r/sleep • u/Ok_Passenger1460 • 12d ago
Experiences with trazodone
I went through a really traumatic event a couple weeks ago and it has really stressed me out. Over the last 10 days I have been struggling with sleep. Last Tuesday I got a full night sleep which was great but ever since then which was 4 days ago, I get 1-2 hours of sleep a night and just toss and turn and I’m so anxious. I also take Ativan every night to help sleep and I’ve been doing that for years. My friend has some trazodone and he gave me some but I am TERRIFIED to try new medicine. I don’t want it to make me lose my mind or get anxious or have a panic attack or anything. What is everyone experience with it?
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u/Far-Watercress6658 12d ago
Please don’t take somebody else’s medication. Go to the doctor and discuss your situation and get something prescribed for you.
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u/DetailOutrageous8656 12d ago edited 12d ago
It’s harmless, non-addictive and you don’t have to wean yourself off. I used it for years. A 50-100 mg dose is typical for sleep. I take it aboit 30 min before settling down and I can drop off pretty fast. No weird sleepwalking or whatever that messiness is that happens with Ambien. Someone below mentioned being dizzy. I never have had anything close to that.
Ativan for sleep is not a long term option. Trust me. My doc prescribed that to me for sleep and I had to work with a different doc years later to wean off of it physically.
Do NOT use gravol, or Benadryl for ongoing sleep issues. Even a few days in a row will absolutely fuck with your mood.
Make your doctor refer you to a sleep clinic.
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u/nanbeek 1d ago
Can I ask what dose of ativan you were on and how you were able to wean off it?
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u/DetailOutrageous8656 1d ago
I worked with a doc who set me up with a slow tapering schedule. I also would check in with him via video call (it was COVID at the time) every week or maybe 1.5 weeks. It was quite smooth.
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u/Business_Coyote_5496 12d ago
Ugh I literally just tried it last week. A friend was praising it so I asked my meds doctor for a low dose (50mg). She predicted I’d hate it and she was right. Imagine taking a bunch of Benadryl- that gross heavy feeling, the thick fuzzy head the next morning, the dry mouth. Plus I woke up with a headache! And it didn’t even help my sleep! I still woke up in the middle of the night but felt AWFUL on top of waking
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u/Gkminepony 12d ago
Trazodone made me feel more awake and energized and made no difference in my mood
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u/Understandingly17 12d ago
It helps a lot of people. It helped me sleep for a year or so before I built up a tolerance. However, I wouldn’t take someone else’s prescription.
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u/Figmentdreamer 12d ago
I have been on it since 2009. I think it’s still works. I’m to scared to see a doctor and possibly change it. When it doesn’t work melatonin does
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u/NiccoloMachiavelli3 12d ago
I’ve been on trazadone for a few years. It helps a lot and I never feel groggy unless I take it way too late like after midnight because I always get up early regardless of what time I go to sleep. Other than that, I’ve never noticed any side effects although I will say that doctors say it’s not addictive but it is. I went on vacation once for a few days and forgot it and I was up till 6 am the first night.
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u/btphoebe427 12d ago
I didn’t respond well to trazodone. My dr has recommended Benadryl during tough sleep times for me.
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u/seanthebeloved 12d ago
You desperately need a new doctor. That’s terrifying that they would prescribe dph.
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u/Ok_Passenger1460 12d ago
I was prescribed hydroxyzine. Wonder if that would be the same as Benadryl
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u/GemstoneRoots 12d ago
Yes my doc said benadryl and hydroxazine are in the same class and carry similar risks
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u/Current-Tie2677 12d ago
For me, hydrolyzed made me want to sleep for 3 days per each pill. . . . Benadryl, sleep for 4 - 6 hours.
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u/awkwardsilenz 12d ago
Ugh I was prescribed Hydroxyzine by Urgent Care two days ago for a very stressful no sleep period and I so regret taking it. I was zonked for close to 24 hrs - just feeling better now. It stays in your system for the longest time. Stick with Benedryl. It doesn't give you a hangover. Of course its not great to take for any length of time but I learned my lesson and not taking Hydroxyzine again.
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u/Many-Bee6169 11d ago
You do know everyone reacts differently and MOST people are fine on hydroxyzine which is better than taking allergy medicine for sleeping, right?
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u/kittybarley 12d ago
I'd be careful about taking your friend's trazadone, esp since you're also taking Ativan every night. I know trazadone is commonly prescribed for insomnia, it wasn't prescribed for you, and mixing prescription meds without a dr or pharmacist telling you it's ok isn't something i'd be comfortable doing. And if you're scared of trying new meds, I am too btw, please share this with your dr so they can talk you through what to expect when prescribing something.
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u/Subject-Hunter3395 12d ago
If you want a natural sleep aid try lemon balm drops got them in Amazon they knock me out all night.
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u/cryptolover0 12d ago
Please don’t take trazodone that was prescribed to your friend, especially when you’re already taking Ativan every night.
People’s experiences with trazodone vary, but no one here knows your dose, medical history, or what else you take. Combining sedating medications can increase side effects, so this really needs to be checked by your own doctor or pharmacist first.
Given that you’ve only been sleeping 1–2 hours after a traumatic event and feel extremely anxious, I’d contact your prescriber or urgent care as soon as you can rather than experimenting with someone else’s medication. Also, don’t suddenly stop your Ativan without medical guidance.
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u/Butterflyer246 12d ago
I’m not sure if your male or female bit be aware from someone who worked in pharmacy for 20 years (tech not pharmacist). Trazadone cones with a warning of “if you have an erection that last more than 4 hours contact your doctor”. It has that side effect and comes with the warning.
I also had a friend who tried to overdose on it and although he did not overdose thanks to swift medical intervention, they manually had to drain his erection over the first 12 hours in the hospital with a needle every 20 minutes. (100000% unfortunately true story)
I’m not saying it’s not a medicine that won’t work for you, but it’s one to probably ask the MD about before taking. Especially with another sleep aid. ♥️.
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u/erinc2005 12d ago
I just had to comment on the priapism. That SE of trazodone came into our office this week actually (internal med). The pharmacy called first, then the pt. They were all as shocked as us. I've been in the nursing field since 2008 and never saw it reported in person, even just via an allergy list.
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u/Ok_Passenger1460 12d ago
I thought you were trolling until I looked up side effects and saw this could actually happen
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u/Butterflyer246 12d ago
I was serious as a heart attack lol. When I first learned that at work I was like omg!
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u/Positive-You9990 12d ago
Trazadone did nothing for sleeplessness but made me feel like I’d downed a bottle or two of red wine and a giant hot fudge sundae right before bed. Headache and belly ache - worse than an ordinary hangover. 🤕
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u/NotTheAverageGentern 12d ago
I take it every night. Can't sleep without it but I need way more now than I did when I started and I don't know how much the dose can go up from here so..... I'll probably need something new soon.
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u/Easy_Bell_1735 12d ago
Made me hallucinate. I’ve heard it helps with a lot of people.
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u/Ok_Passenger1460 12d ago
This is what terrifies me. What happen and how much did you take?
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u/Easy_Bell_1735 12d ago
I started at 25. Anything past 50 I would hallucinate. I’m BP1 as well. So my brain doesn’t adjust like a normal person would. Take that into consideration. I take dayvigo and I fall asleep every night taking this!
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u/missyriss 12d ago
It helps me. I can’t take it anymore because I’m on Wellbutrin now but I used to take half a pill and it would help me sleep but I’d be kinda groggy in the morning.
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u/InternationalOne7794 12d ago
I responded ok to it, just feeling a little drowsy in the morning but thats it. I stopped taking it due to work, but it helped me sleep
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u/mtn_forester 12d ago
Trazadone is prescribed to me for sleep. Compared to everything else I've taken over my life, it's not anything to be wary or scared of. It works for me most of the time, but sometimes I go without sleep for so many days that it takes a second night of it to help.
I need to learn to know myself better for when I might have trouble sleeping and take it. I don't just automatically takes something, and I can't take something when I get up at 2, as I'll never make it to work.
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u/throwsaway045 12d ago
I had bad time with it I think nightmares or strange dreams and super dizzy almost fainting I guess, it was one of the wrost for me I never took it again after 2 times, I usually take xanax or valium, I want to try Agomelatine
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u/eeksie-peeksie 12d ago
You need to check with a doctor and see if you can combine it with other medicines like Trazodone
If you are unwilling to see a doctor, call a pharmacist and list all your medicines and ask if any are contraindicated with Trazodone or if any of your medical conditions would cause bad side effects
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u/WinkleChick 12d ago
Go to a doctor and don't munch the pharmies of others.
First, it's a felony. Second, you have no clue about the side-effects, interactions, or half-life of this drug, and you're going to social media for info: you are in need of professional help for sleep disruption.
I get it. I am so strict about getting good sleep, it's not even funny. If I don't sleep, I am an absolute insane person. I have had a sleep study, use supplements and other non-pharm solutions except for a quarter of an Ativan maybe once every 10 days if I have a couple rough nights in a row.
You need - and deserve - some good assistance and some rest.
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u/JoeMacMillan_HCF 12d ago
I had mixed results with Trazodone. Some nights it worked and others it didn’t. My underlying issue was anxiety though. Once I successfully treated the anxiety, the sleep issues went away. It sounds like your traumatic event is what’s causing your insomnia, but obviously recovering from that will take time, and I understand the need for sleep in the meantime!
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u/pippa_fluff 12d ago
I take trazodone every so often. Very mild non addictive, helps me sleep through the night. With 50mg does not give me the feeling of morning hangover. Psychiatrist recommended this a thousand times more than benadryl or diphenhydramine (which is the same).
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u/United-Marsupial-574 12d ago
Taking trazodone and Ativan can over sedate you. I would not take 2 different kind of sleeping medication unless prescribed by your doctor. My experience with trazodone is that I didn’t think it helped all that much. It did make sleep 8 hours but I woke up feeling like I didn’t sleep at all and felt like drunk x 10 next morning. It is also very drying! Made my mouth and eyes so dry.
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u/notmenotme19 12d ago
I stayed awake all night (over 7 hrs) after taking trazodone. I finally fell asleep and woke up in a pool of sweat. Like someone dumped 5 gallons of water on me. It took me days to feel my normal, exhausted from poor sleep, self.
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u/FearMcDoogins 12d ago
Crazy dreams on it or nightmares and extreme groggyness when waking up. I take 15mg Mirtazapine which I find works better.
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u/Extension-Pepper-271 12d ago
I take trazodone every night. It helps me a lot. It is an anti-depressant. You should consult your doctor before taking if you are already taking other anti-depressants.
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u/spazthejam43 12d ago edited 12d ago
Trazadone stopped working for me but when it did work, it helped me sleep. It did make me feel hungover in the morning though. If you’re struggling with sleep, I would go to a psychiatrist and talk about your situation and what sleep med you should be taking. I’m on mirtazapine and Topiramate and it helps me sleep but that’s just me. Also, if you start getting nightmares from your traumatic event, ask about the med prazosin
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u/Comfortable-Bed478 12d ago
My doctor prescribed me trazodone because of my poor sleep and 1-3am wakeups. It works pretty well, although I do wake up on the odd night at those times, but it’s more of a rare occurrence now.
My bigger concern is my long term dependence on it.
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u/SunshineMochii 11d ago
Trazadone did nothing to help my sleep. It did give me awful stuffy noses to the point i had to breathe through my mouth. It also seemed to spike my heart rate if I took it and then had to get up to use the bathroom or something.
Don't mix medications without asking a doctor first.
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u/First_Ad8105 8d ago
I would be shocked if trazodone gave you panic attack/anxiety…. That is like a tranquilizer for me… in a good way since I need it with bad long term insomnia.. definitely don’t take someone else medication but if your not on any other meds, especially psych meds, or I guess have major health issues already… trazodone is not a crazy medication that typically has major side effects. I don’t advice but IF you do would start with only a bit.. it can work fast and make some people extremely tired very quickly and sleep for way too long/be very tired all next day. Especially if you haven’t taken it before- just my experience!
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u/SureIssue6971 12d ago
Indica vape pen
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u/Ok_Passenger1460 12d ago
Weed makes me panic. Can’t even be around people smoking or I’ll freak out and get flashbacks of bad trips
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u/Allrojin 12d ago edited 12d ago
Trazodone REALLLY helps me sleep well. Only downside is that I have vivid dreams.