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Misc Cymbalta and Trazadone?

kanyeknievel

kanyeknievel

Bluelighter
Joined
Jul 12, 2010
Messages
535
My phsyciatrist prescribed me Cymbalta today, but my GP prescribed me 100mg trazodone for sleeping. I read that it can cause serotonin syndrome? I haven't been able to ask my psych what to do. Should I stop taking the Trazodone? I've been on it a month so how should i go about doing that.. or what should i do. take both? I really dont like being on medication but i feel i have to give in and hopefully find something that helps me
 
kanyeknievel said:
My phsyciatrist prescribed me Cymbalta today, but my GP prescribed me 100mg trazodone for sleeping. I read that it can cause serotonin syndrome? I haven't been able to ask my psych what to do. Should I stop taking the Trazodone? I've been on it a month so how should i go about doing that.. or what should i do. take both? I really dont like being on medication but i feel i have to give in and hopefully find something that helps me
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easy, just dont start taking the cymbalta.. 1- since you haven't started it yet, so no reason to switch what you're taking. 2- withdrawals from cymbalta are supposed to be hellish i have read. Causing brain zaps and shit. I felt like shit when i came off just lexapro when i was 14-15.. and that only works on serotonin. cymbalta works on serotonin and norepinephrine if im remembering right.. and the more receptors a drug works on, the worse the w/d's usually are.
 
It's a possibility, they both work on serotonin, that's for sure. Trazadone is an older-generation drug and tends to be less selective so interaction is possible.

The drugs.com Interactions Checker shows a major interaction due to serotonin storm, looks like this combination is contra-indicated. Please be extremely careful, and if you can, only take one of the drugs in question...

-from drugs.com:

...a rare but serious and potentially fatal condition thought to result from hyperstimulation of brainstem 5-HT1A and 2A receptors. Symptoms of the serotonin syndrome may include mental status changes such as irritability, altered consciousness, confusion, hallucinations, and coma; autonomic dysfunction such as tachycardia, hyperthermia, diaphoresis, shivering, blood pressure lability, and mydriasis; neuromuscular abnormalities such as hyperreflexia, myoclonus, tremor, rigidity, and ataxia; and gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
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My pharmacist said there wouldnt be a problem taking both but to ask my doctor what he recommends i do. Im on just a sleeping dose of Trazodone 50-100mg. and 60mg cymbalta
 
I would speak to your doctor to be 100% sure before taking the trazodone.

In this case, I would listen to your doctor...I don't have any reason not to trust the drugs.com interactions checker..
 
kanyeknievel said:
My pharmacist said there wouldnt be a problem taking both but to ask my doctor what he recommends i do. Im on just a sleeping dose of Trazodone 50-100mg. and 60mg cymbalta
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oh.. yeah i remember my psych telling me that the anti depressant effects of trazodone dont start till around 200mg which makes you very sleepy, hence why it is usually used as a sleeping med at *low doses* instead of antidepressant but it can be a good add on treatment at that low dose, especially since it helps you sleep. Just wait on the cymbalta until you see what your dr recommends/thinks.
 
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HdoubleODeezy said:
oh.. yeah i remember my psych telling me that the anti depressant effects of trazodone dont start till around 200mg which makes you very sleepy, hence why it is usually used as a sleeping med instead of antidepressant but it can be a good add on treatment at that low dose, especially since it helps you sleep. Just wait on the cymbalta until you see what your dr recommends/thinks.
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Well no my psyc prescribed me Cymbalta and my GP prescribed trazodone for sleeping.

And Cymbalta works for my mom so Im thinking gentically i should work for me, but I dont know. But I dont want to not take my trazodone and have some withdrawal from it, since ive been taking it from a month or so.
 
HdoubleODeezy said:
i donno what to tell you man, i've given all the advice i've got..sorry i can't help more.
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I suppose Ill find out tommorow. I took the 60mg cymbalta, i dont think anythings going to happen from just one pill. Doctor better answer me tommorow
 
What is this serotonin syndrome anyways? Definition and what happens? Do you know if you have it ?
 
Wiki does a better job of explaining it here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotonin_syndrome

Basically its an overload of serotonin in your brain caused by a combination of drugs that increase synaptic serotonin levels. For example, taking Trazodone by itself increases synaptic serotonin levels as does Cymbalta. Taking these drugs by themselves isn't a problem, but combining them (and/or other drugs with similar serotonin level increasing effects) causes too much serotonin to be hanging out in the synapse (the gap between two neurons where neurotransmitters move about, sending messages from neuron to neuron to put it simply).

I've had serotonin syndrome, and it is indeed life threatening and feel a lot like an panic attack, increased heart rate/blood pressure, fever with sweating and chills, paranoia, hallucinations, panic/fear/anxiety and extreme nausea and vomiting, among many many other symptoms (most of which are also listed in the wiki article).

If you experience these, seek medical help ASAP. It's not something you can handle at home with OTC drugs or prescription drugs you may have, etc and you'll require professional medical care and monitoring.
 
NeighborhoodThreat said:
Wiki does a better job of explaining it here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotonin_syndrome

Basically its an overload of serotonin in your brain caused by a combination of drugs that increase synaptic serotonin levels. For example, taking Trazodone by itself increases synaptic serotonin levels as does Cymbalta. Taking these drugs by themselves isn't a problem, but combining them (and/or other drugs with similar serotonin level increasing effects) causes too much serotonin to be hanging out in the synapse (the gap between two neurons where neurotransmitters move about, sending messages from neuron to neuron to put it simply).

I've had serotonin syndrome, and it is indeed life threatening and feel a lot like an panic attack, increased heart rate/blood pressure, fever with sweating and chills, paranoia, hallucinations, panic/fear/anxiety and extreme nausea and vomiting, among many many other symptoms (most of which are also listed in the wiki article).

If you experience these, seek medical help ASAP. It's not something you can handle at home with OTC drugs or prescription drugs you may have, etc and you'll require professional medical care and monitoring.
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Hm that does sound shitty. Well I guess ill save myself the trouble and not take the trazodone. I just dont want any withdrawal type stuff from it since ive been taking it for a month is all.

Also ive heard good things about cymbalta so im excitedish for the first time ever about taking medicine :). but i dont understand how too much serotonin is bad, would make u happy in theory. but then again i learned in psych that to much serotonin is what causes schizophrenia
 
There are a few theories about the cause of schizophrenia, come of them involve serotonin, others involve dopamine. Personally I think its probably got something to do with both, but I digress.

Anyway, lots of serotonin does make you feel happy, but because serotonin is involved in so many functions besides mood regulation, too much serotonin causes all these other bodily systems to go haywire, which could prove to be dangerous.
 
my doctor prescribed me both zoloft (which is also an SSRI) and trazadone every night for sleep. he also said the trazadone would make the zoloft work better... this was almsot 3 years ago i stopped taking both after about 2 months, never experienced any bad reactions. the trazadone hardly worked for my insomnia though.
 
^Just because you didn't experience any bad reactions doesn't mean the OP won't, you were prescribed both by one doctor whereas he was prescribed the two drugs in question by his GP and his psychiatrist.

Interestingly enough, the drugs.com Interactions Checker also finds a major interaction between Zoloft and Trazodone, requiring monitoring from the medical professional that prescribes the drugs.

I'm not a doctor but your situation is different from the OPs, if his doctor(s) agree that he can safely take both Cymbalta and Trazodone then he should follow their instructions over mine, of course. :)
 
I know this post is old but I just wanted to say something about trazodone.

Every psychiatrist you talk to will tell you it is an absolutely horrible antidepressant, because the doses to achieve AD effects are way, way, way too sedating. It's not even really used for depression, just insomnia. (Nefazodone is kina like tramadol but actually is a more efficient AD).

Chances of SS on Cymbalta + trazodone is very unlikely unless you're talking excessive amounts of trazodone. Take as prescribed and you'll be fine. I was on that combo for a while
 
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