trazadone?

anjillian · 11-09-2009, 08:46 AM

Was wondering if anyone had experience with this drug for sleep and if the side affects were horrific. I was given a prescription for this today and was told it has an immediate affect on sleep. I am petrified of the side affects as i am known to be sensitive.

Very anti meds but life going down drain with no sleep for weeks on end.

texgirl · 11-09-2009, 09:02 AM

It's a tetracyclic antidepressant with sedative properties. It *is* habit-forming.

Several members here are taking or have taken it. Eileen and Guitar77 are two who come immediately to mind. Eileen is tapering it now.

You might type it into the PP search engine and see what kind of info you get.

anjillian · 11-09-2009, 09:17 AM

Thanks i will look it up..

pboy · 11-09-2009, 09:22 AM

I wouldnt recommend it AT ALL! I took it to help with my sleep problems when I first started Lexapro, and it made me horribly dizzy the next day, as if I was heavily drunk. It was horrible. I havent touched it ever since.

Cairistìona · 11-09-2009, 09:33 AM

I was given this around the time that I was put on Paxil and was having trouble with insomnia.

Shortly after taking it I got very sick to my stomach and had to go to the ER bc my pain was unbearable (they gave me Darvocet for the pain).

They tested me to make sure that it was not an ulcer and said that it was probably some kind of stomach infection and that the Trazodone could have made it worse. ER doc recommended discontinuing it immediately.

Pdoc said he doubted that it was related; but since this happened right after I started taking it, it didn't help the insomnia and stomach upset was a side-effect, I went with what the ER doc said and stopped.

Quote:

Originally Posted by anjillian

Was wondering if anyone had experience with this drug for sleep and if the side affects were horrific. I was given a prescription for this today and was told it has an immediate affect on sleep. I am petrified of the side affects as i am known to be sensitive.

Very anti meds but life going down drain with no sleep for weeks on end.

anjillian · 11-09-2009, 09:46 AM

Thanks... not so into starting this medicine!

anjillian · 11-09-2009, 09:46 AM

scary!!...

babs · 11-09-2009, 11:25 AM

Trazadone was the first antidepressant I ever took, and I actually think it is responsible for me being on Paxil. Prior to this, I had never had any significant anxiety, but just depressive episodes now and then, and I was in the middle of one when I started taking the Trazadone. After a couple of weeks I got some really bad anxiety and went to the doctor demanding something else, and ended up on Paxil. I was competely unaware at the time of what these meds can do, and I never made any connection between the anxiety and the Trazadone but I read somewhere later that Trazadone can trigger anxiety.

anjillian · 11-09-2009, 11:49 AM

Thanks Babs... definitely not going to take this. I"m very desperate for sleep but refuse to take anything that has all these side affects, esp. since i'm prone to anxiety attacks in the past.

BlueEyes · 11-09-2009, 11:52 AM

Well, here's my take on it for what it's worth.

I was prescribed Prozac and Trazodone at the same time - the Trazodone was taken at bedtime only. At the time I was told to try out 25 mg and to double it if the 25 mg didn't work.

Honestly, I didn't have a problem with it. It had a nice sedating effect and allowed me to get the sleep I so desperately needed.

As for weaning it, I had a MUCH easier time getting off the Trazodone than the Prozac.

Just my take on it....

Terri

anjillian · 11-09-2009, 12:20 PM

Thanks for sharing your experience. I am pretty sensitive to medications and usually have side affects more than others. I took a lunesta out of desperation last week, 7.5mg. I slept, but all throughout the next day i was sedated and hungover. It then turned into a total body weakness and nausea and i ran to a friends and just layed there for hours. Sick was putting it lightly.. it was more like i was about to die. I worry if that was my reaction to lunesta, which isn't even a benzo... imagine what would be with the trazadone...

Yes, i'm desperate right now for sleep, but i'm am scared out of my mind to have those side affects mentioned by others. For now, i will wait... thanks again.

matthew T · 11-09-2009, 12:52 PM

I have been on trazadone four 4 years, no ill affect. Just one more thing to taper off of though.
I just MENTIONED I was not sleeping well once and dr gave me trazadone.

anjillian · 11-09-2009, 12:57 PM

Thanks Matthew. I'm glad it hasn't caused you any trouble. For me, just really frightened from my lunesta experience which happened only last week. I guess i have to give some thought to it.

scotia21 · 11-09-2009, 01:02 PM

anjillian - are you taking an AD now?

guitar77 · 11-09-2009, 05:08 PM

anjillian -

I stopped taking trazodone a week ago. I was on it for about 5 or 6 months for sleep. I took an average of 25mg/night. I tapered to 12.5mg then stopped taking it.

It is an AD, although supposedly not a very good one. One of the most common side effects is to make you drowsy, hence it is often prescribed for sleep. It works quite differently than the z-drugs (ambien, lunest, zoplicone), so experience with one of those won't tell you how you'll react to trazodone. Traz has a long list of side effects, which seem to be more likely or more intense as you go up in dose. For depression, it is usually prescribed in the 150-300mg range. For sleep, usually in the 25-50mg range, sometimes as low as 12.5mg. I found it was intolerable at 75mg, but ok at 25mg.

I'd start at 25mg and see how you do, or maybe even half that. If you use it very much, expect to taper off it, and expect the possibility of rebound insomnia (same as ambien). Most likely side effects are bad headaches, very dry eyes, throat, and sinuses to the point of severe congestion.

Many people sleep well on it, but for me it was often a "twilight" sleep--not really awake, but not really asleep either. Can cause weird, vivid and disturbing dreams--again like ambien.

Unlike the z-drugs, it doesn't normally cause weird behaviour nor amnesia. You may have a bad "hangover" feeling the next day. The z-drugs can have interdose withdrawal and cause bad anxiety, which I personally experienced. I haven't seen nor read to many complaints like that with traz.

Hopefully this helps. I recommend that you take as little as possible, for as short a period as possible.

On a side note, although the z-drugs are not technically benzos, for all intents and purposes they are; the effects are very similar, and the downsides are too. The are fairly cross-tolerant to benzos.

Good luck; I know all too well the nightmare of not getting enough sleep. I haven't had a good night's sleep since February. I've given up using meds, and am relying on my brain to relearn how to sleep.

Songbird · 11-09-2009, 05:14 PM

Reaction to various meds is very individual! I never slept very well on benzos, sleep felt unnatural with horrible dreams, but have always slept very well on zopiclone with no bad side effects except the horrible taste in the mouth, however I never took it long-term. I was also prescribed Seroquel for sleep last year, it gave me horrible muscle twitches! I've never tried Trazodone. Because of such individual reactions, I think it is really trial and error with these meds.

samantha · 11-09-2009, 11:18 PM

Personally I had no side effects from Trazadone. I took it for a few months when I first started paxil a very very long time ago and it made me a bit dizzy but did help with sleeping. I also had no trouble getting off of it...but that was my particular experience. I also didn't find it addictive either...not like benzos. But back then they actually wouldn't give me benzos to sleep because of the fact they were habit forming. Now adays the doctors practically shove them at you...

anjillian · 11-10-2009, 07:25 AM

No A/d now tg.... a year almost since last dose paxil. Psych dr. wanted to chuck me celexa and i said........one big NO...

anjillian · 11-10-2009, 07:25 AM

Glad ur experience was good with that drug.. thanks for sharing your experience.

anjillian · 11-10-2009, 07:30 AM

Ok.. to update... I decided for now NOT to play with any kind of medication for now.

I have the results of my thyroid checkup tomorrow and will see if that is the culprit.

For now, started taking a tiny drop of melatonin nightly and last night i slept. It is quesitonable whether i should be taking it due to overactive thyroid, but i find i really have no choice for now, and am sure it is much safer than a medicine.

I'm also too paranoid (aware of my body/mind) .. thanks to past paxil w/d and i get too hysterical about every little thing on a sleep medicine. So for now... no trazadone..

I did however change my vitamin suppliment back to my old one, and had great energy today for some reason. It's amazing what a change of vitamin can do for a person as i was dragging myself around literally dying just yesterday, and today full of energy.

weird!

Hope things get better and sleep returns... hugs to all for your help

eileen · 11-10-2009, 08:02 AM

Jill, I've had some emotional effects from weaning Trazodone in my last cut. I'm feeling good to-day but know that I will have to do this very slowly. It's amazing that cutting it doesn't seem to affect my sleep very much. My family doctor thinks its because I was on too high a dose.

I wish you all the best and know that it takes awhile to get back to ourselves after Paxil, especially if you were on a long time.

Eileen

anjillian · 11-10-2009, 08:18 AM

Thats good you are weaning and doing well. I was given a prescription for it but i just cant get myself to try it... too scared...

hugs

Songbird · 11-10-2009, 01:28 PM

I understand the med paranoia, been there too at times. I hope the melatonin works well for you! I have found it helpful sometimes. I'm sure it is safer than a sleep med, too.

Tcg · 11-11-2009, 05:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anjillian

Was wondering if anyone had experience with this drug for sleep and if the side affects were horrific.

You've gotten plenty of good answeres already but I'll add mine. This was given to me to battle insomnia from Prozac and then later Paxil. I had to drink a couple Cokes each morning just to come to my senses. The main problem for me however was that I had to increase the dosage rather steadily to get the same sedative effect. A new Doc but me on Remeron another "new wonder drug" at the time to "resolve" this issue. I personally would never take either again.

Good luck, I know insomnia can be a bear at times. Get some info on good sleeping practices and avoid caffeine late the day. Neither will resolve the issue fully but will help to some degree.

anjillian · 11-11-2009, 09:12 AM

Yes.. it's a definite paranoia.. Dr. prescribed me a time released melatonin and said it is superior to the ones i'm using from health food store. Lets just hope it works!

11-09-2009, 08:46 AM	#1
anjillian Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 947	trazadone? Was wondering if anyone had experience with this drug for sleep and if the side affects were horrific. I was given a prescription for this today and was told it has an immediate affect on sleep. I am petrified of the side affects as i am known to be sensitive. Very anti meds but life going down drain with no sleep for weeks on end.

11-09-2009, 09:02 AM	#2
texgirl Purveyor of the Pimp 'n Perv Pipeline Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 3,473	Re: trazadone? It's a tetracyclic antidepressant with sedative properties. It is habit-forming. Several members here are taking or have taken it. Eileen and Guitar77 are two who come immediately to mind. Eileen is tapering it now. You might type it into the PP search engine and see what kind of info you get. __________________ Completely free from psychiatry since 8/5/07 If we are fools enough to remain at the mercy of the people who want to sell us happiness, it will be impossible for us to ever be content with anything. How would they profit if we became content? (Thomas Merton)

11-09-2009, 09:17 AM	#3
anjillian Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 947	Re: trazadone? Thanks i will look it up..

11-09-2009, 09:22 AM	#4
pboy Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: UK Posts: 772	Re: trazadone? I wouldnt recommend it AT ALL! I took it to help with my sleep problems when I first started Lexapro, and it made me horribly dizzy the next day, as if I was heavily drunk. It was horrible. I havent touched it ever since. __________________ On Lexapro for 2 months & CT'd. Had withdrawal so re-instated. Started chopping tablets. Then crushing into juice. Trying to slowly get off the stuff. 5mg (3 weeks until stabilized) then chopping so unsure how much (2.5 weeks) 4.4mg (4 weeks), 4.2mg (3.5 weeks) 3.8mg (4 weeks 4 days), 3.6mg (3 weeks) 3.26mg (4 weeks 2 days), 3.1mg (2 weeks 5 days) 2.9mg (4 weeks 5 days) 2.7mg (5 weeks 3 days) 2.6mg (4 weeks-ish) 2.5mg (5 weeks), 2.4mg (6 weeks), Now at 2.3mg.

11-09-2009, 09:46 AM	#6
anjillian Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 947	Re: trazadone? Thanks... not so into starting this medicine!

11-09-2009, 09:46 AM	#7
anjillian Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 947	Re: trazadone? scary!!...

11-09-2009, 11:25 AM	#8
babs Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 5,561	Re: trazadone? Trazadone was the first antidepressant I ever took, and I actually think it is responsible for me being on Paxil. Prior to this, I had never had any significant anxiety, but just depressive episodes now and then, and I was in the middle of one when I started taking the Trazadone. After a couple of weeks I got some really bad anxiety and went to the doctor demanding something else, and ended up on Paxil. I was competely unaware at the time of what these meds can do, and I never made any connection between the anxiety and the Trazadone but I read somewhere later that Trazadone can trigger anxiety. __________________ Babs Paxil 20mg 1994-2005 2 failed attempts to quit Tapered Jan-April 2005 Paxil-free since May 1, 2005 "Glinda the Good Witch informed her that she had the power to go home all along; all she had to do was click her heels together. Why hadn't she told Dorothy that in the first place? Because, explains Glinda, she wouldn't have believed it, she had to learn it for herself."

11-09-2009, 11:49 AM	#9
anjillian Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 947	Re: trazadone? Thanks Babs... definitely not going to take this. I"m very desperate for sleep but refuse to take anything that has all these side affects, esp. since i'm prone to anxiety attacks in the past.

11-09-2009, 11:52 AM	#10
BlueEyes Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northern New Jersey Posts: 886	Re: trazadone? Well, here's my take on it for what it's worth. I was prescribed Prozac and Trazodone at the same time - the Trazodone was taken at bedtime only. At the time I was told to try out 25 mg and to double it if the 25 mg didn't work. Honestly, I didn't have a problem with it. It had a nice sedating effect and allowed me to get the sleep I so desperately needed. As for weaning it, I had a MUCH easier time getting off the Trazodone than the Prozac. Just my take on it.... Terri __________________ On Prozac/Trazodone since 1991 Weaned myself off Trazodone 2006 Started off at 25 mg of Prozac in 2006 Did my own slow wean of 1 mg every 4-6 weeks As of Dec 21, 2008 - 3.5 mg Jan 27, 2009 - 3 mg; Feb 23, 2009 - 2.5 mg March 25, 2009 - 2 mg; April 21, 2009 - 1.5 mg June 6, 2009 - 1 mg; July 14, 2009 - 0.5 mg LAST DAY OF PROZAC - August 13, 2009!!!! Major setback after 5 days on bc pills - Started Citalopram 20 mg 5/10

11-09-2009, 12:20 PM	#11
anjillian Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 947	Re: trazadone? Thanks for sharing your experience. I am pretty sensitive to medications and usually have side affects more than others. I took a lunesta out of desperation last week, 7.5mg. I slept, but all throughout the next day i was sedated and hungover. It then turned into a total body weakness and nausea and i ran to a friends and just layed there for hours. Sick was putting it lightly.. it was more like i was about to die. I worry if that was my reaction to lunesta, which isn't even a benzo... imagine what would be with the trazadone... Yes, i'm desperate right now for sleep, but i'm am scared out of my mind to have those side affects mentioned by others. For now, i will wait... thanks again.

11-09-2009, 12:52 PM	#12
matthew T Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: maryland Posts: 589	Re: trazadone? I have been on trazadone four 4 years, no ill affect. Just one more thing to taper off of though. I just MENTIONED I was not sleeping well once and dr gave me trazadone. __________________ sept 05 20 lexapro oct 05 added 300 wellbutrin oct 05 added 50 trazadone 2007 tapered off lorazepams, june 08 taper to 250 wellbutrin july' 225 aug 200 sept 175 oct 150 nov 125 dec 100 march 09' 80 april C/t wellbutrin off wellbutrin, Jan 09 started Lexapro taper from 20 mg jan 18 mg feb 16.5 march 15 may 13.5 june 11.5 mg july 10 mg july 9 mg august 8 mg may started lamactil started cbt sept 7 mg oct 6 mg nov 5mg dec 4.5

11-09-2009, 12:57 PM	#13
anjillian Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 947	Re: trazadone? Thanks Matthew. I'm glad it hasn't caused you any trouble. For me, just really frightened from my lunesta experience which happened only last week. I guess i have to give some thought to it.

11-09-2009, 01:02 PM	#14
scotia21 "really wants a tagline" Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 6,094	Re: trazadone? anjillian - are you taking an AD now? __________________ 1/05/07 20mg-17.5 1/20 17.5-15 2/24 15-12.5 3/08 12.5-10 3/29 10-7.5 4/12 7.5-5 6/15 5-3.75 6/30 3.75-2.5 7/28 2.5-1.5ish 8/11 1.5-1 8/25 1- zero "Keep lighting candles, eventually nobody will be in the dark" me "Why is it so hard for everybody to believe that a pill can change brain chemistry for the better but not for the worse?" me "Time does not come in pill form" me

11-09-2009, 05:08 PM	#15
guitar77 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Colorado Posts: 503	Re: trazadone? anjillian - I stopped taking trazodone a week ago. I was on it for about 5 or 6 months for sleep. I took an average of 25mg/night. I tapered to 12.5mg then stopped taking it. It is an AD, although supposedly not a very good one. One of the most common side effects is to make you drowsy, hence it is often prescribed for sleep. It works quite differently than the z-drugs (ambien, lunest, zoplicone), so experience with one of those won't tell you how you'll react to trazodone. Traz has a long list of side effects, which seem to be more likely or more intense as you go up in dose. For depression, it is usually prescribed in the 150-300mg range. For sleep, usually in the 25-50mg range, sometimes as low as 12.5mg. I found it was intolerable at 75mg, but ok at 25mg. I'd start at 25mg and see how you do, or maybe even half that. If you use it very much, expect to taper off it, and expect the possibility of rebound insomnia (same as ambien). Most likely side effects are bad headaches, very dry eyes, throat, and sinuses to the point of severe congestion. Many people sleep well on it, but for me it was often a "twilight" sleep--not really awake, but not really asleep either. Can cause weird, vivid and disturbing dreams--again like ambien. Unlike the z-drugs, it doesn't normally cause weird behaviour nor amnesia. You may have a bad "hangover" feeling the next day. The z-drugs can have interdose withdrawal and cause bad anxiety, which I personally experienced. I haven't seen nor read to many complaints like that with traz. Hopefully this helps. I recommend that you take as little as possible, for as short a period as possible. On a side note, although the z-drugs are not technically benzos, for all intents and purposes they are; the effects are very similar, and the downsides are too. The are fairly cross-tolerant to benzos. Good luck; I know all too well the nightmare of not getting enough sleep. I haven't had a good night's sleep since February. I've given up using meds, and am relying on my brain to relearn how to sleep. __________________

11-09-2009, 05:14 PM	#16
Songbird Queen of the appendage vocabulary Join Date: May 2007 Location: New Zealand Posts: 9,152	Re: trazadone? Reaction to various meds is very individual! I never slept very well on benzos, sleep felt unnatural with horrible dreams, but have always slept very well on zopiclone with no bad side effects except the horrible taste in the mouth, however I never took it long-term. I was also prescribed Seroquel for sleep last year, it gave me horrible muscle twitches! I've never tried Trazodone. Because of such individual reactions, I think it is really trial and error with these meds. __________________ Jul 01-Feb 02 Aropax Feb - Dec 03 Citalopram Jul 04 Aropax Jan 07 - Feb 08 20mg - 5mg Apr 4.5mg 5mg Jun 10mg zopiclone > seroquel Jul 20mg Aug + methionine Oct aropax > loxamine Dec off seroquel 7 Dec 17.5mg 30 Dec 15mg 24 Jan 12.5mg 16 Feb 10mg 10 May 9mg 30 May 8mg 5 July 7.5mg 2 Aug 7.25mg 1 Sep 7mg 9 Oct 6.75mg 8 Nov 6.5mg 18 Dec 6.3mg Appreciation is the antidote to stress - Trust is the antidote to fear

11-09-2009, 11:18 PM	#17
samantha Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Montara, CA Posts: 517	Re: trazadone? Personally I had no side effects from Trazadone. I took it for a few months when I first started paxil a very very long time ago and it made me a bit dizzy but did help with sleeping. I also had no trouble getting off of it...but that was my particular experience. I also didn't find it addictive either...not like benzos. But back then they actually wouldn't give me benzos to sleep because of the fact they were habit forming. Now adays the doctors practically shove them at you... __________________ August 12th- Resuming taper, 9 mgs August 30th- 8mgs September 15th - 7.1mgs October 7th - 6.5 mgs October 18th - 6 mgs November 9th - 5 mgs December 13th - 4.5mgs December 29th - 4 mgs Jan 23rd - 3mgs, no side effects on this drop Feb 22nd - 2.5 ish mgs Mar 22nd - 1.9 ish mgs April 15th - 1 mg ish - Haven't had any significant withdrawl side effects since below 3mgs. May 22nd 2010- 0

11-10-2009, 07:25 AM	#18
anjillian Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 947	Re: trazadone? No A/d now tg.... a year almost since last dose paxil. Psych dr. wanted to chuck me celexa and i said........one big NO...

11-10-2009, 07:25 AM	#19
anjillian Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 947	Re: trazadone? Glad ur experience was good with that drug.. thanks for sharing your experience.

11-10-2009, 07:30 AM	#20
anjillian Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 947	Re: trazadone? Ok.. to update... I decided for now NOT to play with any kind of medication for now. I have the results of my thyroid checkup tomorrow and will see if that is the culprit. For now, started taking a tiny drop of melatonin nightly and last night i slept. It is quesitonable whether i should be taking it due to overactive thyroid, but i find i really have no choice for now, and am sure it is much safer than a medicine. I'm also too paranoid (aware of my body/mind) .. thanks to past paxil w/d and i get too hysterical about every little thing on a sleep medicine. So for now... no trazadone.. I did however change my vitamin suppliment back to my old one, and had great energy today for some reason. It's amazing what a change of vitamin can do for a person as i was dragging myself around literally dying just yesterday, and today full of energy. weird! Hope things get better and sleep returns... hugs to all for your help

11-10-2009, 08:02 AM	#21
eileen Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 9,693	Re: trazadone? Jill, I've had some emotional effects from weaning Trazodone in my last cut. I'm feeling good to-day but know that I will have to do this very slowly. It's amazing that cutting it doesn't seem to affect my sleep very much. My family doctor thinks its because I was on too high a dose. I wish you all the best and know that it takes awhile to get back to ourselves after Paxil, especially if you were on a long time. Eileen __________________ June 13/07-reducing by .05mg. every four weeks to present. October 29/08-Paxil Free 2006-Cut Trazodone from 150mg to 100mg. Sept 07/09- Trazodone 75mg. Started this journey of horror with AD's in 1994, Put on Paxil 30 mg in Feb/1995 I will survive!

11-10-2009, 08:18 AM	#22
anjillian Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 947	Re: trazadone? Thats good you are weaning and doing well. I was given a prescription for it but i just cant get myself to try it... too scared... hugs

11-10-2009, 01:28 PM	#23
Songbird Queen of the appendage vocabulary Join Date: May 2007 Location: New Zealand Posts: 9,152	Re: trazadone? I understand the med paranoia, been there too at times. I hope the melatonin works well for you! I have found it helpful sometimes. I'm sure it is safer than a sleep med, too. __________________ Jul 01-Feb 02 Aropax Feb - Dec 03 Citalopram Jul 04 Aropax Jan 07 - Feb 08 20mg - 5mg Apr 4.5mg 5mg Jun 10mg zopiclone > seroquel Jul 20mg Aug + methionine Oct aropax > loxamine Dec off seroquel 7 Dec 17.5mg 30 Dec 15mg 24 Jan 12.5mg 16 Feb 10mg 10 May 9mg 30 May 8mg 5 July 7.5mg 2 Aug 7.25mg 1 Sep 7mg 9 Oct 6.75mg 8 Nov 6.5mg 18 Dec 6.3mg Appreciation is the antidote to stress - Trust is the antidote to fear

11-11-2009, 09:12 AM	#25
anjillian Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 947	Re: trazadone? Yes.. it's a definite paranoia.. Dr. prescribed me a time released melatonin and said it is superior to the ones i'm using from health food store. Lets just hope it works!

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