trazodone for insomnia

My doc put me on 50 mg of Trazodone a week ago for insomnia, Its not doing ****, I took one at 10pm now its going on 2:30am, same story all week, How long does it take for this to work? I don't feel anything from it. Ive tried Ambien too, that did nothing Id just wake up 2 hours after taking it , then be ready for the sun to come up, so frustrating. I was just wondering if anyone else had this problem first starting out, did it start working eventually??? thanks

[merveilles]

I'm encountering insomnia, too. It's been a while since it's been this bad and it started out of nowhere. i was on trazadone a few years ago for insomnia and it seemed to help. i honestly can't recall if it helped right away. the hardest part is getting my sleep pattern back on track and for that, only adjusting it by staying up (and therefore torturing yourself) helps.anyway, it made me drowsy, but if i am already overstimulated, nothing really helps.

sometimes it takes time for meds to help and i hope it will start to help. hang in there.

[tree1233]

Hey merveilles, Hope your right. You hang in there too, Best wishes!

[Kobuk]

I was on 100 trazadone, along with 60 celexa, but I was too spacy.  My pdoc cut me down to 50 traz and 20 celexa and added 100 buproprion.  Now I'm having trouble going to sleep and staying asleep.  I have an appt with my pdoc this week and maybe up my traz more.  I have taken doxapine for sleep too, but it was with zolof.  Hope this helps.

[LeftCoastChick]

Hi there!
I'm on trazadone as well, but at a much higher dose. I REM sleep disorder, which means I never get a deep sleep, as well I have a hard time getting to sleep. I went from 100mgs to 200mgs, and it works most of the time 6/7 nights. I would ask your doc to up your dose. As well, take the med, and hop in bed, if you are doing something that is active you won't sleep anyways. I hope this helps.

[tree1233]

Hey! Yeah, that sounds like a good idea, 50 mg just isn't cutting it, i don't even feel like i took anything, it might as well have been Tylenol pm haha, that stuff is a joke.

[LeftCoastChick]

Yeps, I took every over the counter product you can think of. We have gravol here in Canada, I think it's like Dramamine, it's an anti-nauseant and I pretty much got hooked on it, but it made me jumpy after awhile, so stay away from those OTC's. I'm up because of an upset stomach, but refuse to take any of those meds for nausea now.
I have back up ativan if all else fails, but I am very cautious of taking it unless absolutely required. Benzo's only give temp. relief, I've tried most to get to sleep. Trazadone has been my saving grace, and it's not addictive. Some folks don't need as high a dose as me, but I also have anxiety.  It's also really important to have good sleeping habits. Try not to have carbs before bed, if you are really hungry, have protein. No coffee or stimulants like chocolate 4 hours before bed. Make sure you don't do anything in bed, including reading, bed is for sleeping and sex only.  I know it takes longer for the drug to work on me, so I take it 2 hours before bed, that might help as well.
I hope this helps, and happy snoozing!

[LeftCoastChick]

When do you take Celexa? I took it in the morning, I once took in the evening and was up all night.

[tree1233]

Hey! Just called the doc and got 100mg Trazodone, Hopefully this will work tonight :) Yeah, I used to do the Dramamine too, Same thing happened too me, I didn't like that stuff after about a week. Have you ever tried Ambien cr ???

[buriedinfur]

Awesome. Yeah, trazodone worked well for me too - just had to up the dose, so hopefully that'll knock you out good. And it's an antidepressant to boot, so two birds with one stone.

[LeftCoastChick]

That's one drug I wasn't given, Ambien, I don't remember most of the names, but clonazepam, one that was an blue oval pill, which if I didn't go to bed right away I would do very weird things. I used ativan previously but not enough to do anything as well.

[tree1233]

100mg did it, I actually slept more than 4 hours last night, it was wonderful !!!

[LeftCoastChick]

Congrats! Isn't sleep a grand thing?

[tree1233]

yeah, im pretty stoked about it! how have you been sleeping, getting any better??

[ILADVOCATE]

I've been on Klonopin for 10 years and at first it was helpful for sleep and that passed. I wouldn't reccomend it for that as a person does have a potential to build up a tolerance to it. I haven't had a problem with addiction or anything. If taken responsibly it is generally not a problem though I know the potential is there. As for personality altering side effects if I go above a certain dose I become psychotic. I was allowed to try this dose and it didn't work out. I keep it below that dose. I don't find it at all sedating though. It was helpful on anxiety and now my physical disability. Tradazone as you are aware of is not an option for me though I know it is for some people. I found Lunesta would make me manic the next day and Rozerem in an agitated mixed state. I don't think the studies bear that out that. Most people who take them wake up having slept them off and feel fine the next day. But having tried everything insomnia is a not too friendly acquaitence of mine. Some of my medications are activating which includes the glycine (but then again a standard antipsychotic like Ability is as well) and the muscle relexants. I did have a sleep study but that "sleep hygeine" concept doesn't work when all the medications are activating, certainly not psychoactive but definitely keeping me up at night. I just basically have gotten used to it and nap during the day but I'll try sleep aides as they are approved though depending on overall effectiveness and side effect profile of course.

[LeftCoastChick]

Trazadone is awesome, I stay away from benzo's as much as I can, I only use ativan if I'm hypomanic and taking an extra dose of my other med doesn't work. I find benzo's don't work for any great length for refractory sleep disorders. I had a sleep clinic done and I was waking up 40+ times a night as well mild sleep apnea. I don't usually tout medications but this one I do. A couple of my friends switched over as well, and sleep for 8 hours solid, first time in years like myself. This drug doesn't seem to wear out like many other meds do. I've been using it for, guestimating 3 yrs now. If I don't get enough sleep my mood swings get much worse. I don't find it has an anti-depressant qualities, my pdoc said they never prescribe it as an AD these days at all.

[Kobuk]

I take my celexa at night, because it makes me sleepy.  I was taking it in the mornings and I was too dopey and sleepy.  I've had depression so long I don't know what normal is, or what its like to feel good without meds or self-medicating with booze.  I'd rather take meds.  Had enought of the booze to last a long time.  cu

[LeftCoastChick]

Some in that drug class made me really sleepy like Zoloft and Luvox. I figure I've had depression since I was 7, but had a pretty constant hypomanic state during my 20's. Finally after 10yrs of feeling blah or not feeling at all I'm on a med that works for me. I don't have negatvie thoughts bombarding my head all the time. I realized that I think last week and had a "wow" moment, the meds finally worked. I have more energy then I've had in years, but I still can't get motivated to clean lol! I need a maid!