Doc changed my meds and I'm having HORRIBLE withdrawal symptoms.

[KyndCulture]

doc took me off of Trazodone and I have been SO sick for the last 3 days.. it's awful! My ears are ringing, my head feels like a jello salad, my legs are cramping, I'm throwing up...

Does anybody have any suggestions on how to make this easier... I feel so AWFUL...

[Tab]

1. Did he just take you off cold-turkey?

Trazodone should be phased out (disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor) by reducing dosage some 50 to 100 mgs every 3 to 5 days until you get off it. Are you phasing it out, or did you just stop altogether? The max dose is 400 mg a day, and most people start at 150 mg. So, it's a phase-out anyway whether you are at 150 mg or 250 mg, or even 400 mg (assuming you're even awake during the day at that dosage - it's often used for sleep disorders).

[KyndCulture]

3. completely cold turkey

I was on 150 mg a day for the last 8 months.... I was out and she wants to try something new.. We talked about withdrawal symptoms and she didn't think there were any.


4 days later, I still feel awful, she was wrong!

[Tab]

5. So it appears

We talked about withdrawal symptoms and she didn't think there were any.

Methinks she (you) should be tapering. What concerns me more is that she "didn't think there were any" and didn't check to find out. Some meds you can just stop, others need to be tapered. That she just had you stop without checking to see if it should be tapered is a bit disconcerting.

[KyndCulture]

6. She has always been a good Doc

Given what Buffy said on this thread, it's not a well known thing that stopping Trazodone causes withdrawal symptoms.

I'm gonna give her the benefit of the doubt for not knowing. I read up on it this weekend (between throwing up) and it's very possible she didn't know. It's not the usual thing but it did happen to me.

[NMMNG]

2. This is one I'll file under "You learn something new every day".

I've been working with medications (somatic and psychiatric) for nearly 19 years now and I know with many of them people can experience withdrawal symptoms or "discontinuance syndrome" (which is associated with abrupt discontuation of certain SSRI antidepressant medications). I had never, however, heard of withdrawal issues with Trazodone. When I read your post I did a search and discovered there have indeed been cases.

Three cases developed withdrawal symptoms of trazodone despite gradual discontinuation of therapeutic doses of the drug. This report suggests that effects of trazodone and its metabolite m-chlorophenylpiperazine on the serotonergic system, which may result in noradrenergic rebound after discontinuation, and short half-lives of these compounds are involved in the development of these symptoms. From a clinical point of view, we suggest that trazodone should be tapered off at a very slow rate.
Mechanisms of the development of trazodone withdrawal symptoms




It would appear that a very slow taper is the best way to avoid withdrawal effects.

[KyndCulture]

4. I am printing this off for my doc.

She's been away this weekend and I am calling her first thing tomorrow.

She was wrong to stop this medication cold turkey. I don't think I've been this sick from food poisoning or the flu, or anything else ever... I know this is withdrawal symptoms. I guess she just didn't know.

[Pharaoh]

8. so kyndCulture

what did your doc do? did she put you back on trazadone?

[blue neen]

7. IMHO, some people are more susceptible to withdrawal than others.

I personally have to taper off ANY anti-depressant medication slowly.

So sorry to hear that you had to go through this because it truly is miserable. I hope you were able to contact your doctor and get some relief.