Trazodone

tlewis303 · Post by **tlewis303** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 11:34 am

Dr just subscribed this to help with fragmented sleep.
Anyone have an experience with this?

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 11:37 am

Yes... was given them when I sort of fell apart quitting smoking cold turkey 25 yrs ago (no patches then!) but after a week I quit them because I kept waking up with trouble breathing. If I had OSA at the time I was unaware of it, but don't think I did for other reasons, and I've heard of others having similar side effects.

JDS74 · Post by **JDS74** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 3:23 pm

Here's what WebMD has to say.

http://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-11188 ... de-effects

VikingGnome · Post by **VikingGnome** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 3:43 pm

Do not take for more than a couple of months. Trazodone is benzodiazepene which is highly addictive. And recent studies show that long term use of benzodiazepenes is linked to development of Alhzeimer's years later.

kaiasgram · Post by **kaiasgram** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 3:51 pm

VikingGnome wrote:Do not take for more than a couple of months. Trazodone is benzodiazepene which is highly addictive. And recent studies show that long term use of benzodiazepenes is linked to development of Alhzeimer's years later.

Trazodone is not a benzodiazepine.

palerider · Post by **palerider** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 4:13 pm

kaiasgram wrote:
VikingGnome wrote:Do not take for more than a couple of months. Trazodone is benzodiazepene which is highly addictive. And recent studies show that long term use of benzodiazepenes is linked to development of Alhzeimer's years later.
Trazodone is not a benzodiazepine.

as anybody that can type into google can tell.

Finnc · Post by **Finnc** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 4:32 pm

I was on it for a while when they were weaning me off Klonopin. I found it didn't help me sleep it was kinda like benedrly and speed me up. If they offer Klonopin that's one to be very careful on. It is so hard to come off of.

Sir NoddinOff · Post by **Sir NoddinOff** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 4:41 pm

kaiasgram wrote:
VikingGnome wrote:Do not take for more than a couple of months. Trazodone is benzodiazepene which is highly addictive. And recent studies show that long term use of benzodiazepenes is linked to development of Alhzeimer's years later.

Trazodone is not a benzodiazepine.

A big ditto...not even a close guess It has worked for me in the past but just on an occasional basis. It's hypnotic effect (sleep inducing) only lasts for about an hour or an hour and a half after it hits your bloodstream and is rather mild, IMO. Still it's useful in some cases. It's probably one of the least sleep disruptive aids that's available but dreams can get pretty vivid, especially in the beginning. It's actually an early anti-depressant that is seldom used for that purpose anymore.

VikingGnome wrote: And recent studies show that long term use of benzodiazepenes is linked to development of Alzheimer's years later.

The jury is out on benzos and Alzheimer's but there may be some truth in that statement. Not that that relates to trazadone at all.

JDS74 · Post by **JDS74** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 5:04 pm

Probably a good idea to take a list of all your meds (including OTC meds) to your pharmacist to check for interactions.

Taz · Post by **Taz** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 5:24 pm

tlewis303 wrote:Dr just subscribed this to help with fragmented sleep.
Anyone have an experience with this?

Hi tlewis,

I have serious issues with fragmented sleep and was feeling really desperate for sleep when I arrived at my doctors office, a couple of weeks ago. I have a background in pharmacology and have a fair understanding of some classes of drugs. This is a drug I am familiar with however had never taken it. My doctor is aware of my background and knows I am very reluctant to take any drug. We discussed the side effects and the possible benefits. I made an informed decision and am currently taking 50mg Trazodone, nightly and it is proving to be beneficial.

Trazodone is classed as an antidepressant however is most often prescribed off-label which means, it preforms poorly as an antidepressant and is is more useful for other issues such as, anxiety, insomnia & sleep disruptions. This drug has been around for over 40yrs and successfully used by many while others may have a problem with it. This is the case with most drugs. One person may experience side effects and others, none. We are all different.

In my opinion, this is a safer alternative compared to the other sleep aids, Rx and over the counter. I would never take Rx benzos, Ambien, Lunesta, etc and Benadryl just leaves me feeling groggy & drugged....Trazodone does not. I take Trazodone about 30 minutes before bed and I'm now sleeping an uninterrupted 5-6hrs and I can usually returned to sleep pretty quickly, if I want to. Prior to this, I was awakening about every 2-3hrs and may or may not be able to return to sleep. Even after 4 months of very successful CPAP therapy, I was still feeling tired. Trazodone does not sedate me, I could stay up, if I wanted to. It just seems to quiet my brain so I can go to sleep and stay a sleep.

Now, I have not experienced any noticeable side effects, as long as I sleep for 8hrs. If I decide to get up after only sleeping 6hrs....I feel a little groggy and it takes an hour or so to fully awaken. According to my doctor, some are able to take Trazodone, 2-3 hrs before bed, go right to sleep & sleep all night. That didn't work for me....it might, if I went to a higher dose but I'm not willing to do that. I'm fine with just taking it right before bed and aiming for 8hrs of sleep.

Taz

Sir NoddinOff · Post by **Sir NoddinOff** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 5:57 pm

Remeron is another 'off label' anti-depressant sleep aid you AND your doctor may want to check out, that is, if the Trazadone has side-effects you can't cope with (unlikely). To my experience, Remeron helps consolidate fragmented sleep with very little morning-after weirdness. It is definitely not a 'knock you out' sleeping pill like Klonopin which can unfortunately result in a high dependency kickback (read: a multi-month tapered withdrawal). I can't personally report any strong side effects from taking Remeron, but then I haven't used it too often. Like most of these drugs, EVERYBODY HAS DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES.

StephenR · Post by **StephenR** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 6:04 pm

I tried Trazadone for a while, but I felt sedated the next day...not for me that one...

S

Sir NoddinOff · Post by **Sir NoddinOff** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 6:07 pm

StephenR wrote:I tried it for a while, but I felt sedated the next day...not for me that one...

S

Who are you responding to, me with the Remeron suggestion or the OP with the Trazadone

StephenR · Post by **StephenR** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 6:08 pm

Trazadone sorry, should have been clear...

S

Digeeedad · Post by **Digeeedad** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 6:36 pm

For me, I found that Trazadone caused nasal congestion or nasal mucous membrane swelling..... not compatible with nasal pillow CPAP usage. Your results may vary....

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