Trazodone is an antidepressant drug that works as a serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor (SARI). Although it is primarily utilized to treat major depression, Trazodone is also used to treat conditions like anxiety disorder and insomnia due to its anxiolytic and hypnotic properties. Various off-label uses for the drug include: fibromyalgia, nightmares, pain syndromes, panic disorder, diabetic neuropathy, OCD, alcohol withdrawal, and eating disorders.
Data collected from double-blind studies indicate that the effectiveness of Trazodone is similar to that of other drugs including: Amitriptyline, Doxepin, and Mianserin. Although the efficacy of this drug is relatively comparable to other medications, an unfavorable side effect of this drug is sudden drops in blood pressure (orthostatic hypotension) when standing up. Other unfavorable less common side effects include: impaired vigilance, cardiac arrhythmia, and priapism.
From a medical standpoint, this drug can be ideal for those who have anxiety and/or insomnia in addition to depression. Although some people have found Trazodone very helpful at treating their symptoms, others find it ineffective and/or cannot tolerate the side effects. Additionally some people try it, but find that the antidepressant effect wears off. After taking Trazodone for awhile, many people end up making the decision to discontinue and face the inevitable withdrawal symptoms.
Factors that influence Trazodone withdrawal
When withdrawing from antidepressant medications, there are always going to be various factors that influence the duration of withdrawal and the intensity of symptoms that you experience. These factors include things such as: the time span over which you took Trazodone, the dosage you have been taking, how quickly you taper, as well as your individual physiology.
1. Time Span
How long have you been taking Trazodone? It is thought that the longer you take an antidepressant medication, the greater the likelihood that you have become dependent on it. Those who have been taking this drug for an extended period of time (e.g. years) are likely going to experience significantly more severe withdrawal symptoms compared to someone who has been taking it for a few months.
In many cases, the greater the time span over which you take this drug, the more difficult it will be to withdraw from. Individuals who have been taking this drug for years will have a much tougher time readjusting to sober functioning than those who were on it for less than a year.
2. Dosage (50 mg to 400 mg)
Most people start at a dose of 150 mg, but doctors may have you titrate upwards in dosage if the starting dose is ineffective. The maximum recommended daily dosage is 400 mg, but in the event of very severe depression, some individuals are prescribed up to 600 mg per day in divided doses. In cases of individuals being treated for conditions other than depression, a lower dose such as 50 mg may be prescribed.
In general, the greater the dose of this drug that you have been taking, the more difficult it will be to withdraw from. When you titrate up to a relatively high dose, your body becomes dependent on that particular dosage for functioning. Discontinuing from a higher dose (e.g. 400 mg) usually results in a longer withdrawal duration and more intense symptoms than someone quitting from a lower dose (e.g. 50 mg).
3. Cold Turkey vs. Tapering
When coming off of Trazodone, it is never recommended to quit “cold turkey” as this can result in more severe and longer-lasting withdrawal symptoms. If you were on this medication for an extended period of time, it is always recommended to follow a gradual tapering protocol. To be on the safe side most experts recommend to taper at a rate of 10% of your current dose every 4 weeks.
So if you were taking 300 mg per day, start by reducing your dose to 270 mg then after another month passes, drop to roughly 243 mg. The tapering process can take an extended period of time, but this allows your nervous system to gradually adjust to the drops in dosage. If you quit cold turkey, you may shock your nervous system, leaving it in a state of disarray and end up coping with very severe withdrawal effects.
4. Individual Factors
There are many individual factors that play a huge role in influencing what you experience during withdrawal. There are some people who quit Trazodone “cold turkey” and/or with very quick tapering periods who experience zero withdrawal symptoms. There are other people who quit cold turkey and experience such severe discontinuation effects that they end up in the hospital for a few days.
In any regard, it is important to understand that what you experience during your withdrawal will be unique and influenced by individual factors. Some people naturally are less sensitive to withdrawals than others and therefore may not have as much difficulty readjusting to sober functioning. Individual habits such as: whether you take other psychiatric drugs, amount of exercise, diet, social support, etc. can also have an effect on the withdrawal process.
Trazodone Withdrawal Symptoms: List of Possibilities
Below are a list of possible symptoms that you may experience when coming off of Trazodone. Keep in mind that you may not experience every last symptom listed here and that the severity of symptoms is subject to individual variation.
- Anger: When you withdraw from a medication that helped you keep your cool while you took it, you may feel the exact opposite during your withdrawal. Trazodone tends influence serotonin activity in the brain by acting as an antagonist and reuptake inhibitor. Your brain no longer has influence from the medication, which can cause some people to lose their cool during withdrawal.
- Anxiety: Discontinuation of this medication can lead people to experience significant increases in anxiety. This drug has anxiolytic properties, meaning it provides relief from anxiety. When you stop taking it, your anxiety levels may be higher than ever before. This is due to the fact that your neurotransmitters are essentially not recovered to the level of functioning prior to taking the drug.
- Chest tightness: Some individuals report feeling a tightness feeling in their chest. Chest tightness can be a result of anxiety, but in many cases its due to the fact that the nervous system is attempting to regain drug-free functioning. It may take some time for this feeling of tightness to subside.
- Crying spells: Many people feel increasingly depressed and moody when they withdraw from an antidepressant. These feelings of depression and hopelessness during withdrawal can lead to crying spells or crying for seemingly no reason.
- Depersonalization: If you feel unlike your normal self or like a zombie, this may be what is referred to as depersonalization. Many times people quit taking a drug and it leaves them feeling as if they are in some sort of alternate reality. In reality, it’s a combination of brain activity changes along with neurotransmitter levels that can make a person feel depersonalized.
- Depression: People who were depressed prior to taking this medication are likely going to experience increases in depression while withdrawing. The depression people experience during withdrawal can be very severe due to the fact that quitting the drug left the brain chemically imbalanced. For more information read: Do antidepressants cause a chemical imbalance?
- Disorientation: Many have reported feeling disoriented while withdrawing from Trazodone. The disorientation can be extreme at times, especially if you didn’t follow a gradual tapering protocol. If you are feeling especially “out of it” (i.e. spacey, dizzy, etc.) you may want to taper at a slower rate.
- Dizziness: One of the most common discontinuation symptoms for any antidepressant is that of dizziness. You may feel very dizzy, especially in the early days of withdrawal. The dizzy feelings and/or potentially vertigo should gradually lessen the longer you are off of this drug.
- Faintness: Do you feel especially faint after quitting Trazodone? Many individuals report feeling a general sense of faintness and as if they need to lie down. This is usually a result of dizziness, vertigo, and/or lightheadedness.
- Fatigue: Feelings of excessive tiredness and lethargy are common, especially during the early stages of withdrawal. You may have a tough time getting up in the morning and/or mustering up the energy to be productive.
- Headaches: During withdrawal, it is very common to experience headaches. These headaches may range in severity from being mild to full blown migraines. Additionally anxiety during withdrawal can contribute to making these more intense. Expect these to be most intense during the first few weeks of withdrawal.
- Insomnia: This medication is used to help treat insomnia as it has hypnotic (sleep-inducing) properties. When you stop taking it, you may experience a rebound of insomnia as a result of low serotonin levels and spikes in anxiety.
- Irritability: You may notice that other people or that “little things” are starting to irritate you. You may become very angry and have a short-fuse when going through withdrawal. Although this feeling is usually a result of neurotransmitter imbalances, the irritability should improve over time.
- Itching: Some people quit Trazodone and notice within a few days that they have become excessively itchy. The itchiness can feel like an allergic reaction or hives. It is thought that this is a relatively severe reaction by your nervous system after removing a stimulus (Tradozone) that has influenced its functioning. The itching will likely eventually subside as time passes, but some people have reported it for months following their last dose. It is thought that a gradual taper may also help reduce itching and facilitate a quicker recovery if you do experience this symptom.
- Mood swings: Your moods may swing from feeling depressed and hopeless to feeling anxious and irritable to angry. Many people will end up dealing with negative moods that can be caused or influenced by low serotonin levels. As your nervous system resets itself, your mood will likely stabilize.
- Muscle weakness: Some people have reported that they notice feeling muscle weakness and/or joint pain when they come off of Trazodone. This weakness is generally a result of nervous system sensitivity and your body having not yet fully restored homeostatic functioning.
- Nausea: Do you feel nauseous now that you stopped taking this drug? Nausea is a very common thing to experience upon discontinuation. In extreme cases it can lead to vomiting, but if you taper off of this drug slowly, this can be significantly reduced and/or avoided.
- Sleep problems: It is common to have sleep difficulties when going through antidepressant withdrawal. You may find it difficult to fall asleep at a normal time due to insomnia. Additionally you may notice that you feel sleepy during the day. As a month or two passes, your sleep pattern will likely start to normalize.
- Suicidal thoughts: During withdrawal, you may feel more suicidal than you did prior to taking this medication. These thoughts can be a result of low serotonin levels and altered functioning as a result of taking this drug. Your brain functioning will eventually reset, but in the meantime you may feel suicidal. Just keep in mind that you will make a full recovery as time passes, but if these thoughts are severe, seek help from a psychotherapist.
- Sweats: Another way many people’s nervous systems react to quitting this drug is via sweating. You may notice that you now have heavy night sweats and/or are sweating profusely throughout the day. This is considered one way that your body detoxifies itself.
Trazodone Withdrawal Duration: How long does it last?
There is no specific duration for withdrawal from Trazodone as everyone will have a different experience. It is documented that its half-life falls within the range of 5 to 9 hours; with an average of 7.3 hours. This means that Trazodone stays in your system for approximately 1.67 days after your final dose. Therefore the drug shouldn’t be in your body for more than 48 hours after you’ve discontinued.
However, just because the drug is out of your system does not mean that withdrawal is done. Many people fall victim to the misconception that once the drug is fully out of your system, you should feel completely fine. Based on many reports of Trazodone withdrawals, most people end up experiencing withdrawal symptoms that persist for weeks after their last dose.
Those who have used the drug over a long-term have reported protracted withdrawals that last for months beyond their last dose. For people who have used Trazodone for many years, full recovery and functioning readjustment could take up to a complete year after discontinuation. During your withdrawal, the important thing to keep in mind is that you will eventually get better.
It may take a few weeks, months, or even a full year to feel better, but just know that you will eventually experience healing. If you are having a tough time dealing with symptoms, focus on taking things one day at a time. Consider getting yourself into a psychotherapist for additional emotional support and guidance during your withdrawal.
Take the time to eat healthy, stay productive, and get some light exercise as all of these things will aid in your recovery. Have you experienced withdrawal from Trazodone? If so, feel free to share your experience and/or insight in the comments section below. By sharing your experience, you may help someone who is going through the challenge of withdrawal that you have already overcome.
Sean, As with most prescriptions, it’s never a good idea to go cold turkey. You need to contact your physician and he/she will instruct you how to safely discontinue use of Trazodone. Best wishes.
I was taking trazodone for about 8 months. I ran out and the very next day I was having severe withdrawals. I was on 100 milligrams to help me sleep due to my OCD. When I tell you this was the most near death experience I’ve ever had. I experienced every withdraw symptom known to man. No sleep, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, falling, feeling faint all day, no appetite, became very angry and annoyed with the world.
This lead to 3 ER visits being misdiagnosed with vertigo. After 6 days of pure hell, I finally figured out it must be the pills. My dose is now being lowered bi weekly, because I refuse to have anything control my life. Especially not a pill.
I have been on trazodone for a couple years. I know the withdrawal symptoms far to well. I take a 100mg dose every night. If I don’t take my dose I’ll be somewhat fine throughout the night. It’s the second night that’s the problem. It’ll start early evening usually around 3-5 o’clock. It usually starts with a feeling of fogginess then intensifies to a feeling of being out of reality.
Then it just gets worse from there. Then the dizziness and nausea come in and that’s followed with vomiting. Of course the irritability and anger are there to but it’s outweighed by the other feelings. By this point I’ve had about enough. It’s one of the worst feelings I’ve ever had. I’ve never went more than 2 days without it. I’ve even had to call the pharmacy to get a few days supply because my bottle disappeared and they had absolutely no problem giving it to me as they knew what would happen if I didn’t have it.
Trazodone has helped with the initial symptom for which it was prescribed but if I knew what I was getting into I, most likely, would not have taken it. Don’t quit cold turkey unless you want one of the worst feelings you’ll have in your life. Also and especially if you have family that lives with you. The anger and irritability you’ll feel will make everything they do around you extremely bothersome. People have actually lost control and hurt others when going through withdrawal from this medication. All in all not good.
I have been on Trazodone for 7yrs for my insomnia due to Fibromyalgia. This medicine was heaven sent for me. The less sleep/rest I get the more pain I’m in. Recently I have decided to come off all my medicine under Dr supervision so I can get pregnant. I’ve been taking 150mg for at least 5 of the 7 yrs. Right now I’m taking 50mg every 3 days (just started this) and now the nights I don’t take it I get uncontrollable muscle spasm in my legs.
Last night I was able to take it but had a new withdrawal symptom of vertigo and the nausea from the rocking feeling. I can’t wait for this to be over. Trying herbal remedies to help with sleep. Good luck to you all. I’m going to miss the great sleep I got with it.
So far having gone off Trazodone (150mg then 100mg and now 50mg every 2 weeks), I haven’t had any bad side effects…yet. After going through menopause in the early 1990’s, I started having insomnia. When given Trazodone, I was told that it was an old anti-depressant which was found not to work well, but in small doses helped with anxiety and insomnia. It is not a sleeping pill.
In the late 1990’s I was on Paxil for depression. It helped some but caused much weight gain. Weaned off of it to Effexor, it caused me to sweat a lot even when just sitting. I weaned off it. A couple of years later I was put on Celexa. It worked fine for about 5 years, then I got to feeling spacey and out of it.
Unlike Paxil and Effexor which was easy to wean off of, Celexa was very difficult. Paxil & Effexor leaves the body quickly, whereas Celexa stays in the system for 3 to 6 months while being weaned off. After that I haven’t taken an actual anti-depressant since 2007 and I hope to never take again. I have Dysthemia, which is a long term depression. My physchologist said I’ve probably had it since childhood.
I was diagnosed with it in 2002. I see my psychologist about every 3 to 4 weeks. I have been seeing her for about 19 years. I do visual meditation some, body stretches and also deep breathing exercises. It helps to calm me down. I hope I never go back on any anti-depressants again. Good luck to all. Mar
Hi all, I would very much appreciate hearing from anyone who has completely recovered from Trazodone withdrawal. I took 100 mg nightly for Just over 2 years for insomnia. I tapered my dosage by 25 mg each month for the past 4 and a half months. I went from 25 mg to zero about 17 days ago.
Usually I experience about 4 rough days after each reduction…headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and an “out of it” feeling. Eliminating the drug completely has been the hardest by far…not surprisingly. I still feel terrible. I have at least a low grade headache everyday, which flares to a migraine some days.
I’m exhausted and feel uncomfortably spacey all the time. Has anyone out there completely recovered that also had a rough withdrawal? I find that my symptoms are really interfering with my quality of life, and I could use a little hope. Thanks, and good luck to anyone else going through something similar.
Three years ago I ran out of Trazodone and went off of it cold turkey. I suffered severe anxiety and anger and irritability as well as constantly feeling depersonalized and out of it. I saw psych specialists who thought it was something in my mind, not in my body. Eventually I figured out that it might be the Trazodone.
Thirty minutes after I started taking it again I felt like myself for the first time in three months. Now I want to give it another shot. I have been taking 100 mg of Trazodone for 15 years. I am 100% sure it is responsible for my inability to get going in the mornings.
Nights when I don’t take it I am fine the next day. I can’t figure out how to titrate 5-10% off a 100 mg pill to taper down slowly. Do I just chip a bit off with a knife or fork? I am concerned that the amount I take will not be controlled. I will let you all know what happens…
Jane the way I’ve done it to get a precise reduction of say 10% is to purchase a scale on amazon for about $20 called the Gemini. You weigh about 10 pills to get an average weight. Set the scale to grams. Take 10% off the weight. So if the average pill weighs 600 mg, less 10% (60 mg), your dose would weigh 540 mg. Stay at that dose for at least 1 month and do another 10% off the 540 mg (or less). I’m down to of only 1 mg of trazodone which weighs 6 mg (.006) on the scale. See website surviving antidepressants. Amanda
30 years on Trazodone for sleep along with opioid pain meds for multiple degenerative, chronic issues. 100 mgs for 15 years then down to 50 for the remainder. Used Remeron (mirtazapine) intermittently and for a short period to alternate while withdrawing.
Six months later and I’m still not right. Using MM for sleep now but I get 4->5 hours and am anxious until the evening. I experienced most of the side effects mentioned here at different stages of withdrawal but the anxiety is still overwhelming at times.
If you have not used it, I recommend not starting. If you have, try to get off at a slowly titrated pace. It is a miserable drug to quit, especially if taken for an extended period.
Christine, So sorry you are having trouble with Trazodone. You should contact your doctor & he will give you instructions on how to get weaned off of Trazodone. I didn’t realize Trazodone went to 400mg.
The most I’ve taken is 150mg. I’ve never had problems with Trazodone. I take them about an hour before I go to bed. Most of the time it relaxed me enough to go to sleep, but some nights I would still not be able to get to sleep for 2 or 3 hours.
I never really had sleep problems until I went through menopause in my early 40’s (1990-1993). Insomnia makes life difficult. I am lowering Trazodone 25mg every 4 nights, starting with 125mg to see if Trazodone is causing my fatigue & lethargy while using sleep apnea machine & sleep mask. If it does, I’ll discontinue Trazodone.
So far going from 150mg to 125mg hasn’t changed how I feel. Best wishes to all of you with sleep problems.
Oct 11, 2016. Begin taking this medication to help with sleep. I was going through menopause and experiencing hot flashes and just could not get restful sleep. Had some stressors in my life but mostly just needed some sleep. Doctor recommended this. I’ve only been on it for a couple of months and never took it regularly. Took Benadryl for years and it began to give me leg cramps. I started out taking that for allergies. Got to the point where I couldn’t sleep without it. Finally got off that but sleep was never good afterwards.
So Trazodone. I have had crazy mood swings on it. Anger. Oh, my gosh. Rages. Crazy screaming bouts. Then zombie mode. No energy. Aching inside and out. So unhappy. And I am now up at 2:30 in the morning bawling my eyes out trying to figure out what is wrong with me. I’m normally an optimistic, upbeat, outgoing, busy kind of person. I have spent weeks lying around like a potato. I have no energy and I’m so unhappy. I feel like my whole world is falling apart. The simplest thing seems overwhelming.
I have been dizzy, lost 15 lbs, muscle tone, and had muscle and joint aches. Just got tested for rheumatoid arthritis it was so bad. Came back negative, thankfully. Have had chest pains. Almost went to the ER one night. Have lost interest in almost everything. Routine chores are a joke so anything more complex is not going to happen. Got a new car 2 months ago and have had the hardest time parking it straight in a parking space.
Couldn’t figure out what in the world was wrong. I think it’s my depth perception being adversely altered while being on this medication. I am sad and unhappy all the time and can literally find no joy. This is not me. And I didn’t start out taking it for depression. I just needed sleep. While it did help at first with sleep and hot flashes, that quickly dissipated. So at this point the pros have been completely overwhelmed by the cons.
I finally decided it was time to get off of this stuff. I’m only on 50 milligrams. I can’t imagine being on this stuff a long time at a higher dose. So I am coming off at. And it’s going to take a few weeks I’m thinking to get over my few months of taking it. I’m glad I read these comments because I realize this medication is bad.
I have been on Trazodone for 5 years. I have been trying to come down slowly as I was at 400 mg and went down to 300 mg with hardly any issues. I am trying to go down to 200 and feel absolutely terrible. I am so nauseous at times it is hard to drink water (even room temperate water) I feel odd, lightheaded, foggy, and at times I feel so dizzy I feel like I may fall down.
My body is achy and have some itchy issues it is like I see something on my arm and just need to itch it. Also, out of the corner of my eye I sometimes see things/shadowy it’s weird. I feel upset and anxious and really want to stop this pill all together. I have tried to taper down before and the side effects where so bad that I had to retake it… Does anyone know how this feels? I feel like I am the only one out here dealing.
My mom had hip surgery on 9/7. Pre surgery she was taking 100 mg trazodone daily at night to aid in sleep. She has been taking for 20 years. Post surgery they told her not to take her trazodone since she was on a pain med that would help her sleep. 3 weeks post discontinuance of the trazodone she has been complaining of nausea, agitation, sweating, hand shakes, and is just plain depressed.
She was in a lot of pain post surgery but showed some improvements until about a week ago when she also developed a sudden onset of pain in her leg muscle just below the area of her incision. This new pain has her really frustrated as her recovery had been going well. Docs think it’s muscle related. But as for all the other symptoms noted above, it’s unclear if they are related to her reaction to the intense pain she has been experiencing, the pain meds (ultram), or now that I’m reading web content, maybe her cold turkey discontinuance of the trazodone.
It makes me wonder if she should restart her trazodone and then start the slow taper, as much of the research suggests. Anyone have an experience where going back to original dose and then tapering is advisable? Your thoughts are appreciated.
Hello All! I went on a two-week sailing trip with my husband and forgot my Trazodone!!!! I have been taking 150mg of Trazodone (for sleep issues) every night for many years and felt very panicky at the thought of side effects on a boating trip. After about 3 days, I started having difficulty sleeping (which I expected). After 2 weeks, my only side effect was poor sleep at night.
I took one dose of 50 mg of Trazodone upon my return home. But because I hadn’t yet experienced the many other possible side effects, I decided against taking another pill. I know, I know-cold turkey is insanity. I figured I could always start up again at a lower dose of T if I struggled with the withdrawal.
With the exception of that one 50 mg dose, it has been 3 weeks since I inadvertently quit Trazodone. When will the other side effects hit? I’ve warned my husband they’re coming, but he doesn’t believe me. Other than less than optimal sleep, I haven’t yet experienced anything else. What’s up with that?
I strongly recommend coming off “cold turkey.” The withdrawal will be horrible. But, I am few weeks you will feel a lot better. I was on Trazodone for about five years, 50 milligrams a night. I recommend working out with weights and writing the bike almost everyday the week. At least six days a week. 3 days lifting weights 3 days riding the bike. Keep yourself busy, you’ll be fine.
I took two doses of trazodone. Doc scribed it to me as an alternative to ambien. Everybody I’ve spoken to who has taken the stuff prior and everything I’ve read about it tells me it was nasty stuff. First dose, sure, took it before bedtime. Knocked me out. Slept through the night, woke up the next morning and took me several hours to “shake the cobwebs.”
Following evening, stomach was in shreds. Week later, tried again thinking it might be a fluke. Knocked me out, couldn’t shake the cobwebs. Stomach in shreds again. Also found myself in a dangerously low spot, mentally – nothing radical or extreme, but very very deeply depressed for no good reason. Took a few to bring myself back to my norm.
Is there possibly some other underlying issue? Sure. But nothing I’ve not been treating myself for (without chemicals). Trazodone is not for me.
I last commented on May 29 and was weaning down from 100 mg Trazodone after going off Ativan. I just cut to 37.5 mg from 50 mg where I had been for 4 weeks. I had been cutting in 12.5 mg increments and seems like each cut takes longer to level out. It is a tough battle and I go through a pattern each time. Few nights of tough sleep, flu like symptoms, nausea, tingling sensation in shins, face flushing, heart palpitations, headache.
My recommendation to Kerryjayne and others. Don’t rush it. Go slow. Be ready for renewed symptoms every cut. It will get better. I am coming up to 1 year since I was on 2 mg Ativan and 125 mg Trazodone. It’s a long journey but worth it to get off this stuff.
I have been taking 50mg for 12 years now. For the past year I have been experiencing tingling in hands and feet 24 hours a day, no let up. I researched and found this was a side effect. Last night I took 25mg and will continue to do this for a while. Bad timing perhaps as my husband, and we are newly married, has just been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.
He begins treatment next week, after having had a large tumor removed a few weeks back. My tingling has worried me (drop in the ocean now) I have to quit traz. I wonder how long do I take half amount till I go to quarter amount.
I have just recently weaned off Trazodone. I tapered and eventually quit. I haven’t seen the one biggest problem that I have and that is Urinary spasms. I withdrew from klonopin earlier and when it was just about done, I started lessoning the Trazodone. The symptoms are pretty much the same. I hope I can hang in there but the spasms are driving me crazy.
I took trazodone for 21 yrs for restless legs. It truly did work at 50mg. But I am more active now and decided to quit it. It’s been about 10 days. I have been having night sweats since. I hope it goes away soon. No sleep first 2 nights, now I am sleeping but awake 3-4x a night. Supplementing with chamomile and Tylenol. I couldn’t figure out why I was having night sweats if I am post menopausal. Then it dawned on me it was the Trazodone. Can anybody share how long the sweats lasted if you were on a low dose. P.S. Did have N & V and fainting, dizziness on day 5.
Sorry this is so long but I am hoping it will help someone. My Primary MD sent me to a psych MD for anxiety and depression. He said he tried everything he knew to do for me and I wasn’t getting better, so he was referring me to a psychiatrist. The psych MD started me on a slew of psych meds, including trazodone 50mg at bedtime for sleep. I suspected the combination of meds was dangerous, but in a weak moment believed he knew what he was doing.
I was wrong…I have never felt so bad in all my 59 yrs of life. I started having tremors, weight gain, confusion, floaters in my eyes; felt very out of body like my brains were slushing around in my head. I was dizzy all the time, confused, off balance and started to severely forget conversations and other things. My husband had to drive me to work where I felt like hiding. I started having uncontrollable crying spells and even felt like dying at one point.
After 5 weeks of feeling beyond miserable I decided to start weaning off the paroxetine 60mg and the Wellbutrin 150XL but stayed on the trazodone for sleep. Oh, I forgot to mention the Psych MD also had me taking Ativan three times a day on top of everything else. Only took it before bedtime. After another week, I decided after 20 yrs with the same primary it was time to look for another MD. I also cancelled my future appt with the psych md and stopped the trazodone cold turkey. In hindsight, I should have weaned off that too!
I am now experiencing nausea, gastro issues, dizziness, even worse brain fog, pain and tightness in my chest, muscle cramps and a host of other issues which includes the worst migraines of my life! My new MD referred by a friend, listened to my past and present symptoms, ran a ton of labs and did an extensive evaluation. It turns out, my Thyroid (Hashimoto’s) is the culprit to my problems.
For years I have been suffering from untreated thyroid problems which my MD diagnosed as other issues. If you have thyroid problems go to stopthethyroidmadness-dot-com. You will be enlightened. Moving forward, My new MD is waiting for the labs to come back and will convert me to a natural thyroid. In the meantime, she has prescribed a lesser SSRI to help me through this horrible period and has given me a small script of Lunesta to help me sleep.
Hope to be off every thing within a few weeks. I relate and deeply feel for everyone on this forum. My heart and prayers go out to you. Be your own advocate…fight for You! Don’t be afraid to change doctors if you need too. Who else knows their own body better than you!!! P.S. I recommend you Talk with a clinical pharmacist before be stopping any med cold turkey… pharmacists know meds and their interactions better than the MD’s do. ❤️
I have been on trazodone since 1984 when I was prescribed it for severe debilitating migraines. At 16 it was a miracle to be able to have a normal life. It truly was and still is a way for me to have a normal life. I started on 25 mg and after a couple of years was on 150mg. I found myself newly married with a newborn and I felt like a zombie but was able to function.
I told my dr I wanted to lower the dosage. He agreed and slowly I got down to 50mg. I started having migraines again but not as severe. I now had depression but didn’t want to tell the dr for fear he would up the dosage. After about 1.5 years it got better. Two years ago I had heart problems so I went to see a cardiologist who passed tests to see the problem.
I have an irregular heartbeat with a leaking valve. She sent me for further testing and eventually I will need an intervention. I remember when I sat in the dr office when I was 16 and the question I asked the dr was what the side effects were. He said none that they knew of except a better quality of life. I wish I would have never took it. 32 years later and I’m still trying to wean myself.
I have all the side effects you can imagine. I’ve tried weaning before but the withdrawal is horrendous and my body just screams for its normal dose. My side effects are getting worse and am determined to get off trazodone. My nervous system is shot, I shake and am angry or depressed most of the time I hear and see things. My present dr agrees that these are worsening side effects.
It has been 3 days that I have lowered my dosage by 25%. It’s getting difficult and I wondered if anyone can recommend how I can get thru this difficult time. After 32 years of relying on trazodone it’s time for me to be drug free.
I’ve been reading all the comments about trazodone. I do suffer from a chemical imbalance and depression/bipolar. This I’ve suffered with my whole life. Five years ago my doctor put me on trazodone because I suffer from insomnia. I know better than to blindly take a new drug but I did. After months of complaining of no sleep my new doctor took me off traz cold turkey and wanted me to start a new.
I’ve suffered now for over two months with sweats, chills, shakes, vomiting, nausea, headache and oh my god the itching is maddening. I threw the other medicine away. I’ve lost weight because I’m having a hard time keeping stuff on my stomach. Today I felt really good and tried to mow the yard. I did not succeed.
I can in after just a few minutes, dripping wet as if I stood under the hose, shaking so bad I actually vibrated to the bathroom where I stood over the toilet throwing my guts up. Then the chills hit. Please tell me it will get better.
Trazodone was one of the worst meds I was ever given! It made me so sick I ended up in the hospital after taking it for only 2 nights with joint and muscle pain so severe I could barely walk, blurred vision, chills, sore throat, severe headache and all in 48 hours. The Dr. that prescribed it to me started me off at way too high of a dosage and then when I told him I couldn’t take it anymore he told me to lower the dosage to 50 mg.
(Well I told him) so after a few weeks of taking the 50mg. I tell him I can’t take this anymore along with other meds he prescribed me. I was informed that one med I was on I needed to be weaned off of. Never once did he say to do the same with the Trazodone so I stopped taking it cold turkey and 3 days later I’m having dizzy spells and am nauseous. For me this was a horrible drug and did nothing but hospitalize and hurt me.
I just went cold turkey as of a couple days ago. I have read the comments and I haven’t seen anything about increased heart rate/nervousness. I do not take my other med for anxiety because I know it won’t alleviate the heart pounding I feel. Does anyone know how long this rapid heart rate with be? I don’t have any trazodone to be able to taper.
Diana, going off Trazodone cold turkey is the worst thing you could do. If possible, you should see your doctor, and it doesn’t have to be a psychiatrist, a walk-in clinic is fine too, and get a prescription and reinstate to a very small amount, stabilize and then taper very very slowly. I’m assuming of course, you don’t have bad side effects which made you stop in the first place. Hopefully, you won’t have long term w/d symptoms that will be very difficult to manage and if you also work, that’s the worst of course. Best of luck!
I am going through withdrawals now for about 6 weeks. I have nausea and feel weak like I have the flu. Has anyone here been through it and can give me an idea how much longer this will last? I know everyone is different but just to get some hope. Trazodone is a hard one to come off of apparently.
What dose were you on?
I have been on Trazodone 200 mgs. almost 15 years and before that 150 and prior 50. I want to withdraw from this but will be doing it very very slowly and very carefully, probably at the rate of 2.5% or less every 4-8 weeks to give my CNS time to readjust. I don’t want to experience the w/d symptoms and there’s no urgency to get off.
It’s key to stabilize when tapering enough so that you feel fine before the next drop and you have to be careful with that because you could be feeling fine when you do the next drop but your w/d symptoms could come cascading through from a prior drop plus the one you just did. So, for that reason it’s wise to wait 2-3 months before a drop assuming you feel fine at that time.
Depending on the dose you’re at, it may take several years before you finally get off, but hopefully if you do it properly you will have minimized or avoided the dreadful w/d symptoms altogether.
After 8 years of taking meds I have just weaned off Trazodone (100mg), Prozac (40mg), Camcolit (400mg) and Epitec (400mg) over a two month period. The worst is Trazodone. My skin burns so badly at night, I change my night clothes every hour as they are soaking wet, I hallucinate, have nightmares like I used to have as a child (multiply your worst horror movie by 10 million and you will understand) and do not feel human at all.
But I will persevere and never ever go back to any of those meds. Psychiatrists have no idea what it feels like to go through that and I wish I could warn everyone not to go on meds of this nature. It is not worth it. It is sickening to think how many people are bullshitted into taking psychiatric meds for no real reason and doctors get away with destroying lives.
It has been 2 weeks since I stopped Trazodone (the last of the evils) and I just hope that I will be able to sleep for more than 1 hour at night in the near future. I am a bit tired!!!
2 months ago my doctor put me on 50mg/night for sleep issues. It seemed to help somewhat with the sleep. Well 2 nights ago I ran out and had no intentions of asking for refills since it didn’t seem to help THAT much with sleep. I asked my doctor if I need to watch out for anything with the medication. I got the usual speech – might make you drowsy..don’t drive on it etc…
Well 3 days into not having any and I’m suffering hard. For me it’s nausea (really bad), chills and overall feeling weak. Not eating much which sucks because I’ll get hungry but the second I take a few bites I feel like it’s coming back up. I have diarrhea too. This is how I felt when I got off Xanax (although that was MUCH more intense).
In a moment of desperation I called the pharmacy for a refill. It hasn’t been approved (weekend) by my doctor and I think I’m just not going to pick it up and just suck it up and wait a few more days for the worst of it (nausea and lack of appetite) to subside. I’m pissed at my doctor for not warning me and more pissed at myself for not doing more research.
I’ve been on various sleep medications in my life and this one, by far, has had the worst withdrawal symptoms. If you have sleep issues ask your doc for something else. This stuff is isn’t worth it. My opinion of course. Everyone’s body and disorders are different and Trazodone may be a godsend to some. Not me.
I felt waves of horrible sensations during withdrawal. They were very near in the beginning and then more and more spaced over time. Someone says that it is similar to benzo withdrawal. Be aware.
Jenny could you elaborate more on your withdrawal. How long before you were feeling better? I am tapering Trazodone and down to a low dose and feel horrible withdrawal. I understand the waves and windows pattern as I took Ambien previously. Thank you.
I have been on trazodone 150mg for a little over a year. My doctor and I decided it was time to come off of it. I have more side effects than benefit. My confusion is this… He wants to increase it to 250mg for three days and taper from that point. I have talked to the pharmacy and called the doctor back to explain the increase. Was told this is the proper way to start tapering. Has anyone ever heard of this before?
I was on 50 mg of trazodone for sleep for 3 months. For the most part it worked until it started to really rev me up. It reached a point where it was causing anxiety rather than helping it. So I dropped to 25 mg for 5 days, then because it was still interfering with sleep my doctor suggested just stopping it. That was 9 days ago. The first few days were rough, with stomach ache, anorexia, feeling flu-like. Each day it has gotten better but today my GI tract is bothering me and I have some anxiety and being “not myself.” Is it possible that the withdrawal symptoms could come and go?
I left a comment on December 30. Weaning off both Ativan and Trazodone. As of today, I have been off Ativan for a week. Almost 5 months to slowly come down from 1 mg nightly to zero. Each time I dropped Ativan dose, I bumped Trazodone to 125 mg and then down to 112.5 after 2 weeks and to 100 mg after another 2 weeks before dropping Ativan dose and starting the Trazodone cycle again.
My plan now is to drop Trazodone in 12.5 mg increments until I am off it. May take another 3 or 4 months but hope to be drug free then for first time in 3 years. At 74 years old, this has been a very tough journey for me but I can say that the WD symptoms are a lot better now than I made the first cuts last September. Last night, I tried something for the first time.
Normally, I would take my pills at bed time. Last night, I went to bed without and fell asleep. I woke up 2 hours later with some sweats. I took 100 mg Trazodone, fell back asleep and slept for 5 consecutive hours (first time in a year). Will try this pattern as I drop the dose and will give an another update in a couple of months.
Good luck to everyone fighting these evil drugs. My number one recommendation is – Do not go “cold turkey”!!! I also recommend a current best seller book by Adriana Huffington “The Sleep Revolution.” Bob
I have been taking just six drops for 6 days but withdrawal cold turkey was hell: nausea, shaking, sweating, agitation, insomnia, brain zaps, flu symptoms for 3 days… the worst 3 days in my life.
Hi all… I am currently coming off 150mg Trazodone after 10yrs for depression. Found out I had a heart condition and these are a No-no. So was forced into it. I immediately got an appointment the next morning with my herbalist. I have to tell you I have suffered very mildly compared to what I thought after reading all these horror stories. I have been prescribed:
Hawthorn – strengthen the muscle squeeze of the heart.
Motherwort – palpitations
Passionflower – anxiety
Rosemary – clears thinking, lifts mood
Skullcap – enables nervous system to deal with drug withdrawal.
I first experienced shuddery, jittery feeling. But was working and mixing with people. Then after a week and a half that’s when the tears kicked in. Aching all over. But it was bad only for a weekend really. I am currently lying low on herbalist recommendation. To keep stress/anxiety down as I am due to cut down further. So this means not socialising as I know I couldn’t cope with it at the moment.
Not phoning only texting. Getting in the garden as its therapeutic. Looking for ways to help myself by decreasing any form of stress. This is ONLY TWO WEEKS in, as I need to come off quickly due to heart problem. I know I would have been in a mess without the herbal mix. I swear by it. Yesterday she has given me St. John’s Wort as I have cut right down.
This will take a couple of weeks to get in my system. By then I will be free from Trazodone. I hope this helps someone. You have nothing to lose. She said I will feel other symptoms such as headache, off tummy etc but not to worry as there is something to help with all that too.
I am hoping I don’t need the next antidepressant the Dr has for me. I would prefer to do it with my herbalist. Please… if you’re thinking of going to see a herbalist… make sure they are qualified. Make sure they know what they are talking about. Honestly, doing it this way has saved me so much grief, pain and suffering.
I am going through my second week of cold turkey from trazodone. I have had mild headaches, sleep issues, tinnitus (little bit). Last night however, my lips started to swell and my throat felt like it was phlegmy. Scared me I took Benadryl. Lips were fine in the morning. I find that my mouth is dry, so dry that my lips are kinda stuck to my teeth (?) I haven’t really experienced anything too bad, thank God.
I just know each day I will get better. BTW…I took this for insomnia for less than two months. It’s been a hellava ride. Can’t wait to be normal again. I have researched supplements and sleep hygiene. I’ve gone to my PCP and a sleep specialist. Nothing helped, but Benadryl and unison. Oh and I drink chamomile tea like it’s going out of style for anxiety. I guess I can deal for the long haul however long that is.
Dear God, I had no clue how bad WD could be on this medication! I have an insane work schedule that has put my sleep cycle out of whack. I told my Doctor I was using Xanax to help with the sleep but my Psychologist recommenced trazodone. The first few weeks it seemed to work like a miracle drug at 50mg. Better than ambien which left me depressed the next day.
I then stepped up to 100mg and shortly after I had started feeling weird. I stopped suddenly and a week later was back to normal. I was off the medication for a month but couldn’t get any sleep. I thought I give the med one last try. Thinking I imagined the side effects. I went from 50-150mg with no problems then two weeks ago I missed a dose and woke up feeling like hell.
Headaches, massive anxiety, confusion, short temper, shakes. I took 100mg the next day and felt the same. I decided to go cold turkey again. This time the WD was much worse and has lasted much longer going on two weeks now. In the course of the last two weeks I took 50mg twice since I was in desperate need of sleep. Bad mistake! I was feeling slightly better the last few days but last night I took 50mg and feeling terrible again.
My head feels like it is crawling, my skin is itching, my anxiety is much worse. What ticks me off even more I was weaning off of Xanax before this with very little side effects. Now, I don’t want to go through the hell of weaning off of two meds. I need a natural sleep aide that works.
Melatonin which I used for years seemed to work but has lost its effectiveness. I am using Advil PM which is hit or miss. Any suggestions?
My tongue tingles and there is little to no tastebud function in the center. My left index finger tingles and I am manic as if on 8 espressos all day. Sleeping is difficult. Neck muscles are taut 24/7.
I have been on trazodone for many many years and decided to try and withdraw down to 50mg per night. I feel very tired, weak and cold and wonder if this is part of the withdrawal. I hope to eventually stop this medication forever.
I was taking Trazodone for over 10 years at 50mg and quit cold turkey on 4/30/2016. Hearing that it could take a year to feel OK is not good. Not planning on going back.
Gwen, How is it going? I’m hoping you are feeling better. I’m determined to quit this drug but feel so awful since stopping I started again. It’s scary to feel so anxious for me. How’s the cold turkey working?
I was on 100mg for about seven months – started taking it to help with anxiety-related insomnia. About a month ago, on a visit with my psychiatrist, I decided I no longer needed it since I felt I could sleep without it. I found myself already sleepy around the time of night I normally took it.
She told me that since I was on a lower dose, and it was just used to help me sleep that I could just stop taking it. Since my last dose, however, I’ve suffered considerable withdrawal symptoms including increased anxiety, depression, chills, and light nausea. Ironically though, I can still sleep through the night.
I wish I had known to taper slowly off this medication. Please be cautioned, even if your doctor takes a more blasé attitude toward your usage.
After being diagnosed with severe postpartum depression with high anxiety I was given Klonopin and trazodone as part of a mixture medications. I take these at night to help me sleep. I’m trying to wean myself off of them because I feel extremely tired all the time. Just reducing my dose caused me great amounts of anxiety, coupled with extreme nausea. Also, headaches and dizziness. This is a battle I’m determined to win though so I’m hanging in there. If you can avoid either of these medicines I would advise you to do so.
Hi. I’m in Trazodone withdrawal right now after a serious screw up at my GP practice has left me without it since Thursday, so 4 days. Right now my eyes feel like they are bulging from their socket and I have the headache from hell. I feel like I have the worst flu ever with muscle weakness in my neck and legs making it hard to lift my head and to walk.
Also I feel sick and as though I’m right on the brink of vomiting. I’ve got a bucket next to my bed just in case. I have been crying on and off for no reason for the last 24hrs, feeling depressed, hopeless, delirious and generally confused. My mood keeps swinging from concern to anger to fear to dread.
I suppose you could say that this is not the best night I’ve ever had. BTW my usual dose is 300mg daily for Major Depression and Anxiety Disorders. Who knows when I’ll get my meds. The GP doesn’t seem very concerned.
I have been on Trazodone for over 20 years. I had to stop taking it due to my heart going into prolonged QT intervals on the EKG (it’s when the heart doesn’t start back up right away). I was on 300 mg every night and I feel like hell, terrible thoughts racing thoughts, anger frustration, irritability crying spells, severe anxiety, sweating profusely, paranoid of everybody hard to be at work feeling like this – but what am I to do?!
I have called my crazy Doctor every day this week and he will adjust something but nothing is working. I have requested klonopin but he is hesitant to put me on it because I just broke free of it after 20 years. I’m afraid I’m going to lose my job because concentration is just not there. I feel like nobody understands and I’m all alone.
I was on both and for me the Traz withdrawal was much worse than the klonopin withdrawal. Just thought you might like to know.
I’ve had some trouble staying asleep recently and decided to go to the doctor and see if there was anything they could do. The insomnia wasn’t due to depression (I was always a really happy guy) or stress as the only thing I would stress about is whether or not I would get enough sleep, it’s probably genetic and it’s not overly severe. The doctor prescribed Trazodone which I found odd as I had never heard of a non depressed person taking an antidepressant. 50 MG, once a day. I only took it for 3 days but it really messed me up.
It did help me sleep but it made me terrified of sleep. It gave me panic attacks and crying fits throughout the day (things I’ve never experienced before) and after 3 days I decided that I would do anything to have “me” back and I didn’t care about insomnia. I called the doctor and she said I could quit cold turkey.
It’s now 3 days without Trazodone and the withdrawals have not been easy. I’ve had mild headaches and moments where I’ve started panicking for no reason with shortness of breath, crying and vommiting. I’m still slightly afraid of sleep (yeah I know, that’s completely ridiculous). Sometimes I have moments of prolonged excitement which is better than the prolonged panicking but I still don’t like it because I know it means the drug is still in my head.
On day one I did experience dizziness and lightheadedness but that went away. This is day 3 without it. Hopefully today is a better day. Trazodone works wonders for some people but if you’re not depressed and you don’t have anxiety be careful with it for insomnia. It managed to make me depressed and give me anxiety / panic attacks and all I can do is wait for the day I finally get to be “me” again.
My doctor put me on Trazodone a month ago, to help me fall asleep. (Just 50mg at bedtime.) Thirty minutes after taking my very first pill, I immediately felt drowsy. I also had a severely stuffy nose and was walking like a drunk. I already take Zoloft for OCD, and I knew mixing SSRIs can be a little hinky, but I chalked this up to “getting used to” the side effects.
Three weeks in, I’m nauseous, dizzy and listless, around the same time every day (7pm: mid-shift for me). I called my doctor’s office Thursday night and asked if it would be safe to just stop taking it. I was given the go-ahead by the nurse on the phone. Thank the gods it was an early night at work on Thursday, with Friday off.
It’s 6:27 am on Saturday now (only about 3hrs past my normal bedtime) and I can’t sleep. I’m exhausted, but the sweats, feverish feeling and heart flutters are keeping me awake. Holy crap, this stuff hit me hard. I hope I’m better when Monday rolls around.
I was taking 150 mg of Trazodone for several years for insomnia. I was recently increased to 300 mg because I was waking up at night and unable to go back to sleep. I ran out and was out of refills so it took the pharmacy an extra 2 days to get my prescription refilled. I haven’t had any trazodone for 2 nights now and I’m experiencing horrible withdrawal symptoms. I can’t sleep. I toss and turn and wake up often, and I’m having cold chills and sweats. It’s really awful and worries me. What if I decide to go off of this in the future? How bad is it going to be?
Just left the ER a couple hours ago. I have been off Trazodone 50mg for three days and began to have balance issues and an overall sense of an ill feeling. It did not occur to me that it was withdrawal until I saw this site. I tried to stop once before and didn’t get pass the third day and started taking it again. My GP had told me that I could stop anytime, but he needs to read the research because as we all know here, that is not the case.
I had just finished a 3 hour workout at the gym and started to have balance issues and within an hour was not feeling good. By the time I was in the ER I was clenching my jaw, had an explainable crying episode, a headache, chills and sweats, and fatigue. All my labs came back normal. The ER doc was stymied. I was feeling better and talked by way out of a head CT scan.
The exercise probably exasperated the condition. I’ve been on Trazodone ever since my release from a one month stay in a hospital year and half ago. After reading this site I have a follow-up with my PCP and hope this withdrawal goes well. Thanks for all the replies to this site, I do feel better knowing what caused the trip to the ER.
I took Trazodone 50 mg as directed and as directed took another dose after 30 minutes of not falling asleep. That was Wednesday night, today is Fri and am and I’m still experiencing dizziness, instability, exhaustion, and blurry vision. I will never take this drug again.
Please help. After taking 100mg of trazodone I started feeling very sleepy and tired. Spoke to my GP and I am now tapering by cutting to 50mg. This is my 7th day. Last week was no problem, from last night I started feeling hot, perspiring a lot, confusing, not able to concentrate and affecting my work. Is this normal? I forgot to mention that I took them for 1 and a half years. See, here is my confusion, I could swear I wrote it!!! Help.
I had been on trazodone for roughly ten years, along with other meds, for fibromyalgia treatment. I slowly withdrew from all of them, except for naltrexone, a recent addition. I have been completely off the trazodone for one week, having weaned down to 12 and one half mg, first, and two to four weeks time at each succeeding lesser dose.
I still am having symptoms of being unable to sleep for longer than 4 or 5 hours per night, but am hanging in there, having decided not to go back on, but to tough it out. Does any one out there have similar experience, and know whether taking melatonin will now help or be contraindicated? Thanks.
Been using trazodone at 100mg for 5 years to help with sleep and recurring depression. The effectiveness has decreased and with the support of my GP and psychiatrist, I reduced to 50mg then zero about a month ago. Currently experiencing periods of detachment from reality, mood swings, and physically extreme itching. I did suffer severe sleep disturbances, and this is now rapidly improving, but I continue to have problems with vision (as experienced by other users). I have the support of an excellent psychotherapist and combine this with exercise to help manage the worst of the symptoms, but suspect it might be a long road to full health.
I’m 2 days off this trazodone med at 100 mg. I’ve was breaking out with horrible rash, blisters that itch me out of my mind. That’s when I started doing some research on it, I thought it was the cymbalta doing this, but after stopping it 6 weeks ago, the blister rash is getting worse. I’m totally miserable! Not to mention the way it looks. I have RSD, so I have no idea what’s going on in my body and brain. I’m very depressed and pray I don’t have to continue to live like this. Thanks for your time, Pamela