Lama: Trazadone

[Lama]

I have been on trazadone for a year and quit cold turkey for I think it was two months I was unaware not to stop ubrapitly. I have restated for 4 weeks and 4 days. Should I add another SSR for the W/D subside? I told my doctor and told me to take another medication. I feel a little better then before but hoping I will more stabilize more. Have negative thoughts that makes it hard. Would like anybody's input.

Edited January 13, 2017 by scallywag
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[scallywag]

Lama -- Welcome to Surviving Antidepressants (SA)

 

Doctors often forget or neglect to advise tapering from medication. Sometimes they tell us on the first prescription and we forget. I'm sorry you didn't get the information you needed when you need it.

 

Some questions for you:

• What trazodone dose were you taking for the year?
• On what date did you take your last dose before the cold-turkey?
• On what date did you reinstate trazodone?
• What dose did you reinstate?
• Have you made any changes to your reinstatement dose, up or down? If so, what and when?

A request: Would you summarize your history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-18 months particularly?

• Please use actual dates or approximate dates (mid-June, Late October) rather than relative time frames (last week, 3 months ago)
• Any drugs prior to 18 months ago can just be listed with start and stop years.
• You don't need to include symptoms or diagnoses other than the initial condition that led to prescribing the first drug.
• We ask for this information so that we can see the most important information at a glance and answer your questions quickly .
• A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs.
• You can find instructions in this topic: Please put your withdrawal history in signature
• If you are using a phone or mobile device, you need to switch to the "full" or desktop version of the site. Instructions are in

  Post 8 and Post 9

Withdrawal symptoms generally subside over time, many weeks or months. It is difficult to predict how long it will take for any given person's symptoms to ease and fully resolve.

How long to stabilize after reinstating or updosing.

 

Have you had any time, even a few minutes, since you reinstated with few or no symptoms? We call those "windows" and they are a good sign. If you haven't had windows, it just means that your CNS (central nervous system) is healing in ways that aren't noticeable YET. Withdrawal isn't a linear process where each day you see a slight improvement. You can read more about that in these topic:

The Windows and Waves pattern of stabilization.

 

Some links to other topics for later reference.

Before you begin tapering -- what you need to know

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

Tips for tapering off trazodone (Desyrel).

 

I hope you'll find the information in the SA forums helpful for your situation. I'm sorry that you are in the position that you need the information, but am glad that you found us.

[marie123]

Hi Lama. I am also taking Trazodone and like you stopped and then reinstated. It's hard once you reinstate but it improves the longer you hold. Please try not to add another AD. It may not cover the w/d effects of the Trazodone plus you'll have new side effects of the new med. What dose were you on before you stopped and what dose are you on now? That's a good sign that you are feeling a bit better.

 

Marie

[AliG]

Lama. What are your thoughts ?

[Survivor1]

Lama,  I agree with Marie. I too quit trazodone too fast and had to reinstate.  I also added a new med (mirtazepine) to deal with insomnia from w/d and it did not work. My advice would be to reinstate trazodone and do a slow taper.

[Lama]

Thanx for your guys reply. You feel so alone when going through W/D.

 

I took a 100mg trazadone

Cold turkey in July/2016 for I would say almost two months or less don't remember. Sept/2016 I was on and off TZ.

Doctors lowered my dose on Nov/16 50mg doctors, which was when the horrible W/D came.

Up my dose from 50mg TZ to 75mg in two weeks. This was all under my doctors guide. Then she wanted me to take xanxe 2mg. Which I didn't because I was already so scared from this medication.

Now finally 100mg on Dec/16 and have been on this for 4 weeks and 4 days. For 2 weeks I was experiencing depersonalize and fear and high anxiety. I didn't want to do anything.

[Lama]

I do have some windows now and then get clouded by thoughts and concently thinking a lot but not the normal thinking a lot. The racing thoughts. I havnt ever experienced this. My doctor wants me to add AD and lower my trazadone. Then she advised that I see a psychiatrist because she is just a general doctor and misdiagnosed me. I just can't take her advice because she doesn't t know what she is doing. I mean to drop me from 100mg to 50 mg is big difference. very confusing.

[Lama]

Hi Lama. I am also taking Trazodone and like you stopped and then reinstated. It's hard once you reinstate but it improves the longer you hold. Please try not to add another AD. It may not cover the w/d effects of the Trazodone plus you'll have new side effects of the new med. What dose were you on before you stopped and what dose are you on now? That's a good sign that you are feeling a bit better.

 

Marie

Hi Marie,

 

Thank you for you advice. What were your W/D systems like? Did you quit for awhile? Then restatied?

[marie123]

Hi Lama,

 

I was off for 3 months, but started getting withdrawal at 6 weeks off but I did not know it. Ignorant doctor thought a had a bad virus/infection. Nope. I came here and realized I was going through w/d. Were you taking trazodone for sleep?

 

I had extreme weakness, fatigue and nausea among other things. The cloudy thinking and racing thoughts are part of it. When you change the doses rapidly it causes worse symptoms. Stay at a constant dose for a while and see how you feel. You should feel better as time goes on. Doctors are ignorant about how these meds can effect us. I definitely would not take xanex, that's a benzodiazapine. Like I mentioned, adding a different AD may not cover your symptoms and just add more side effects. I hope you feel better soon.

 

Try to make a signature at the bottom so the moderators can help you more.

 

Marie

[Lama]

Yes,it was for sleep and anexity. I stared having the worst withdrawals at 50 mg. I had psyical W/D on 100mg and when my dose was dropped to 50 mg I had mental W/D which by far the worest.

[scallywag]

Please confirm that I am understanding your situation correctly: You are currently taking 100 mg trazodone and nothing else.
 

Yes,it was for sleep and anexity. I stared having the worst withdrawals at 50 mg. I had psyical W/D on 100mg and when my dose was dropped to 50 mg I had mental W/D which by far the worest.

 

In the part I've put in bold text above, are you saying that you had withdrawal symptoms before July 2016?

Or are you referring to your reinstatement efforts in the fall of 2016?

[Lama]

Please confirm that I am understanding your situation correctly: You are currently taking 100 mg trazodone and nothing else.

 

Yes,it was for sleep and anexity. I stared having the worst withdrawals at 50 mg. I had psyical W/D on 100mg and when my dose was dropped to 50 mg I had mental W/D which by far the worest.

In the part I've put in bold text above, are you saying that you had withdrawal symptoms before July 2016?

Or are you referring to your reinstatement efforts in the fall of 2016?

Yes. I'm only taking 100mg now. No I did not have withdrawals before July 2016, I had withdrawal only when I went cold turkey and when my dose was lowered to 50mg. Yes I'm still in withdrawal because of reinstateing.

[Lama]

Lama. What are your thoughts ?

Negitive thoughts violent. That's why I want to consider another drug in hopes these would subside from my W/D from trazadone.

[scallywag]

Lama,

 

We don't help people with identifying a medication that might address your symptoms; we leave that to doctors. If you have questions about a medication a doctor advises you to take, we can help you with information about it or suggest questions to ask your doctor.

 

Why was your dose lowered to 50 mg in November?

[Lama]

I was put on 50mg because I was having heart palpitations problems because I was going threw a WD because of on and off the medication. So the doctor put me on 50mg trazadone and lowered my dose to wean me off. That's when I had bad WD. I'm saying should I stay on this dose and 100mg trazadone and try stabilize? I have been on this dose for awhile almost 5 weeks I'm seeing a little windows here and there. Does that mean I'm stabilizing?

[scallywag]

Windows are a good sign that your CNS (central nervous system) is doing work to recover from the hard bounces of cold turkey, then full reinstatement, followed by a 50% reduction.

 

Are you having heart palpitations?

If yes, then it would be best to discuss with your doctor.

If no, then continue on 100 mg trazodone to stabilize.

[Lama]

scallywag,

 

Is my restating going to take a while? Or is going to work? Since I did cold turkey for 2 months?

[scallywag]

I can't tell you how long it will take for your CNS (central nervous system) to stabilize. You'll find others discussing that question in this topic:

How long to stabilize after reinstating or updosing.

[Survivor1]

Lama,

 

When I reinstated trazodone after a rapid taper last summer, I saw improvements within 2 weeks, and after a month most of the wd symptoms were gone.  I was off for 6 weeks before reinstating.  So hang in there, it will take time.

 

I have just reinstated low dose seroquel (about 6 weeks ago).  Still have some strong wd sxs, but am waiting it out.  

 

Good luck.

[Lama]

Thank you for reply. Wish you best of luck. I'm on my 6 week of restating. Wish it goes away the w/d

[Lama]

Please confirm that I am understanding your situation correctly: You are currently taking 100 mg trazodone and nothing else.

 

Yes,it was for sleep and anexity. I stared having the worst withdrawals at 50 mg. I had psyical W/D on 100mg and when my dose was dropped to 50 mg I had mental W/D which by far the worest.

In the part I've put in bold text above, are you saying that you had withdrawal symptoms before July 2016?

Or are you referring to your reinstatement efforts in the fall of 2016?

[Lama]

Hi scallywag,

I wondering if I ask my doctor to updose maybe that will help stabilize sooner because I been taking it's but still have bad weird thoughts and fear 100mg and was thinking of going up a dose to 125mg? Any suggestions?

[scallywag]

Updosing *may* destabilize you further rather than help you stabilize sooner.

 

I would suggest that you continue to be patient and maintain the dose at 100 mg. However, you know what's happening in your life and your body.

 

If you believe updosing would be helpful, please consult your doctor.

[Lama]

Updosing *may* destabilize you further rather than help you stabilize sooner.

 

I would suggest that you continue to be patient and maintain the dose at 100 mg. However, you know what's happening in your life and your body.

 

If you believe updosing would be helpful, please consult your doctor.

[Lama]

I'm having a lot of OSD is that a part of the w/d. I had OCD before but not major not felt I was in danger or indarging others. Fear all the time. I know it's the w/d. I heard Prozac helps with OCD. I'm desperate I want the systems to go away. I feel horrible.

[scallywag]

If you want to suppress the symptoms, you'll need to talk to a doctor, preferably a sensitive and knowledgeable one, about medications that might have that effect.

 

Please be careful about how you discuss the OSD with your doctor. Some medical professionals hear the words and react by compelling hospitalization and/or prescribing high doses of medication. You probably don't want either of those results.

[Lama]

If you want to suppress the symptoms, you'll need to talk to a doctor, preferably a sensitive and knowledgeable one, about medications that might have that effect.

 

Please be careful about how you discuss the OSD with your doctor. Some medical professionals hear the words and react by compelling hospitalization and/or prescribing high doses of medication. You probably don't want either of those results.

[Lama]

I'm lost now. I was normal liked cleaning and creative I wasn't like this before. All I know is went the doctor for sleep and was given medicine for anexity and I now have this w/d. Im just confused ????

[scallywag]

Are you saying you're lost because of the overall situation or because of what I posted? Either answer -- or another one -- is fine. Please let us know.

[Lama]

Are you saying you're lost because of the overall situation or because of what I posted? Either answer -- or another one -- is fine. Please let us know.

[Lama]

No just my situation. I read some posts that's these are w/d. When I do stabilize do these w/d always be like this? Like if you do a very slow trapper?

[scallywag]

Withdrawal symptoms come and go in cycles. We call that pattern windows and waves:

The Windows and Waves pattern of stabilization.

 

Most people start to experience brief windows of light or no symptoms. With time, the windows get longer while the waves get shorter and less intense.

 

The intent of doing a slow taper is to reduce the risk of withdrawal symptoms. If the symptoms have already started it can take many weeks, or even months, for them to weaken.

[Lama]

Withdrawal symptoms come and go in cycles. We call that pattern windows and waves:

The Windows and Waves pattern of stabilization.

 

Most people start to experience brief windows of light or no symptoms. With time, the windows get longer while the waves get shorter and less intense.

 

The intent of doing a slow taper is to reduce the risk of withdrawal symptoms. If the symptoms have already started it can take many weeks, or even months, for them to weaken.

[Lama]

My doctor advised that I take 10mg Prozac and drop my trazadone to 75mg instead of 100mg , do you any suggestions? Cuz afraid to drop trazadone that fast low because of my reaction last time.

[Lama]

Withdrawal symptoms come and go in cycles. We call that pattern windows and waves:

The Windows and Waves pattern of stabilization.

 

Most people start to experience brief windows of light or no symptoms. With time, the windows get longer while the waves get shorter and less intense.

 

The intent of doing a slow taper is to reduce the risk of withdrawal symptoms. If the symptoms have already started it can take many weeks, or even months, for them to weaken.

[Lama]

Does this OCD w/d ever go away?