Vanessa77I have been on 15mg remeron 2 months with pretty good results but bloating and edema became very bothersome, wasn't doing much for anxiety and depression either. Recently tried trazadone 50 up to 150 mg for 1 week but quit due to pounding racing heart and waking up with terrible inside shakiness and worsening anxiety. I'm an avid runner worried about weight gain and fast heart beat side effect with nortriptyline. Should I try this drug if trazadone was so horrible? (not sleeping well and felt like I was on speed). thanks for any input
I have been perscribed nortriptyline for insomnia and anxiety. Very scared about fast heart beat?
- Posted:
- 20 Aug 2011 by Vanessa77
- Topics:
- anxiety, insomnia, generalized anxiety disorder, nortriptyline, heart
Details:
Added 20 Aug 2011:
I have not tried the nortriptyline yet....too scared
Added 20 Aug 2011:
I have no history of high BP and told my psych doc about the side effects with the trazadone....so I'm wondering why she wants to try this one.
Answers (3)
Anonymous 20 Aug 2011
Hi Vanessa77,
Nortriptyline can do that. How long have you been on it? Do you normally have high BP? Have you called your doc to tell her/him about your fast heart rate?
Is it working for your depression and anxiety?
Sorry for all the questions, we just need a bit more info if ye wouldn't mind!
Add your info and I suspect you will get loads of answers to your query!
Best wishes,
Mary63200920 Aug 2011
Vanessa, you say you are a runner, which usually lowers the resting heart rate for most people. Have you had a thourogh check up lately? Does heart disease run in your family? I think I would concerned also if I were you, & had that reaction with trazadone. The nortrityline is basically from what I just read the same med as trazadone. I'm sure there are some differences, but the warnings on side effects are the same. If it were me I would get a check up before starting this med. Maybe Xanax or something along that line would be a better choice in your situation. Just my thoughts...
Vanessa77
20 Aug 2011
The high heart rate only lasted for a couple of minutes after taking the trazadone but it was enough to make someone who is already panicky a little more uncomfortable. My resting HR is usually 45 so that drug really upped my anxiety level. I am also on klonipin BID 0.5 mg which did nothing to help.
Mary632009
20 Aug 2011
45 is pretty low. I had a heart rate of 140, & have to take a beta blocker to keep it down to around 72. I can't run or anything. What did your doctor say about it only lasting a few minutes? Maybe it was just your own anxiety kicking in. I would think if it were the drug, it would have lasted longer if was a true side effect. I am not a medical professional altho' so don't want to encourage you to try something that scares you.
ElizaJane2321 Aug 2011
A rapid heartbeat like that can be because of an allergic reaction. However, it would continue while being on the medication and for a good while after. Being as it was such a short time I don't think I'd be ready to discard this medication, at least not yet. Perhaps break the trazodone tablet down to 1/2 or even 1/4 - then try it. If no rapid heartbeats try the next higher amount, etc. It's good to be cautious, but also to be thorough. Trazodone is a great medication to help with sleep, so I don't want to see you exclude it forever. If it is a problem you'll know soon enough and won't have taken enough to hurt yourself. Take care now, and get some sleep. Perhaps try Melatonin - it is over the counter and is what your brain makes to help you sleep. Take care -
Vanessa77
21 Aug 2011
it seemed to do it at every dose and I would wake up a few hours later trembling and shaking until I could calm down again... then without "real" sleep i would wake up really creepy with inside shakiness. I do think I was allergic to the med, at the very least, it wasn't doing what it was supposed to. I'm waaaay past melatonin girl! Thanks for your input though! I was reeeaaaally scared to take the remeron and had none of those side effects. Except the edema later on that made my stomach stick out like I was pregnant. I'm really scared to take this damn nortriptyline, seems like there are worse side effects than the traz... what to do what to do.
ElizaJane23
21 Aug 2011
I don't know what to tell you. In my case, I went close to a year only getting 3 hours of sleep a night. Now I take amitryptaline 50 mg, Klonopin .5 mg, melatonin 6 mg and two SeriPhos at night to sleep. So much just to be able to get 5 hours, sometimes more, of sleep. The amitrptaline has really helped with my bladder pain too, where nothing else has. I hope you can find an answer for you without the rapid heartbeat.
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thanks for your quick response, I added more info... just want to get on with life ya know!!!
Hi again Vanessa,
That is quite odd that she prescribed this after you've had other problems with meds like this!!
Perhaps a switch to a newer SSRI is in order? Something like Prozac, or Zoloft? And Remeron is an a-typical antipsychotic, why in the name of Zeus would she RX that one?
Just a thought... but ye might want to find a new doc.
Hang in there, other people on this site will answer you very soon.
I have terrible insomnia with generalized anxiety and panic disorder and the ssri's are famous for no sleep hence the remeron.
Hi sweet lemon. Just scrolling my way through the various questions. Can't really stay for a cuppa, will be by later on, sometime :-0) ... yah pledge like as your normal on time schedule? punctuality is my alias... ha! see you later friend.
Hi Vanessa,
I had a thought... (ALERT THE MEDIA, I HAD A THOUGHT!!) you might want to ask for a benzo to quell the insomnia and anxiety just for a short time, something like Xanax, Ativan, or Valium perhaps?
They sure work great, yet are addictive as I am sure you know already.
How you doing tonight gurl?? Let us know please? We care!!!
sweet lemon (Lara)
I appreciate your kindness. No one knows what its like to be in this situation until they've been there. Taking all these meds with weird ass side effects is enough to drive you more nuts than you already are. And then if you don't try it... could it be the one to turn your life around or could it make you miss another whole week of your life trying to get things done... what to do what to do
V
oh and I'm very shaky without sleep... working four 12 hour days , bummer man. I see my therapist tuesday... not the psych doc but I'll take it.
Good morning Vanessa,
I saw a therapist who told me in no uncertain terms "You need Xanax, here is my associates card... call him TODAY"... ended up being the smartest thang I ever did!! The associate was a shrink who prescribed Xanax, and voila!!
The panic attacks and insomnia stopped immediately, it wasn't all roses mind you, I still had post partum depression but even that got better.
That was about 16 years ago, you triggered that memory, and I can actually laugh about it now, and so will you in time...
You will laugh about this situation that seems so very horrible and serious right now, and IT IS SERIOUS RIGHT NOW.
Ask your doc for a benzo, just take it at night at first. See how it goes?
I may catch some serious flack over this post, but I really don't care... I care about your panic attacks and lack of Z's!!!
Good luck!!!
Lara
Thanks Lara! I guess you didn't see my other answers to other peoples questions. I do take 0.5mg klonopin twice daily which doesn't help with sleep and barely keeps the panic and anxiety at an ok level. I think if your not sleeping or worried that you'll never be the same again your going to be more anxious. I've tried xanax in the past (maybe not a high enough dose) didn't put me to sleep and too short acting. Ativan puts me to sleep (1 mg) with 10 mg Ambien for about four hours. I can not go down that road. Obviously its not working and too addictive. I fought the idea of benzos for a long time until I was about to lose my job over panic and crying. I don't know what to do, this is going to be a very long journey with some serious work on my part. I really appreciate your support and just having someone "anonymous" to be sympathetic is awesome. No one can tell me what to do I've got to figure this out on my own.
Expand this post...
I do exercise like a fiend, do accupuncture 2-3 times a month, chiropractor weekly, plus all the cognitive behavorial methods I have learned..deep breathing muscle relaxation uggghhhh!
V
Vanessa,
You are right, I missed your answers to others, and perhaps I've shot my gob off too much here!!! In my opinion Klonopin is garbage!!! I hate it! It doesn't do a thang for me anyway.
Xanax works at 1mg at bedtime or at times of high anxiety though. Valium helps with pain related to fibromyalgia, muscle pain I mean. But that is not your problem is it?
Have you tried the Nortrip yet? Let me know.
Lara
thinking about it tonight but am too scared. I don't have fibro or chronic pain except for a foot injury from running. I'm just sooo scared to take it when traz made me sooo speedy. I don't know. The side effects of the nortriptyline sound awful but they all are. It's a different drug than the traz, i suppose I'll give it a shot... I'm not gonna die!
Wow Vanessa - my heart hurts for you. I lived for a couple of years as you have described, and it was horrible feeling like that all the time. I am so sorry that you have to go through life feeling so badly! I look back and can't figure out what ended that anxiety ridden time in my life - I tried so many medications - maybe one helped or I got off of one that was causing it. You're right - you have to deal with all these side effects but if you don't try a med it just could be the one that turns your life around. I guess the biggest thing that helped me and set me free from my mind was therapy and dealing with all the horrors my mind had repressed. Dealing with them, and finding out that they didn't have anywhere near the power I thought they did - it did wonders for me, but it took time, and a lot of hard work. I've said a prayer for you that you will find your way through this and be freed from it. Take care - EJ
thanks eliza, the comforting words are already making me stronger and not afraid to just feel my feelings!