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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards | negrogesic

Trazadone for sleep?

V

VastEmpty

Bluelighter
Joined
Jul 22, 2016
Messages
544
Does anyone have experience with using trazadone as a sleep aid? My doctor wrote me a prescription for it awhile back. I thought I would give one a try tonight - after 3 bad nights of sleep in a row. When I looked at the bottle (50 mg pills), it said to take 1/2 to 3 pills at bedtime. 1/2 to 3!?! That's an awfully big spread...anyone have any thoughts on doseage for my first try?

Thanks for any help!

- VE
 
Hey, VE...I've been scripted trazadone for about 4 months. I don't take it every night, but when I do, I've found it extremely helpful. Like you, I was surprised by the wide dosing window (mine calls for 1-4 tablets as needed). Personally, I usually take two of them...sometimes just one. I've never had to go above that b/c they WORK. I find them pretty amazing.

They do have one bizarre effect though--they totally fuck up my balance and coordination. It's not an issue, as long as I'm lying down when they are affecting me. But if I have to get up in the night, for instance, I stumble around like a drunk. It's kinda freaky. If my doc hadn't warned me about it, it might have put me off them. But as it is, I've found trazadone to be pretty awesome, especially since my lone lingering symptom from acute WD is insomnia. Usually, I just let the insomnia have its way with me. But having the trazadone around is nice.

Let us know if it works for you. Good luck!
 
I've also taken trazadone for sleep. I would take 300mg each night and for the most part found it to be really helpful. Since you're just starting on them I'd just work your way up slowly until you find the right dose for you.
There were a handful of times though where not long after I took my dose that it hit me pretty hard and I kind of had the same feelings simco described. But on most nights it would just slowly get to me to where about 30-45 mins after taking it I felt tired enough to go to bed, but I wasn't feeling "off" in any way, just tired. I'm not taking trazadone anymore bc of another med change I had to make but fortunately I've found a new med combo that helps me sleep great too. Best of luck with sleep!
 
I'm a long-term sleep medicine patient. I was prescribed trazodone for a period of time, at 50 mgs a night (a low starting dose). It didn't work particularly well for me...it didn't really induce somnolence at all, IME. After that they put me on zolpidem, which worked somewhat well. Not currently taking anything for sleep, though.

That's my experience. I'd start at 50 mgs and go from there. One thing I do remember about trazodone was that, initially, it triggered insane lucid dreams...
 
Thanks for the information guys! I'll start out low and see how it goes.

- VE
 
VastEmpty said:
Thanks for the information guys! I'll start out low and see how it goes.

- VE
Click to expand...

Years ago I started on Trazadone for sleep from my dr. It's actually an antidepressant thats been shown to induce somnolence. It would put me to sleep but I'd wake up an hour later. Than I tried Ambien and that didn't do anything, even at large doses. Than I tried Lorazapam and the heavens opened up and I went to sleep for the first time in 3 months. You should be fine as Trazadone is very well tolerated and non addictive though.
 
Burnt Offerings said:
I'm a long-term sleep medicine patient. I was prescribed trazodone for a period of time, at 50 mgs a night (a low starting dose). It didn't work particularly well for me...it didn't really induce somnolence at all, IME. After that they put me on zolpidem, which worked somewhat well. Not currently taking anything for sleep, though.

That's my experience. I'd start at 50 mgs and go from there. One thing I do remember about trazodone was that, initially, it triggered insane lucid dreams...
Click to expand...

Seroquel usually works a little better if the problem is insomnia. 100 to 200 mg depending on what you have already taken, tolerance, etc.
The only problem is the drowsiness on following day.
 
I've used 50mg traz for over 4 years. It's very effective. No side effects for me, apart from the obvious sedation at bed time. But yeah, I swear by it over benzos for simple fact that it's not addictive
 
Definitely start off at the lowest dosage, and stay in bed after taking it. I was on 300mg for a little over 6 months, and I remember it would hit me like a ton of bricks sometimes. Like total lack of coordination, slurred speech, and staggering like a drunken person. I also had the most intense lucid dreams, sleep talking/laughing, sleep eating, and felt crazy hungover/groggy the next day.
 
Back when I still took sleeping medicines trazadone was the last one I tried. Dosage aside there is a giant issue I have with it as a sleep-aid. Everyone is different, of course. But, personally no matter the dosage I took if I did go to sleep I would literally be sorta hungover AT LEAST half of the next day. As in impaired coordination and a profound mental fog. It got to the point where I would rather not sleep than deal with it, the insomnia was natural not drug-induced. I learned to wean myself off of sleep aids, but I personally abhor trazadone. It also seemed to knock me out as opposed to ease or allow me into sleep. I spilt countless drinks in bed that way. Be watching a movie or whatever and have a glass of pop or what have you, literally next thing I know I'm waking up the next day soaking wet with zero idea of when I actually went to sleep. Had some pretty maniacal dreams every now and then too,w whereas normally I don't dream or can't remember them whatever.
 
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