Mental Health Issues Stopping Trazodone

[Moreaux]

I've been on trazodone for going on 16 years, and always considered it a relatively benign drug. I take it for sleep. I am a recovering alcoholic (2 years since my last drink, but drank for 17 years) and recovery benzo addict (6 years since my last Benzo, but took benzos for 10 years).

I would take between 25mg - 150mg of trazodone for sleep, depending on how stressed and awake I am. Usually though, the dose would be around 50mg as I take it with 2.5 mg melatonin and the combo knocks me out. A few months ago I decided to do a taper with the hopes of getting off it, and as my dose was usually around 50mg I decided to religiously take that dose for two weeks and then bumped it down to 25mg for a week, and then down to around 12mg I am guessing. My doctor knows that I vary my dose so he gave me these trisected 150mg pills, that are surprisingly difficult to accurately cut, and crushing them to powder and weighing them is out of the question because of binders etc so I can't accurately gauge the active ingredient if it were powder, but I tried to be as consistent as possible with the smaller doses. I took 12mg for two weeks and then stopped. Like I said previously, I thought it was pretty benign and my use was inconsistent up until then, I didn't think it required a serious taper. Well, I was able to get off them and have been off them for about a month and I swear it feels like I am experiencing benzo PAWS. I have been battling a pretty heavy ever present depression, and my anxiety rivals that of the anxiety levels I had during benzo PAWS, including hat strange electric sensation under my skin. I know that trazodone is an antidepressant, but from what I have read online my symptoms are not consistent with regular trazodone withdrawal. Is my reaction/withdrawal to trazodone being impacted by my previous benzo use? I know that trazodone has some interaction with GABA, but I didn't think it was much, and I was not expecting anything of this nature lol.

As I have to function in life, I have started taking 25 mg of trazodone again. I plan on doing a much slower and careful taper. I have Indural at my disposal for extreme anxiety, but it is not something I want to take daily as I don't want to have rebound when I don't take it. I take some herbs for sleep (5-htp, melatonin, Relora, and sometimes kava (only occasionally as I worry about dependence). While going through the initial trazodone withdrawal I did get some kratom as it has helped me in the past, however, it did nothing to touch the anxiety, though it did stop the electricity. My end goal is to be off all suppliments. Any insight regarding the trazodone particularly if it is related to my past benzo use would be most appreciated. I honestly feel silly posting this, but I would like to understand what is happening, and would like to get off trazodone.

Mods, I'm not certain if this belongs in mental health or sober living. As trazodone is an antidepressant, I'm putting it in mental health but feel free to move it.

Kindest regards all!

 

[dysthymicdiva94]

I also had difficulty weaning off Trazodone. My max. dose was only 75mg but I noticed an increase in anxiety and panic attacks (previously rare for me, my issue is TRMDD X 20yrs. ) which I've only had in my worst depressive states.
On slowly weaning myself by 6.25mg increments every 2 weeks I noticed my sense of taste and smell returned (I wasn't aware they had lapsed, just that my appetite was minimal).
Most assume that Trazodone is a relatively benign drug and it is so often prescribed as a sleep aide.
It has risks like any other antidepressant.
I never did get the electric shock sensations (I had those when weaning off Paxil) just a constant restlessness and underlying increased anxiety.
Hope you are able to achieve your goals. Best of luck.

 

[Moreaux]

I really appreciate the insight. Did you notice how long the anxiety lasted while you were tapering?

 

[AnxietyPrincess]

Well, traz is pretty useful for insomnia, but may I ask why you are going to give up this medication? I can't deal with insomnia..told Dr I didn't want seroquel but I want it now so Wednesday I'll find out if I have any options..
Good luck tappering. I heard if you switch between 50 to 25 mg often when tappering you go to just 25 then stop when you feel comfortable. I don't know how true that is so don't %100 see it as a fix to your dilemma

 

[Moreaux]

AnxietyPrincess - thx for you reply, and I love your username! I'm giving it up because I don't want to be on medication. Though trazodone is great for sleep, it still an antidepressant and I'm ready to be done with the psych meds. I've found that I can fall asleep with improved sleep hygiene and melatonin and Relora, kava if I need it.

Given my past history with benzos, just stopping at 25mg doesn't seem to work for me. I stopped at less and was fine for a couple weeks and then had symptoms of benzo PAWS. I expected to be a little depressed with more anxiety, but this was debilitating, and I'm wondering if there is a way trazodone kindled with the benzos. I know it deals a little with GABA, but I didn't think it was significant lol.

 

[jammin83]

I have heard of some folks having an esp hard time with trazadone. I don't understand the relationship entirely but people with a history of benzo use/abuse seem to have a harder time coming off of substances sometimes.

survivingantidepressants has some good info for coming off of psych drugs. I suggest making an account and starting a personalized topic in the intro section.

The basic gist is 10% a month. use volumetric dosing or mg scales (gem 20 - $20 on amazon) to make those type of cuts. the next month you would cut 10 % of your previous dose not your original dose. Sometimes you have to go slower.

I think trazadone is a 5ht-2a antagonist. Sometimes these can be a real bitch to quit.

I can relate to the poster that referenced taste and smell. I got mine back after stopping APs. In fact, i eat entirely different now that I am off of them and I don't like the same things.

Best of luck OP.

 

[Moreaux]

Thank you jammin83 - great info! Appreciate the survivingantidepressants site info - will definately make a post there.

I had thought about crushing the pills and weighing them on an mg scale, but would the filler cause to much deviation do you think? I figured when I get low enough I may talk to my doctor and have him script me low dose pills or a liquid that a compounding pharmacy can fill.

My entire diet changed after I got off of Zoloft a few years ago. The foods I used to love are absolutely repulsive to me now, they taste terrible lol.

Thx again!

 

[dysthymicdiva94]

When I weaned from Trazodone the anxiety / panicky symptoms lasted for about 3 weeks. Like you, I was trying to remain functional and at times of extreme duress used a very low dose of clonazepam (0.125mg) to get me through. This might not work for you if you are a recovering benzo addict, but perhaps a different med would do. After the 3 week mark the anxiousness subsided significantly as the drug left my system. Strange how depression, anxiety and so many medications can affect taste, smell and food preferences. Sex as well....all wired to the pleasure Centres and brain chemistry associated with satiety/ dopamine release. We think we know enough but really we know very little about how the human brain truly works.

 

[Moreaux]

I appreciate your response. I was able to quit and the withdrawal was getting better and then I had surgery which threw everything off lol. I was taking tramadol as I was afraid of anything stronger (former opiate addict on top of the GABA drug addictions). Had never taken tramadol before and found it made me super hyper so I started taking the trazodone again to sleep since I still had to function at work. Will be starting this over in a few weeks again lol. Thx again, have a great day!

 

[ComboverLarry]

If we are talking harm reduction for a more "natural" plan coming off trazodone, I suggest melatonin, valerian, magnesium, lavender, passionflower, glycine, skullcap, Ginkgo Biloba and L-theanine as far as supplements. Kava may help, but cause liver stress. Diphenhydramine and Doxylamine succinate are OTC and may cause drowsiness, but may not help sleep.

 

[plumbus-nine]

Oh yeah, sweet antidepressant discontinuation syndrome. These electrical sensations under your skin are called 'brain zaps' and are a hallmark of serotonergic withdrawal, people also get them after bingeing on MDMA for example but by far the most chronic offenders are antidepressants.

I was on venlafaxine (a SNRI) for a similar amount of time, at least 10 years, and tried many times to quit without success, I just couldn't stand the withdrawal and it didn't diminish even after fighting for a week or so. Then I switched to fluoxetine which was easier by far because it has a half life of more than a week (which means tapering built in) & then tapered this. That way I got finally off these antidepressants.

Another substance which helped me was the herbal Kanna, which too is a SSRI but one which causes far less withdrawal than the chemical ones. I was using 20x extract and administrated it intranasally, that way you get relief within a few minutes.

 

[ComboverLarry]

Does the extract do anything to reduce oxalates? Oxalic acid can be very irritating to mucus membranes. It can also bind to calcium and cause kidney stones.