@jamesduke209
I can give you my experience with Trazadone.

I developed PTSD which expanded into anxiety/panic attack and was prescribed Ambein to sleep The Ambein did not work at all. So was given prescription for Trazadone the lowest dose. It worked. What I found was my mind would race from one subject to another and just could not get to sleep. The Trazadone kind of put a brake on the mind racing and sleep came. The only side affect was grogginess in morning. I have learned from those on MCC that is a common side affect.

When you are talking changing a dose, taking part of a pill or adding OTC supplements to your prescriptions you should check with your doctors. Many drugs can have contradictions with OTC products.

I am not familiar with the advers affects of Trazadone. On my own I learned to slowly wean off it and now only take as needed. That should be the goal of all prescription that we can wean off of them because we don't need them anymore.

But I learned from my Mayo psychiatric medication specialist that the escilotolopram I take will most like be for life.

You mentioned OTC Benadryl. Have you ever mentioned to your doctors about trying melatonin? It is a natural OTC medication that works fo many to help sleep. It is by what I can read a natural substance for sleeping. I have taken it and helped but had the same morning side affect of groggyiness in morning. However I think it is more of a natural relaxation and not the same mind racing affect of Trazadone.

Just think if look for a OTC could consider melatonin. But please talk to your doctors if you are taking prescibed medications and want to change dosage or added supplements.

Now for something that works for me that requires taking nothing. Reading in bed. Find myself falling asleep with no intent to.
Good luck!!

@jamesduke209: SSRIs and SARIs have different mechanisms of action and side-effects. SSRIs are rarely used to assist with sleep issues while the latter, although not primarily prescribed for this purpose (depression being the primary) has been found to be effective at lower dosage. Trazodone is one such SARI that can help - at least on an occasional basis - due to the sedating effect it has. It does so by regulating serotonin levels and other brain receptors, including histamine - which OTC Benadryl, the generic name is diphenhydramine, also works to block.

I'm not entirely clear from your question, but if you're considering combining the two: 12.5 of diphenhydramine and 12.5 of Trazodone the short answer would be that's not advisable as it could lead to increased drowsiness and potential other interactions. BUT I'm inclined to think what you're asking is if you can try taking half the dosage of the 25 mg Trazodone. As long as it's a scored tablet you can readily halve, and not a timed-release capsule, that ought to be fine to try to see if it would have the desired effect. However, as with all medications and dosages,, your best bet, as @jc76 stated, is to confirm with the provider who prescribed it.

Hope it helps. Can you let me know if you get some good Zzzz's?

Start off low and increase with your doctors permission. I took 25 now I take 50 anything more than that I can't wake up in the morning. But it definitely put me to sleep. Otherwise I'm up all night. Good luck.

@sweetlyfree @jamesduke209
My experience with this and my wife's trazadone worked.

Ambien which was originally prescribed for me did not work at all. My mind was still racing and no sleep. Then I was given prescription for trazadone with option of taking the low dose (25) or higher (50) on how well it worked with each level of dose.

The side affects I got were very vivid dreams and groggynies in mornings. I talked to my psychiatric medication specialist and she mentioned drug increases in serotonin and will affect by having very vivid dreams. She also says the groggnies is a common side affect. I was able to drop down to the lower does and eventually a year ago went to as needed only.

My wife takes in for anxiety/panic disorder and has worked her dosage down to half of 25 (working with her doctors) and working to go to as needed basis also. She also talks about vivid dreams and the groggynies in the mornings.

Trazadone. Check out side effects. Mayo Clinic

Does it work?

Everyone reacts differently to medications. WE on MCC can provide our personal experiences.

Ambien did not work for while it works for many others. Trazadone did work for me. It stopped my mind from racing and I got a good nights sleep.

My wife has anxiety/panic disorder too and takes Trazadone. It works for her.

The only side affect both of us have had is grogginess in mornings.

I go to a physciatric medication specialist at Mayo. When the ambien did not work was put on trazadone. It worked. In every physical and mental health condition the ability to get a good nights sleep is important.

I don't think any of us on MCC should tell another something will work or not work. Work with your medical providers and find something that works for you. An article is not you. You are you. And what you find that works for you is all that is important.

I take 300 mg. of Trazodone nightly, along with 2 mg. of Ativan. I've been on this regimen for 16 years and I still have severe insomnia. It would surely be worse without the Trazodone - so I am grateful for this medication.

My psychiatrist is unsympathetic. I am so miserable from not sleeping enough or having my sleep disturbed (I wake for one hour and sleep for one hour, etc. for a total of 5 to 5.5 hours per night). I recently had an appointment with my psychiatrist and his advice was to do meditation and box breathing when I wake up. I wish I could take a sleeping medication just once/week.

My point is that Trazodone works well for some people. At this moment in my life, after 16 years of severe insomnia (while taking the Trazodone), I think I need another type of medication. Does anybody have sleep meds/ antidepressants to try / suggest? (I realize the difficulty of withdrawing from Trazodone.)

Thanks for reading.

THANKS TO YOU ALL WITH THE INFO ABOUT SLEEPING TABS
I TAKE 1/2 A TAB EACH NIGHT JUST BEFORE I GOT TO BED, OK THAT HELPS WITH MY SLEEPING PROBLEM A LITTLE BIT, BUT THEN YOU HAVE ALL THE OTHER PROBLEMS THAT HAS BEEN THE COURSE OF NOT BEING ALBE TO SLEEP. SO TO OVER COME ALL OF THEM I NOW TALK VALIUM TAB, HEAPS OF THEM SO NOW I SLEEP OK AND WAKE AROUND LIKE I'VE JUST CAME OUT OF THE PUB , STONED OUT OF MY BRAIN . I'M 80 YRS OLD AND HAD A BLOOD GOOD LIFE SO WHY SHOULD I KEEP FIGHTING SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO KILL ME IN THE END ANYWAY I CAN'T SEE ANY POINT IN IT. (CAN YOU) ?????

I have just decided to take sleeping tabs on certain nights for sure when
I have to be up for something in the morning, AND, if I take them early enough ( Like at 8:30 or so) I actually fall sleep, btw 10:00 & 11:00, after reading for awhile.
I try to follow all the suggestions: tart cherry juice, dark room, no lap top screen time before bed, Melatonin gummies 10 mg, Magnesium glycinate
gummies 100mg, but it does not work for me. Maybe an over active brain is better than a fuzzy one, but not at bedtime!