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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Manda on May 14, 2002, at 11:54:38
My pdoc put me on Trazodone (sp?) for insomnia. I've taken it approx. 5 times, but every time I am insanely tired/groggy/lethargic (I don't even know how to describe it, really- it's like every muscle in my body has decided to rebel- hurting and tired- and my brain is asleep too, but I don't feel well and I can't actually get to sleep if I try to nap). I've had similar feelings with other sleeping pills, but this is seriously 100x worse. I don't even wake up enough to make sense for a good three or four hours after getting out of bed. Does this go away or get better if I take it more, or should I just give up on this one? Anyone else had such severe problems the next day?
-Manda
P.S. I can't remember the dosage, but my pdoc told me to take 1/2 at the beginning and then 1 or 2. All but one night I've only taken 1/2, so I can't decrease dosage.
Posted by mair on May 14, 2002, at 13:50:59
In reply to Trazodone is knocking me flat for over 24 hours, posted by Manda on May 14, 2002, at 11:54:38
Manda
I've had trazadone prescriptions a couple of different times, and I always had the kind of reaction you're describing. In fact if I had remembered how I felt after the first go around, I would never have agreed to take it when it was recommended some years later. At first, it helped me get to sleep, but did nothing to keep me from waking up 2 or 3 hours later. It always left me feeling over-medicated but not necessarily able to sleep. I'm not familiar with your drug history. I take klonopin as an alternative, and it's really been a wonderful drug for me anyway. I find it to be gentler, and longer acting. I know some people have complained that you have to keep increasing the dosage for it to work, but that has not been my experience. When things are tougher for me, I might up the dosage for a week or so, but I'm careful to bring it back down as soon as I've reestablished a better sleep pattern.
Mair
PS - maybe the trazadone is hitting you so hard because of other drugs you're taking. IMO taking it with xanax, for instance, gave me more sedating side effects.
Posted by mair on May 14, 2002, at 14:12:38
In reply to Trazodone is knocking me flat for over 24 hours, posted by Manda on May 14, 2002, at 11:54:38
Manda - I just read Squiggles thread up above on klonopin, and thought I should add something here. I take it at much lower levels that the 1.0 mg reported there. I take a nightly does of .25 most of the time, and generally no more that .50. I've maybe taken more than that on isolated ocassions. I have worried about addiction and have spoken both to my ex-pdoc and internist about it. They have assured me that while I may have a real psychological dependency on it, at my current dosing, the dependency is not physical. I'm sure about the psych. dependency. I rarely dare try to go to bed without it although I've forgotten a few times and have done ok. But sleep is extremely important to my mental state so I've just decided not to worry about whether I may have to take this drug forever. I feel fortunate to have something that works for me this well - I'm not about to look a gift horse..."
Mair
Posted by katekite on May 14, 2002, at 14:37:33
In reply to Trazodone is knocking me flat for over 24 hours, posted by Manda on May 14, 2002, at 11:54:38
Posted by johnj on May 16, 2002, at 14:44:21
In reply to an added thought Manda, posted by mair on May 14, 2002, at 14:12:38
Does the klonopin make your depression worse? I really need something to help me sleep. I don't think my pdoc is looking into the anxiety aspect of my depression enough. Does the klonopin have any other side effects? thank you
johnj
Posted by Mair on May 16, 2002, at 22:03:07
In reply to Re: an added thought (MAIR), posted by johnj on May 16, 2002, at 14:44:21
Johnj - I'm probably the last person to be answering your questions. I'm not very knowledgeable about meds and i only know what works for me. If you look in the archives you'll probably see lots of klonopin horror stories, but it's been a great drug for me. Sleep is pretty critical for my mental health. It can sometimes be precarious under the best of circumstances. With little sleep it's pretty much a given that I'll deteriorate fast. I've taken trazadone and ambien for sleep and didn't like either one. Trazadone wore out in the middle of the night and both drugs made me feel over medicated during the day. Klonopin really just relaxes and calms me enough so I can sleep fairly naturally and I rarely wake up in the middle of the night anymore, because it has a longer life. I take a pretty low dose, between .25 and .5 mgs a night and if i have to go higher than that, I'm careful to bring it back down again once I've reestablished a good sleep pattern. If I'm really having a tough time getting to sleep because I'm too anxious or just ruminating too much, I'll add some xanax, but that tends to make me feel crummy the next morning, so I prefer just raising my klonopin dose a little. I'm sure there are all kinds of side effects, but i'm aware of none that have affected me at the low dosage I'm able to take. I think addiction can be a problem and I've read i think that getting off the drug can be hard, but I've been told, anyway, that this shouldn't be an issue, at again the low doses I use.
I'm not so worried about having to get off the drug - I'm pretty much on the ADs for life plan anyway, and as long as klonopin continues to work, i consider it to be far preferable to interrupted sleep. ADs can interfere with sleep patterns and my primary AD, wellbutrin, can be activating.
I think it's worth talking to your pdoc about this. Keep me posted
Mair
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