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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 IAMtheWalrus on June 20, 2008, at 19:16:07
My Pdoc just put me on 150mgs. of Trazodone for insomnia..regular sleep aids (Ambien, Lunesta)don't work for me. My question is will Trazodone at this dose help with depression? Any comments, etc. are very much appreciated.
-W
Posted by Crotale on June 20, 2008, at 19:40:18
In reply to Trazodone as an antidepressant, posted by IAMtheWalrus on June 20, 2008, at 19:16:07
> My Pdoc just put me on 150mgs. of Trazodone for insomnia..regular sleep aids (Ambien, Lunesta)don't work for me. My question is will Trazodone at this dose help with depression?
Hi, Walrus.
150mg is a pretty high starting dose of trazodone for insomnia. This is quite a sedating med, and you may find that only 50 or 75mg works for you.
That said, trazodone as an antidepressant does not have that great a reputation. The doses required tend to be up in the 400mg range, at which it tends to be too sedating for most people.
But good luck to you!
Posted by Phillipa on June 21, 2008, at 11:16:14
In reply to Re: Trazodone as an antidepressant, posted by Crotale on June 20, 2008, at 19:40:18
I've heard the same thing. Why trazadone? Love Phillipa
Posted by IAMtheWalrus on June 21, 2008, at 13:17:26
In reply to Re: Trazodone as an antidepressant, posted by Phillipa on June 21, 2008, at 11:16:14
> I've heard the same thing. Why trazadone? Love Phillipa
It was prescribed for insomnia, but i've read on this website some people getting excellent AD affects from it also.
-W
Posted by Amigan on June 24, 2008, at 14:12:12
In reply to Trazodone as an antidepressant, posted by IAMtheWalrus on June 20, 2008, at 19:16:07
I read that it's a 5-HT1a antagonist, among other things. I'm not an expert, but is this a good thing for depression?
Posted by yxibow on June 24, 2008, at 19:27:16
In reply to Re: Trazodone as an antidepressant, posted by Amigan on June 24, 2008, at 14:12:12
> I read that it's a 5-HT1a antagonist, among other things. I'm not an expert, but is this a good thing for depression?
It works in somewhat a similar way as its chemical cousin and less sedating, Serzone [nefazodone] (which is a choice if you monitor your liver as it its now known to have some significant issues there), and Remeron at high doses (30+mg usually).
It forms a blockade, like atypical antipsychotics, without the Dx, so it works differenly than SSRIs but may accomplish similar functions in some individuals.
However, Trazodone has two things against it -- first you really have to get beyond 150mg to get any serotonergic effect from it, and the average adult can't stand that dose for very long, it is extraordinarily sedating, which is why it is used as an off label sedative.(Eventually one can become used to the sedating effect of Trazodone and has to backpeddle which is one reason to start less than 150mg unless one is a high metabolizer) So this "used to" factor may possibly make a certain population respond to a very old antidepressant, but it would take a long time to get used to the sedation.
Also it has a metabolite, mCPP, that normally doesn't really have much effect at 50-150mg, but in individuals rather predisposed to psychosis, it can aggravate it.
-- tidings
This is the end of the thread.
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