Posted by jerrympls on October 2, 2003, at 23:28:46
In reply to Re: Ambien- dependency potential? » jerrympls, posted by femlite on October 2, 2003, at 23:05:38
> Tell your doc to throw away his PDA and look up the word "compassion." UGH.
> >
> > Hope you get some sleep.
> >
> > Jerry
>
> What a refreshingly honest perspective, thank you.
>
> Question: Im taking sonata 10mg, after tiring of the trazodone 100mg hangover.
> Problem is Im still hungover.(Limp legs, dizziness, cognitive difficulties) Does this go away eventually or is ambien superior in this respect?
>
>
HI Femlite-Trazodone is a very sedating antidepressant. It blocks the reuptake of serotonin. While it doesn't fit the profile of an SSRI, it's close. Dr's use Trazodone ALL the time for a sleep aid. When I was on it - I hated it. I could barely function until after noon - I was falling asleep in the aisles (I worked in a bookstore). Instead of helping me relax and calm my mind and help me gently go to sleep - it slammed me in the head and MADE me have to lie down. My mind would still be racing but trazodone would be forcing me to "sleep" like a bully forcing someone's head underwater.
When I was in the hospital this summer - many patients were on trazodone. Their doctors had told them it was a sleeping pill. I told them "No, it's an antidepressant." They were all shocked and felt betrayed their doctor didn't explain this fact to them.
It's ridiculous - Docs prescribe trazodone like it's candy - with 5-6 refills. But Nooooooooo when it comes to an ACTUAL sleeping aid that lets you actually sleep through all 4 stages of the sleep cycle. 7-10 days? What's the difference? If someone needs a sleep aid why give them months of trazodone adn then say "Oh no I can't prescribe you Ambien! You'll grow a dependency to it and have to be on it for months...:" And your point is??????? Be on Trazodone for months or Ambien - what's the difference?
I've had good docs and BAD docs and STUPID docs - the GOOD docs - the one's who know what compassion means and who know actually HOW medicines work, etc - prescribe the right kinds of medications. I had a GREAT research doctor who continued me on Ambien - first at 10mg. After a couple weeks I said "I can't get to sleep on 10mg." he said "Well, let's try 20." And it worked. What's so bad about Ambien or Sonata? Docs will start you off on 25-50mg of Trazodone and then keep bumping it up to 300mg or so - and make you a zombie and THEN they say "Oh you're tired during the day because of your DEPRESSION - not because of 300mg of Trazadone."
WHAT?!?! Trazodone sedates you because it contains antihistemic proprties - like Benedryl. Benedryl DOES NOT let your body or mind go into the deepest, most restoritive sleep stages. Anti-histamines only keep you at stage 1 - just slightly sedated and somewhat asleep. That's why you never feel rested after taking an anti-histamine for sleep.
Same for Trazodone - although, I must admit that it works for some people- I AM NOT SAYING IT DOESN NOT WORK FOR EVERYONE.
Recently my sister went into see a doctor - unfortunately a 2nd year resident - and said "10mg of Ambien is working great to help me sleep - I feel rested the next day and everything." So what did the resident do? She said "OH well, it's addictive so you can only take 5mg now." WHAT!?!??!??! How ignorant! Why decrease a med that is HELPING someone? That's like saying - "Oh well, a cast can make your skin itch, so you have to take it off and prop your foot on a table from now on - we don't want you to get dependent on wearing a cast for your broken ankle."
I'm sorry for all the ranting and everything- but I am sick of doctor's who have NO clue how to use medications and who deceive their patients by saying 'This is a sleeping pill" whenin fact it's an ANTIDEPRESSANT that makes you drowsy as a SIDE EFFECT.
OK...enough I have to go to bed.....hope this helps. To answer your question about Trazodone - the side effects you are experiencing may or maynot get better. For me Trazodone always stayed the same - made me fall asleep driving on the way to work, etc. I could have died - but the doc wanted to save himself any guilt for prescribing such a terribly addictive med like Ambien. Ambien is FAR superior because it has a SHORT half-life and is out f your system by the time you wake up - NO HANG OVER no antidepressant side effects like cognitive dulling, dizziness, weight gain.
Hope you can get some sleep - and relief.
Jerry
poster:jerrympls
thread:264925
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030928/msgs/265112.html