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Tapering off Trazodone
Hi there, I've been on trazodone for almost 3 months now and want to come off it gradually. I reduced the amount from 50mg to around 43mg last week and having side effects already - fuzzy feeling, slightly anxious and a bit nauseous.
I just wondered how other people did it and if so how did you feel and how long did it take? Thanks :)
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Re: Tapering off Trazodone
Guess no one on here came off traz...?
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Crystle..i was once on 250 mg at night on trazadone for many months.my doctor told me to come down to 200mg ( which is what im on now ) he told me to drop from 250mg to 200mg ..so i stoped 50mg and i felt a little fuzzy slight raise in anxiety but nothing i couldnt handle..it only lasted for a few days and then i was fine.yours is a very small amount so you should be fine in a few days..remember we all react very different to coming off meds.some people can do it cold turkey and get no side effects,others can reduce by small amounts and get really bad side effects.
---------- Post added at 12:49 ---------- Previous post was at 12:46 ----------
If i was you i qould drop 10mg for one week.then drop 10mg second week..see how you feel and go from there..50 mg isnt a high dose,i droped 50mg in one go..if in doubt ask a pharmasist.they are excellent for advice
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Hi I'm going to see my gp tomorrow but I think she will tell me to do just that - drop 10mg per week. I just know its doing me more harm than good, might be back to square 1 with the insomnia but I really don't want to carry in with traz. Just have to hope my brain/body remembers how to sleep again!
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Well yes its hard coming down from any drug.sometimes its all in the mind and we are excpecting bad things to happen.going to your gp is a good thing for advice..im sure you will be ok..iv never felt any better on the trazadone,only helped with my sleep..its the olanzipine that realy helped tho..soon as i went on that,my sleeping was fantastic..9-10 hrs a night.
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Hi Greg, well I've been to the gp - saw someone different this time and she was a complete breath of fresh air! She advised me to drop to 40 for a week and then 35 etc so reducing by 5 per week so that the side effects aren't so bad.
Had hardly any sleep last night anyway so I think coming off it isn't going to make much difference sleep wise but will be free of the chemicals and am looking forward to that.
Will look on the other board to see how you got on last night!
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Oh thats good news.thats a nice small amount to drop it by..you shouldnt get any unwanted side efects doing it small amounts at a time..hopefuly you will get a bit more sleep tonight.at least you have met a good doctor..makes a big difference having the right suport.
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If anyone is reading this other than Greg, who already knows from another board, I reduced trazodone last night to 40mg and slept well. Feeling fine this morning other than a little sluggish (probably weather related!) so hopefully no side effects but we'll see as the week goes on. Feeling optimistic for now! :)
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Update if anyone is following this, couldn't sleep last night :( Prob dropped off around 5ish and woke around 7. Oh dear...
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Okay, just came across this older post. I was asking on another one why you need to come off the trazodone at all, and whether you can't just get to where you use it only for "bad nights". But I gather you want to be off all drugs, then? A wise choice if they're not needed! :D
Personally, I have had to settle with coming off just tranquilizers and stomach meds, watching my diet and sticking to Effexor (lowered in summer). I am glad to be off zopiclone (whose side effects include increased depression), and just taking trazodone for sleep. Some of us have physiological reasons for symptoms that can really only be resolved with meds, and I have accepted that I am one such person.
If you have determined that you aren't, then I applaud your determination to go it without drugs, and wish you the best! You too Greg.
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Thank you, yes I want to be off everything. I just can't stand what Trazodone has done to me and so I want to be free of it. I tell myself I'm not an insomniac because this only started out of the blue in February, never had it before and I want to know my body can restore its natural rhythms. I hope it can!!!
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Just an update, had a great sleep last night whohoo! So it seems a couple of bad nights are the norm when dropping, then your body caves in! So pleased and am more determined than ever to come off trazodone!
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Well done on the sleep..nothing nicer than a good night sleep..lets hope theres more good nights ahead for you crystal..fingers crossed for you.
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Another great sleep but woke feeling anxious, presumably the side effects of coming down...
Busy weekend ahead so hopefully that will take my mind off it!
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Well 4 great nights. Tonight I'm lowering to 35. Seems a very slow process but sure its the best way to do it. Had a great weekend - keeping busy is clearly the key!!!
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Thats excellent news.im so glad you are getting good sleep.the raise in anxiety could well be the withdraw from the traz or because your checking yourself out in the morning and expecting for something to feel wrong.but the main point is your sleeping and will only get better..well done.you must feel good inside
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Hi greg yes I'm really pleased that I'm sleeping well again, had that rotten night last week and dont want that anymore but I obv never know when its going to happen. I'm glad I'm reducing, it feels like the right thing to do. Occasionally I feel anxious, but I'm trying to relax about it. Tomorrow I start CBT so hopefully that will help too.
Hope you feel better soon. :)
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Ugh had such a bad night last night! Was very anxious as my car was in the garage and something big wrong with it so won't get it back for a few days. I then worried about not sleeping and being too tired to walk to school (we normally drive) and the supermarket and to my CBT session today. So all that worrying about not sleeping meant just that - no sleep! Finally dropped off around 5.30am and was up at 6.30... It's mad though because I was still able to get to all these places on foot today and will hopefully sleep better tonight from all the exercise! Madness!
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A good night 2 nights ago and another bad one last night. Just have to go through it I guess....!
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Had a week of one good night one bad night.... Suffering headaches and anxiety... Not an easy journey this!!!
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Having a hellish time if anyone is reading... Severe insomnia, anxiety, shakiness and nausea... Yuk! Down to 30mg...
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Oh love - I am just about to start this tonight for my anxiety .. So sorry you're having a rough time. I'm not doing too brilliantly myself either, hence my Dr wanting to try this.
How long have you been on it? .. Just going to read your thread xx
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Re: Tapering off Trazodone
Hi Giraffe :)
Ive been on trazodone about 3 & a half months. It doesn't seem to have agreed with me too well hence I'm weaning off it.
Some people have no trouble at all with it though so I hope it works for you.
I think I'm probably tapering too quickly, the doctor said drop by 5mg a week but I really notice it each time I drop so actually might go back to 35 for another week. (Just dropped to 30 last night).
Let us know how you get on x
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Slowly slowly if you feel that's the best way ..
Thank you I hope they help. It's morning anxiety that's my problem, my Dr says she's had patient's have success with it so we shall see xx
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If anyone is following this thread (!) im now down to 30mgs the last 3 nights. My sleep was great last week had 5 good nights in a row - sadly last night was very hit and miss, no idea how much I got but it wasn't a lot!
Side effects still there (spaced out, dizziness, anxiety) but not as pronounced for now, trying to focus on the positive! Just had a chat with the pharmacist and she said dropping 5 a week sounds sensible and my body should just adapt to it. So will continue with the plan and see how it goes!
Hopefully the side effects will be less the lower I go...!
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Awful night last night, prob got an hours sleep...
Felt quite anxious which is probably the main reason.
Hard to function after 2 dreadful nights...!
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Sorry to hear you are still not sleeping crystal.nothing worse than not sleeping,esp only getting a couple of hrs,no wonder you feel so low.hopfully when you are off these dredded traz you will start to feel better.fingers crossed for you
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Sending lots of calming hugs & sleeping vibes your way crystal :hugs:
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Noticed this thread and will give you my experience of coming off Trazadone. I increased to 200 briefly after being on 50 for 6 weeks then 100 for 4 weeks. Made me feel anxious and nauseous as I increased dose so decided not for me. I was given bad advice from my useless GP who advised to drop 50mg every 3-4 days. I was a complete wreck with really bad nausea and headaches. I came off Trazadone within 2 weeks which was way too fast. I think I had withdrawal symptoms for 4-6 weeks after stopping including depression. Hope that you improve soon. I think coming off an AD medication quickly can sometimes get it over with but for some folk this results in several weeks / months of lingering withdrawal. Having said that You are taking a very low dose. Have you tried to stop taking it?
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Hi hipha, wow that does sound quick, mine is a very slow withdrawal in comparison! I'm now down to 25mg from 50, dropping 5 per week.
I haven't tried to just stop taking it as I was warned not to and I'm a bit of a wuss really so would like minimal side effects!!!
I've been ok the last few days although my sleep is still very hit and miss but it was at 50 so not much change there!!!
Thank you for sharing your experience with me, bet you're glad to be off it! Did you notice your sleep go haywire when you came off it?
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Hello Crystalhiggs. I moved from Trazadone to Mirtazapine with only 3 days gap in between so I did not notice any difference. Trazadone was certainly good for sleep but Mirtazapine is equally good for sleep but has not helped with my other symptoms. The way I see it tapering off an unwanted drug slowly means you are taking the drug for much longer than you would want to. You know your body and it seems we are both examples of the extreme approaches and experiences of withdrawing. Hopefully your slow taper will reap its reward with little or no lingering withdrawal after stopping for good. All the best to you.
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Just an update, I'm down to 25 now. I'm sleeping really well and my anxiety is not prominent at all at the moment. I occasionally feel a bit nauseous but that's it. Hopefully I'm coming through the other side! :)
Ps CBT is helping as is lots of cycling - fresh air and exercise = eating and sleeping better!
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I'm really pleased things are working out for you, Crystal. It must be a huge relief!
I wouldn't mind getting back into cycling myself.
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Thank you!
Well something is working! Barely thinking about sleep now! Eating well, feeling happy, enjoying life again!!!
Terry cycling has completely transformed things for me. I cycle miles now each day through country lanes, woodland, little villages - I've discovered so many new places! I love it! I sometimes go with a friend, sometimes on my own. I feel healthy, love all the fresh air I'm getting - even love wearing different clothes that make me feel 'sporty'!
Also cbt has helped, I've only had 3 sessions but it is totally working for me.
Will be glad to come off the Traz completely but right now I'm taking one day at a time and making the most of each day. :)
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If you are barely thinking about it then it sounds like you have exited the cycle. Blips may come but now you will handle them much easier and they may just be the odd night. Thats what I found anyway when my insomnia period ended.
That sounds really nice. I'm not far from the countryside myself and I used to cycle the lanes between villages with my mates when I was younger. Good times!
I used to walk the ones closer to home and it was nice to get away from everything.
If you feel CBT is working for you at such an early stage then that is a great indicator for success.
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:) onwards and upwards!!!