Trazodone and Seroquel

[sissiepix]

Hi folks,

Currently I take together 100 mg Trazodone and 100 MG seroquel for sleep. ( falling asleep is a bitch)
However since a month I have been sleeping really bad again, on and off the benzos to try and get some sleep.

Is it possible the combo doesnt work anymore?
That the seroquel lost its effect, I know up to 100 mg it works more as a antihistamine then a mood stabilizer, could it be its not effective anymore?

Would it be worth upping the dose of seroquel or the dose of trazodone?
Can anyone perhaps recommend I switch 1 med with something else? Like Remeron or Doxepin?

I hope anyone can help me

I also take 2 mg Circadin
500 mg Gaba
L-ortinthine
Theanine
Tryptophan
Magnesium

 

[T. Calderone]

If you're not getting the quality of sleep you need, you may have to add a new med to your regimen. Either that or increase the Seroquel or trazodone. I found sinequan (doxepin) made it hard to wake up in the morning. But it should knock you out and you may even not need the other meds. I use mirtzapine (remeron) and it hasn't lost it's effectiveness yet. Talk with your doctor and see what he says. Welcome to Bluelight!

 

[sissiepix]

Thanks ! I am currently much in doubt on either upping the seroquel or the trazodone.

I dont really have a doc, it is my gp perscribing these.

Thanks for your reply !! I will ask for remeron!

 

[rhun]

I use Remeron and Seroquel together, they work great. Trazadone was too weak for me plus it gave me bad dreams and it would only put me to sleep for a couple hours. Remeron is more sedating in small doses, typically 30mg or less. But you may have to increase your Seroquel dose over time, you definitely develop a tolerance to it.

 

[BIGsherm7272]

I also use both Remeron (15-30mg) and Seroquel (100mg) to sleep, sometimes together and sometimes just one or the other. Remeron has not lost any effectiveness since I started taking it about a year ago, and it gives me the best sleep that any med ever has. I can actually wake up feeling refreshed and motivated. It also worked well for my depression and racing thoughts, and it has a superior efficacy to other anti-depressants and also has a much faster onset therapeutic effects, somewhere around 2 weeks.

The only thing I have against Remeron is that it raised my cholesterol (mainly Triglycerides) to very high levels, and I gained about 50 pounds. I greatly reduced the frequency that I take it, and mainly try to use the Seroquel. While Seroquel does the trick, it takes longer to kick in and feels "dirtier" that Remeron. Remeron kicks in about 45 minutes, and feel very warm and fuzzy, and very clean. With seroquel, it can take about 2 hours for it to peak, and it has one extremely annoying side effect for me: Severe Akathisia (intense urge to always be moving). It drives me insane sometimes! It is quite uncomfortable to sit still or even lay still, since I get this huge need to always move my legs or arms due to severe discomfort that is very similar to the Restless Legs Syndrome and feeling of inner chaos, as I call it, that opiate and other substance Withdrawals can cause. But seroquel will put me to sleep and without to much fatigue the next morning.

I am going to try and find another alternative with my doctor. The severe akathisia and price of seroquel for me is just not worth it. Ambien and Lunesta are worthless to me. Trazadone stops working after a couple weeks and also hate the hypotension and groggy feeling that can accompany it. I may try amitriptyline (Elavil). I have taken it before, but can't remember if it was effective or not. Doxepin made me sleep 12+ hours no matter what. Rozerem just has bad overall reviews, and a poor rate of efficacy. Does anyone have any other options that I can try? Thank you for any input, hope mine helped as well.

 

[sissiepix]

Thanks, it certainly helps! I see quite some people say Remeron is a good drug to start with, I however will have to come off either the trazolan or the seroquel first.
Since the seroquel works as a antihistamine at 100 mg, would it be worth going up to 150? Would it have a more sedating effect then 100 mg?

I would like to try Remeron, but I already am on the heavy side, don't want to go adding more pounds to myself.
I dont really feel I have issues with seroquel, I do think it makes me more hungry, but I can't be sure its not the trazodone.

I've had amitryptiline in the past, that was like a sugarpill to me, didnt feel a thing, hope it works better on you.
Zolpidem helps me if I really am awake for several days, thankfully that hasnt happened in 3 weeks now. But living off 3-4 hours a night is not going to cut it for much longer

 

[DistantShadows]

Thanks, it certainly helps! I see quite some people say Remeron is a good drug to start with, I however will have to come off either the trazolan or the seroquel first.
Since the seroquel works as a antihistamine at 100 mg, would it be worth going up to 150? Would it have a more sedating effect then 100 mg?

I would like to try Remeron, but I already am on the heavy side, don't want to go adding more pounds to myself.
I dont really feel I have issues with seroquel, I do think it makes me more hungry, but I can't be sure its not the trazodone.

I've had amitryptiline in the past, that was like a sugarpill to me, didnt feel a thing, hope it works better on you.
Zolpidem helps me if I really am awake for several days, thankfully that hasnt happened in 3 weeks now. But living off 3-4 hours a night is not going to cut it for much longer

Hi there! I've always had trouble with sleep too, I feel for you! I actually work nights now which has been one of the best transitions for my circadian rhythm, although I know this isnt always possible. I just got tired of taking pills to make me fall asleep and then consuming excessive caffeine to make me stay awake! I've never taken seroquel for sleep, but I know it can be effective for some. There are just so many other options, I'd stay away from increasing the dose for the sole reason of sleep if at all possible. Even though its an atypical anti-psychotic it still can cause tardive dyskinesia, dystonia, or Parkinsonism with prolonged uses. No fun! I've seen a lot of people with these side effects some of which are irreversible and you're already on a pretty hefty dose. If your GP feels remeron might be ok, I'd try that. As a tetracyclic antidepressant it also inhibits the reuptake of serotonin so you might feel better too! Have you been able to pin point anything keeping you up? Anxiety, racing thoughts, pain?

Wishing you some sweet dreams in your near future!

 

[BIGsherm7272]

Thanks, it certainly helps! I see quite some people say Remeron is a good drug to start with, I however will have to come off either the trazolan or the seroquel first.
Since the seroquel works as a antihistamine at 100 mg, would it be worth going up to 150? Would it have a more sedating effect then 100 mg?

I would like to try Remeron, but I already am on the heavy side, don't want to go adding more pounds to myself.
I dont really feel I have issues with seroquel, I do think it makes me more hungry, but I can't be sure its not the trazodone.

I've had amitryptiline in the past, that was like a sugarpill to me, didnt feel a thing, hope it works better on you.
Zolpidem helps me if I really am awake for several days, thankfully that hasnt happened in 3 weeks now. But living off 3-4 hours a night is not going to cut it for much longer

No, raising the dose to 150mg would probably not help with sedation. It is because of its effects on the H1 receptor at low doses that it causes profound sedation. 50-100mg is usually the sweet spot for sleep. I would recommend trying Remeron. It is potent and stays effective for a long time, with minimal side effects. It actually improves sleep efficacy.

 

[rhun]

If you use the Remeron and Seroquel together you should not have to increase the dosage on the Seroquel, they work really well together to not only help you fall asleep but also to keep you asleep. At least that's my experience.

Remeron is supposed to cause weight gain in certain individuals but the percentage is pretty low and you're not going to just gain weight automatically. You may have some increased appetite, if that happens you just need to make sure you're not eating before bedtime (I stop eating at 8pm and fall asleep around midnight) and be mindful about what you eat. Restrict sugar and increase fruit and veggies.

I haven't gained any weight and I've been on both Seroquel and Remeron since November of last year. The Seroquel gives me sugar cravings so I try and be really aware of that but I haven't noticed anything from the Remeron. I don't try and restrict the amount I eat... I feel like I'd just be setting myself up for failure lol.

Instead, I eat breakfast/lunch/dinner daily, minimize sugar, eat lots of healthy snacks between meals to boost my metabolism, eat lots of fruits and veg, and try not to eat at night. I've also done well trying to eat more earlier in the day and eating less later on, my body seems to burn those earlier calories quickly but store fat if I over eat at dinner.

Breakfast is SO important, there's studies that have shown that women who eat breakfast typically weigh less than women who don't. And eating smaller meals 5-6 times a day boosts your metabolism and is better than eating bigger meals less often.

Anyway, my point is that with these medications you have to eat more to gain weight. If you find yourself eating more or having cravings just be mindful and make a couple tweaks to your diet like the ones I mentioned above.

 

[BIGsherm7272]

If you use the Remeron and Seroquel together you should not have to increase the dosage on the Seroquel, they work really well together to not only help you fall asleep but also to keep you asleep. At least that's my experience.

Remeron is supposed to cause weight gain in certain individuals but the percentage is pretty low and you're not going to just gain weight automatically. You may have some increased appetite, if that happens you just need to make sure you're not eating before bedtime (I stop eating at 8pm and fall asleep around midnight) and be mindful about what you eat. Restrict sugar and increase fruit and veggies.

I haven't gained any weight and I've been on both Seroquel and Remeron since November of last year. The Seroquel gives me sugar cravings so I try and be really aware of that but I haven't noticed anything from the Remeron. I don't try and restrict the amount I eat... I feel like I'd just be setting myself up for failure lol.

Instead, I eat breakfast/lunch/dinner daily, minimize sugar, eat lots of healthy snacks between meals to boost my metabolism, eat lots of fruits and veg, and try not to eat at night. I've also done well trying to eat more earlier in the day and eating less later on, my body seems to burn those earlier calories quickly but store fat if I over eat at dinner.

Breakfast is SO important, there's studies that have shown that women who eat breakfast typically weigh less than women who don't. And eating smaller meals 5-6 times a day boosts your metabolism and is better than eating bigger meals less often.

Anyway, my point is that with these medications you have to eat more to gain weight. If you find yourself eating more or having cravings just be mindful and make a couple tweaks to your diet like the ones I mentioned above.

Yea, I am part of that percentage that it causes weight gain too unfortunately. I gained over 50 lbs in 4 months, and it shot up my cholesterol levels, so I had to stop taking it. Its too bad, since remeron was absolutely flawless for me as a sleep aid and anti-depressant.

 

[sissiepix]

Thanks a lot everyone! I think it would be worth asking my doc if I can try remeron. Last 2 nights I took 50 MG seroquel, but this time the brand and not the cheaper version. I slept amazing do j don't know if it was due to that. Next to this I upped trazodone to 150 mg. Could also be that.

I hope everyone can sleep well soon. Insomnia is such a misunderstood and underestimated thing ...

 

[rhun]

Thanks a lot everyone! I think it would be worth asking my doc if I can try remeron. Last 2 nights I took 50 MG seroquel, but this time the brand and not the cheaper version. I slept amazing do j don't know if it was due to that. Next to this I upped trazodone to 150 mg. Could also be that.

I hope everyone can sleep well soon. Insomnia is such a misunderstood and underestimated thing ...

Seroquel is definitely one of those few medications where the brand name is going to be better than the generic. It's expensive, but worth it. If your insurance won't cover it AstraZeneca has a program you can apply for that will give you medication for free.

If you add Remeron to one of your existing medications I would stop the Trazadone and stay on the Seroquel, just because the latter will help you stay asleep through the night. And because Remeron and Trazadone are both technically antidepressants (though typically used off label for sleep, anxiety, etc), I don't know that using both of them would be a good idea. Definitely ask your doc, but the Seroquel + Remeron combo is just amazing and I know many people besides myself that it's worked well for. Which is why I can't recommend it enough

Let us know what happens!

 

[rhun]

Yea, I am part of that percentage that it causes weight gain too unfortunately. I gained over 50 lbs in 4 months, and it shot up my cholesterol levels, so I had to stop taking it. Its too bad, since remeron was absolutely flawless for me as a sleep aid and anti-depressant.

Aww that's too bad, sorry to hear that. Remeron is supposed to cause only 7% of people to gain weight according to some stats on side effects, sounds like you're in that group. I definitely notice increased appetite from being on both of them, but I've always felt it was more the Seroquel... especially craving sugar in the middle of the night. Ha.

Now that I'm pregnant though I have no hope of narrowing it down further ;D

 

[Fussbucket]

I definitely notice increased appetite from being on both of them, but I've always felt it was more the Seroquel... especially craving sugar in the middle of the night. Ha.

I recently tried Remeron (plus doxepin and others) for insomnia, but the "You'll gain weight!!!" messages around here have definitely given me pause. I've heard some say that the pill causes your metabolism to actually slow down, which is scary since I can't control that. But, if it's only increasing my hunger, I know myself well enough that I think I'll be disciplined enough to battle that. I already caught myself getting hungry way earlier in the afternoon (between lunch and dinner) than I'm used to, and I've been able to munch on a few almonds and just ignore it beyond that.

I'm hoping it's just the cravings that Remeron and others effect. If it causes a deeper-down change in the way my body handles what I put in, then I'll probably move on to something else...