hep reseacher/trazodone and hep c

HI ,do you know if taking Trazodone for mild depression and insomnia is not good for liver? I read a few reports about some bad reactions , and it causing propblems. But it has helped me before and I wanted to try it again. Or, can you recommend anything for insomnia and depression that is ok to take? Hep c dx 2/07, viral load - 3.6 million, bx = 0-1 damage. 53 yrs. old female. Not treating yet.
Thank you,
Pitter

[hairtamer]

Hi,  That is what I was put on two weeks after I started treatment, by my gastro dr.  I was not sleeping and the 5 mg diazepam was not working anymore.  It has also been helpful for the rotator cuff injury that I have.  I hope that this is helpful.  I am in my 5th week of treatment.  My VR was 11,900,000 when I started, grade 2 & stage 2.
In Jesus, the Reason for the Season,
Rose

[Hepatitis Researcher]

Not much is known re any effects of trazodone on the liver.  It mainly acts on Potassium channels and its major know side effects are  sedation, dizziness, and psychomotor impairment.

[JodyLynn]

They put me on it because i never sleep. It does make me feel a little drunk in the mornings til i walk it off.

[pitter]

Hi , Thank you so much for answering me!!! I think I'm going to give it another whirl!!! The not sleeping is the biggest problem!!!! I have been taking xanax .05 mlg.(1/2) but I feel like I am a little drugged and kinda droopy...hairtamer I am with you!!, In HIM.!! are you a hairdresser? I was for 22 yrs...then I had enough of it!!! Good name ! Jody are you sleeping better with the trazodone?
thanks Pitter

[hairtamer]

Yes, I am a licensed hairdresser, but I drive a concrete mixer for a living.  I am on STD for my rotator cuff injury.  So I am using this time for the treatment also.  I am sleeping better with the trazadone, but it does give a little hang over in the morning.  I have 50 mg and I cut that in half.
Blessings,
Rose

[hippygem]

HR, Ive been trying different antidepressants for years, and I always seem to put weight on.  Ive recently changed from Prozac to Lexapro (today).  Ive researched all the online websites about weight gain and weight loss in Anti-Ds and they all have different opinions.  Lexapro is supposed to decrease appetite which Im assuming would cause weight loss.  Yet reading other peoples experiences they say they put on between 5-20lbs whilt using them.
Are you aware of any that work without causing weight gain?  I cannot get Wellbutrin in Australia, my Dr never heard of it.  Zyban is another name for wellbutrin I believe, I used that when I tried to stop smoking, but I suffered heart palpitations, and it affected me mentally etc, had to stop taking it.
If anyone has any advice, I would appreciate it.
This year I have tried Avanza, where I put on 5 kilos, Prozac brought me up to over 7 kilos. Now lexapro.?

Cheers
Linda

[merryBe]

Trazedone had some benefit to me for a couple years, but anything more than half a 50 mg tab would give me morning headaches. Due to "the unknown liver" effects I always kept this to a minimum even before I learning this year I had HCV.
However, because trazedone seems to cause only mild liver changes as compared to say Prozac and others in that classification of seratonin uptake inhibitors, some reason this may be a safer choice.
(HCV can lower pituitary function, which in turn interferes with stage 3 and 4 (repairative) sleep.

What has seemed to work better for me sleep wise, and for many I hear, is the Ambien CR, which works on the GABA in the brain and settles things down, shuting down the brains overproduction of this chemical. Ambien also has less morning after effects as well. Especially concerning alertness the next day, there is a difference.
Using this sleep aide would of course necessitate another for depression. Although a good nights rest regularly can greatly reduce depression in and of itself.

Of course, as with all the "newer" sleep meds and antideppressants it will be years before final verdicts are in as to all the benefits vs. risks equation. Even with extensive trials a few drugs will always get through that may, many years out, cause problems. Example: Valium/Librium and spastic seizures were not discovered for 10-15 years.

The concern is, what can keep you getting rest that has the least sides and known dependance issues. Although, remember any sleep aide, taken long term, will cause some dependance/rebound issues when withdrawn.

I'm thinking when getting on an antidepressant it is best to get the hepatologist to help with this, and to look at the long term records for the liver very carefully yourself as well.
Reading yourself is important, and picking pharmacist brains, as many docs are not as well versed as they should be in all the sides of the now thousands of available drugs.
Do your own homework is always a good motto.
After all, there's a reason that many antidepressants require regular liver screens, and the reason is they are not all liver friendly.
Hope you find something that works for you,
mary

[Hepatitis Researcher]

I am not knowledgeable enough about the different antidepressants to be able to comment in detail.
I am quite anti psychotropic drugs, since they all introduce some form of dependence over time, some quite rapidly. Then it is double difficult to get off them.

[hairtamer]

Hi,  I did read the drug interactions and it says you do need to wean off this medication.  I will cut it in 1/4's and then go to every other day as soon as I need to.  I don't like taking medications.  
In Jesus, the Reason for the Season,
Rose

[merryBe]

they told me I could just switch from my trazedone to ambien, no problem..

but I broke into tears five times a day for no reason, and after 2 horresndous weeks, it dawned on me that even at the low level I was on my brain was having to readjust to lower seratonin levels or something. They should have warned me of withdrawal, but the doc said nothing.

SO: you can get bad depression coming off of ANY of these type drugs, contrary to what some say.
It all depends on each bodies individual resisliency or ability to restore order.

However, let's not kid ourselves, these drugs are playing with some very powerful chemicals already in our brain, that are very fine tuned and easily disrupted and/or disturbed.

there's a fine line, and HR is right, minimal is better.
(although this week with double dosing INF, I was sorely tempted).
But AD's take weeks to build up, and I only needed temporary aide, so chose to cut my 1 mg Ativans in half....and indulge in a few of those over this most horrendous of weeks.

In any case, for serious depression sometimes something is needed regularly. Especially for those frozen and unable to function.....The question of what varies from person to person and soul to soul.

My first recommendation is prayer and faith in God for those who believe, followed by allowing yourself faith or no faith, permission to have a good cry and a good belly laugh every day. Sometimes trying to pent in stress only increases it, whereas a safety valve, of a good box of klennex can actually do more to relieve tension and rattle nerves better than several pills.

also, try listening to oldies, beautiful soothing music, such as guiitars and flutes, go out and plant some flowers....even in winter...plant bulbs. Find someone else you can help.
Being proactive about your health/sleep/excersise/diet/etc. are all Part of overcoming depression, as is just learning to live, and not focus on what is wrong or what more could go wrong. In other words, part of maintaining mental health is simply mental discipline of pulling oneself back from the precipice of unproductive and/or sorrowful thinking. Not easy, when having a "Job" experience, but needful none the less. Hang in there
MAry

[hippygem]

Thanks for the reply HR.  Ive tried living without ADs, the anxiety just gets to be too much.  I was taking serepax for years which are highly addictive.  I weaned myself off them, taking a half, then quarter, then by skipping days, which I have also done with different ADs over the years.  But I have come to realise that I need to be on something but finding the right one is a pain, being overweight is distressing in its own right without ADs adding to it.
I also am anti psychotropic drugs, dont like them at all, but I dont have a choice. To take 5HTP with Activated B3 is quite costly or anything from a health food shop,  they certainly dont make it easy for us to maintain our health.  Im taking selenium, alpha lipoic acid and milk thistle (hep C complete, product by 'all in one nutrition') and this has helped with my fatigue.
I guess I will just have to play around with different ADs to find the right one.  Im assuming that we all react different to ADs just like we do with interferon (some it works for and some it doesnt).
Anyway, nice to have you here sharing your knowledge, pretty special.

Linda

[Forseegood]

funny, but anti-ds don't agree with me, guess ill have to see if I have a better time with them on treatment, if I need them. But I do believe in them for some people, like my friend Brian. He keeps going off his, and I can tell that he's off of them, in about 2 minutes of speaking with him on the phone (he moved to Utah.) Really, I can tell this edge in his voice and demeanor...like a lot of people, his depression turns into a kind of free-floating anger, and edginess, and he's overly sensitive, getting psst at any little thing, so it feels like youre walking on eggshells talking to him.

When he is on them, he's affable and nice to talk to, for the most part, even if he's troubled about something. He also seems to have more empathy for others. When he's off of them, and consequently depressed, he is all about himself, and can't see out of himself.

I really think some people *need* to be on them. It would be great if they also had the willpower to do other things for their depression, like meditating, cognitive therapy, a host of other things to do, but many people who are depressed just don't have the motivation to do these things, unfortunately. Those that do greatly benefit, from all I know.

I was reading about this woman Iris Chang, she wrote this great book I read, "The Rape of Nanking"...she had low level bi-polar/depression (there are two main kinds, and depression is usually at the forefront of many of these types of things) and she just wouldn't take her meds, because she was so brilliant, she just thought she could willpower herself out of her depression and mental problems.

She would tell her psychiatrist what's what. She was beautiful, highly accomplished and ambitious and exceedingly brilliant, yet she couldn't get a hold of her problems, and she ended up killing herself. They would prescribe her meds, but she wouldn't take them, thinking she's too smart for that. Not to say that's how everybody is going to end up, don't mean that at all....but I do think that some people are over-medicated, yet some people are under-medicated, and it's all about finding that balance individually.

[merryBe]

amen to that, it doesn't do much to be brilliant/unmedicated and 6 ft under....
unless the headstone reads "see, I told you I didn't need any meds".

good that you said this. there's always a down side to the tough it out regime.

[pitter]

thank you all for your comments, to me, and to others on this thread...I read some good stuff here. lots of food for thought. Depression stinks so does hepc..but it really could be worse.
whomever said it...you are right, there is alot we can do for ourselves...it takes work and energy to think better thoughts...and focus on the better things.  IT may be easier to let the meds do the work...but then you get the side effects too..
I may try the ambien to sleep better...I have a script for that ...have to wean off the xanax.
oh what a quandry.
hope everyone is well.
thanks Pitter

[pitter]

thanks for the info on weaning off. WOW you drive a concrete mixer? WOW! kewl!!
Pitter

[JodyLynn]

Yes i sleep better but have to cut them in half they are so strong 100mg....make sure you lay the way you want to wakeup because you dont move all night long lmao.

[JodyLynn]

Does Prozac hurt the liver? i've been on it for 15 years, im on 60 mg a day. I take prozac for my OCD and 100 mg Lamictal for my bipolar....man no wonder i'm so messed up lol.

[merryBe]

some more definitive info here on liver toxic ADs an SSRIs

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=456677

[HangingAround]

Have you ever tried SAMe?  It is said to be a liver detoxifier and antidepressant, and it worked well when I took it recently. It had the ability to completely change my outlook from "in bed for the day" to able to get on with the day, in a good mood, to boot, in the 2 hours or so it would take to kick in.  It is enteric coated, and this is a possible down side in that it gives some, including me, stomach cramps.  But  it really worked well, and it's effects have lasted after stopping it.  And I lost weight too!  I also took an anti-parasite herb formula during this time which may have contributed to the weight loss.  Good Luck with this!

[pitter]

HI, I just happened on reading this after sooo long!!!
so you liked Sam E? can you elaborate a little on that? the liver part too? tanky you
Pitter