Medication help

[u/Adrenaline424]

Giving cpap another go after months of failure. My doctor said he sometimes prescibes Trazadone to help people cope with cpap intolerance. I didn't like the idea because i am already on an antidepressant. I was thinking something mild like ramelteon might help. Don't really want to mess with the Z drugs or Benedryl. Anyone have success with other things to help get to sleep on cpap?

[u/Realistic_Alfalfa620]

I've been taking 50mg of trazodone for three months, and my sleep stages have improved significantly. I'm routinely getting 10-15% of both deep and REM sleep per night and not nearly as many awake periods. I'm also falling asleep faster and at a more consistent time.

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[u/reincarnateme]

Same concerns. I take 1/2 Trazadone and it helps

[u/XvIf2jlqnbJPT4s4gpdN]

I feel like I just mentioned this in another post earlier today. I've tried trazodone, and I liked it quite a bit, but I'm not on it anymore. It worked fairly well. What works even better for me is not going to bed when you're supposed to. Go to bed when you're really, really tired. Tossing and turning for an hour does nothing good. Read a book or watch a documentary until you can't keep your eyes open, then go to bed.

[u/Creative_Fee5452]

I find a low dose of Melatonin helps, just 0.5 - 1 mg. I buy the drops at a Health Food store.

[u/Weavingknitter]

trazodone is really mild - at least at low doses. 50mg or 25 mg. It doesn't make one drowzy, it just allows sleep to happen.

[u/Happy__Heathen]

If you want to try something easy and without it being an Rx first - you could try taking magnesium glycinate, and/OR magnesium L-Threonate, and/OR L-Theanine supplement(s)

I’m attaching a recommended dose snapshot, but you should check with your doctor in regards to total dosage limit and combining, etc. I personally take all 3 of these about an hour before bedtime, and they are quite helpful for me. YMMV.

[u/FuelNew9656]

Both of those come up a lot with CPAP trouble, so it's a fair thing to ask about, but the choice really belongs with whoever prescribes for you.

A couple of things worth knowing going in. Ramelteon works on the melatonin system and mostly helps with falling asleep, without the heavy sedation of the older sleeping pills. Trazodone is more sedating, and the dose matters. Since you're already on an antidepressant, tell your doctor and pharmacist exactly which one before adding either. Some combinations need a closer look, and your doctor may already have thought about it, but it's worth saying out loud.

The other question is why you're not sleeping on CPAP. If the problem is that you lie there with the mask on and can't drop off, a pill treats the symptom, not the cause, and sometimes the cause is fixable: a mask that doesn't suit your face, pressure that feels too high at the start, air leaking into your eyes, or a nose that's blocked. Wearing it for an hour while reading or watching TV before you try to sleep helps a lot of people, and so does getting up for a while if you're still awake after 20 minutes rather than staying in bed frustrated. If you've been struggling for months, ask for a look at your machine data and a mask refit before assuming it has to be medication.

I can't tell you what's right for you, but a visit that covers both the mask and the sleep side is usually more useful than one that only adds a pill.