Trazodone- I'm sleeping now but that's just a waste of time...

Hey.
I increased my Trazodone from 50-100mgs last night.
I was crashing from at least an entire week of insomnia.
I ended up sleeping 12 hours in total last night.

I don't feel any better than I did be4 I slept. I actually was never really tired to begin with but was a tid but worried about the consequences of sleep deprivation on my quality of thought and mood even though I still felt A OK.

I AM CONFUSED... Don't humans require sleep???

Am I the only one?

Human beings do require sleep, yes indeed!

Sleep deprivation in extreme cases can cause hallucinations, so it's always better to sleep if you can.

I've taken trazodone actually... I didn't particularly like it. I've also taken Gravol to knock me out and it basically had the same effect - I got dizzy and droopy and then passed out. Not pleasant!

The problem with sleep meds is that they can wreak havoc on your system and can make you more tired than anything else. Also if you oversleep you wind up feeling tired - so trying to sleep 6-10 hours is preferable if you can manage it. Once your body becomes accustomed to a certain level of meds (dosage), then it requires more to have the same effect. So if you're having trouble sleeping, can you talk to your doctor and maybe see a sleep specialist for tips that aren't med related?

Also - did you do the med increase by yourself, or with a doctors recommendation?

i agreed upon the dose w/my pdoc.

Hi, I also took trazadone in the past in a high dose...it did the same thing. It ended up giving me horrible nightmares and I still ended up feeling like I hadn't slept. I will go 3 or more days without sleep and I feel like I am going crazy and on raw nerve. You definately need sleep. Have you had a sleep study done to see if there is something happening? You might want to ask your doctor about that.

Trazodone has changed my life. So I'm pro-Traz But one thing that I noticed was, I was so terribly sleep deprived when I finally got on it--and not aware of it--that it took a few weeks of steady sleep before I was like, "Wow! I feel good! Is this how other people feel?" It also took me a couple tries to find the right dosage.

I hope you find the right medication for your needs.

I took trazadone for several months and it helped me sleep somewhat but about forty-five minutes after I took it I would have chest pressure. I didn't like that so we ditched the trazadone.

I take Trazadone as needed, and it knocks me out as well. In fact, just last week I was so sleep deprived that I ended up caving and taking one, then I proceeded to sleep for 14 hours straight. The great part is, I was still tired after that 24 hours. <_< Trazadone is no joke...

My roommate has taken Trazadone and I even tried it when we were on a vacation and I ran out of my Klonopin. I couldn't sleep with Trazadone and recommend Klonopin to anyone. It is habit forming and in the same class as Valium but it is comfortable and I even have to take a tablet when I wake up to combat anxiety and akithisia. It works really well if these are your symptoms. Akithisia is inner restlessness that is caused by anti-psychotics and the only other option is to take Benadryl during the day but it gives me severe dry mouth and causes me to be in a stupor for an hour. Apparently my whole family can't tolerate Benadryl. But in general the Valium class of sleep aids is much more inducive to a good nights rest but they usually only prescribe it to us schizo-affective people. My mind races in uncomfortable territory if I don't sleep and I don't even think I need as much as I am taking now, but like I said it is slightly habit forming and I wouldn't want anyone to take my Klonopin away from me.

Lindozone, maybe it would be better to evaluate this after you've been on the increased dosage for a while and have been getting regular sleep for a while also.
I do think you will begin to feel better, with more time.
I'll be curious to see how you feel in a month, 2 moths, 6 months...

Right On, Echos.
I'll keep on posting.

I took Trazadone years ago. I didn't tolerate a side effect well though and went on to something else. In the end it was Gabapentin (Neurontin) that helped me get good quality sleep. I no longer take any meds, but the Gabapentin was sure helpful then.

I am new here. I, thus, am not sure where to post that which I am going to say.

I have been using Trazodone for about one year. I started at 50mg. The increasing of the dose began. Initially, 50mg of Trazodone did help me to sleep. The efficacy ceased. My doctor increased the dosage to 100, 150, 200, 300, and, finally 400 mgs. per day.

Trazodone no longer assists me with falling to sleep. I just feel mildly sedated.

I now am having profound tingling/pins and needles, intense burning in my lower back, weight gain, abdominal discomfort, acute muscle cramping/spasms.

Other adverse effects that I have had are as follows:

1. Feeling as though being in a stupor
2. Increased anxiety
3. Inability to concentrate
4. Sneezing and stuffy nose
5. Peculiar taste in my mouth
6. Poor coordination (feeling "off balance")
7. Staggered walking
8. Increased irritability
9. Mental confusion

I would not recommend Trazodone but for very short term use. In time, the need for a higher dose is great. I would not recommend Trazodone at high dosages.

I will be tapering off of Trazodone. I will be informing my doctor of my adverse reactions and will be asking her why on earth she thought a daily dose of 400 mgs. was advisable.

This NOT a "good" medication, in my opinion (based on my personal experiences).

I urge all not to use any sleep medication that effects the Gaba-receptors. They are highly addictive. Trazodone does not effect GABA. It is NOT addictive. One has to slowly taper off it, all of the same.

Hope this my information is of help to others!

JES

My sleep has improved in a more consistent way- finally.
I'm pretty sure its becuz we've added 5mg Lexapro to the mix and today is day three.
I'm starting to sleep every night not just every other night.
To the poster above: You doc must've been outa their mind.
I might also add that some people use Trazodone on an as-needed basis.

I take Trazodone, 50mg every night. I'm definitely PRO-Traz as well. It really helps me fall asleep, and my awakenings in the middle of the night have decreased (but the more stressed and anxious I am, the worse my quality of sleep is, regardless of the Traz).

A little warning, though, about the drug: Over the summer I went away for a month, and I thought I brought a new bottle of Traz with me that was a fresh refill, but I had accidently taken the old bottle, which only contained about 10 pills. I was overseas, so I was pretty much screwed for that month. I split the pills in half, and took them almost every night, but on some nights I would have to take none at all so that I didn't end up going for a bunch of days in a row without taking any Traz. I wanted it to stay in my system, somewhat.

Regardless, I suffered, BIGTIME. I was SO irritable, and my anxiety hit the ceiling. I was so miserable. When I got home I read up on "discontinuation syndrome," and its side effects. I also read about people trying to get off of trazodone (and other antidepressants, because other than being a sleeping aid, traz is also an antidepressant!), and a lot of them said that it wasn't easy getting off Traz and that you need to taper off SOOOOO slowly.

Just putting this out there for anyone else interested in the drug.

So good to hear your sleep has improved and is becoming more consistent!