hi my psyciatrist has just rang me to say he wants me to go on trazadone for my anxiety ,can anyone tell me what these are please and do they take a few weeks to work im a bit worried thanks
hi my psyciatrist has just rang me to say he wants me to go on trazadone for my anxiety ,can anyone tell me what these are please and do they take a few weeks to work im a bit worried thanks
Trazodone is a, imho, much underused antidepressant which usually produces less side-effects than SSRIs, SNRIs and TCAs. Unlike most antidepressants, sexual dysfunction is not usually an issue. Indeed, trazodone often enhances the libido.
Usually the main side-effect is sedation. In fact these days trazodone is mostly prescribed in small doses - 25-75mg - for SSRI/SNRI induced insomnia. The sedation diminishes as the dose increases and is usually much less of a problem in the typical antidepressant 300-600mg dose range, especially with the new slow-release version of the drug, Oleptro, which is better at maintaining blood plasma levels above the sedation threshold.
You may find Dr Stephen Stahl's "Mechanism of Action of Trazodone: a Multifunctional Drug " (PDF) useful.
hi and thank you for your reply,i was on seroxat for 14 years but it was stopped when i went in for surgry .i have tryed several anntidepresants but the side effets were awfull .i do have really bad anxiety and sleep problems i work with a therapist she is great but i am affraid of the side effects of trazadone but i will give them a go they dont sound to bad thank you again
As per my last post, sedation is the main side-effect and it is usually worse at the lowest doses. It should diminish greatly once you're into the therapeutic dose range, especially if you're taking the slow-release formulation. Some also experience orthostatic, aka postural hypertension, a small drop in blood pressure when standing up quickly from sitting or lying down which can produce dizziness, and/or lightheadedness for a few seconds.
Trazodone is only a very weak serotonin reuptake inhibitor so does not usually produce the common initial SSRI/SNRI side-effects.
How much are you taking initially?
hi im not sure what dose im starting on i should get my perscription tommorow i will let you know how i get on thanks again
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