Posted by King Vultan on May 7, 2004, at 8:22:32
In reply to How sedating is Trazadone, posted by 1980Monroe on May 6, 2004, at 23:31:11
> I've heard the first time you take it, it produces a sedative effect, is this true?
>
> Can you have a dosage where you only take it at night?
>
> Is it the most sedating AD outthere? Please just give me some general info on how it works. THanks
Trazodone is classified as tricyclic-like, but it actually has a very different structure from a true tricyclic like amitriptyline or desipramine. Its closest relative in terms of structure and pharmacological profile is Serzone (nefazodone), but trazodone is noticeably more sedating and is probably not as effective an antidepressant. The sedation was a major drawback in using trazodone as an antidepressant back in the 80's as an alternative to the tricyclics, and when Prozac came out, trazodone was one of the first ADs to be dropped in favor of it.It did find a niche as a sleeping aid, however, as it has a relatively short half and is considered to be very sedating. In "Psychotropic Drugs", it is one of four ADs listed as +++ for sedation, the maximum in their subjective rating scale. These four drugs and their half lives are
-------------Sedation----Half life (hr)
Trazodone......+++...........4-9
Amitripytline..+++.........31-46
Doxepin........+++..........8-24
Remeron........+++...........35Maprotiline (Ludiomil), imipramine, and nortriptyline are all listed as ++ for sedation.
Trazodone is a generic med that is relatively cheap and one that I've tried for my MAOI insomnia. While it did induce sleep for me at the 25-50 mg/night I tried it at (my doctor said I could go up to 100--I've heard of an upper limit for sleep of perhaps 150-200), the stuff did not agree with me and made me feel sluggish, out of sorts, and mildly depressed the next day. Apparently, I am in a minority, though, and most people have better success with it.
Todd
poster:King Vultan
thread:344210
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040505/msgs/344328.html