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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 15 of 15. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by X-ray on October 1, 2009, at 6:18:26
Hi,
I sleep well on 50 mg of Elavil.
What would be the equivalent dose of trazodone?
Best regards,
X-ray
Posted by Sunbath on October 1, 2009, at 9:12:19
In reply to 50 mg Elavil = x mg trazodone, posted by X-ray on October 1, 2009, at 6:18:26
Hi x-ray, just my opinion:
I don't think it's easy to compare since trazodones antihistaminergic activity isn't anywhere near amitriptylines. Its sedative properties aren't mediated by h1 antagonism. There are even ppl who don't get sedated at all ( I know a few ).
Maybe a good starting dose when you are accustomed to 50mg amitriptyline would be 50-100mg. Just a guess.. I combined the two.. was taking 20mg amitriptyline + 150mg trazodone extended release for a week.Good luck!!
Posted by Rauter on October 1, 2009, at 9:28:46
In reply to Re: 50 mg Elavil = x mg trazodone, posted by Sunbath on October 1, 2009, at 9:12:19
Hi sunbath,
Are you male or female? I am asking this question because Trazodone is a med that is associated with priapism. I thought docs do not prescribe doses higher than 100mg to male patients.
Posted by Sunbath on October 1, 2009, at 9:50:47
In reply to Re: 50 mg Elavil = x mg trazodone » Sunbath, posted by Rauter on October 1, 2009, at 9:28:46
Hi Rauter,
I'm male.. but I was talking about the xr version.. anyhow my doc would let me go up as high as 300mg/night if necessary. Never had a problem with priapism thankfully!
Posted by Phillipa on October 1, 2009, at 11:47:45
In reply to Re: 50 mg Elavil = x mg trazodone » Rauter, posted by Sunbath on October 1, 2009, at 9:50:47
Another dumb question of mine how do you compare trazadone to a TCA elavil and would elavil be comsidered a upper and downers as many years ago was given a TCA and don't remember the name but doc said upper downer. A 40 year mystery. Anyway it made me totally hysterical with anxiety whatever the name. Thanks Phillipa
Posted by X-ray on October 1, 2009, at 13:32:40
In reply to Re: 50 mg Elavil = x mg trazodone, posted by Sunbath on October 1, 2009, at 9:12:19
Hi Sunbath,
Thanks for your reply!
Actually, I've been on trazodone for two nights half a year ago.
I only slept for a couple of hours on 50 mg of this drug.
So I increased the dosage to 100 mg.
The result: I was knocked out.But I might give this medicine a second chance.
Next time I will try 75 mg.Best regards,
X-ray
Posted by linkadge on October 1, 2009, at 18:37:22
In reply to Re: 50 mg Elavil = x mg trazodone, Sunbath, posted by X-ray on October 1, 2009, at 13:32:40
For me, there was no comparison. Elavil helps me get solid unbroken sleep whereas trazodone much less so. I notice I wake up often with trazodone. Perhaps it is the metabolite mcpp reversing some of the 5-ht2a/c blockade.
Linkadge
Posted by bleauberry on October 1, 2009, at 19:33:55
In reply to 50 mg Elavil = x mg trazodone, posted by X-ray on October 1, 2009, at 6:18:26
I think only on a rare day could Trazodone stand up to Elavil in any manner. No comparison.
My two cents. If it were my two hundred dollars instead, I would put it all on Elavil in an Elavil vs Traz shootout on any particular symptom.
Posted by yxibow on October 2, 2009, at 23:31:08
In reply to Re: 50 mg Elavil = x mg trazodone » Rauter, posted by Sunbath on October 1, 2009, at 9:50:47
> Hi Rauter,
> I'm male.. but I was talking about the xr version.. anyhow my doc would let me go up as high as 300mg/night if necessary. Never had a problem with priapism thankfully!
>There is no extended release of trazodone in the US -- an assortment of European countries have one.
Its too old of a drug to bother to re-release (although they did it with Xanax *mind boggle*)
I personally only have experience with trazodone and amitriptyline.
When I was younger I had two sub-clinical priapisms.... ah, well we're mostly adults here, right ?... anyhow, um, it was solved by yup, standing on my head.
And between that I was switched to doxepin which knocked me off my *ss for a weekend (fortunately).
Doxepin does nothing for me now... in about a few days I'm used to it. It is however good for people who wake up multiple times, because it helps (some) people go to sleep again.
10 mgs of amitriptyline though if it doesn't clash with medications, I would recommend. It doesn't have such a short period of usefulness.
Trazodone, for me anyhow, besides being potentially dangerous the morning after with unexpected hangovers (I dont think its the mCPP, which only affects people who have serious psychotic conditions), is just plain yucky, fainting making, and is an agent that creeps up on me very fast -- 50 becomes 75 becomes 100 becomes 150mgs... and soon I have to reset.
Doxylamine succinate (Unisom doxylamine) is another choice, 25-75 (lower the better) mgs.
Just remember with any TCA to be careful -- I don't want to elicit anything but there isnt much of an antidote, they have properties that can be compared to barbiturates,
-- tidings
Posted by Sunbath on October 3, 2009, at 2:21:46
In reply to Re: 50 mg Elavil = x mg trazodone » Sunbath, posted by yxibow on October 2, 2009, at 23:31:08
Hi,
in my country the xr version is the only one available..
However the reason why I wanted to switch to something else initially was a slight hangover and the metabolism to mCPP. I thought it might increase daytime anxiety a bit. Of course it's just a theory and the increase in daytime anxiety by trazodone is far from excessive (I don't even know it for sure), but I wondered if there was a better medication to put me to sleep.
I also couldn't find anything about how much mCPP is formed in vivo. Does anyone of you know something about that?
The bad thing for me is that I'm so dependent on trazodone that I wasn't able to reduce my dose below 125mg, even when adding 30mg of amitriptyline (still woke up far too often).Concerning the dose increases you mentioned yxibow: Everytime I started taking trazodone again tolerance to the sedative effects would build up really fast as you described. But there would be a level where it didn't increase any further and would stay very useful for years (now my 3rd year or something taking it contionousely). For me this dose is around 150mg.
One very good aspect of trazodone is the lack of weight gain. Do you know any other "non addicting" sleep aid that comes without marked weight gain?
BTW: I found the hangover WAY worse with both doxepine AND amitriptyline, but it was a better feeling (with ami at least).
So, when there was a chance of not gaining much weight on 30-50mg amitriptyline, I'd still like to switch from trazodone!
Good luck to you X-ray, please tell me how your trazodone trial is going and what's the reason(s) for you to switch.
Posted by ColoradoSnowflake on October 3, 2009, at 13:39:23
In reply to Re: 50 mg Elavil = x mg trazodone, posted by Sunbath on October 3, 2009, at 2:21:46
> Hi,
>
> in my country the xr version is the only one available..
> However the reason why I wanted to switch to something else initially was a slight hangover and the metabolism to mCPP. I thought it might increase daytime anxiety a bit. Of course it's just a theory and the increase in daytime anxiety by trazodone is far from excessive (I don't even know it for sure), but I wondered if there was a better medication to put me to sleep.
> I also couldn't find anything about how much mCPP is formed in vivo. Does anyone of you know something about that?
> The bad thing for me is that I'm so dependent on trazodone that I wasn't able to reduce my dose below 125mg, even when adding 30mg of amitriptyline (still woke up far too often).
>
> Concerning the dose increases you mentioned yxibow: Everytime I started taking trazodone again tolerance to the sedative effects would build up really fast as you described. But there would be a level where it didn't increase any further and would stay very useful for years (now my 3rd year or something taking it contionousely). For me this dose is around 150mg.
>
> One very good aspect of trazodone is the lack of weight gain. Do you know any other "non addicting" sleep aid that comes without marked weight gain?
>
> BTW: I found the hangover WAY worse with both doxepine AND amitriptyline, but it was a better feeling (with ami at least).
>
> So, when there was a chance of not gaining much weight on 30-50mg amitriptyline, I'd still like to switch from trazodone!
>
>
> Good luck to you X-ray, please tell me how your trazodone trial is going and what's the reason(s) for you to switch.Sunbath:
I am a dummy about all the chemical/brain reactions that some of you know about! So I can't respond to any of that.
I noticed you were afraid of weight gain. For me, Parnate makes the TCA's amytript and nortrip. work differently in my body. The TCA's used to make me so TERRIBLY hungry I could hardly stand it. I felt almost crazy I was so hungry,...especially on Nortript. But with Parnate, they don't make me hungry at all. It's such a relief!
Trazadone knocks me out so I don't know much about it.Best
Gayle
Posted by yxibow on October 4, 2009, at 5:31:05
In reply to Re: 50 mg Elavil = x mg trazodone » Sunbath, posted by ColoradoSnowflake on October 3, 2009, at 13:39:23
noticed you were afraid of weight gain. For me, Parnate makes the TCA's amytript and nortrip. work differently in my body. The TCA's used to make me so TERRIBLY hungry I could hardly stand it. I felt almost crazy I was so hungry,...especially on Nortript. But with Parnate, they don't make me hungry at all. It's such a relief!
> Trazadone knocks me out so I don't know much about it.
Forgot about the hunger part -- if I took Trazodone and made it through the low blood pressure/fainting/nauseating feeling, I could also eat the refrigerator and sometimes escape the drug's usefulness.Suggestion -- take the Trazodone 30 minutes before and -be- in bed.
10mg amitriptyline at night is not going to create any large amount of weight gain in my opinion. It's the lowest dose -- it is actually psychoactive at that dose, so it can give a little lift for people who are mildly depressed, but its not a major amount.
-- tidings
Posted by X-ray on October 4, 2009, at 10:02:53
In reply to Re: 50 mg Elavil = x mg trazodone, posted by Sunbath on October 3, 2009, at 2:21:46
Hi,
I've been on Elavil for 37 years,
and I've hated this drug for 36 years.I've tried lots of other drugs,
but I have always returned to Elavil.Now I would like to try Wellbutrin XL.
I hope that this drug will lift my mood.Wellbutrin and Elavil don't go well together.
But trazodone makes a good combo with Wellbutrin.Best regards,
X-ray
Posted by Sunbath on October 4, 2009, at 16:18:05
In reply to Re: 50 mg Elavil = x mg trazodone, Sunbath, posted by X-ray on October 4, 2009, at 10:02:53
Hi X-ray,
hope your trazodone trial goes well?
Just curious why isn't elavil and wellbutin going well together?And why did you hate elavil for the last 36 years?Because of weight gain maybe?
I don't like trazodone much either, but it's the best sleep aid I've tried till now..
Good luck to you!
Posted by Sunbath on October 4, 2009, at 16:20:00
In reply to Re: 50 mg Elavil = x mg trazodone » Sunbath, posted by ColoradoSnowflake on October 3, 2009, at 13:39:23
Hey, thanks Gayle for telling me this!
This is very good news.. I might try amitriptyline again while on parnate if trazodone would fail treating my sleep disturbances!
Good to know that there's a chance that there won't be too much of a weight gain!
This is the end of the thread.
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