Trazodone

Anyone else have experience with Trazodone? For sleep? As an anti-depressant? What dose and have you taken divided dose?

Don't worry about reading the rest of this junk post if you just want to respond with your experience.

I was prescribed 25-50mg to take at night as needed for sleep. However, I have noticed that the soporific effects aren't consistent. When it does work I have a noticeable increase in mood the next day that dissipates the next evening, although this was only true for the first week. A couple of nights I got frustrated and took an extra 25mg to fall asleep and it seems as though I have a better day, but the better day still wears off in the evening. The drug has a half life of 4-6 hours.

I'm interested in asking to increase the dose, one in hopes to have a better sedative effect and secondly because I believe the anti-depressant effects may be helping me, even at the lower dose.

Lately I have been dealing with some intermittent apathy, and extreme lack of focus, still some anxiety. With the trazodone on certain days I had cheerful days. It just seems very promising.

I'm on 250mg Lamictal as well and I don't want to add more meds even though my psychiatrist believes I need to be on an AD. I simply want to maximize what I'm currently on and yet she's also reluctant to keep increasing the Lamictal.

Thanks guys!!!

Trazodone worked very well (50-100 mg), then well, then not so well, then oh not so well, and then not at all.

I prefer Elavil. Like Trazodone, it is an old AD that in low doses acts as a soporific.

I am not saying do not do Trazodone, but just be aware that it might stop working eventually.

Hey, Odee. I take Trazodone at night as a sleep aid. I take 50 mg. As far as I remember that's the only dosage I've taken. I'm not sure how effective it is anymore. I really need to talk to my psychiatrist about it. I haven't noticed that it perks me up during the day. I went off Ambien a good while back when it seemed not to be working any more.

I can't take many ADs because I am bipolar and they make me manic. I also take Wellbutrin, though.

As far as Lamictal, I was on the highest dose for years and years and it evidently became toxic to my body. After a certain dosage, the effects aren't improved. Maybe that's where you are, so your doc doesn't think increasing it will help.

Trazodone did not work well for me at all. It did help me fall asleep, but I would have very strange dreams. Then during the day I would go through times that I would battle the need to sleep. It was miserable. Of course, everyone reacts differently. I take 1 mg of klonopin at night to help with sleep.

I take 50-100 mgs to sleep at night. I've been on it for about 8 months. It works great for getting me to sleep and stay asleep. I do notice it helps my mood the next day b/c I'm down on days i've taken only 50 or didn't take any at all. I'm not sure if this is because of the med itself or the effect of being well rested though.

Trazodone gave me weird dreams and made md sleep WAY in.

[QUOTE=hamster-bamster;2908683]Trazodone worked very well (50-100 mg), then well, then not so well, then oh not so well, and then not at all.[ /QUOTE]

^THIS.

I started with 50mg to help control OCD/anxiety & also to help with sleep- worked kind of, then not so much. Then upped to 100mg- was okay for about a month. Now switched to Seroquel 100mg... Use Trazodone 50mg as needed. OCD behaviors & anxiety do seem somewhat better the next day after taking as needed dose. Although I do have tolerance issues & it doesn't take long for meds to quit working on me.

I will say Trazodone has never made me feel groggy or anything the next day. I've been on all kinds of crap to help with sleep over the years & I feel that Trazodone is one of the better ones for that reason.

I took Trazadone in the spring/summer. After a while it didn't work. It never caused me to have bad dreams.

Well, I'm getting a little dispirited with this talk about Trazodone pooping out. I read once it was a great anti-depressant, however, it was just overly sedating at AD effective doses.

However, I am currently in need of a sedative, so has anyone had experience with increasing the dose to get a better sleep inducing effect?

Well, I think one thing that makes trazodone a more attractive sleep med is its shorter 3-6 hour half life versus say mirtazapine with a 20-40 hour half life. Traz has only helped make me feel energized in the morning because I feel better. And I'm not really energized, just normal.

This just might be the case, and I'm starting to accept it. On one hand it has helped me so much but I still have gaps where I crash and periods of depression or anxiety....it sounds dumb saying it has helped me so much while admitting I am still not completely whole but that's how I feel. I want to get more of the normal feeling it has given me and yet I don't want to risk getting a rash and then having to drop a great med.

I just don't want to be on too many meds!! I wish Lamictal was 100% effective.

I think Lamictal causes rashes only early in treatment. I think you're safe from that side effect now. Lamictal is a popular mood stabilizer, but I think it's worth talking to your doc about trying an AD, too, at least at a low dose......

I took Trazodone but do t remember the dosage it was almost ten years ago now. I remember the pills were orange could be split, tasted like garbage and didn't work at all for me most of the time but when I did sleep my dreams were so real I would become confused when I was awake.