Trazodone???

[Hischildvalda]

I didn't realize that this drug was something I should be weaned from. Trouble is that it's doing it's job - I cannot sleep without a sleep aid and have tried several.

So what do you think? Keep taking it or deep six it?

Thanks!!

[scotty]

Stick with the Trazadone until you are well off Paxil. Then you will have to wean, but I don't believe it's anywhere near as hard as Paxil.

[Chrysalis]

I, too, take Trazodone for a sleep aid, and have for almost the entire time I've been on Paxhell. Eventually, I plan to try weaning off the Traz too, but like Scotty said, I don't think you should wean both drugs at once.

Margaret

[Cayte]

Originally Posted by Hischildvalda

I didn't realize that this drug was something I should be weaned from. Trouble is that it's doing it's job - I cannot sleep without a sleep aid and have tried several.

So what do you think? Keep taking it or deep six it?

Thanks!!

Wow..now that's a new one..."Deep six it" ?????
I presume you mean to ditch it??? But what's the link with six??
I was on Trazadone for a while and was "told" to stop it to go onto Prozac. This is quite a while ago. The dr then (and actually I guess not much has changed) told me just to stop it..wait 2 weeks for it to get out of my system...and then start Prozac. No, I wouldn't recommend that...but don't taper to you feel ready.
As you will see in my sig. I still take a benzo at night. I did cut it down a bit but as I have not been so good recently have gone back up again. It is not a huge dose...and if it keeps me from going back onto something else, then I shall stick with it (for the moment).
Good luck to you.

[eileen]

Hi Hischildvilda, Look at my signature and you will see what I've done with Trazadone. Paxil and Trazadone are not supposed to be put together and I was on both at fairley high doses.
I know I would not sleep now without Trazadone and I'm staying on it until I get off Paxil. I did decrease it earlier on by 12.5mg at a time and I didn't find it too difficult. I had some diarrhea but it was nothing like Paxil Withdrawal.
I would stay on it if it were me. Where are you in you Paxil WD and how much Trazadone do you take? Good Luck!
eileen

[texgirl]

Originally Posted by Cayte

Wow..now that's a new one..."Deep six it" ?????
I presume you mean to ditch it??? But what's the link with six??

LOL. It means to bury, Cayte. It comes from the fact that graves are typically dug six feet deep.

It actually started as a nautical term, a way that sailors had before sonar of measuring depth with a leaded weight. One fathom is equal to six feet. "Six deep" was a cry by the leadman to indicate 36 feet, or a safe amount, of water under the keel.

[eileen]

That's a new one for me also, thanks Tex Girl, I learn everyday!
eileen

[Hischildvalda]

LOL Sorry about the deep six thing. I should remember that posters here are from around the world and many aren't familiar with American sayings.

Thank you so much for the advise and information.

Eileen, you were really on some high doses. I take only 50 mg. Trazodone per night.

[Katesmom]

Don't apologize for using slang! We are a real cultural exchange center here! I get my anglophile fix daily! And, I like to believe that some get from me their Texana fix!

[TryingtoGetWell]

One of our threads this last week digressed into dealing with the differences in slang from the U.S. and other English-speaking countries represented here -- Canada, Britain, Scotland, New Zealand. Australian... (am I leaving out anybody?!) It was a lot of fun! I posted a link for a British-American, American-British dictionary and said I'd start a new thread in the "Lounge" forum here, it got so interesting (and frequently hilarious).

I'll get to that yet. I found more British-American, American-British dictionaries online, and even a New Zealand "English to US English Dictionary" which was so cool (I mean, I was so chuffed, Kiwis!).

I'll start that thread soon; meeting people from all over the world is one of the fringe benefits of paxilprogress! It'll keep us out of mischief during w/d!

[andie42]

Ive been on trazadone almost as long as the paxil - i decided to wean both at the same time because i want to start taking herbs and need to be off all precription meds. Ive tried a number of other things since i started tapering - and im still looking for a better alternative for sleep. my dr. prescribed an antihistamine for sleep once .. im thinking of trying that again.

[Tigerlily]

Hi

I was put onto 150mg of Effexor in November 2005. It interfered with my sleep dramatically. I now believe that this is because I didn't need it. Dr Tracy Ann Blake believes that depressed/anxious people have TOO MUCH serotonin, not too little. I was put onto an A/D for tiredness (that turned out months later to be caused by undiagnosed anaemia and a kidney infection). So technically I was not depressed (I was somewhat anxious though). I therefore believe that my serotonin levels were either normal or too high. By adding in more serotonin, I became jittery and my sleep was affected. Before Effexor I would wake up at 3am, but had trained myself to go back to sleep. I asked that the dose be dropped, but the doctor just added in Trazadone to help me sleep. I now realise they could not drop the dose because at that stage in South Africa only a 75mg and 150mg capsule were available (no tablets and no 37,5mg) - of course the devious b******* did not bother to let me in on this little bit of crucial information, and I was too uninformed at that stage to question further or run for my life (only did that when they offered to throw in a mood stabiliser when I was going through cold turkey withdrawal and almost dying as a result - I then realised they were stark raving insane or utterly retarded or both).

At first I was not properly told how to take the Trazadone - I thought it was to be taken on an as needed basis. However, after three experiences where I felt absolutely terrible (nause, disorientation etc), I made the connection, and ran to the pharmacy. As soon as I took a dose the symptoms started to recede.

I was cold turkeyed off the Effexor and the Trazadone in April 2006. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS. I do think that Trazadone will be easier to wean than Paxil, but it is CRUCIAL that you do one at a time. It is fairly unusual, although certainly not unheard of, to experience withdrawal from Trazadone. However, I do think that a slow taper would minimise this quite dramatically.

I was put onto Prozac to try to minimise the W/D from the Effexor. If I had known then what I know now, I would not have done so. I would have gone back onto a stabilising dose of Effexor and then weaned. Since all of this happened, I have had problems with sleeping. I started the supplements that LC Crawford takes in November 2006, and these have helped me. The cherry extract has definitely helped with sleeping. I have now been off Prozac for about a month, and am now weaning the benzo. I have found that my sleeping has been affected, so I upped the cherry tablets from 2 to 4, and am now sleeping again.

I will only be off the benzo in 20 weeks time. The first drop was a bit difficult, but the second has been easier (touch wood). I will continue with the supplements for 46 days after my last dose of the benzo. I then hope to try and slowly reinstate my sleeping patterns (this is known as "sleep architecture").

Please be very careful to wean slowly, and do not underestimate Trazadone. However, I do believe that it is nowhere near as strong as Effexor or Paxil, and if handled correctly could probably be weaned with not too much difficulty. I realise the thought of not sleeping, especially when you are trying to wean, is disturbing. To my mind, if it were me, I would wean the Paxil first, and then only attempt the Trazadone. Perhaps you could try the cherry tablets for the Trazadone taper? It is also recommended that you give your body a two week break, at the very least, between weans. I took a four week break between the Prozac and benzo tapers. I do think it is important to try and support your body throughout this process and rest whenever possible.

It can be done, but for goodness sake don't "Deep Six" it!
I thought Deep Six was a cricketing term - as in hitting a six into the stadium. I have visions of you whacking a pill with a cricket bat into the far distance. It is very tempting, but unfortunately these little missiles tend to be like boomerangs and will come back and bite you on the butt (how many mixed metaphors can one person fit into a sentence...?).

Best of luck.

Sending you much love
Tigerlily