Trazodone (Desyrel) - Newbie Needs Help

Depressed · Post by **Depressed** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 6:03 pm

I suffered for two years with depression which did not respond to therapy nor SSRIs. Finally, I made my own life-saving diagnosis - sosa. Sleep lab confirmed it in January and cpap started.

I had some problems adjusting to cpap. Sleep doc gave me 25 mg Trazodone (50 mg in pill cutter) to help me sleep. I suspect it is also helping with the depression.

Now I have a high cpap compliance rate. A lot of things are improving for me: physically getting stronger/can lift more weights/aerobic capacity greater; no drugs except for Trazodone; heart arrythmia gone; allergies improved; still have some depression but no suicide thoughts.

I am doing so much better but I am afraid to discontinue Trazodone. Please tell me your experience with Trazodone. Would also appreciate any advice on the residual depression.

CPAP is great!!!!!!

tomjax · Post by **tomjax** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 7:28 pm

IMHO, trazodone is a very much overlooked and ignored drug.
This happes when newer drugs come out and the older ones slip in usage.
Trazodone has some very clear advantages, and in your case kills many birds with one stone.

If I needed a sleep aid, I would definitely try it.
Hats off to your doc.

WindFlyer · Post by **WindFlyer** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 6:00 am

I used to be on trazadone (before I was diagnosed w/ OSA) for help falling asleep at night (not really for staying asleep once I got to sleep). Didn't notice any major mood changes- mostly just felt the heaviness at night after I took it. After a few years on trazadone it took about a month or so after I stopped to get to where I could fall asleep easily on my own again. I can only imagine what detremental effects it was having for me at the time, though, because I'm sure I had OSA back then but hadn't yet been diagnosed. OSA with a sleepy drug... Hmmmm....

seanconnery · Post by **seanconnery** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 8:18 am

I have been on Trazadone for several years - for sleep. It is non addictive and I was able to stop taking it without effects.

chdurie2 · Post by **chdurie2** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 9:47 am

If you're worried that your depression may return if you quit taking trazadone, find out whether your dosage is enuf to alleviate depression. lots of times docs prescribe amounts too small to help depression to help with sleep. not the same thing.

caroline

luvmykatz · Post by **luvmykatz** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 4:07 pm

I have been on CPAP since the middle of Feb. I have taken Trazadone at night for many years to help with sleep due to rheumatoid pain. It is very effective for me and I continue to take it with the CPAP. It is not the dose for depression. Good luck.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 7:40 pm

luvmykatz wrote:I have been on CPAP since the middle of Feb. I have taken Trazadone at night for many years to help with sleep due to rheumatoid pain. It is very effective for me and I continue to take it with the CPAP. It is not the dose for depression. Good luck.
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Thanks to everybody who has commented so far. You are a great support group.

luvmykatz: What dose are you taking?

RobertinTX · Post by **RobertinTX** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 5:19 am

Has anyone experienced wierd dreams or night mares with Trazodone ?
I've taken 100mg for sleep but always have wierd dreams so I stopped taking it.
I'm just curious and may try it again just to see.
Thanks

roster · Post by **roster** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 5:54 am

RobertinTX wrote:Has anyone experienced wierd dreams or night mares with Trazodone ?
I've taken 100mg for sleep but always have wierd dreams so I stopped taking it.
I'm just curious and may try it again just to see.
Thanks

I experienced nearly no dreams for years and believe it was because osa was keeping me from the REM stage. After I started cpap (no drugs) I began to have "weird" dreams which I take as a good sign that I am getting to the REM stage.

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): CPAP

Selena (but really Julie) · Post by **Selena (but really Julie)** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 3:07 pm

Hi, just want to mention that I was put on it years ago for a very short time (and haven't used any other anti-deps since), the short time was because I started awakening after a few hrs unable to breathe properly and very stuffed up. I checked it out and it is a noted side effect for many people, so I would keep it in mind if using the drug because if you already have resp. or nasal issues and are on CPAP, it could really confuse things and possibly make you think your CPAP wasn't working rather than considering the drug's effect.

chdurie2 · Post by **chdurie2** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 3:13 pm

rooster: it's a common misconception that REM sleep is deep sleep; it's not, it's dream sleep which is often lite. what you want in cpap is deep sleep (stage 4) not rem sleep.

Caroline

roster · Post by **roster** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 9:16 pm

chdurie2 wrote:rooster: it's a common misconception that REM sleep is deep sleep; it's not, it's dream sleep which is often lite. what you want in cpap is deep sleep (stage 4) not rem sleep.

Caroline

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Caroline,

Permit me to challenge your statement. The latest sleep research has quite conclusively established that you need to spend time in all five stages of sleep. There is such good data that some researchers have described the benchmark best sleep in terms of the ratio of time spent in REM and non-REM sleep. So no, I don't just want stage 4 when I am harnessed up and on my roost.

Regards,

rooster

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 10:47 pm

Center For Sleep Research, Siegel Lab
UCLA Dept. of Psychiatry

http://www.npi.ucla.edu/sleepresearch/S ... dreams.htm

Rechtschaffen, A. and Siegel, J.M. Sleep and Dreaming. In: Principles of

Neuroscience. Fourth Edition, Edited by E. R. Kandel, J.H. Schwartz and

T.M. Jessel, 936-947, McGraw-Hill, New York, 2000.

These observations make it clear that sleep cannot be easily placed in a continuum from light to deep. Each phase is behaviorally complex, with its own configuration of differentially-activated physiological mechanisms. By some criteria REM sleep might be considered lighter than non-REM. e.g., humans are easier to awaken from REM than from non-REM stages 3 and 4. By other criteria non-REM might be considered lighter than REM sleep, e.g., muscle tone, spinal reflexes, and body temperature regulation are maintained during non-REM, but are reduced during REM.

O.

luvmykatz · Post by **luvmykatz** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 1:45 pm

Hi Guest--trazadone dose is 100mg. Hope it helps.

SnoozeHunter · Post by **SnoozeHunter** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 2:03 pm

I tried taking 100mg of Trazodone to help me sleep at night. It not only helped me sleep, it kept me asleep right through my alarm. When I did wake up, I felt hung over most of the day. I cut back to 50mg and at first I slept but still felt hung over. After a couple of weeks, it no longer helped me stay asleep at night but if I fell asleep in the early morning hours I would sleep right through my alarm.

Now I take Lunesta. I know a lot of people don't like it but it works great for me. I sleep through the night and wake up easily with the alarm, and I don't have the drugged feeling during the day.

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Trazodone (Desyrel) - Newbie Needs Help

Trazodone (Desyrel) - Newbie Needs Help

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