Trazodone and Methadone

[Bannia]

I have been on methadone for around 2 months. I am taking 2.5 mg once per day. When I started it, I was taking trazodone for sleep. My doctor wanted me to discontinue that, so I weaned down from 25 mg to around 6 mg over a few weeks and then stopped. During the weaning process, I would get around 4 days of uncomfortableness, mostly dizziness, calf pain, and lightheadedness, and then it would go back to normal. However, I stopped Trazodone completely 10 days ago, and I am still very lightheaded and often dizzy, especially in the morning, until I take my methadone dose at around 1:00 PM. It generally improves after that, but not always completely. While weaning, the methadone dose always completely relieved my symptoms.

I am starting to wonder if it’s more than just stopping Trazodone that is causing this. I know methadone has an effect on serotonin levels, just as Trazodone does. Anyone ever stop taking Trazodone or an antidepressant while on methadone? Can I expect my brain to get back to normal again, and if so, when? Beginning to question whether the methadone is actually extending or causing these symptoms to prolong.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[ViewsAskew]

Hi Bannia - wish I could help. All I can do is commiserate.

[debbluebird]

I would give it a little more time. I took methadone successfully for 10 years.

[badnights]

Hmmm. It has only been 10 days since stopping trazadone. That's not enough time to be sure your body has become accommodated to the lack of trazadone. Talk to your doctor about it, please, but don't be surprised if s/he says it might take as long as 3 weeks.

[Bannia]

Thanks for the feedback. It’s day 15, and I am still having issues. Had one day that was quite a bit better, but then right back to the same issues. Hope that it’s just the Trazodone, and that it resolves soon. The doctor said that things should improve after 7-10 days, but they typically undershoot these sort of withdrawal issues.

[Bannia]

I’m starting to think this is a methadone issue. It has been over 3 weeks since I last took trazodone, and I am having some issues. My head feels really off in the mornings. Not quite dizzy or lightheaded, but just feels weird. After I take the methadone, that goes away for the rest of the day, but I then feel so tired. My eyes feel super heavy. I am sleeping a little better than I was a couple of weeks ago, but the morning is just brutal with my head feeling so weird and I can barely get out of bed.
I am still hoping this is from quitting trazodone, but I would have thought that 22 days would be enough to get my serotonin back to normal. Does anyone else have issues with feeling so off in the morning, and then severe exhaustion later in the day from 2.5 mg of methadone? I didn’t feel this way before quitting trazodone, but I was only on methadone for around 6 weeks at that point.

[badnights]

I wish I could help. I wasn't on trazodone for very long and I've never been on methadone. Have you talked to your doctor about it? What a horrible way to start every day.