Trazodone not best option for long term sleep

[Saphire87]

A warning about Trazodone. I have never experienced so many side effects whilst taking it and withdrawing from it!

I was on Trazodone for over a year because I was suffering from chronic Insomnia and panic attacks. I liked it for the first couple of weeks because it did help me get to sleep for up to 4 hours, however, you have to take it so early otherwise you feel so tired the next morning and the effects can last into the day. The doctor kept increasing my dose because the sedative effect at night was not working as well as time went on. The only good thing about them was that they did reduce my panic attacks. After increasing them to 200mg and then to 250mg I was struggling to do any activity without getting out of breath, I only had to hoover and I would get dizzy and short of breath. It was a sacrifice I made for a few more months so I could sleep at night on the high dose for a few months.

I had enough after a while of constantly being short of breath and feeling really tired if I didn't take the medication really early, that I asked if I could come off them. It just so happens that I had recently changed doctors surgeries and when I asked the new surgery if I could start reducing them, they couldn't understand why I had been put on them in the first place as 2 different doctors from that same surgery said they NEVER prescribe Trazodone to their patients because of all of the effects that have been reported. The new doctors wanted me to come off them so quickly so that I could start a new medication for my anxiety that I have gone from 250mg to nothing within 3 weeks and that's when things got a whole lot worse.

I've always had Insomnia and the most sleep I can ever get in one night is 3-4 hours with a regular night of no sleep at all but I could deal with that. Since I have been withdrawing from Trazodone I have been going for up to 3 days at a time with NO SLEEP at all quite often. As I am writing this I have actually had no sleep for 3 days again and I have lost my job now because of it. The panic attacks have gotten worse than they used to be in the last couple of weeks and the Insomnia is even worse.

Please never let any doctor put you on this medication or at least don't come off of it so quickly. I have actually been on other medication for anxiety in the past and I never had any of these effects whilst on it or coming off of it. I only came off of the other one Sertraline because it wasn't the best for sleep but at least it didn't cause me all of these problems.

All the best guys, and maybe it works better for others that it did for me but for 2 doctors to say they don't prescribe it is a warning to me.

[Dolphin14]

Every doctor has their own beliefs in different meds.

Sounds like you weren't weaned properly. That's awful to have all these symptoms.

I have been on trazadone. That next day fatigue was awful. I had to stop it myself. I always wean my meds. I'm very sensitive to meds. Meds I was told have " no withdrawal" did with me. So, I tell my doctor point blank I will wean.

I'm curious as you say surgery changed the meds?

[Hidden]

Rebound insomnia also happens on lower dose for sleep as well. Always taper these types of meds for sleep, anxiety ty, depression etc. My side effects were minimal on the lower dose, and while headache, stuffy nose, minor grogginess that went away with in an hour of waking and a cup of coffee, I also had stiff muscles but these lessened over time. I’m an avid exerciser, no way I could have dealt with fatigue,

All of these meds are dangerous when taken long term, I wouldn’t have lasted 2 nights before I had my doc on the phone to work out a withdrawal plan and if he/she does not believe or think withdrawal is a thing, then there is plenty of articles and information regarding withdrawal which is also known as discontinuation syndrome you could take with you on your next doc visit. It also says on the patient information sheet when you pick up your meds to not just stop this drug and you could take that on your appointment as well.

For me physical withdrawal off 50 mg took 4 weeks, but some effects on the central nervous symptoms still linger today and I’m 10 weeks in my discontinuation which I did abruptly as well.

Hang in there. It does get better each week you are off the med.

[basten in reply to Hidden]

When you stopped all the drugs did you get rebound insomnia and if so did you ever start to sleep better and how long did it take.

[Hidden in reply to basten]

Yes I had rebound insomnia and it was worse than the insomina I started with when I started the medication which was around 3 years ago.

Am I sleeping now or better? I am not sleeping now at all. I have the inability to stay asleep in which my sleep study revealed quite a lot of spontaneous awaking in the night and a few of those were respiratory related but not apnea.

I am going through menopause right now, hot flashes and night sweats are part of the waking triggers for me. I am using various amino acidsupplements to aid in sleep and the occasional use of a hypnotic which does not help me sleep more than 2-2.5 hours so when I use this I am desperate.

I have an appointment with a sleep specialist that can teach CBT-1 and the waiting list is so long so its not till October 1. I hope that in next 3 months I might not need to pay for CBT-1.

[basten in reply to Hidden]

Thank You I'm so sorry your not sleeping at all it's awful. My psychiatrist has told me to stay in them and if no better in two weeks with the awful panic attacks and anxiety which she says the drugs shouldn't cause then I can taper off all my meds but like you I know I'll go days without sleeping which my doctor already told me I would. I suffer terrible burning pain on eating and will just have to lie there at night in pain until it wears off which can take hours

[basten]

Hello I read about your troubles with Trazadobe. I was out on Quitiaoin for sleep but had the most horrendous anxiety and panic attacks couldn't get off the bed. Then they tried Amitryptiline. I slept well the first night took them again the 2nd night didn't sleep and again horrendous panic attacks. They added Trazedone I slept a bit but the next day terrible panics. Ive stayed on them and take Zopiclone and clonazepam too and I sleep well and the panic attacks aren't so bad but I still don't want to go to church or see anybody as I still get very anxious. My only answers is to gradually stop them all but it scares me as I know then I'll have days without sleeping. It's a vicious circle. I'm 70 and live in the UK

[Hidden in reply to basten]

Ill add a comment here that hopefully might help you or others that might read this thread.

If you are on two or more separate medications and plan to taper off, you will want to taper down one drug at a time and choose the right one to discontinue first. Your doctor should hopefully be medically supervising your through a Super Slow taper as discontinuation syndrome from these medications are well known as well as something called PAWS can occur as well.

If you do a super slow and drawn out taper then you should be fine with min withdrawals, I abruptly stopped my trazodone so I do NOT recommend any one going cold turkey.

I sure hope that your doctor is experienced in taper plans, you might be interested in a site where there is a wealth of information on survivingantidepressents.com. Amazing resource and real life experiences getting off ssri, non ssri antidepressants, psychotic medications, sleep medications like trazodone etc

[basten in reply to Hidden]

Thank You. My psychiatrist doesn't know why my drugs are giving terrible anxiety and panic attacks enough to disable me!!! We've agreed that I stay on them as I sleep until I've been away with my son Thursday week and if I'm still like it she'll take me off them and I'll just not sleep for days. Thank You for that link

[Hidden in reply to basten]

Trust me when I say this. The moment you accept you will not die without sleep, the better outlook and handling of the day after a bad nights sleep. If you get rebound insomnia, its temporary and assuming you are going to right back on meds to sleep should give you positive feelings and thoughts.

iIf your doctor tapers you off or prescribes you a longer acting one and this might dimishesh almost all withdrawal and min sleep disturbances I would think.

There is a comfortable way to do this, just hope your doc knows the different ways and best methods to take you off or switch (washout period), etc...

Anyway, gotta look for a brighter side to this. I have to do this otherwise I stay in a dark place and get nothing done.

Hope you come back and update what happens. Best of luck.

[basten in reply to Hidden]

Thank you. I'll have to start coming off all meds in 2 weeks time. Before I went on any meds I would get off to sleep waking 3 times in the night for a pre but always going back to sleep I am a very very negative person and find it hard to be positive I get so anxious about everything as I'm in a lot of pain when I eat which is my oesophagitis and gastritis which gets inflamed. I am 70 and live in the UK. I find it so hard to be positive and have suffered all my life with this. I will try and get back to you. Thank you

[basten]

Thankyou for sharing about Trazedone. I'm in 150mg I don't sleep all night and it has caused me to have panic attacks I never used to get Please let me know if you ever find something that helps you get off to sleep and stay asleep. Nothing works for me and I am sorry you lost your job because of it all. It really is awful not sleeping.