Ambien or trazodone

[NewMeds2Often]

Hi my doctor gave me a prescription for both Ambien 10mg and Trazodone 50mg. She said I can take both if I want to, to help me sleep at night. Im not sure if I want to take any of it because Im the one person who most like have some type of side affects to medication. My question is, has anyone taken these before and had any major issues with them? Thank you in advance.

[livia1881]

I have taken ambien at the same doseage. Then I started taking clonazepam. Before I began the clonazepam the ambien was very effective, but after I started the clonazepam the ambien was worthless. I think that is because the two classes of drugs share cross-tolerance. I have been curious about trazadone as a sleep aid since I have a hard time falling asleep most of the time. I am ok once I fall asleep and I sleep through the night but falling asleep can take me half the night w/o any meds to make me drowsy. My doctor offered me seroquel to help with sleep and altough it is supposedly a knock you out type of med I have refused it because I don't want to take any anti-psychotic drug  for insomnia as that class of drugs comes with a whole lot of side effects. Please do post what your results are with the trazadone as I am curious about that one.

[sick and tired 47]

Hi All! I took ambien a long time ago, made me sleep but terrible headaches!!
Last year I briefly tried trazadone. I guess I am just super sensitive but I tried 25 mg and I was extemely dizzy, felt drugged the next til noon. At my pcp's advice I tried for a week, sometime sleeping but still did not like the effect.
I have found natural things to work better for me.
Have you tried melatonin?? How about l -theanine , chamomille,5 HTP , valerian or such?? Try one at a time, not all together but just som.e ideas to start with.
For me l-theanine works best, 100 mg at night and sometimes 1/4 pill of melatonin. Please talk to your dr first before trying them or combining anything.
Good luck to you

[K47B]

Hi.  I have had insomnia for some time now...about 5 years.  I started using Trazadone and it worked for a while, then have been through the ringer with every other possible medication since then.  Here's from my experience..

Trazadone is much safer to take long-term.  It doesn't have as many side effects and isn't technically addictive - meaning if you stop at least you won't have bad withdraw symptoms.  ALL benzodiazapenes (Ativan, xanax, clonapin) are very addictive, and if you take them every day and then stop you WILL go through withdrawls - which can be extremely uncomfortable.  I had to go to an inpatient hospital program for a week to stop Xanax.
I wish that Trazodone had kept working for me, but at least it wasn't hard to stop.  The only real side effect I had from it is fatigue - and if you get up in the night, you might be dizzy and could faint or run into something.  Watch your blood pressure...use salt if it gets too low.
Ambien...I hate it.  It usually works, but can cause REALLY strange side effects, like getting up and eating and not even remembering you got up.  I have had several injuries that I don't even know how I got while on Ambien.  If you do take it...the XR one works better.  If you have someone to watch you and make sure you don't get up and run around at night, it's ok...but it will not work long-term.   The last time I took it, I woke up with 2 fractured ribs.

If I were you - I'd skip the Ambien or only use it occasionally.  It shouldn't hurt too much to combine Ambien, Trazodone, and/or Ativan - except REALLY strong sedation, and you could injure yourself.  I'd start with the Trazodone alone and see if it works for you, if you think you will need something long-term it's the only one that won't put you on a roller-coaster ride of ups and downs, withdrawls, etc.
Good luck

--K

[K47B]

p.s. - I take Seroquel now.  If trazodone doesn't work for you, you could try a low dose of that instead.  

[Dalubaba]

I started with 0.25 Mg.of Alprozalam (Restyl) in 1991 and now I am taking 1.00 Mg. with  this dosage  after 18 yrs. I get 5 hour's sleep. I am trying to reduce the dosage by tapering off. I am not successful so far.I am 79. I am deaf since last few yrs and I have failin vision b/o ARMD.
I feel tightness in my feet since last 4yrs.No dignosis is arrived at.Can it be because of long term use of alprozalm. I understand it give constipation as well.Any suggestion?

[Dalubaba]

I started with 0.25 Mg.of Alprozalam (Restyl) in 1991 and now I am taking 1.00 Mg. with  this dosage  after 18 yrs. I get 5 hour's sleep. I am trying to reduce the dosage by tapering off. I am not successful so far.I am 79. I am deaf since last few yrs and I have failin vision b/o ARMD.
I feel tightness in my feet since last 4yrs.No dignosis is arrived at.Can it be because of long term use of alprozalm. I understand it give constipation as well.Any suggestion?

[choo_choo]

I've taken both.  I didn't like either of them.  The Trazedone would make me fall asleep, then 30 or so minutes later I'd wake up feeling like I couldn't breathe...then I'd fall asleep again and wake up feeling like I couldn't breathe...etc until it wore off.  It didn't matter what the dose was, the same thing would always happen.  I was perfectly fine the next day.  The Ambien CR was better during the night, but I'd wake up in the morning and do some rather complex tasks, such as eat breakfast, have a conversation then check my email and not have recollection of any of it.  It was kind of creepy.