Hi guys, I'm desperately looking for peer support. My Doctor has decided to withdrawal antidepressants and sleep medicines as they are not helping me. Currently facing withdrawal symptoms..... Sleep deprivation due to rebound insomnia. It's terrible... getting only 2 to 4 hrs of sleep. Feeling hopeless. It's now 10 days after stopping the 1st antidepressant. Tapering the 2nd has just started.
My problem is chronic anxiety and depression.
Has your doctor recommended any other treatments like Ketamine or TMS Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation?
Thanks for responding. Neuro-stimulation like rTMS, ECT.... and ketamine have not been recommended by my doctors till date. This is because they're not convinced about it's efficacy. Secondly because my physical or somatic symptoms are severe and so i cannot withstand these treatments.
Hi rksn I read your post and have to say my heart goes out to you with empathy. I’ve experienced antidepressant and insomnia medication in the past.
I'm so sorry you are going through this. I have dealt with bad insomnia as well. I go through periods of several months where I only get about 3 hours of sleep a night and my depression and anxiety gets bad. It's hard to function. There are some natural supplements that can sometimes be as effective as medications things like GABA and 5htp. Maybe you could ask your doctor about any possible natural sleep aids. Praying it gets better
Thanks for your response. I'm too going through anxiety and depression for decades.
I've tried 5Htp & other supplements in the past, but nothing works. But this time the cause of very poor sleep is clear. It's because of tapering & stopping trazodone. This is causing rebound insomnia. It's only 10 days now, after stopping the medicine. I need to put up with this for atleast another 10 days or so. Hoping to feel better after that. How's your anxiety and depression now? Hope your feeling better now. God Bless you.
I was on trazodone for about 4 months. It only helped me sleep some. I weaned off it myself. I know when you aren't sleeping 10 days can feel like an eternity. Hang in there and hold onto God!
I was on trazodone for about 6 months and it didn't help for anxiety or depression. So the doctor started by reducing 100 to 50mg - and it was terrible! I got electric shock like feelings while waking up. Then i found a better tapering protocol using AI App POE. As per that, i started (from 100) reducing by 25mg, held on to it for 2 weeks and then the next step.... till i reached 7.5. Then fully stopped after a week. I don't know how long this rebound insomnia will go on. After this subsides, i need to continue with clonazepam tapering. As per doctor's advice, I'm currently reducing 0.25 mg, every month, and this is ok - no problem. I'm now at 1mg per day (from 2mg per day) I hope you are ok now. Thanks❤🙏
I am in a similar situation and don't have any answers. In fact, I did a sleep study last week and am still waiting for the results. It sounds like the key for you is trying to get high quality sleep. What strategies are you using to try and make that happen? Are you able to get and sunlight during the day? Are you able to sleep in a dark, quiet, and cool environment? Do you stay away from your phone and bright lights when you can't sleep at night. Do you try to avoid naps during the day? Do you avoid caffeine and stimulants for at least 8 hours before you plan to go to bed? Have you seen any sleep specialists? I find weighted blankets, using nostril take to open my nose, and tape over my mouth to keep it shut all helpful. Lots of strategies have been effective for me, I am just too darn good at self sabotage. For me, I woke up at 4am and couldn't get back to sleep. It would have been helpful for me to get up and walk or do something, but instead I found my phone and have been laying down miserable for the past three hours, so I am negatively inpacting my sleep for tonight. Also, try not to worry about it - this is also something I am terribly bad at, but some approaches I can make automatic like drinking a herbal tea at night which helps avoid late night snacking. My insomnia, anxiety and depression have lead to significant weight gain which also unfortunately also negatively impacts sleep. Good luck.
Thanks for your de
Thank for your detailed reply. In my case, the reason for very poor sleep is very clearIt's because of tapering and stopping trazodone, which is causing rebound insomnia. I can't escape this and need to put up with it, atleast for another 10 days or so. I'm taking care of sleep hygiene by following almost all the points that you've listed out. Also got tested at a sleep clinic and that's normal. I've going through anxiety and depression fot decades now. Keep sharing and may be we can be helpful to each other. Good luck!
My sleep problem is clearly due rebound insomnia - This is happening because of tapering and stopping Trazodone. There's no other way out, other than enduring it. Hope you get some clue after the sleep test report comes. There are medicines available to give you relief, based on the test outcome.
All the best!
They can't suddenly stop 🛑 all your medication like that, it's dangerous for your health... Get in touch with your GP and tell him or her that you need to taper off slowly
Yes, they are tapering the medicines very gradually by following the slowest and safest protocol. This time, acute sleep deprivation is because of tapering trazodone. This is causing rebound insomnia, which i need to put up with. But it's unbearable and so i thought I'll reach out for support. Hope your doing well.
But is it the slowest and more importantly the SAFEST PROTOCOL??? Everyone and everything is different. Take me for example, 34 years on Duloxetine and Diazepam + Pregablin + Propranolol and Amitriptyline. Being on them so long they are now crucially a part of my mental and physical psychology.How can I taper off, it should be my decision. I guess that you feel the same. I'm preparing to Dr myself not through choice but necessity. If my finances allow I'm preparing to purchase these meds off the dark web 🕸️.
Yes, as you rightly said, meds act very differently on people. In my case, i concur with my psychiatrist's decision to wean out my meds as i don't feel any improvement at all. The tapering protocol is the slowest & the safest. Trazodone, which I've been taking only for the last 6months, was tapered from 100mg to 0 in 8 weeks, by reducing @ 25mg every two weeks approx. After 10 days of stopping, my sleep has just started improving. Clonazepam is being tapered @ 0.25mg every 4 weeks and that's going well. Your case is different. The meds are helping you and so you must continue to take it.
Well done for coming off them. I believe that I've been over medicated over the years tbh. I've tried withdrawing and found it impossible. One neurologist actually said that it would be harder for me to come off Duloxetine and Pregablin due to length of use than it would be to come off HEROIN 🤯🤯🤯. That puts all in perspective. Keep in touch please. Regards Chris 👍
dude that bad sleep im right there with ya
Antidepressants & kids
Withdrawal 
Antidepressants and counselling 
Coming off Citalopram / Antidepressants
