trazadone

my husband has been on 50mg of trazadone for about 4years for sleep issues.  about a year ago I  noticed huge changes in his personality(hostile, aggitated etc........).  now there are more side effects and two times i have found him unconcious on the floor. already had a mri done and that was fine.  after all i have read about this drug what is the safe way to get off of it??? this drug is destroying him and our life.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

You may be correct that Trazadone is the culprit here..or it may be something else, and certainly a good thorough workup by your doctor is indicated. When you start changing sleep medications you start sleeping problems, which can cause their own symptoms.  The simplest way to deal with this dilemma is to start lowering the dose a little bit every couple days and see what happens before you, he, and his doctor decide about stopping or switching to a new medication.

[Jaquta]

The doctor often posts taper schedules when asked.
I think you should discuss the medication and symptoms with your (his) doctor.

I would probably recommend ruling out other causes as well.  Because the MRI is fine does mean it is a psych issue?  Keep following this up until you both feel satisfied with the result.  I just added that because too often, especially with long mh histories, our symptoms are attributed to our mental health, this is not always the case.

Good luck with everything.

J

[noorda66]

we have been tapering his dose down per his doctor and the side effects are worsening. not only has he passed out, he has ringing in the ears dizziness, shaky hands(withdrawl (withdrawal) effect i assume)memory ***** , erection problems, almost all the side effects and rare ones that i have managed to find on the web he has.   already been to a neurogolist and found nothing.  have read quite a few posts on other people that have been on trazodone and they have similiar experiences.  wondering if a detox program would be the best.  

[Jaquta]

Have you updated the doctor regarding your husband's current condition/ symptoms?
It's possible the withdrawal is too fast.  In which case the advice is usually to increase to the last dose at which the symptoms were manageable.

It's good news that the mri and neurology reports came back as OK.

I would talk to the doctor again and perhaps inquire about whether the taper is too fast.
If you're still not happy you could always try for a second opinion or make inquiries about detox programs (if that's the route you want to take).

Are you talking to a psychiatrist about all this and not a family doctor?

I know this must be extremely stressful for you both and the passing out is a huge concern but keep persevering.  You will get on top of this.

J