[anksa]

Hello to all of you,

 

Im glad that I found this forum because in our country I couldn't find such information as here, so I apologize for my english too:) 

 

The main reason that I write here is because I decided (also talked with my doctor) to stop taking Trazodone. I started 50mg for sleeping (also had severe anxiety), cause I was waking in the night with horrible anxiety. Then I went on 100mg and I couldnt stand the side effects, also one evening  I fell  unconscious on the floor. But I listened to the doctor instead to me, I continued taking it 50mg. This october was one year. Another issues Im solving with group analysis and also I'm taking 30mg Cymbalta. 

 

I decided to taper Trazodone. So 21.11 I went from 50mg to 37,5. It wasnt so bad. After 3 weeks I tapered from 37,5mg to 25mg. I felt a bit different next morning and every day the situation is worsening. After 10 days it became very bad - Chest thightness, anxiety, headace, nausea, vibrating body, pain in legs, neck, ... Is this possible after 10 days? I didnt have such symptoms before the drugs. 

 

Thank you for the answers.

[mammaP]

Hello Anksa, welcome to SA.I moved your thread to the introductions forum, where you can update it whenever

you like to keep track of your progress. I am sorry that you are feeling bad while tapering Trazodone.

Sadly You have been  tapering too fast and need to slow down. Trazodone is a very nasty drug that makes

some people very sick and has to be tapered very carefully,  

 

We recommend tapering 10% of the last dose every 4 weeks, this will mean that you can get off it without 

the awful withdrawal symptoms.   You may want to go back up to 37.5mg and hold there for a few weeks for 

your nervous system to settle down before starting to taper again.  Many of us here have tapered too fast

and had to up the dose, I was one of them so you are not alone. You did what you thought was best and 

doctors don't know how to taper properly! 

 

Here is the topic for tapering trazodone http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2883-tips-for-tapering-off-trazodone-desyrel/

Read it carefully, there is a lot of information about the drug and how it affects your body. 

 

It would help us if you put your drug and tapering history in your signature, you will find instructions how

to do that here  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/893-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/

 

Why we recommend tapering 10% http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1024-why-taper-by-10-of-my-dosage/

Edited January 1, 2015 by Altostrata
corrected traz dosage

[primrose]

Hi Anska

 

I am on trazodone. I was on 300mg for about five years, and this year have weaned down to 150mg a day without too much bother.

I got off the seroquel too this year, I tapered these by cutting off little bits of the pills. I know it's not the advised way so I am not advocating it, Im just lazy. I did a valium taper using jars and milk, and although the method suited me, the jars and milk felt like a ball and chain.

I started dissolving the drugs in water, well, I say dissolving, more like suspending, and measuring them out, but as I am a lazy so and so, I got sick of this and just divided the pills with a one sided razor blade.

I copied and pasted below, some text from Rhi, a member on here, who has described the best way to taper an antidepressant like trazodone.

 

'Rhi', on 27 Feb 2013 - 5:30 PM, said:

I'm kind of out of it right now and need to go to bed, but I just wanted to toss in my usual bit on the subject of making preparations for liquid tapering, which is: I personally don't worry about solubility.

None of the meds I'm tapering are actually soluble in water. But the pills dissolve into small enough particles that I can stir them up and keep them suspended in water while I measure them out, and that seems to work for me. I stir well before I measure, I stir a little while pipetting them up; I dissolve the pills in glass and pipette out of glass so that I can see visually how evenly everything is suspended, and that's good enough for me.

I use water as a medium because I like it that I can easily see for myself how evenly the little particles are suspended or if they seem to be settling out. Also because it's handy and cheap and I don't have to carry it with me if I travel.

Mostly I would just say, I don't think it really matters if the medication is soluble in whatever vehicle you're using, as long as it can be evenly distributed. What really matters is that it be evenly distributed and that your method be repeatable and consistent.

 

Hope this helps.

[anksa]

Thank you very much MammaP and Primrose

 

Yes It was to fast. Because the first step wasnt so bad from 50 to 37,5 I thought I could go on with tapering. Because now its 15 days since Im on 25mg, maybe its best for me to stay here instead of going up to 37,5mg and again confuse my system?? I don't know. 

The sadest thing is that maybe this whole year the Trazodone was the problem of my drug therapy, constantly feeling wierd and with lots of physical symptoms. So I really want to stop with this drug. 

 

One question more: Can I take magnesium while tapering?

 

Thank youuuu

[moodyblues78]

 

One question more: Can I take magnesium while tapering?

 

yes -> http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1300-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/

[mammaP]

It is your decision whether to stay as you are or slightly updose, only you know if you can cope with

how you are feeling now. You need to stabilise and can do that while staying at the 25mg, but it will

take time.  I can't say how long because everyone is different, but it will happen and you will feel better.

It may be better than changing things, if you can cope with the symptoms you are having for a while. 

Magnesium is excellent when tapering but start with a low dose and increase it gradually. Fish oil is

also very good while tapering and helps with dizziness and the light headed feelings. It is best not

to start supplements one at a time in case you have any reactions, then you know which one is causing

problems.  If you decide to stay at 25mg,  wait until you have been stable for a couple of months before

restarting your taper. 

[Altostrata]

Welcome, anksa.

 

You've been at 25mg for 10 days, is that correct? Have your withdrawal symptoms decreased during that time, or improved?

[anksa]

Hello Altostrata,

 

Im sorry fot late reply.

 

Now its 1 month since im on 25mg. I think its better, but still not ok. Actually I think I have problems since Im on Trazodone and that it will be better when I totally quit. I dont know. Also I'm working on my personal issues (psychotherapy) and this affects me. I have pain in the legs and heavy chest- but this started when I started Trazdone. The doctor said it isnt from Trazodone so I continued taking it. Non of other drugs helped (Paxil, Zoloft), now Im on 30mg Cymbalta. Sometimes Im asking myself, what if no drug was ok for me because I'm taking trazodone for sleep. Its frustrating. 

 

Thanks you

[Altostrata]

Trazodone has many side effects, you might be feeling them, or it might be interacting in a bad way with Cymbalta.

 

What is your daily symptom pattern? When do you take your drugs?

[WatchingTV426]

Hi Anksa, 

 

I took trazadone 50mg for a while--I can't remember how long exactly, I know it was two separate times, most recently for about a year--both times for sleep b/c the Zoloft I take destroys my sleep. The second time it just completely pooped out on me and made me exhausted the next day. All of a sudden, I wasn't getting 7 or 8 hours a night and the next day I would feel like a complete zombie. You are a step ahead of where I was, b/c it never even *occurred* to me that I would need to taper this drug since, in my mind, "I was only taking it for sleep," not for its antidepressant properties. 

 

I certainly can understand the heavy chest feeling with the Traz. Once it stopped working for me, it was like I felt like someone was sitting on my chest, on my everything all day long. I would slog through the day, trying to teach, to talk to people on campus, to have a conversation--and yet I still wasn't sleeping at night. This is certainly complicated by the problems that Zoloft causes my sleep, but once I was off the Traz., that particular symptom went away. I can't offer any advice for tapering, I'm sorry for that, b/c, as I said, I just stopped it. My doctor always said how 50mg was such a low dose, and I stupidly took him at his word and never thought twice about it. 

 

As another note, I haven't used Traz. regularly since about March or April 2013, but when I tried it once this summer, same thing happened--didn't help me sleep, but gave me the zombie, someone sitting on my chest/whole body feeling the next day. I do hope you find some relief soon.