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Trazadone and Xanax taper

Posted by benedetti1 @benedetti1, Mar 28 5:58pm

I am tapering off Alprazolam after 20 years of use at the.5 mg level. I am 87. I have been waking up at 3 am almost every night. My doctor wants me to add Trazadone 100 mg to help with the tapering and get me through the night. I am afraid to start the Trazadone at that level. Any advice?

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mmwagner46 | @mmwagner46 | Apr 1 4:29pm
In reply to @speechprof44 "My dear 85 year old wife suffers from insomnia a lot.... recently 17 nights without sleep...." + (show)
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My dear 85 year old wife suffers from insomnia a lot.... recently 17 nights without sleep.
Tried Lunesta....backfired...at 3 a m still after no sleep, developed great difficulty breathing.
Dr. now recommended Seroquel. Very risky according to many reviews. Anybody have success with this at 25.mg? Danger?

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@speechprof44 I take 150mg. of Trazodone and sleep through the night..about 7 hours

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mmwagner46 | @mmwagner46 | Apr 1 4:32pm
In reply to @benedetti1 "Do you simultaneously take Xanax? I am tapering off Xanax and my doctor wants me to..." + (show)
Profile picture for benedetti1 @benedetti1

Do you simultaneously take Xanax? I am tapering off Xanax and my doctor wants me to take the Trazadone at the same time. It is the combination that worries me. I also take Buspirone and there is
an interaction there as well.

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@benedetti1 No, I don't take Xanax, just 150 mg. of Trazodone....no side effects and sleep through the night

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speechprof44 | @speechprof44 | Apr 1 6:35pm
In reply to @mmwagner46 "@speechprof44 I take 150mg. of Trazodone and sleep through the night..about 7 hours" + (show)
Profile picture for mmwagner46 @mmwagner46

@speechprof44 I take 150mg. of Trazodone and sleep through the night..about 7 hours

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@mmwagner46
Thank you for your input...will check Trazodone out. God bless you !

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slarson14 | @slarson14 | Apr 2 7:37pm
In reply to @alrobstep "75 year old male here. Had trouble sleeping for years. I was prescribed hydroxyzine which enlarged..." + (show)
Profile picture for alrobstep @alrobstep

75 year old male here. Had trouble sleeping for years. I was prescribed hydroxyzine which enlarged my prostate making it difficult to pee getting up during the night 6 times. Took 2 years to get over that. I was prescribed 50 trazodone but I was still waking up at 3-4am. Told to double it to 100 but it made me very unsteady on my feet. A danger getting up during the night to pee.

I now take 4 grams of glycine, 25 mg trazodone, 50 mg of Apigenin. The glycine really helped with pee frequency as well as sleep. Bedroom temp lowered to 67 from 70.

Currently able to get 5 to 7 hours of sleep, still trying for at least 7.

Hope my experiences help others

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@alrobstep Gentle correction here: Hydroxyzine does not cause prostate enlargement. Hydroxyzine has what is called an anticholinergic effect. This means it causes the muscles one uses to urinate with to be temporarily weakened, which would make it even harder to pee with an enlarged prostate.

Glad you stopped the hydroxyzine and got over the weakened muscle issue.

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carolyn27 | @carolyn27 | 1 day ago
In reply to @speechprof44 "@mmwagner46 Thank you for your input...will check Trazodone out. God bless you !" + (show)
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@mmwagner46
Thank you for your input...will check Trazodone out. God bless you !

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@speechprof44 I am tapering off 3mg .xanax that I have been taking for 20 years. Taking Zquil and magnesium and calcium chewies. I am 75. Never heard about Trazodone. Wonder why my doctor never mentioned it. Thanks!

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mmwagner46 | @mmwagner46 | 1 day ago
In reply to @carolyn27 "@speechprof44 I am tapering off 3mg .xanax that I have been taking for 20 years. Taking..." + (show)
Profile picture for carolyn27 @carolyn27

@speechprof44 I am tapering off 3mg .xanax that I have been taking for 20 years. Taking Zquil and magnesium and calcium chewies. I am 75. Never heard about Trazodone. Wonder why my doctor never mentioned it. Thanks!

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@carolyn27 I take 150mg. of Trazodone and sleep through the night...about 7 hours

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Randy Shields | @randallshields56 | 1 day ago
In reply to @carolyn27 "@speechprof44 I am tapering off 3mg .xanax that I have been taking for 20 years. Taking..." + (show)
Profile picture for carolyn27 @carolyn27

@speechprof44 I am tapering off 3mg .xanax that I have been taking for 20 years. Taking Zquil and magnesium and calcium chewies. I am 75. Never heard about Trazodone. Wonder why my doctor never mentioned it. Thanks!

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@carolyn27 welcome to the group, I have been on trazodone for years and it has different effect on each person, I take 100 mg and a melatonin every night and once they kick in it's sleep time. But like any medication the withdrawal can be very nasty. I've had to a couple times and long slow tapering is a long time coming ill be 70 this year and on a variety of meds I'm slowly trying too have doctors get me off of.

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kdalda75 | @kndaustin71 | 1 day ago

I am a strong believer in starting at the lowest dose and working up if no adverse effects! Just my opinion!

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