Trazodone ? for medical folks

[LisaTx]

What happens when you quit taking Trazodone cold turkey?

I already have a call in to the Dr. and am waiting to hear back.

My 84 yo mom was hospitalized a few months ago for depression after surgery to have a shunt put in for hydrocephaly. The Dr. put her on 5 mg Lexapro and 25 mg Trazodone.

We were under the impression that the Trazodone was to help her sleep. She quit taking the Trazodone 3 days ago and this morning woke up very dizzy.

I've tried to reasearch Trazodone on the net, and it doesn't look like a sleeping pill to me.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

If you don't hear form the doctor, try calling the pharmacy.

Here is some info about the drug.

Trazadone

 

[DaisyDebbie]

I just read an article about Trazadone, they think the pilot of the Staten Island Ferry was on this medication and that was the cause of him "falling asleep" and crashing. It's also been linked to other accidents and plane crashes where the pilot was on it.

I'd get some answers quickly.

 

[MScott1851]

25 mg is a fairly low dose of Trazedone. It was originally designed to be used as an anti-depressant, and can be used in conjunction with other meds for that purpose, but most of my patients are on it to help them sleep. I see people that are on anywhere from 25mg up to 100mg. I myself have a prescription for it when I can't sleep, but usually only take half of a 25mg tablet. Otherwise when I get up in the middle of the night to go to the restroom or the fridge I'm bumping into things. It also gave me some pretty freaky dreams. I did notice on the label that it said, "Do not suddenly start or stop this medicine."

If your mom has been taking it religiously every night for an extended period of time, doctors do recommend tapering the dose. Perhaps cutting down to half a tablet every night for a week, then down to half a tablet every other night for a week, and so an and so forth until she is off...it might take a month or so. However...only her doctor can tell you for sure.

 

[LisaTx]

Thank you for the info.

The Dr. never did call us back. My brother was afraid she was having a stroke and had me call 911. Her blood pressure was high, so my brother decided to take her to the hospital just in case. He called and said she's doing just fine and no one there seems very concerned.

We'll have to get this med situation straightened out.