Trazodone

[Jimbo]

My doc recently suggested suplementing my meds with this to help me sleep, calm me down and also help with depression.

I couldn't find many recent posts on here about it and wondered if anyone has tried it or is on it and what they thought?

Jim:hugs:

[nomorepanic]

Jim

There are 17 posts in total about it but like you say most are last year but could still have valid info in them.

Did any of them help at all?

[Jimbo]

There are a few posts but not much detail. They helped a little but most were people who had just started taking them. Also a couple of bad reviews saying they made them feel totally zombified.

It's not a drug I've heard people discussing regularly. You know me, I always like to fully research anything before I consider taking yet more meds. :blush:

From google it does sound like it has a lot of sedative properties and is very similar to a tricyclic AD which puts me off a little and I'm doubtful that my shrink would give me any sort of tri / tetra cyclic Ad's due to my suicidal episodes and their high toxicity.

I just wondered if anyone was on them for any length of time and found them useful or had a complete mare with them? Any info really.

Jim :hugs:

[Ellen70]

Hi Jimbo, Trazadone is a real blast from the past for me. I think it was the first or second drug I was ever prescribed and that was in 1986. I didn't think it was still on the market to be honest. I remember being told that it was a combined anti depressant and anti anxiety drug and I remember that it was very 'new' and widely prescribed back then. Unfortunately I cant' remember if it helped me any as it was over twenty years ago. Sorry.

I know docs are slow to prescribe tricyclic anti deps to people who are or have been suicidal but my pyschiatrist precribed a tricyclic for me for years knowing that I had suicide attempst in the past. She (psychiatrist) only lets me get one weeks worth of meds at a time from the pharmacy.

Personally I think tricyclics get an unfair bad press. They worked for me for six years and my Father is on one for years and he is good. I have never had any benefits from the SSRIs.

If anyone is scared that they will overdose on these older meds if they have a lot of these drugs then they could ask their doc to tell the chemist tto only let them have a few days worth at a time.

However if someone really is intent on committing suicide then this business of a doctor controlling your access to meds is outdated as you can buy any prescription drug you like on the net now.

The trazadone will sedate you more Jimbo so you will have to decide if you are willng to be more sedated.

Take care


Ellen x

[Southern_Belle]

Hi Jimbo,

I was prescribed Trazadone 4 years ago to help me sleep. It did help me but I also felt quite groggy during the day but I'm also on Paxil so it could have been the combination. I was on a big big dose of Trazadone though, possibly to help my anxiety. I never ever drank on it though so I would not combine the two as I think that would be quite dangerous. As mine was prescribed for sleep I took it at night. I must say it was the one anti-depressant I never had problems going on, no side-effects. It is almost always prescribed here in the USA as a sleeping aid. Hope this helps.

Laura xxx

[Jimbo]

Thanks,

From my googling it sounds like it might really help me. I feel something that would help me sleep and also sedate me slightly would help with the anxiety as well as it being an AD. Apparently it is commonly prescribed in combination with SSRI's, I'm on Effexor so I don't see any problem in giving it a go.

Apparently it's classed as a 'tetra-cyclic' and it's chemical structure is very different to a lot of the tri-cyclic ones but does also have a similar risk of liver damage on overdose. Also the sort of side effects are not as pronounced with Trazodone as with other tri-cyclics. So it sounds tolerable to me.

I think the whole suicide thing is a farce as someone said earlier, I can go down my chemist and buy a 1000 paracetamol box if I really wanted to. Let alone the wonders of internet pharmacies.

I've always had a high tolerance to drugs that make you drowsy and sedated. I once gave my mum one of my 30:500 co-codamols and it knocked her out for hours.:ohmy: No sleeping tablet I've ever taken at a normal dose has made me sleep properly.

I was on Amyltriptyline initially prescribed by my GP for sleep, but when I first saw my shrink he wanted me off it asap as he thought if I od'd it would be serious. I didn't have a problem as I had a lot of the side effects, dry mouth, etc from it wasn't helping at all with my sleep.

I'm gonna ask about it with my doc tomorrow and see if maybe I could try it. Hopefully bypassing my shrink. :secret:

Jim :hugs:

[Jimbo]

Well I had a chat with my doc about it, he thought it seemed like a good idea. He had to phone my psych to check with him and he was very enthusiastic about me trying them.

So I'm being started on 50mgs, which he will probably increase to 100 if needed.

He said that initially they will have a 'knock out' effect. I am doubtful as there is no sleep med that has ever knocked me out totally, so I'll see what happens tonight.

As I do with most of my med threads I'll try and keep this updated on how it goes with them.

Jim :hugs:

[Jimbo]

I took my first one last night and it went pretty well.

Complete KO was an accurate description. It wouldn't describe it as entirely pleasant like some of the benzo sleeping tablets that make you feel slightly euphoric and relaxed before you fall asleep. But I had a good night's sleep.

There were a few side effects which the leaflet says will subside over time: Confusion and feeling less alert. I had a very dry mouth. I felt slightly dizzy and nauseous which is why they note weight loss as a side effect I guess. I still feel it a bit this morning. Also tremors (shakes) I still have that a bit too but I'm always a bit shaky so that's nothing unusual. I guess all these things will fade over time, trouble is that the drowsiness is also a side effect so that could fade too. :(

Will see what happens I guess.

Jim :hugs:

[Jimbo]

Seems to be going ok-ish so far. While under the influence I do lose a lot of coordination, feel very zombified and a bit twitchy / shaky. I had a friend call just as I was heading for bed and I had trouble holding a coherent conversation as I felt totally detached and couldn't concentrate.

If I get up too early this does seem to continue a bit like a hangover in the morning.

Physically, they are upsetting my digestive system a little, heart burn, hiccups, a bit of diarrhea and also a very dry mouth.

I think I am feeling slightly increased anxiety level at the moment, but that might not be related to the meds.

Hopefully these side effects will ease off eventually, but hopefully not the sedation for sleeping.

Jim :hugs:

[prism]

Hiya Jimbo,
i've been on trazadone for 16 months now.
When i started taking them they really upset my stomach for quite a while.
The upset felt like anxiety but i perservered and that side effect went(thankfully).I'm now on 300mg.
I have been pretty ok with it but i also started trifluoperazine 3 months after starting trazadone so i do not know which is doing the best for me.
The sedating part has not left me as i still sleep like a baby and a bit groggy in the morning.
I hope it works out well for you.

prism:D

[Jimbo]

Thanks Prism,

The side effects are not really that bad so far. I feel a bit emotional tonight. And I can cope with the upset stomach.

I also take an antipsychotic (quetiapine) and Effexor too, so they are to supplement those and help me sleep basically.

So far so good I would say.

Jim :hugs:

[Jimbo]

Another fairly good night's sleep last night, so I'm fairly happy with this med.

The only big problem I've noticed is that my appetite has virtually dropped to nothing. I never feel hungry at all. I realised this morning that all I've eaten in the last couple of days is 1 bowl of cerial and half a bag of jelly babies. I still don't feel hungry this morning but I think I should force myself to eat. :ohmy:

The Quetiapine I take increased my appetite initially, I could have eaten and eaten all day, it has eased off over time, but I put on a little weight with it. I am a pretty skinny guy anyway but the Trazodone has completely eliminated my appetite. I guess this will improve over time?

Jim:hugs:

[Lindalou64]

hi jimbo yrs back i was presribed trazadone and know some who take it here in america......for me i took them very briefly good for sleeping.i just couldnt get myself going the next day groggy........but we all have dif side effects
yc wish ya the best..........linda x

[Jimbo]

Still going ok, last couple of nights I've slept solidly for around 6 hours.

The main problem is on initially waking, or if I wake in the night I feel a bit like I have a hangover; dry mouth, uncoordinated, and very groggy. Once I'm up and had a cup of tea I feel fine.

During the day I do sometimes find myself a little detached and not very 'alert' is the best way I can describe it. Like when walking home from the shops I walked past my road without realising. That does seem to be easing tho.

I think I have felt a slight increase in my anx since I started but that could be unrelated as it often fluctuates.

So still going fine so far imo.

Jim :hugs: