I have been taking 2 mg of clonazepam and 100 mg of trazodone since 2009. Over time, the efficacy of these 2 drugs has waned. My sleep specialist told me to just discontinue taking the trazodone and clonazepam and prescribed me Xyrem which is only dispensed by it's own pharmacy because of misuse of this former date rape drug. I took Xyrem for 3 nights but the 2.25 dosage didn't keep me asleep and I had terrible dreams. I also woke up at 2 or 3 A.M. and was never able to fall back asleep. This Xyrem medication cost my insurance company over $4000 for a 1 month supply. I have since discontinued use and returned to my trazodone/ clonazepam dosages. They seem to be working better now, but I'm feeling very sluggish in the morning. I'd like to get off my sleep medications all together, buy my chronic insomnia makes it impossible. I've tried all of the herbal remodies, melatonin, l triptophan, etc. but nothing works. Now, my doctor has prescribed 30 mg of temazepam 1x per night. If I just stop taking the clonazepam and the trazodone and begin this new medication, I know that I will have withdrawal and might just mess up my whole body. Any suggestions?
Are any of you taking trazodone and clonazepam together for acute insomnia?
Question posted by stgermain on 26 June 2013
Last updated on 2 March 2015 by turkeys3
I also just started taking escitalopram (generic Lexapro) for stress and moderate depression. I took 5 mg for 8 days in the A.M. and on the 9th day have increased my dosage to 10 mg. This is a very complicated question. I really dislike taking drugs but am looking for a way to stop my negative repetitive thinking. I pray every day that God would heal me of these tribulations.
6 Answers
Yes I am , I have bipolar disorder and anxiety .
I have suffered from extreme insomnia since I was a child. While I was young it was pretty great because it made partying easier for me than for my friends as I was used to little to no sleep with the ability to still function so I could work without any problems while they were dying. Now that I am older and also suffering from Epilepsy and MS the severe insomnia is a real problem. I had a sleep study done and it told me my neurologist what I had told him and he (didn't believe. It takes me half the night to fall asleep, if I am lucky enough to fall asleep, and when I do I never get past level 2 which means I am always semi-conscious. So my body never gets into REM and I so it never gets refreshed. So he started me on a variety of sleep meds of which my brain just laughed at. They did nothing.
I am now taking a Klonopin then an hour later I take my evening meds which includes a 100 mg tab of Trazadone (it also includes high dose of hydrocodone and Riboxin for MS pain) and then an hour later I take 30 mg of Temazepam and another 100 mg of Trazadone. It is the only combination that helps me at all. I get a good nights sleep at least 4 out of 7 nights a week which for me is the best I have ever slept. My neurologist is working on finding something else to get me off so many pills because I take so many others for my other disorders but he has to run other tests like a 72 hour ambulatory EEG. I have had 2 DEEG's already, but in the meantime he is not going to change anything unless it stops working. I have not had a problem waking up and feeling groggy, perhaps that is just my brain chemistry, but once the meds wear off they are worn off... my prescription for the temazepam also says that if I wake up in the middle of the night I can take another one which I have and still wake up every morning between 6:30-7 am because that is when my brain says wake up. I don't work anymore, haven't since 2004 so it is not because that is when I have to get up for work, but i don't wake up groggy. Just wanted to share my positive story but I do have to say that my insomnia is a very severe case.
Response to Sara. If you take it for fobromialgia and may not as long as I took it it'll probably all right. We are all different and I too trazodone for a few years. It was for insomnia and I found I could withdraw and took a chane to take melatonim and something else. It just stopped working and I was anemic a little, when I awoke uo suddenly I had some palpitations and tired and caused some stress and depression. After two months, my sleep and health back. Please consult a dr for you but this was only my experianced. I hope you are well. Take care.
Do I understand that you had some palpitations, were tired, stressed and depressed while taking the Trazodone and Clonazepam or afterwards? 2mg of Clonazepam is a lot. Yes, everyone is different. I only take 0.5 mg of Clonazepam for the past 5 years for Myoclonus (an involuntary jerking caused by my stroke). And I gradually increased the Trazodone over 14 years, and have been at the peak dose for the past 5 years. It has almost completely taken away my fibromyalgia which causes tremendous pain, fatigue and disability in many others. So I have nothing to talk to my doctor about. And in the bargain, the meds always put me right to sleep. Glad that you were able to get off of those meds and felt better. They have made me feel so much better.
Glad it works for you. I had palpitations during my taking trazdone and those other things that's why I stopped. Also I don't take 2 mg of chlonopin I think it's that other person who responded. I only suggest dr as I feel everyone checcks with their drs. So feel good and just glad that it all works for you. Was just expressing my experiance with trazdone. A drug I do not like, and I depended on without even being aware of it.
That's great that you were able to figure it out. Not everyone would put it together. I was responding to your advice to me to talk to my doctor. Good luck to you.
I stopped my trazadone as ell, I found that it was giving me heart palpatations also! but I have been off it for about 2 years now, and I still am having them, I do believe it messed my heart up, I as having a normal heart beat before meds
If that is not listed as a possible side effect which lasts so long, you could report it to the FDA.
You say that you are taking the exact same meds and now you feel sluggish in the morning. You seem to be attributing it to those meds. Could it be withdrawal symptoms from the Xyrem? Or could it be withdrawal symptoms from stopping the 2 meds cold turkey? When I reduced my clonazepam down bit by bit over months of time, I went through terrible depressions with each reduction. And when I cut my Trazodone in half for about a month, then went back on full dose, my pain went on for months. Or could the sluggishness be from your depression getting worse? I would definitely go to another doctor for a second opinion. Especially since your current doctor had you go off your 2 meds cold turkey. And your doctor seems more into the big money making with a medication that he makes for $4000 a month!!! I myself have been taking 150 mg of Trazodone which is an even greater quantity in my system due to my kidneys.
I've been on this high of a dose for the past 5 years and it still puts me right to sleep along with just 0.5 mg of clonazepam. I take the Trazodone for my fibromyalgia and the clonazepam for a condition called Myoclonus, but they still do the trick every night to put me to sleep. Your system could well have gotten used to the clonazepam which builds up more of a dependence. But I would see another doctor. And I would suggest that just increasing your Trazodone could help you to sleep. Good luck.
P.S. And I commend you for taking the medication to try to treat your depression and stress. To feel wonderful is worth everything. Wish you the best.
Thank you for the prudent advice Sara. I appreciate your thoughtfullness. Stgermain
Thank you for acknowledging my posting. That means a lot to me. I read what you wrote to Jennifer above. How touching everything you wrote was. God bless you. Yes, God does help us and when we suffer, I believe that God cries for us. Also, God helps those who help themselves, which you are doing.
After years of grief, resentment and severe depression with my severe disabilities after my major stroke, I am now thankful to God for everything that he has given me and what I am still able to do, even if it's very little. I was severely depressed at one point with my severe daily pain from stroke-caused migraines and not being able to do anything that I wanted to do. My doctor told me that she thought that the pain had finally gotten to me, as many of those with chronic pain do commit suicide. She had me increase my anti-depressant which completely took away my depression. But I still had some resentment.
Then I heard from someone on this website who had constant strokes, but who had a lot of gratitude and positive attitude. THAT turned me the rest of the way around.
But I must say that in spite of the 10 in 10 pain from my stroke which has led me to the ER many times, there was never any worse pain than from my depression many years ago before any of the new anti-depressants were on the market. So I am very concerned about anyone who suffers from depression. I truly wish you the best. I'll say prayers for you.
I understand. For stress and depression I'm not an expert but for sleep I would go down with trazdone. I use to take it with klonopin .05. I have stopped trazdone and I projected fear of having insomnia forever. It took a couple of months of adjusting but I feel so much better without that pill, or halve of it. That ugly drug which I thought was effective but you become dependent and it's psychologically addictive. Probably physically also. It took a few months but now I'm gratefully. Take melatonim and one halve klonopin. .05. It works and feel stressed as I'm not taking trazdone. I wish you a lot of luck and hope you find right combination for you.
As this is complicated. Best deal with your doctor.
Lamer, What was bad about the Trazodone? Just wondering. I haven't had any bad effects from it. But it has mostly treated my severe fibromyalgia.
I will pray for you hun!!! God does heal.!
well not exactly but I was taking 150 mg of trazadone, and 2mg of lorazapam witch is generic for Ativan, I was taking it for major anxiety and panic attacks. also could not sleep at night. for you, I would get a second opinion, do some research, talk to your doc and tell him your afraid of the withdraw.
All of our worldly problems originate out of fear, worry, and insecurity. I know that chemical imbalances in the brain are real. However, we should NEVER give up hope in God's desire for us to experience authentic joy and peace within despite the sometimes perceived insurmountable challenges. We must pray diligently for God's blessings and allow those blessings to move through us to help others. FEAR is false evidence appearing rule. It is a learned behavior and leads ti internal disharmony and discontent. alWe must transform our problem based thinking to an adventure driven mindset of abolute positive mindset. The Bible states in Proverbs 23:7 "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he." Meditate on God's word, "I have gifts and talents and abilities. I am capable; anything God asks me to do I CAN DO. I am strong in the world and not weak. I am forgiven. Read Joyce Meyer's 365 devotionals "Trusting God Day by Day" for uplifting passages.
Let's not allow the drugs we are taking make us lose sight of the living Christ inside each and every one of us. We must ask God for discernment and guidance with a thankful heart. God's grace (blessings that he gives us despite our unworthiness) is real and life-changing. Jennifer, I will pray for you and for all the members of this site. Joy, restoration of soul, peace, and positive transformation is what I will humbly pray for. As for taking the trazodone and the clonazepam, I will continue. However, I have emptied my bottle of xyrem. I don't believe that my doctor should have prescribed the xyrem. He should have been cognizant of dependency issues after 4 years. As for the generic Lexapro, I will see how it works over the next couple of months with only 10 mg and will have to have a serious discussion with God, my doctor, and myself before I would considering increasing the dosage. I think that seeing a psychologist or better yet, a Christian counselor will assist me on getting on track. It takes time to find someone who you can connect to, but YOU are worth it. I truly believe that healing is impossibe without God, YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN. Jennifer, thank you for writing to me. I really appreciate your input. Sisters and Brothers in Christ, stgermain
Trazadone at 50 get at night with 20 MG of Buspar 3 times a day , I kicked clone Zapata out of my meds after a week of moderate withdrawal symptoms .
Klonopin , sorry auto correct
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depression, anxiety, insomnia, clonazepam, trazodone, sleep, acute
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