Trazodone for sleep - experiences anyone?

[tara100]

Hello

I have been prescribed Trazodone to help me get off to sleep, and would like to hear of other's experiences on this med please.

I have greatly upset my body clock. I've always been a night owl, but now I can't get off to sleep until 4-6am (I have no trouble staying asleep, once I nod off)

My doctor has given me one weeks worth of Zopiclone in the past and it's worked wonders, but she refuses to prescribe this regularly, saying it's highly addictive. I've told her I don't care, as I crave a normal sleep pattern, where I'm not waking next day at lunchtime, but she won't budge. After the 7 days of tablets run out, she would only prescribe antihistamines of many types, and none worked at low or high doses.

I've been given Trazodone in place of Prozac, and I'm on 75mg a night. It's done nothing over the last 3 nights of taking it. I have to go back to the doctors in 3 weeks to review and have the dose increased if necessary (I wish I could go now!)

Can any users of this drug for sleep let come know what dosage worked for them, and also any side effects they've noticed too please?

Many thanks

[Paula]

Trazodone is an AD as opposed to a sleeping tablet (like zopiclone). I've never used it but there are ADs that help with sleep eg mirtazapine so I'm assuming this is why your GP has given you this instead of Prozac. However, like all ADs, it's probable it'll take several weeks to kick in, which may be why you're not feeling the benefits yet. You may need to just be patient for a little while, hard as it is

[tara100]

Trazodone is an AD as opposed to a sleeping tablet (like zopiclone). I've never used it but there are ADs that help with sleep eg mirtazapine so I'm assuming this is why your GP has given you this instead of Prozac. However, like all ADs, it's probable it'll take several weeks to kick in, which may be why you're not feeling the benefits yet. You may need to just be patient for a little while, hard as it is

Hello

My doctor said it should work straightaway in regards to making me drowsy after taking, but yrs, that the anti depressant effects take a while to work, the same as others.
I've taken Mirtazapine years ago, and though it's supposed to make you sleepy at night, it didn't work for me that way. I had unpleasant side effects including giving me a voracious appetite, which led to me putting on 2 stone

Thanks for your reply, and hopefully someone can give me their review on this drug, as it's an old type apparently and can also cause weight gain. If I get sleep, I don't care, I'll diet

[rose]

My doctor said it should work straightaway in regards to making me drowsy after taking, but yrs, that the anti depressant effects take a while to work, the same as others.

This is what I just read online about the effects of this drug. I'm sorry I don't have any personal experience of it.

[Suzi]

Hope that it works for you.

[S deleted]

I use Mirtazapine 30mg alongside my other AD to help me sleep at night and it has been a life changer for me. Amitriptyline was another I tried and it was brilliant but I was like a zombie most of the next day.

Different meds work for different people but Zopiclone isn't a long term solution.

[Richard-]

I've just started taking 50mg of Trazadone prescribed by my GP and am tapering off 30mg of Mistazapine which I had been taking for 18 months. The combination of the two at the moment helps me sleep but leaves me incredibly drowsy and lethargic the next day. I was told Trazadone in small quantities is a popular prescription for insomnia as is Mirtazapine and Trazadone in higher quantities (150mg plus a day) has AD properties. I'm due a two week review tomorrow where I expect the GP to completely stop the Mirtazapine and up the dose of the Trazadone. Quietapine in small quantities is also used for people with chronic sleep problems but my experience is many GP's are reluctant to prescribe it without the say so of a psychiatrist. Hope it helps and let me know how you go on Trazadone? Cheers Richard

[rose]

Quietapine in small quantities is also used for people with chronic sleep problems

Yes, I was prescribed 50mg immediate release Quetiapine and it worked for months for getting me to sleep.

[Piglet]

My psych put me on Quetiapine to help me sleep, which it did. Unfortunately it knocked me out until well into the middle of the next day and made me feel like a zombie, so I had to stop taking it. I've tried lots of other meds to help with sleep, but none of them helped me.