Have Breast Cancer. Have Been Taking Trazedone For Sleeping. How To Taper It Dosage?

Posted on Sat, 15 Jun 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 Answered on

Fri, 5 Jul 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : Yes, I have been taking Trazedone (two 50mg tablets) at bedtime for over ten years. It started when I was diagnosed with cancer ten years ago and couldn't sleep at all for days and days. Trazedone was prescribed by a psychiatrist who worked with women like me who couldn't sleep. The information on the Trazedone paper says not to alter/stop the dosage without discussing it with your health care provider. Now I can fall asleep at night without Trazedone - but I wake up about two hours later and can't get back to sleep unless I take Trazedone. I am 77 years old - female - with beginnings of lymphoma (which is only being monitored since the blood levels have been the same for this last year (only diagnosed about 1 1/2 years ago. The breast cancer diagnosed ten years ago has been in remission for ten years. YYYY@YYYY

Answered by Dr. Imraan Hussain (1 hour later)

Hi XXXXX

Thanks for your query

I can feel your concerns , sorry to read about your history, you have faced a lot of problems .
Be strong enough and face the problems like you had in the past.

I recommend you to taper it by cutting the tablet with the help of razor into half and take 150 mg tablet for 5 days and again cut into half and take 75 mg for 5 days and then on alternate days for 5 days and then stop it.

If you have any other query I will be happy to answer.

Regards

Dr. XXXXXXX

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E