Trazadone?

[intothelight]

This is just an observation and general question.

I quit taking taking Lexapro in the beginning of November because I was tired of the flat affect and loss of my sex drive. Of course, I then experience increased anxiety and cannot sleep. I go back to my P and she tells me to go back on Lexapro at an increased dose and prescribes Trazadone PRN.

Trazadone lets me sleep. So I take it and increase the Lexapro. Two things that I notice, one on nights I take the Trazadone, I wake up feeling great. No anxiety and no depression, but it wears off in a few hours. Nights that I don't take the Trazadone, I wake up anxious, depressed or both.

Now here is the really weird part, its been almost two weeks on the increased dose of Lexapro and I swear a few days ago, it was the first time in six months I wanted to cut and had suicidal idealization. Yes, there was increased stress, but was that the cause?

When I used to take Zoloft or Prozac, there was no doubt they increased the suicidal tendencies. Lexapro is an SSRI and my gut is telling me that this drug is also contributing to the recent decline. My gut is also telling me that Trazadone, a serotonin modulator is really working for me. Problem is my script say 25mgs to 150 mgs at night as needed. I am not kidding, that is the variance.

150 mgs and I sleep and enjoy a few hours the next day feeling really good. Now here is the question, has anyone been prescribed Trazadone as a main anti-depressant that they take even during the day? I am calling my P on Monday to see about using it on a regular basis, not just PRN. I am also going to discuss what I suspect about the Lexapro.

I've had five years of ineffective meds and just stumbled across the Trazadone by accident. It is just so good to find something that works. Other than making sure I don't take it on an empty stomach (can make you nauseous) there are no side effects.

Just looking for some feedback, as I don't trust my "gut" and want to make sure that I am not so desperate, or gun shy of SSRI's, that a serotonin modulator isn't anything more than just a sleep aid.

 

[kers]

I take Trazodone every night. Originally, I also took Zoloft, but I have titrated that off to almost nothing. My psychiatrist said that in addition to managing my sleep, the Trazodone may have antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects, since it is an atypical antidepressant.

My Traz dosage varies, too. I am prescribed 300mg a night, since when I first went on I needed that large a dose to sleep. Much of the time now I take half that, as my hypervigilance has gone way down and I am more able to sleep. So a big variation is not atypical, I think.

Definitely meet with your doc. An SSRI like Lexapro can certainly knock you out of whack and increase depression and suicidal feelings. Your doc may be able to help you find a good balance between multiple medications.

 

[intothelight]

Just want to give people an update on this, since I think sharing information is good.

My body reacts as follows:
Benzo's increased depression.
SSRI's increased suicidal thoughts and tendencies towards self-harm.

I did talk to my P about the Trazadone and she really questioned my statement to how much better I felt after taking it. So she started to check and found out this anti-d acts on A2 receptors, where SSRI's and other atypical anti-d act on A1 receptors. Bottom line there was a difference and my P also learned something because of my insistence.

So I have weaned completely off the Lexapro and the only medication I am taking is Trazadone. 150mgs every night and two 50 mg doses during the day. It is what works for me. No side effects other than I cannot take it on an empty stomach.

The point of this is it sometimes takes a while to find something that works. Trust your own instincts and reactions. Ask questions and if your not satisfied with an answer, keep probing.

The best drugs are not always what the drug reps are pushing this month. Sometimes the older, less popular ones, still work.

 

[kers]

I'm glad to hear that you have found a regimen that works for you! The information about the receptors was very interesting; I did not know that.

 

[shadowchaser]

I tend to have strange reactions to most meds. Right now I'm only on buspar and zanax. The buspar is daily and zanax as needed. They are nervous to try me on anything else.

 

[snugglepuss]

I have been trying different meds for several years now. SSRIs give me the worst flat affect. Prozac made me borderline manic, while Paxil (I hate that drug) made me just insane.

After years of self medicating with drugs and alcohol, I finally found a doctor who would listen to me when I said that SSRIs are not compatible with me, and he put me on Effexor. It worked. I had to include Seroquel during the daytime because of how off my rocker I was. I got clean and sober for the first time, and that is when I started cutting (weird huh? looking back I recognize that I had been self injuring since I was a kid, but what a bizarre time to start cutting), so the Seroquel was meant to stop me from SIing. We later added Trazadone to the mix, and that knocked me out at night, enough that I wasn't thrashing around too badly in my sleep when I took the Seroquel with it too.

I went to treatment, and was not allowed to take my full PRN of Seroquel, so things got worse, and I finally left that place. I am coming up to 4 years clean and sober mid January.

I ended up adding Wellbutrin to the mix about 2 years ago because my energy is absolute shit. I have zero drive to do anything for the most part. I recently went and saw my psychiatrist who suggested we increase the Wellbutrin to the max 450mg. I had a horrible reaction!! Stopped the extra 150mg, and now he has suggested that we try a small amount of Cytomel, which is a thyroid medication.

*Sigh*

It gets really frustrating when we know that our bodies are not responding the way they should, and doctors tell us to "just give it more time".

 

[Unhinged]

I just started Trazodone last night. Pdoc said to take 50mg and if I was still awake after an hour to take another 50mg. So after an hour and a half, and 100mgs, I slept for 13 hours. She also had me switch my Cymbalta to bedtime and tripple my Lorazepam. I think it may be a bit much on the sedatives.

She told me the Trazodone was used as an antidepressent but was too sedating and is used more for sleep now. I can see why. I am going to call doc Monday and ask about trying it all day as a maintance med. I can't stand this taking 8 pills a day. (too expensive)

I also can't take SSRIs (increased SI and Sui) thats why the docs started me on the Cymbalta (60mg/day). It is a SNRI and I don't have the urge to self harm or the suicidal thoughts anymore. My big issue with it is the cost, with my insurance it is $140/mo, just for that one med. We can't afford it so I will run out in 2 more doses. It also has ruined my sex drive and I just don't feel like I can have any emotions anymore, just feel frustrated.

Lexapro was nearly fatal for me. It sent me way off the edge in only a couple of weeks.

 

[Heather]

Hi Deb - They just put me on Trazedone too. I take 100mg. at night for sleep. My nurse practitioner said it also acts as an anti-depressant. It does help with the sleep.

I don't know if this is just a coincidence or what but since I've been on it I've been having bad dreams. Not rape nightmares (which is good) but still bad dreams.

Anyone else experience this?

 

[intothelight]

Hi Heather,

Glad to here that it is helping you sleep. I haven't had any increase in bad dreams or anything since I started, but I have been able to sleep on a more regular basis. My dreams have pretty much stayed the same as they were before I took it.

Hope this helps.

Deb

 

[Ted Moen]

I took trazadone for 5-6 years. Trazadone was developed as an antidepressant but became used for sleep. Dosage is up to 600mg with most veterans I know taking it using 150-300mg (it is very popular at the VA). I used to go to bed around 10-11 and be up by 1 due to nightmares and intrusive feelings. Trazadone let me sleep 9-10 hours a night undisturbed most of the time. Toward the fifth year I simply forgot to take it a couple of nights and noticed I slept just fine, so I tried not taking it for a while. That was four years ago and I am still sleeping just fine. It worked well for me.

Ted

 

[MAS444]

Hello everyone. I just got prescribed Trazadone for my night terrors. Haven't had the prescription filled yet. Generally don't have a problem falling asleep, but I have graphic, terrible, realistic night terrors and often cry or scream or flail and wind up scratching myself up sometimes while I sleep.

Has anyone noticed nightmares improved on Trazadone?

 

[Unhinged]

What I have noticed about how it effects me is all my dreams are even more graffic now.

On a good note is that my husband says he doesn't have to wake me up as often from my nightmares. He still does on occasion, but nothing like before. I kind of think the trazadone just knocks me out harder so even when i'm having a truely horrible nightmare I can't wake up.