Anyone Here On Trazadone Or Know About It

[BrokenBladder]

My rheumy is changing me over from Ambien to Trazadone in hopes that my sleep pattern will improve. I'm always very careful about starting a new medication and I wanted to run this by you guys first.

So guys what do you think? Any S/E from this med?

Thanks as always for your answers!!

[Rozia]

Dr.tried me on it and I wanted to bit everybodys heads off. Made me mean . :mad:

[BrokenBladder]

Rozia wow that's a s/e affect that I didn't expect to hear!! It sounds like you had to come off of it pretty quick. The doctor said it takes about 14 days to get in your system, how long did you try it for?

I don't think my kids or husband would like me being any more mean than I am now, LOL!!

Thanks for sharing your experience!!

[Kira]

I tried it for a while several years ago (for sleep). It didn't work that well to make me sleepy at night, but I was often sleepy the next morning. I think, in retrospect, maybe the timing of when I took it just needed to be adjusted. I didn't have any bad side effects other than being sleepy at the wrong time.

(Being sleepy at the wrong time has happened to me with other meds, too... might be something with how my broken GI tract absorbs meds? My body is messed up...:rolleyes: )

I hope the Trazodone works for you. I know it is commonly used for sleep and that lots of people have good effects from it.

[Gimpy]

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a684004.html

The name is Triazolam and I just started taking it after my surgery. It does seem to working for me but I've also been taking morphine and that was helping with sleep before I ever started this.

My pain dr. won't rx me ambien because he said it's just not worth the risk. So this is what he rx'd for me while I was in the hospital and I will see if I can continue to take it. It also has a generic form. Or that is the generic name, seems the real name was Restoril??? I'm not sure if that is right or not.

Gimpy

[GardeniaGirl]

I took trazadone years ago for sleep.

i think i only took about 50mg.

It did work OK - dried the mouth out a bit.

But as my pain and other problems have increased, I know it wouldn't work for me at this point.

My insomnia has a major anxiety component to it- so Ambien is my drug of choice.

But everyone is different - Trazadone might work really well for you.

[Kira]

Triazolam is not the same drug as trazodone.

Triazolam is a benzodiazepine (same class as valium, ativan, klonopin, etc). The brand name for triazolam is Halcion. It is sometimes used for sleep.

Trazodone is a tricyclic antidepressant that happens to be particularly sedating, so it's often used for sleep. The brand name for trazodone is Desyrel.

BTW, Restoril is also a benzodiazepine, but it is temazepam (not triazolam). Same class but slightly different drugs.

[Gimpy]

Triazolam is not the same drug as trazodone.

Triazolam is a benzodiazepine (same class as valium, ativan, klonopin, etc). The brand name for triazolam is Halcion. It is sometimes used for sleep.

Trazodone is a tricyclic antidepressant that happens to be particularly sedating, so it's often used for sleep. The brand name for trazodone is Desyrel.

BTW, Restoril is also a benzodiazepine, but it is temazepam (not triazolam). Same class but slightly different drugs.


Thanks for the info! I would have sworn it is the same, but obviously not. My pain dr. won't dx a sleeping pill to help me at night, but he'll rx a benzo to the mix? That's why I thought they were the same drug. Sometimes these drs make absolutely no sense whatsoever to me.

And thanks for the med info!!!

Gimpy

[Kira]

No problem, Gimpy... just wanted to clarify.

The triazolam (Halcion) IS a sleeping pill. It's a benzo, but it's a benzo that's used as a sleeping pill. Before Ambien, Lunesta, etc were on the market, Halcion and Restoril were "the" sleeping pills. Maybe your doc just has had more experience with the triazolam (Halcion) than with Ambien? Also, there has been a lot in the media lately about people driving/cooking/eating/etc in their sleep while on ambien, then not remembering any of it the next day. While the stories about people driving are rare, they're still scary... and the stories about people getting up and eating are probably not so rare. So they recently have been talking about how dangerous Ambien is, etc, because it will make us all into car-driving, midnight-snacking zombies. The trick is to actually go to bed after taking the pill, but hey, sometimes people don't follow directions.

In any case, he DID prescribe you a "real" sleeping pill... just an older one. Hopefully it works well for you.

[GardeniaGirl]

I have been taking Ambien nightly for over 3 years.

It still puts me out for 7-8 hours every night.

But, I have had experiences with doing things I don't remember.

If I take ambien and then stay up for more than about 20 minutes, anything I do after 20-30 minutes will be things I don't remember.

I have gotten up in the morning and found spoons in my bed, yogurt containers on my nightstand, crackers all over my bed. I have found foods prepared in the kitchen that were horrible combinations - like peanut butter on corn tortillas. I have had food missing from my fridge and then later figured out I ate it at night. In all of these cases, I could not remember it in the morning - or it was very hazy.

it also has the effect of telling my brain that junk food is healthy. If I do eat while on ambien, I can end up eating chocolate bars at 1 in the morning while thinking "this is really good for me" -- I know that sounds bizarre but it really happens.

If I stayed up on the internet after that 20 minute window, I have posted things on internet forums and sent emails I would have normally never written.

It decreased my inhibitions while also erasing my memory of the actions.

Not a good combo!

When I was with my boyfriend last year, he knew about this effect, and would tease me about things i said or did while I was on ambien. One night I got up and got a bag of trail mix and brought it into bed for us to eat and I sat there and told him how healthy trail mix was for you for about 15 minutes.

He knew about the ambien effect, so I instructed him to turn off the lights and make sure I go to sleep if he observed me doing anything weird after I took the pill.

I should say though that I have been someone who eats at night most of my life.

Generally speaking if I get into bed after 20 minutes past the ambien, nothing will happen.

But I can see how this drug could cause serious problems for someone based on my own experiences with it.

[queenbee]

My daughter has taken this for three years.
It does help her sleep but she must have at least 8 hrs or she is groggy in the morning until it wears off.
It has increased her appetite and gives her a dry mouth.

[BrokenBladder]

Thanks so much for all the helpful replies. I guess I will fill it today and see how if affects me.

GG~~for the most part Ambien just didn't put me to sleep. However when I first started taking it I did and said things that were really out there. This only went on for about 2 weeks with me and then I was staying up all night on the stuff and knew exactly what I was doing. Some of these drugs are just crazy as to how they affect each of us differently. I'm glad that they work for you as I really wish I could've taken them effectively.

[curiousforever]

I know I was put on one that made me a raving lunatic....can't remember if that was this one or another though. Sorry.

[BrokenBladder]

Thanks for all of the responses but I'm really confused. It seems it works well for some and the others have really bad s/e.

I'm crazy enough as it is and I certainly don't need to add to that!! LOL!!

[Rozia]

I just noticed you cant edit these posts . I meant to say Bite heads off. Sounds like others had same reaction. where do you edit these posts ???


Now when I posted that it said edit

[cindybear]

I was on it and it's dear cousin (elavil ) God I hated both of them with a passion,,reason #1, it caused me severe, severe vivid nightmares, Bloody , allways about my grandchildren or my loved ones, My husband had to wake me up nightly because I was srceaming in my sleep...reason #2. I developed a chocolate want..A 3 pound box every 3 days,,which added 30 pounds in 3 months..which did horrible things to my high blood pressure...BTW, it did wonders for my sleep when I wasn't having horrible dreams, which was most of the time...I was put on it for chronic head pain 7 years ago,,it never helped. but they kepted upping it up,,I think I was upped to 125 mgs a night before I threw a block at him and searched for a different Neuro with a bit of sense and campassion...But I have heard it has helped some, but I have heard it put pounds on most, so be careful. Hugs, Cindy

[curiousforever]

I just noticed you cant edit these posts . I meant to say Bite heads off. Sounds like others had same reaction. where do you edit these posts ???


Now when I posted that it said edit

Now like I've said - I can't remember if it was this med - but I did the same thing - just exploding with no reason.

Even Cymbalta did a degree of that to me - I was on 60 x 2 a day - the 'theraputic' dose. I was always agitated. I am NOT going to live with less pain yet always snapping at my family....I don't want my kids growing up remembering mom as a witch.

[BrokenBladder]

Follow up to my post.

I started the Trazadone tonight, but I'm being cautious about everything that you guys have warned me about. I just hate starting a new med, but if it helps it will be worth it.

One funny thing I noticed is the bottle says to take it with a meal AND to take it at bedtime. Who eats dinner right before going to bed?

[sunshiney_dayz]

Trazadone gave me the WORST hangover the next morning ..I could not shake zombie feeling..however...I knew to be in bed and done with the world for the next 10 hours , 20 minutes after I took my dose...Also gave me the leg jumpies REALLLLLLY bad....like creepy crawly , tickly inside my muscles like feeling...HATED IT !!!

Then Ive seen some pop em like candy for whatever their physician prescribed them for !

[Pamster]

Hi Lisa, I know it's been awhile since you posted this but I wanted to follow up and see if you're doing well on it still. I just started Trazodone tonight and am wondering how it will work too. Is it helping you sleep well? :)

[Mark N]

Rozia, usually the edit choice is at the bottom right hand but sometimes it doesn't show up. I can't say why it happens but it happens occasionally.

Lisa, no experience with it but good luck with it and I hope it helps you sleep.

My wife has the same experiences with Ambian but turns around and denies that she did those things during the night. It has made her sleep and she doesn't get the horrible dreams.

[Pamster]

Slept pretty good last night. What are your experiences so far Lisa? :)

[BrokenBladder]

Pamster,

Thanks for asking and its so funny that you would ask as I got up this morning thinking, "I need to find that old post of mine and put a follow up on there."
Here's my experience with the Trazadone. At first I didn't see any difference at all. Then about 3-4 weeks into it came the intense craving for sweets and I like chocolate so I bought a bunch and put it in my drawer beside my bed. I need to gain weight so that S/E dosen't bother me.
However I was still not sleeping well and when I did I started noticing all of these scary dreams.:eek: I'm talking the ones that are real bad and you can't get out of them. When I went to the doctor last week I told him what was going on and he stopped them. He was a different specialist than the one who precribed them but he called her from his office and told her he was taking me off.
Now keep in mind I also take Elavil which is a cousin to Trazadone.
I ask him why the big rush to take me off of them. He said he had a patient a few years back that was having bad nightmares and got a pair of scissors during one of these and stabbed herself.:eek: He said she didn't kill herself but had to be taken to the hospital. Later she said she didn't know she was awake and thought in her dream that she just wanted to kill herself to make the dreams stop. She lived alone and had no one to wake her from these nightmares.
I told him I was so thankful to be taken off of them. That story was horrifying to me and I hated the contant nightmares myself.
Each med is so different for everyone. I don't know if it made it worse for me because I was taking Elavil also, but all of my doctors know what kind of medication I take. I do feel that one of my doctors should have warned me.
I think Cindy, forgive me if I'm wrong, is the one who warned me on here about awful nightmares so I knew I needed to tell one of my doctors right away.
Sorry this is so long, but I just want everyone to be aware and to be safe.;)





Hi Lisa, I know it's been awhile since you posted this but I wanted to follow up and see if you're doing well on it still. I just started Trazodone tonight and am wondering how it will work too. Is it helping you sleep well? :)

[Pamster]

I had so so dreams last night, about the cable guy coming out and fixing the cable, nothing scary. Now the night before last I had a nightmare. If I have more I will definitely let them know. So do you still take it? It sounds like you stopped or did you stop elavil and Trazadone both? :)

How are you sleeping?

[Kathi49]

Lisa,

I have no experience with it. But am glad you stopped it. I hope the docs can find another that will help with sleeping issues. You are right though...the various meds affect people differently. If I had known what Neurontin and Depakote would make me feel like or had I been warned, I never would have tried them. But, it is always trial and error anyway. :rolleyes: And I am just going to add the benzos I have been at different points in my life were Ativan (Lorazepam), Xanax, Valium and Klonopin....all low doses. All of them were either calming or sedating...but not so bad that I would fall asleep during the day. Only the Valium did that and after surgery. But hey, I was taking one every few hours or so for spasms right afterwards...so it would make sense that I would be dozing off and on. But nowdays, just 1/2 of Klonopin in the am and then again in the pm really help. In the mornings I just feel calm after taking it and in the evening it just sort of lulls me into sleep...it doesn't knock me out. However, I did post the other day that I am waking up about 2:30 or 3:00...but shoot, that could be from a number of things...maybe going to bed too early LOL! :) I need to try to push past the 9:30 thing and try to stay awake at least until 11:00. But I can't help it. By the end of the day all I want is to lie down.

I do hope they can find something else that will help.

[BrokenBladder]

Pamster,
I stopped taking the Trazadone only not the Elavil. I have been on Elavil for about 5 years and I take 100mgs at night. It dosen't make me sleep though.

Kathi,
Isn't it crazy how one person does so well on a med and another is just put through h$ll on it?

I don't know what they might try next. Sleep is a huge issue with me and I think I would feel better if I were rested. I will just keep trying.:)

[Pamster]

My Therapist just took my off elavil and substituted the Trazadone which is what made me post to this thread last night. Thanks for sharing your experience, I am sorry it didn't work out well for you, I have hope that it will for me though. I'll probably post more about it here in this thread in a few days as I see how it works. :)

[debhun]

I took it about 3 years ago. I know it helped me. But I don't know why my dr took me off of it. I didn't have any trouble.

Deb

[Pamster]

So far so good, though I am not falling asleep faster I do find it's easier to nod off. But I keep waking up in the middle of the night. I don't know but this morning I had a bit of a headache so I don't know if this med will work for me. :(

[noxxilla]

I took Trazadone for about 5 years. It was the only thing that could make me fall asleep and STAY asleep. I would sleep all through the night. It gave me soewhat of a hangover, but it was worth it to me - I hadn't been able to sleep well in so many years...

Here is something to consider:

I took

Neurontin
Xanax
Trazadone
Flexeril (and other meds) at the same time. The three I listed worked together and really knocked me out at night, but then my husband noticed I stopped breathing during the night.

I did the whole sleep lab thing and all that - the sleep apnea was mild, yet I DO stop breathing and the thing is that they believe it may not even be sleep apnea per se, but that I was overmedicated at night.

Now I'm off the Trazodone, no more Flexeril at night, and only one Xanax instead of three, and the Trazodone was replaced by elavil.
I also no longer take ANY Xanax during the day, so I'm down from 5 a day to 1 at night.
And I can take Melatonin, because it doesn't cause the muscles to relax like other meds (my airways collapse because of all the meds that relax muscles AND depress breathing).

So - I love the trazodone, but right now I can't take it.

But it was the "miracle drug" for me to get sleep.