Reducing Trazadone

[eileen]

I've reduced the Trazadone by 12.5 mg last night. The neck jerking is horrendous. I still can't find anything about reducing it, but from previous experience experience , I know there is a withdrawal. It is similar to Paxil but not as bad. My heart was fluttering already this morning.
I've developed inflammation around my ribs and chest and my doctor put me on Diclo SR 75mg. I can't find anything on this medication, only that their are no side effects.
I'm off to the dentist to have him check a filling and I don't know how I'll keep my head still. If anybody has any information, I will be very grateful.
eileen

[punky]

Eileen, you've come such a long way with the trazadone. You're almost to the end. I've shared with ya in the past my experience with trazadone, and I'm sorry you are having a tough time.

Did the doc put ya on Diclofenac? It's a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory, but it does have side effects such has heart palps and tachycardia as well as anxiety though these aren't very common. I'm sure that doesn't help much with your other withdrawl symptoms. Did the doc say what caused the inflammation around your ribs and chest? I hope ya get to feeling better soon.

[eileen]

Thanks for answering my post Punky. I'm sorry, but I don't remember your experience with Trazadone. My memory has been really bad this last week. Words won't come out when I want them to and when I'm talking to guests in the morning and I can't remember a word, I have to ask him.
Please tell me your experience with Trazadone again. I went from 150 mg to 112.5mg and I hope to be able to stay on some of it, until I get completely off Paxil.
Yes the doc did put me on diclofenac and I still had pain in my upper back this morning and had to take it again. I was told that I could get it from coughing and violent throwing up, both of these things had happened to me.
I just got back from the dentist and he replaced my filling and when the assistant put the chair back up, I was really dizzy and had to sit there for ten minutes.
I hope your feeling better and I notice you put the Paxil back up some. Wise decision.
eileen

[elisa]

Hi Eileen,

It must not be easy tapering from 2 antidepressants!! I remember being on Trazedone for sleep, along with another AD. It was pure hell, didn't know whether I was coming or going, as in drughaze.

I see that you're taking it slowly with the tapering.... good for you!!

Since Trazedone is often used as a sleeping aid, why not weaning from Paxil first and then weaning from Paxil? The reason for this is that you might encounter insomnia after withdrawing from Paxil... but then, you may be allright too!

Hope your condition will improve soon!! Hugs

[punky]

Eileen, I am so sorry you are having such a difficult time!

I can understand ya not remembering things too and that's ok. I was put on Trazadone originally for sleep two different times in withdrawl, like Elisa is talking about. I was at 150mg a nite the second time and 50mg a nite the first time. The first time I basically just stopped it and remember huge amounts of anxiety and depression together. The second time because of what happened before, I just started cutting the dose til I was down to 25mg over about a month and just stopped from there. It's so hard to say what's what with the withdrawl from it because I was tapering paxil at the time too along with abilify the second time. The main thing I noticed was the nausea and the anxiety was bad. And of course, I haven't been able to sleep well since stopping it, but I take what I can.

You're almost there and I'll be thinkin of ya. Sending ya some hugs too.

[Lilly]

You are almost there Eileen. Hang in there okay, I know how tough it is.

Good luck too!
Lilly

[eileen]

Hugs right back at you gals. The Trazadone I'm pretty sure is causing the neck jerking Elisa. It is really bad and since I already have neck injuries, it causes me pain. Trazadone is an easier WD than Paxil so I thought I would cut it just 12.5mg and get it tapered down to 100 mgs.
I can't cut the Paxil until October 15 the when our tourist season is over.
Punky thanks for replying again and I hope my memory does come back. I've been on these drugs far too long and will be glad to get off them. I'm getting scared now but I'm going to keep it slow.
Thank you both for posting because this is a lonely place to be. Going to bed for a nap, I was up late the last two nights and up early in the morning.
eileen

[eileen]

Thanks Lily.

[punky]

Eileen, you're beyond welcome and I hope you feel some better after your nap.

[elisa]

Hope you feel a bit better ofter your nap.

It's a good idea to wait in tapering off Paxil until the tourist season is over.

[eileen]

Thanks again Elisa and Punky. I'm feeling some anxiety, but I did manage to get a couple of hours of good sleep. I hope I can get off the inflammatory soon. Hugs!
eileen

[Tara71]

I don't know everyone's background as I'm sortof an in-and-out browser on this site, but I wanted to say I'm also addicted to Trazadone and recognize what you're going through.

I've been taking 50mg Trazadone/night for over 11 years now. I didn't have problems sleeping when I started it - it was prescribed to me along with Paxil for anxiety. But now I have no hope of falling asleep without it.

Also, the three or four times I've missed a dose were VERY memorable. The next day I felt like my thoughts were disconnected from my words, I was extremely restless, and depressed beyond reason.

Each time from only missing ONE small dose. My concentration was way off, too - I was working in the hotel industry for five of those years and couldn't remember even the smallest details. So even though I have no advice on getting off the stuff - please know you're not alone!

[eileen]

Hi Tara, It's around 11 years since I was put on Trazadone, but it was 150mg and 30 mg of Paxil. The two combined have caused me to have neck jerking very badly. Thank you for replying and I don't know if its so addictive, but there are WD symptoms.
I'm picking at reducing and I have Paxil down to 15mg and I'll stop cutting the Trazadone when I get the jerking down. I hope to have it for a back up as I'm reducing Paxil. I don't have depression yet and I've had a lot of therapy. I'm still on enough drugs to kill a horse. If it is not affecting you, I would stay on it while you are reducing Paxil.
I haven't been in much to read the posts as I've been very busy this summer. I'll be back for the winter. Thank you for the support, it sure helps to have somebody encourage me.
Good Luck with your own journey.
eileen

[Tara71]

Hey! I'm also down to 15mg of Paxil. Right now I'm waiting for the twitching and diarreah to stop, which I expect will be at least another three months. I'm staying at 15 until then. I started this year at 25mg Paxil - Dropping 10mg per year is all the progress I can take while maintaining my sanity and job. I'm also not going to tackle the Trazadone until I'm safely off Paxil for at least two years. NOT worth it... I've tried quicker withdrawals and was quite humbled by the experiences. In fact, I may stay at 5mg through most of 2008 before dropping from there.

[rdjanis]

Eileen, doing neck stretching and then applying heat to the neck is great for getting twitches and jerks to ease up. Stretch the neck muscles for only about 10 minutes, jerk away. Afterwards the heat relaxes everything and it is so much better. Give it a try.... Take care!!

[eileen]

Tara, you are wise to wait until you are stabilized before another cut. I have to wait for months before I can reduce. This inflammation I have is very painful and I hope the doc knows what he is doing. I was a bit dizzy this morning and my knee joints joints stiff, but if that's as bad as it gets, I'll be lucky. Take Care, you will get there and so will I.
eileen

[eileen]

Hi Rita, thanks for posting. I can't do neck stretching because of my injuries but I'm going to try the heat for the jerking. Take Care.
eileen

[Tara71]

Ya know Eileen, sometimes I don't think people realize how long this process really does take. I've seen posts from people who are tapering over six months or even less. Then they come back after being ten months off and can't handle the withdrawals anymore. The TRUTH, as I've found it, is that it takes YEARS to taper off these meds. Anything faster will backfire. It's really sad. Especially for the people who thought they were free and then have to go back up to 5-10mg or so... I've been there.

[eileen]

That's why I'm going so slow Tara. I have a terrible fear of having to go back up or never getting of this Poison.
eileen

[elisa]

Originally Posted by Tara71

Ya know Eileen, sometimes I don't think people realize how long this process really does take. I've seen posts from people who are tapering over six months or even less. Then they come back after being ten months off and can't handle the withdrawals anymore. The TRUTH, as I've found it, is that it takes YEARS to taper off these meds. Anything faster will backfire. It's really sad. Especially for the people who thought they were free and then have to go back up to 5-10mg or so... I've been there.

Tara, I tapered from 225 mg Effexor XR for 20 months and near the end all hell broke loose. Wished I had tapered even slower, especially the last 37.5 mg. Don't really know if that would have prevented the "onslaught" though. The thing is that my weaning was going pretty well and therefore thought that I was safe from severe withdrawl symptoms. Oh boy, was I ever mistaken, I was fooled by the drug and got it's backlash!!

I'm really impressed by your patience!

[eileen]

Originally Posted by punky

Did the doc put ya on Diclofenac? It's a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory, but it does have side effects such has heart palps and tachycardia as well as anxiety though these aren't very common.

Yep he put me on Diclofenac Sodium and my heart would flutter all morning, it was worse this morning, I guess it was getting in my system. I swelled up and did some checking. Not supposed to take this pill if you have high blood pressure and are taking High BP medication.
Heaven help us, can't they do anything right. Thank God for computers and I'm back to taking Advil this evening.
eileen

[scotty]

I LOVE Advil!!!

[eileen]

I do too Laurie and I have a high pain tolerance. My doc says Advil will ruin my stomach and kidneys, but I don't take it that often. Paxil has already ruined my stomach.
eileen

[Tara71]

Yeah, Paxil messed up my stomach too. And what makes me mad is when I went to the doctor for severe gastro-intestinal problems in 1997-98, he never made the connection with the fact I'd been taking Paxil for a few years. I didn't know at the time that I was addicted or that stomach problems could be a side effect. Later I read a story about someone who had to go off Paxil for the stomach problems, then got withdrawals.

Then in 1999 my vision went double. I'll never know if that was the Paxil, but I strongly suspect it.

Anyway, I don't know if the slowest withdrawal in the world can spare you from the onslaught at the end. Maybe I'm just delaying the inevitable by going slow, putting off my career while I make peanuts at a silly part-time office job. But what happened to me in 2002 will always stay in the back of my mind. I do not want to go through it again, or put my new husband through it.

[elisa]

Originally Posted by Tara71

Yeah, Paxil messed up my stomach too. And what makes me mad is when I went to the doctor for severe gastro-intestinal problems in 1997-98, he never made the connection with the fact I'd been taking Paxil for a few years. I didn't know at the time that I was addicted or that stomach problems could be a side effect. Later I read a story about someone who had to go off Paxil for the stomach problems, then got withdrawals.

Then in 1999 my vision went double. I'll never know if that was the Paxil, but I strongly suspect it.

Anyway, I don't know if the slowest withdrawal in the world can spare you from the onslaught at the end. Maybe I'm just delaying the inevitable by going slow, putting off my career while I make peanuts at a silly part-time office job. But what happened to me in 2002 will always stay in the back of my mind. I do not want to go through it again, or put my new husband through it.

I understand why you're doing it so slowly Tara. Neither would I want to repeat 2006. Sofar it's been hell. We're all our very own guineapigs....