Newbie needs help with Trazadone

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jun 24, 2006 3:45 pm

The mask is working fairly well but I can't sleep. The sleep doc just gave me a prescription for Trazadone. After I had the prescription filled a friend told me he had used 50mg before and it made him sleep all night and day. Now I am afraid to try it because I don't want to wear the mask for 24 hours. Also, I don't ever want to sleep without the mask because of the severe apnea episodes.

Someone with experience please give me advice.

PS This seems to be a great forum.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Sat Jun 24, 2006 7:13 pm

Everyone has the chance of different affects from med's, the sleep doc. perscribed it. If you have a history of overreacton to drugs, be careful. If you can take med's normal and are worried, tab's can be cut in half. Do not chew pills up.

If what you do involves workimg around or operating equiptment be extra careful until you know what the pills do to you. The weekend is the best time to test them.

I don't approve of sleep med's or any unnecessary drugs, but sometimes they have their place. Jim

MissAmethyst2U · Post by **MissAmethyst2U** » Sat Jun 24, 2006 10:15 pm

WOW I am shocked to hear of someone on this board taking Trazadone since its an older drug and most docs don't prescribe it too much anymore but I JUST took this med about a month ago for a week. I was given it for anxiety just to take the edge off cause of my new job and I am VERY sensitive to meds and my doc said he gives me doses like he would give a 4 yr old. I was given 50mg pills since that is the smallest dose they make them in but my doc had me cut them in 4 pieces so I was only taking 12.5mg. This just relaxed me a little but didn't make me sleepy. I was to take 25 mgs a half of the 50 mg pill at night and it made me just a tad bit sleepy. I have been doing well with my anxiety so I just stopped the med completely as I decided it didn't seem to make enough of a difference which my doc is cool with. If you are supposed to take 50mg just take a 1/4 of the pill at first then try half and work your way up. There should be no problem in doing that. Good luck...

krousseau · Post by **krousseau** » Sun Jun 25, 2006 12:24 am

This is just a tip about cutting/crushing pills.

Check with your pharmacist before crushing, chewing, cutting, or breaking up any pill.
Some can be crushed or broken or chewed. Some can be cut but not chewed or crushed.

Selena (but really Julie) · Post by **Selena (but really Julie)** » Sun Jun 25, 2006 2:17 am

Hi - I was given Traz. over 20 yrs ago for what amounted to a grief reaction on quitting smoking, and within a week was waking up in the middle of the night all congested and gasping for air. Needless to say I stopped taking it when I realized it was responsible (no sign of apnea back then) and found what I'd experienced were known side effects of Traz. and the MD had had me on an increasing dose at the time. So it's not exactly the first thing I'd give to an apnea patient! Why not ask your MD about Ambien, or something else.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Sun Jun 25, 2006 5:57 am

krousseau wrote:This is just a tip about cutting/crushing pills.

Check with your pharmacist before crushing, chewing, cutting, or breaking up any pill.
Some can be crushed or broken or chewed. Some can be cut but not chewed or crushed.

Especally time release products, crushing let's them go into your system all at once. Jim

chdurie2 · Post by **chdurie2** » Sun Jun 25, 2006 1:31 pm

i can understand your concern about trazadone if your friend slept forever on it. but the only way to know what it will do for you is to try it. people are very different in their reactions to psychotropic meds.

if it doesn't work, ask for something else. lots of people like ambien. i've used triazolam, which is a short-acting benzo, so there's no grogginess next day.

i can understand needing something to get used to cpap for a short while, but if you can relax enough to keep the mask on, you shouldn't need anything. the pressurized air actually has a physiologically relaxing effect on the body. at some point pretty soon you should be cutting loose from meds, i think, unless your life is driving you insane.

caroline

deedster · Post by **deedster** » Sun Jun 25, 2006 10:34 pm

I've been taking Trazadone 50mg at night for 6 years with no daytime sleepiness. My Dr. upped the dose about 3 months ago to 100 to 150mg because the 50mg wasn't working as well. He said I can take up to 400mg if needed. I don't have any daytime sleepiness on either dose, but the 150mg makes me sleep more than 8 hrs, so I only take it on weekends sometimes.

WindFlyer · Post by **WindFlyer** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 9:19 am

I took Trazadone for almost eight years before I stopped two years ago. I never had any daytime sleepiness. Mostly it just helped me get tired and fall asleep at bedtime. I did stay asleep all night long while taking it but woke up ready to go in the morning. This was before my OSA was diagnosed, however so it may actually have been exasperating the OSA and causing me to snore more. Can't say because I was still single back then. Anyway- I don't think there's any reason to worry. Most drugs will clear out of your system after 5-6 hours max. (don't quote me on that- I'm not a pharmacist)

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 1:46 pm

WindFlyer wrote:I took Trazadone for almost eight years before I stopped two years ago. I never had any daytime sleepiness. Mostly it just helped me get tired and fall asleep at bedtime. I did stay asleep all night long while taking it but woke up ready to go in the morning. This was before my OSA was diagnosed, however so it may actually have been exasperating the OSA and causing me to snore more. Can't say because I was still single back then. Anyway- I don't think there's any reason to worry. Most drugs will clear out of your system after 5-6 hours max. (don't quote me on that- I'm not a pharmacist)

Do you remember what your dosage was?

roster · Post by **roster** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 2:05 pm

MissAmethyst2U wrote:WOW I am shocked to hear of someone on this board taking Trazadone since its an older drug and most docs don't prescribe it too much anymore ...

Some weeks ago my wife and I were browsing through a newstand and she showed me an article in Consumer Guide magazine that surprised me. The article was about sleep medications and it claimed that Trazadone is the number one drugs doctors prescribe for insomnia. Ambien/Sonesta/Lunesta are well behind Trazadone at least in doses prescribed. Since Trazodone is so cheap it is not as big in dollar sales and profits.

There is also some support on the internet from doctors claiming that many people have overlooked how good Trazadone is because of all the advertising and publicity for Ambien/Sonesta/Lunesta. "Newer is better" may be our credo but it is not always true.

WindFlyer · Post by **WindFlyer** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 2:14 pm

Anonymous wrote:Do you remember what your dosage was?

50mg

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Newbie needs help with Trazadone

Newbie needs help with Trazadone

Trazadone

Newer not always better