Had to see a new PCP because my old one moved to another practice and it is too far away to follow her. This new one from her same office is also a D.O. , but she is an internist not a family medicine doc. Anyway l like her and she spent a lot of time going over my med history and getting to know me. One thing she has a problem with is prescribing ambien for long term use. She wanted me to take Trazadone. I am not interested in taking it, but I would like some feed back from anyone who has or is now taking it and what you think about it. I always keep my options open.
I know it is an anti depressant, but also used for a sleep aid. I am very fortunate enough to not suffer from depression or anxiety. When this journey started I took amatriptyline and that gave me a drug hangover and Valium and that was worse for making me a space cadet.
So anyone have any experience or opinions I would appreciate it.
My experiences with Trazadone were I think about 5 years ago
or so. It was perscribed me for bouts of insomnia as I had refused
to use or consider benzos at that time. The drug hangover feeling
you mentioned did subside with me after being on the Trazadone
about 6 weeks. I am though no longer on that med and now on
a different regimen for my medication treatment.
Ambien long term use does have it's negative issues (imo)
Your doctor sounds conscientious. I like that!
Janaly
__________________
Intercystial Cystitis
Cervical Neuralgia
Insomnia challenges
Allergic to Shellfish
*all are being treated*
but not with perfect success.
Last edited by hb-mod; 04-03-2010 at 12:48 AM.
Reason: Removed Quote of immediately preceding post. Please use "Quick" Reply rather than "Quote" Reply. Thanks!
I took traz for about a year, either 25 or 50 depending on how I was doing (have fibro as well) as a sleep aide. worked really great! I didn't have any probs with the hangover, I've learned that if you take something early enough 8-9 pm its not so bad. I came off of it accidently...forgot to put it in my pill box for 5 days! That's how I found out I didn't need it anymore.
Hope this helps! I'd give it a try and if doesn't work then drop it. But plz give it 2 weeks.
janaly and no34evr, thank you for your replies. So the hangover effect could go away if I tried it and had that or I may not have one anyway. Sounds like trazadone would be easy enough to discontinue also.
I have taken Ambien for several years now and I don't have any side effects. My problem is falling asleep and staying asleep. I have had that problem since I was a child. This doc ask if my brain races and I think of things and can't fall asleep. I assured her I didn't have that problem. Later in the conversation as we continued to talk she said she finds that fibro patients suffer from depression and anxiety and before she could go on, I said, "Let's get one thing straight I don't suffer from depression and I don't have anxiety." I think I might have been just a little forceful at that moment. I just wanted her to know that my health did not revolve around depression or anxiety and I needed to be taken seriously. It worked, we moved on and I had a very good first visit.
hi glojer,
you were honest and firm. good girl! and it worked!!!! hope the new stuff helps. no experience here. won't take any anti-Ds, they create depression in me. tried somthing 13 years ago. gave me an understanding of depression that is helpful in assisting others but lousy way to find out.
fingers are crossed for you girl.
love,
blue
Blue, I am not taking the trazadone right now. I did get my rheumy to fill my ambien prescription. She would only give me 10 pills to give me time to get one of my other docs to prescribe the ambien. Gee, how many years now have I taken ambien. I remember switching to the ambienCR and getting info about that from bilij and that was a long time ago. I am now back on the regular generic ambien. This doc has concerns about the side effects such as sleep driving or the other strange things some people do while taking it. I have never had ANY kind of problem with it. My only concern would be if long term use created some sort of memory loss issue.
I am just keeping my options open and trying to gather info for future use. You use to take ambien, I think, do you still take it Blue? I figure if I check up on it now, then when and if I have to make a decision to change it will be easier for me.
This doc seems to not like the fact that ambien is like anesthesia, it just puts your lights out and you won't wake up. I wake up when necessary and function well and then go back to sleep and I remember it the next day while taking ambien.
Hey Glojer
I take trazadone when i need it. I take amytriptyline, one tablet at night 25mgs to get that good sleep. Anything higher than that and id wake up like a zombie. Some nights were just too hard to get any sleep because of the pain, or insomnia if the tablet didnt work well that night, so my doc prescribed trazadone, 1 tablet at 100mgs if needed at night. I take it some nights, some nights i dont have to at all. When i do i find out i get a deeper sleep and dont wake up at 2 or 3 am. I'll sleep till at least 5 or 6 am and dont get a hangover from it. I dont feel any withdrawals either on those nights i dont take it. I might take it about 3 times a week. So for me it works well.
Jenetti
Jenetti, Ok, so you take trazadone just when you need it? Not on a regular basis? You take it at night? It is my understanding that trazadone is a anti D. an SSRI at least that is what my doc says. So I am having a problem with the fact that you can take it just when necessary to help you fall asleep. Sorry if I am being 'ah dumb' about this. How does an anti D help you fall asleep at all, much less on a anytime you need it basis?
This new doc explains it is used like other meds as an off ______ ( forgot the phrase), but used for what it wasn't originally intended. So again, how does it work as an anti D and a sleep med, I always thought an anti D was to make you feel up or better and when I want to go to bed, I want to relax and sleep. Now you know how much I don't know about it....giggle. That's why I need everybodys input!
hey glojer,
tell your doc balongna on the won't wake up bit. she can meet my cat bubba who can wake me anytime of night with one tiny meow and i am out on ambien, benadryl and vallium! or better yet let's ask my bladder if it's true. haven't wet the bed yet!
memory loss. well there are some things i would love to forget. pity the drug is not doing that to me either. i remember everything unless in a fibro flare. then forget it.
sleep driving? nope. who in their right mind would take it and drive? so . . . is that the next day it somehow comes back and knocks you out? hasn't happened.
yea i am still taking it all and have been for over a decade now.
heaven help the doc who wants to take it from me if i ever meet one.
talk to your other docs as planned. one of them better help you or i am on a plane, giggle.
give miracleman my love if you see him soon. know you are swamped this weekend.
sending you my wonderwoman suit. send it back when you are done.
love and peace,
blue
No i dont take it all the time, just when needed. It works because it makes you very sleepy and relaxed. Its not the type of medicine that needs to get into your system and takes time to build up to help you sleep. It might work that way if youre using it as an antidepessant, to get full use of it, might take some time to build up. But as a sleep aid, it makes you sleepy, gets you a deeper sleep, and i dont wake up with a hangover. I also dont get withdrawals if i dont use it for a week or several days. It just works for me and was given to me as a sleep aid, not an antidepressant. For me it works hon.
Jenetti
PS, also ive never had trouble with it causing sleepwalking, or driving or eating while sleeping. Just a good night sleep.
Last edited by Jenetti; 04-04-2010 at 10:34 AM.
Reason: to add something else
I recently started trazadone at night (for insomnia)...i'm also on zoloft (for depression). I have 50mg trazadone. I take 1/4 pill about 8pm and 1/4 pill at 9pm, and that does the trick for me. No real side effects so far. I'm glad because having serious insomnia is not fun, and almost dehabilitaing... i'm doing better now.
