Trazodone may not be a good choice for people with liver or kidney problems. Tell your doctor right away if you notice chest pain, irregular heartbeats, fever, breathing problems, fainting, or seizures. Some trazodone side effects may be more serious. Low sex drive or decreases in sexual function.While taking this drug, you may notice: 3 4 Like other antidepressants, trazodone may cause side effects. 9 10 In addition, alcohol can lead to worse quality sleep, especially in the second half of the night. Alcohol use can cause depression and anxiety or make existing mental health problems worse. 6Īlcohol also worsens some of the conditions that trazodone is meant to treat. It is important to know that if you take trazodone and alcohol together, an overdose can be fatal.8 Additionally, trazodone can boost the effects of alcohol - you may feel more drunk than usual, or experience higher levels of dizziness, confusion, or impaired judgment. If you plan to continue drinking while taking trazodone, talk to your doctor first. It is a good idea to avoid drinking alcohol while you are taking trazodone. Don’t increase your dose or stop taking trazodone without first talking to your healthcare provider. 3 If you are taking trazodone, make sure to follow the directions that your doctor gives you. People with insomnia usually also take a lower trazodone dose - often between 50 mg and 100 mg. Older adults typically use a lower dosage of trazodone. For people with depression, doctors usually recommend taking between 75 mg and 150 mg, and gradually increasing the dose over time if needed. Trazodone tablets come in a few different dosages: 50 mg, 100 mg, 150 mg, or 300 mg. 3 However, doctors may still prescribe this medication for people with insomnia if they believe that it may help. Trazodone has also not been approved by the FDA as a sleep aid. For this reason, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine doesn’t recommend trazodone as an insomnia treatment. These effects are small enough that experts don’t expect trazodone to make much of a difference for people who struggle to get enough rest. Those who took trazodone did not rate their sleep quality as being any better.People who took trazodone slept for only 22 minutes longer per night, on average.The drug helped people fall asleep 10 minutes more quickly at the beginning of the night.For example, the original clinical trial studying the effects of trazodone on sleep found that: 5 Research shows that trazodone may slightly increase how much time you spend asleep however, its effects are small. 4 Can Trazodone Help With Insomnia?ĭespite its increased use, trazodone typically has limited benefits. 6 7 However, there is a chance that it may cause mild withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking it, including dizziness, nausea, headaches, and sleeping problems. Trazodone is not classified by the FDA as a controlled substance - it’s not very likely to lead to abuse or dependence, unlike some other types of sleep medications. Between 19, doctors prescribed 50% fewer benzodiazepine medications and nearly 150% more trazodone. 5Īfter some of the negative effects of benzodiazepines started to become clear, doctors began looking to other drugs to help treat insomnia. Dependence occurs when you feel like they have to keep taking the drugs to feel “normal” and may experience withdrawal symptoms if you try to stop using them. Tolerance occurs when a drug doesn’t work as well over time, requiring you to take more for the same effect. However, these medications may not be a good long-term choice because they can cause dependence and tolerance. Trazodone is a popular sleep aid because it may work better and be less addictive compared to other sleep-inducing drugs.īenzodiazepines have been used since the 1960s to help treat insomnia. Why Is Trazodone Prescribed as a Sleep Medication? 2 4 Because tiredness/sedation is a side effect of trazodone, it is also used as an insomnia treatment. Doctors sometimes also recommend this drug as a treatment for other conditions such as anxiety, substance abuse, schizophrenia, or fibromyalgia. Trazodone, also available under the brand names Desyrel, Desyrel Dividose, Oleptro, and Trittico, is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat major depressive disorder. Trazodone is the most common antidepressant taken by people with sleep problems. Although antidepressants aren’t officially approved as a sleep aid, they are often prescribed for this purpose. Many people who suffer from insomnia are interested in trying medications to help them sleep better.
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