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Vistaril, Trazadone, and possibility of Tardive
Dear Dr. --
I was taking prescription Ativan for 6 months & became dependent on it. I couldn't take the severe withdrawal so I got detoxed. While in detox for 10 days I was given a lot of drugs like Seroquel, Vistaril, Trazadone, Clonidine, & phenobarbital. When I left the detox center 7 weeks ago, I continued to take the 50 mg. of Vistaril every 4-6 hrs. as needed and the 50 mg. of Trazadone at bedtime. My question is , "How great is the risk of developing either Tardive dyskinesia or Beneign Essential Blepharospasm as a result of taking the Vistaril for 7 weeks and the trazadone for about 4 months.?" About 3 weeks ago I noticed that my "ususal more than normal blinking" that I've had for about 40 years became more excessive, and my eyes became extremely sore and dry. I understand why my eyes were so dry and sore from so much antihistamine, and I suppose the excessive blinking could have been from the dry eyes, but there was a lot of pain all around the eyes and in my sinuses & they felt like sometimes the eyelids would stick closed for a second or so and I became worried that it could be TD or BEB. The lid muscles seemed tired, & I'm sure they were from all that blinking. I saw my opthmologist who said it was a possibility, but that I should try eyedrops and see how I did & check again in a few weeks. I was so concerned that I stopped my Vistaril cold turkey 4 days ago & cut the trazadone in 1/2. So I suddenly couldn't sleep and the anxiety returned with a vengence. Today I had a panic attack, and I had to take a Vistaril.
It would help me to feel better if I knew that it was rare and about what % of patients taking Vistaril and Trazadone for 7 weeks (Vistaril), to 4 months (Trazadone), get TD or BEB from it. My psychiatric nurse practitioner said that it is not common with those drugs & that she hasn't seen it happen from them in her 38 years of practice. She said it mainly happened from the psychotrophics used long-tem. Would you agree with that? I read that it also can be triggered by any antidepressant or antihistamine, but I don't know how common that is. I am afraid to go on an antidepressant for my anxiety from fear of that and seratonin syndrome & all of the side effects, yet living with anxiety is very difficult & unfulfilling by preventing me from doing many things I enjoyed prior to the anxiety invasion about 9 months ago.
Do you feel it's important for me to see a neurologist regarding the symptoms I've been having?
My nurse practitioner said she doesn't feel it is from TD or BEB, but rather from being very dried out from the Vistaril.
She thinks when I stop the med it will clear up. It did seem somewhat better by day 3 & 4 after stopping it.
As for the muscle contractions and twitching in my legs and arms, could that be from the stress of not having any anti-anxiety med in my system after being on the Ativan for 6 months, and then the Vistaril for 7 weeks & abruptly stopping it?
She said that I could continue taking the vistaril even if just on an as needed basis and use eyedrops, or try a more long-term drug that does pose a small risk of developing TD or BEB, like an SSRI etc. I also am going to try a low dose of Clonidine at bedtime to help with sleep, a sometime high blood pressure, and anxiety. Thank you.
Deb1023
I was taking prescription Ativan for 6 months & became dependent on it. I couldn't take the severe withdrawal so I got detoxed. While in detox for 10 days I was given a lot of drugs like Seroquel, Vistaril, Trazadone, Clonidine, & phenobarbital. When I left the detox center 7 weeks ago, I continued to take the 50 mg. of Vistaril every 4-6 hrs. as needed and the 50 mg. of Trazadone at bedtime. My question is , "How great is the risk of developing either Tardive dyskinesia or Beneign Essential Blepharospasm as a result of taking the Vistaril for 7 weeks and the trazadone for about 4 months.?" About 3 weeks ago I noticed that my "ususal more than normal blinking" that I've had for about 40 years became more excessive, and my eyes became extremely sore and dry. I understand why my eyes were so dry and sore from so much antihistamine, and I suppose the excessive blinking could have been from the dry eyes, but there was a lot of pain all around the eyes and in my sinuses & they felt like sometimes the eyelids would stick closed for a second or so and I became worried that it could be TD or BEB. The lid muscles seemed tired, & I'm sure they were from all that blinking. I saw my opthmologist who said it was a possibility, but that I should try eyedrops and see how I did & check again in a few weeks. I was so concerned that I stopped my Vistaril cold turkey 4 days ago & cut the trazadone in 1/2. So I suddenly couldn't sleep and the anxiety returned with a vengence. Today I had a panic attack, and I had to take a Vistaril.
It would help me to feel better if I knew that it was rare and about what % of patients taking Vistaril and Trazadone for 7 weeks (Vistaril), to 4 months (Trazadone), get TD or BEB from it. My psychiatric nurse practitioner said that it is not common with those drugs & that she hasn't seen it happen from them in her 38 years of practice. She said it mainly happened from the psychotrophics used long-tem. Would you agree with that? I read that it also can be triggered by any antidepressant or antihistamine, but I don't know how common that is. I am afraid to go on an antidepressant for my anxiety from fear of that and seratonin syndrome & all of the side effects, yet living with anxiety is very difficult & unfulfilling by preventing me from doing many things I enjoyed prior to the anxiety invasion about 9 months ago.
Do you feel it's important for me to see a neurologist regarding the symptoms I've been having?
My nurse practitioner said she doesn't feel it is from TD or BEB, but rather from being very dried out from the Vistaril.
She thinks when I stop the med it will clear up. It did seem somewhat better by day 3 & 4 after stopping it.
As for the muscle contractions and twitching in my legs and arms, could that be from the stress of not having any anti-anxiety med in my system after being on the Ativan for 6 months, and then the Vistaril for 7 weeks & abruptly stopping it?
She said that I could continue taking the vistaril even if just on an as needed basis and use eyedrops, or try a more long-term drug that does pose a small risk of developing TD or BEB, like an SSRI etc. I also am going to try a low dose of Clonidine at bedtime to help with sleep, a sometime high blood pressure, and anxiety. Thank you.
Deb1023
I developed tardive myoclonus after just five weeks on Vistaril. It has never gone away.
Dear Ryan -- I forgot to mention that my "anxiety trigger ismedications & their side effects, and conditions that come about from their use. It stems from when I was a child & had many very close calls due to allergies&reactions. Then when I began having anxiety issues and panic attacks 9 months ago, and was prescribed the Lorazepam which made me so ill and became addicted to it in 6 months time, that whole ordeal made my phobia worse. I don't want to take anything at all, and prior to 9 months ago, I took only one scrip for my interstital cystitis. My life has changed so drastically in the past 9 months and I would give anything to have it back to the way it was & to sleep again. Meds scare me and cause anxiety and panic attacks, so that's why I asked if there is a possibility that I can heal without further medicines and the dangers that go along with them. Thank you so much for any encouragement you may be able to offer.
I realize that it takes time to heal from coming off a drug like Lorazepam, but I hope that it is possible even though the detox was done with the wrong type of medication & rapidly. I am praying for healing & really need some hope. Thanks! Deb1023
If there is anyone out there who has come off Ativan (Lorazepam) via detoxing and how long they had withdrawal symptoms and if you are healing & improving, please respond.
I realize that it takes time to heal from coming off a drug like Lorazepam, but I hope that it is possible even though the detox was done with the wrong type of medication & rapidly. I am praying for healing & really need some hope. Thanks! Deb1023
If there is anyone out there who has come off Ativan (Lorazepam) via detoxing and how long they had withdrawal symptoms and if you are healing & improving, please respond.
Dear Ryan - Thank you for your reply. What is your medical background? You are very knowledgeable about medications & conditions etc. I was very depressed by what you told me. It would seem that I went through a horrible detox in vain if going back on a benzo is the best way to heal. I can't imagine becoming addicted to another benzo (Tranxene) and going through a slow taper off it. I honestly don't think I could do it. I had suicidal thoughts when I went through it with the Lorazepam. Neurontin is another powerful drug. Isn't it one that can cause Tardive dyskensia &/or Blepharospasm? I once took a GABA supplement, and I had severe involuntary eye contractions and my arms shot out uncontrollably...very scary. As for supplements and herbal medicine, are there any that may be helpful if a pharmeceutical grade was used? What about Native Remedies? A product called Pure Calm has lavender, lemon balm, & passsion flower & claims to help for anxiety and panic. They have Mind soothe that is supposed to help similar to antidepressants with fewer side effects?? Any recommendations there?
Anyway, I spoke with my psychiatric nurse practitioner yesterday, She feels that the added eye blinking, soreness, dryness, is caused from the Vistaril irritating them, and that the muscle twitching and jerking is from anxiety. She recommends Zoloft or another antidepressant. You feel it would worsen the neurological symptoms though. Would it help the anxiety & mild depression I am feeling as a result of this mess, and not being able to sleep? Last night I could only sleep 1 hour. I was incredibly tired and dizzy after taking the vistaril about 8 p.m., and then the Clonidine and 25 mg trazadone closer to bedtime. I had some strange sensations and lay awake all night.I have been only averaging 3-5 hrs, a night for over 2 months. It's awful. I also can't stop trying to figure out a solution to this mess, so my mind races & I worry about it a lot. I don't see a good way out of this situation. Can't nap either, just can't sleep. I wonder if any of the meds are causing a reverse reaction to sleep instead of the drowsiness they usually cause.
I checked drug interactions and it says that Trazadone and Zoloft have major interactions, & trazadone and vistaril have moderate interactions. I imagine for that it's because of inducing drowsiness & what you said about competing for the same receptor sites etc. I don't want to risk taking 2 drugs which increase seratonin due to the risk of seratonin syndrome, but you said they would be safe together. I may just stop taking the trazadone. It seems to be not good with the mix.
I am afraid to ask, but what would happen if I don't take anything other than the Vistaril and clonidine for awhile? No Zoloft or trazadone or other heavy drugs? If Neuronton would "cover" the symptoms, how long would I need to take it? When I tapered off that drug, would the symptoms just return? Would it "mask" the symptoms & lower anxiety?
If I didn't take a drug like that, would it be possible for me to heal slowly from the Lorazepam symptoms withdrawal without further medication like that? Like 6 months to a year or so? I was on it for 6 months & have been off it for 2 months.
So you definitely feel I shouldn't try Zoloft?? I had a ray of hope yesterday that it might be helpful for my anxiety. Now I'm back to square one with few options.
I am getting allergy and nutritional testing done this week. I know that they can affect anxiety levels too when out of balance, plus hormonal levels can as well. I have a very enlarged thyroid with multi nodules which could also be contributing to my symptoms.
I am feeling very down right now with little hope. I'm so confused about what to do next.
I'm a wreck with no sleep ta-boot. Deb1023
Anyway, I spoke with my psychiatric nurse practitioner yesterday, She feels that the added eye blinking, soreness, dryness, is caused from the Vistaril irritating them, and that the muscle twitching and jerking is from anxiety. She recommends Zoloft or another antidepressant. You feel it would worsen the neurological symptoms though. Would it help the anxiety & mild depression I am feeling as a result of this mess, and not being able to sleep? Last night I could only sleep 1 hour. I was incredibly tired and dizzy after taking the vistaril about 8 p.m., and then the Clonidine and 25 mg trazadone closer to bedtime. I had some strange sensations and lay awake all night.I have been only averaging 3-5 hrs, a night for over 2 months. It's awful. I also can't stop trying to figure out a solution to this mess, so my mind races & I worry about it a lot. I don't see a good way out of this situation. Can't nap either, just can't sleep. I wonder if any of the meds are causing a reverse reaction to sleep instead of the drowsiness they usually cause.
I checked drug interactions and it says that Trazadone and Zoloft have major interactions, & trazadone and vistaril have moderate interactions. I imagine for that it's because of inducing drowsiness & what you said about competing for the same receptor sites etc. I don't want to risk taking 2 drugs which increase seratonin due to the risk of seratonin syndrome, but you said they would be safe together. I may just stop taking the trazadone. It seems to be not good with the mix.
I am afraid to ask, but what would happen if I don't take anything other than the Vistaril and clonidine for awhile? No Zoloft or trazadone or other heavy drugs? If Neuronton would "cover" the symptoms, how long would I need to take it? When I tapered off that drug, would the symptoms just return? Would it "mask" the symptoms & lower anxiety?
If I didn't take a drug like that, would it be possible for me to heal slowly from the Lorazepam symptoms withdrawal without further medication like that? Like 6 months to a year or so? I was on it for 6 months & have been off it for 2 months.
So you definitely feel I shouldn't try Zoloft?? I had a ray of hope yesterday that it might be helpful for my anxiety. Now I'm back to square one with few options.
I am getting allergy and nutritional testing done this week. I know that they can affect anxiety levels too when out of balance, plus hormonal levels can as well. I have a very enlarged thyroid with multi nodules which could also be contributing to my symptoms.
I am feeling very down right now with little hope. I'm so confused about what to do next.
I'm a wreck with no sleep ta-boot. Deb1023
Dear Ryan -- I am unable to take Clonazepam, Valium, or Librium due to allergic reactions to them of severe all over bodily itching. I couldn't do a slow taper off the
Lorazepam. I had severe tolerance symptoms and also feared seizures. Shouldn't I avoid all benzos now ? I am addicted to them.
I am glad at least that you don't feel I have TD. How long do you feel it may take for my symptoms to improve? My psychiatrist wants to put me on Zoloft & says to continue with the Vistaril as needed until it begins to take effect. I also take 25 mg of Trazadone at bedtime. Wouldn't that be very dangerous for possible Seratonin syndrome risk??
Does Vistaril affect seratonin levels also? How about Clonidine blood pressure medication? 0.5 mg. I am trying to wean off the trazadone even though she says it's okay with the Zoloft. I haven't begun the Zoloft yet & still may not take it, but I need help with my anxiety & don't know what to do. Please help me. Thank you! ~ deb1023
Lorazepam. I had severe tolerance symptoms and also feared seizures. Shouldn't I avoid all benzos now ? I am addicted to them.
I am glad at least that you don't feel I have TD. How long do you feel it may take for my symptoms to improve? My psychiatrist wants to put me on Zoloft & says to continue with the Vistaril as needed until it begins to take effect. I also take 25 mg of Trazadone at bedtime. Wouldn't that be very dangerous for possible Seratonin syndrome risk??
Does Vistaril affect seratonin levels also? How about Clonidine blood pressure medication? 0.5 mg. I am trying to wean off the trazadone even though she says it's okay with the Zoloft. I haven't begun the Zoloft yet & still may not take it, but I need help with my anxiety & don't know what to do. Please help me. Thank you! ~ deb1023
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