Trazodone works great, but beware of withdrawal

[2Cor.12:19]

Hello again. Trazodone can be a great medication for sleep when used properly but I want to give an update on my previous post:
Trazodone causing palpitation and feeling generally awful -

It had worked great at the starting dose of 25 mg at bedtime but wore off around 3 am so I gradually increased to 50 mg at bedtime and added another 25 in the night. Then I began having heart palpitations and feeling pretty awful so I decided to go off cold turkey. DUMB! Don't do it! I figured because I was on a low dose for sleep and had only been taking it for 4 months, discontinuing would be a breeze. I had previously taken Trazodone for 2 years early in my ME/CFS (30 + years ago) and went off with no problems. Not this time around.

Withdrawal symptoms this time were tolerable until day 3 when non-stop over-the-moon panic attacks set in. I lost almost 4 lbs in 3 days. I should have done my homework beforehand and done a slow taper like I've done in the past with benzos.

Last night I reinstated a smaller dose of Trazodone and am feeling somewhat better today, but am totally wiped out with PEM. Hopefully, my nervous system will settle down and then I'll give myself at least a couple months before attempting to go off again - only very slowly next time around.

Trazodone is considered one of the safer sleep aids for ME/CFS:
Trazodone: (Desyrel) - Phoenix Rising .

But remember, even though it's not considered "addictive", it's still a drug that affects brain chemistry and one that our bodies can become dependent on. And every person responds differently to discontinuing.

I'm posting because I don't want anyone to go through what I did by going cold turkey, so please read up before weaning.
Trazodone Withdrawal Symptoms, Treatment and Timeline,

Cheers.

 

[ljimbo423]

Withdrawal symptoms this time were tolerable until day 3 when non-stop over-the-moon panic attacks set in. I lost almost 4 lbs in 3 days.

What a nightmare.

I have a similar problem with almost every supplement I take. If I cut back (or increase) supplements like coq10, Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA), even the cinnamon I take, just 100 mg. I get very, very hyper, anxious and get insomnia.

Actually, cutting back 100 mg on ALA or Coq10, would be intolerable. I only cut back or increase these 5-10 mg at a time, or the anxiety is horrific!

I don't know what causes this, it don't really make sense. My best guess is it has something to with my CNS being hyper sensitive.

 

[2Cor.12:19]

@ljimbo423 - CNS - yep - for me I know for sure it's due to my faulty nervous system.

 

[LaurelW]

I am going through something similar. I had forgotten that I read these posts a while ago and had to go off the trazodone for a tilt table test. I stepped down over 5 days, but it wasn't near enough. I've been have extreme sleepy spells in the afternoon, hot and cold spells, a little bit jittery and a pretty good headache the first couple days. And I'm sleeping just as well. Guess I didn't need it after all but didn't know it because I've been on it for years. Fear of not sleeping makes me really hesitate to change my drug regimen.

 

[perchance dreamer]

I was able to cut down from 75 MG to 50 MG pretty easily, but it may be because I don't take Trazodone on consecutive nights. I take it one night, and the next night I take Belsomra. I find that taking a particular sleep drug every other night helps reduce side effects when I cut down on the dosage. Also, sleep drugs just gradually lose effectiveness for me if I take the same one every night.

A good pill splitter helps in cutting down dosage. The best one I've found is Equadose Pill Cutter, which I get from Amazon.