Posted by Caper on May 22, 2004, at 23:32:50
In reply to Trazodone, posted by Wildflower on May 22, 2004, at 22:29:20
Hi Wildflower,
Trazadone is technically an anti-depressant, but it is so sedating and the dosage necessary for it to have an AD effect is so high that most people cannot use it as an AD. From what I've experienced (and seen in inpatient psych wards) it is primarily used as a sleeping aid.
I took it for several years. The good things are it's cheap, it's effective and as long as you get a normal amount of time to sleep it doesn't usually give a groggy feeling in the morning.
The bad thing, which no one warned me about, was that the dry mouth it can cause can lead to dental problems. I ended up with tons of little cavities because my mouth was so dry while taking Trazadone. I'd advise being extra careful to make sure you're sipping water or chewing sugarless gum or something to prevent the dry mouth.
Finally, it is not technically addictive, but you might have to taper your dosage when you eventually stop taking it. I did. But don't worry, it's not like a true drug withdrawal or anything- just getting your body used to going to sleep without it again.
Anyway, that's my experience. All in all I liked trazadone. Hope this helps.
Caper
> I've been reading past posts on this med and I'm confused.
> - Is it a sleeping aid or an AD or both?
> - If it's being used as an AD, how long before I should notice a difference?
> - Any SE's I should be aware of?
>
> (I've been having trouble staying asleep at night so I was prescribed trazodone along with Wellbutrin.)
poster:Caper
thread:349779
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040521/msgs/349800.html