I believe that @beedom was referring to the Beer's list as a list of medications may or may not place geriatric patients at risk. Google "Beers List" and you will find a list of the genre a meds that are listed. The ABC in medication arena means "Airway, Breathing and Circulation."
It was Benedryl we were talking about. There is some thinking that Benedryl now can contribute to dementia. OTC sleep aides used to all have Diphenhydramine(benedryl) in them.
I believe the ACB list is Anticholinergic Burden…there is a calculator also that you can see where your meds are..how they could contribute to confusion, falls etc…
I developed tolerance to ambien and all the drugs in that class as well. Actually developed tolerance eventually to all modern sleep meds a few years ago. Trazadone worked well for a few years then started needing higher and higher doses that left me feeling drugged in the morning. Now I take belsomra, a brand new sleep meds that it not supposed to be associated with tolerance issues. It is very expensive though. $400 + retail per month. I’m on a Medicare part D plan and pay $130 every 3+ months. Compared to a few bucks for trazadone.
If it were me I’d stay on the lower dose trazadone due to cost, assured that if the time ever comes, there are alternatives . Perhaps by the time u need it, the price will have come down.
@royanthony
I took Trazodone at a low dose (25 mg because I am sensitive to drugs) for about 4 years due to working different hours and it worked amazingly well with no side effects but then it stopped working and I found I could no longer sleep on my own as many will find once they have been on sleep medication for any length of time. Then came the search to find something to help me sleep without the horrible side effects. Belsomra worked well for several weeks and then started causing mild depression and then stopped working. I now take 300 mg Gabapentin out of desperation to sleep but it causes a spacey head all the next morning and some people have a little dizziness as well. Definitely not the best medication for a senior because of the effects on cognition and balance. I tried going back on Trazodone after several years but had to take 75 mg to get to sleep and it caused severe dry mouth that kept waking me up. My daughter in law has been taking 200 mg of Trazodone for the past year with no side effects.
@royanthony
I took Trazodone at a low dose (25 mg because I am sensitive to drugs) for about 4 years due to working different hours and it worked amazingly well with no side effects but then it stopped working and I found I could no longer sleep on my own as many will find once they have been on sleep medication for any length of time. Then came the search to find something to help me sleep without the horrible side effects. Belsomra worked well for several weeks and then started causing mild depression and then stopped working. I now take 300 mg Gabapentin out of desperation to sleep but it causes a spacey head all the next morning and some people have a little dizziness as well. Definitely not the best medication for a senior because of the effects on cognition and balance. I tried going back on Trazodone after several years but had to take 75 mg to get to sleep and it caused severe dry mouth that kept waking me up. My daughter in law has been taking 200 mg of Trazodone for the past year with no side effects.
I've been on Trazodone 150mg. for over 10 years and sleep between 7-8 hours a night. No side effects. Why did you Dr. take you off of it? You said "for some reason" but were you having side effects?
@royanthony
I took Trazodone at a low dose (25 mg because I am sensitive to drugs) for about 4 years due to working different hours and it worked amazingly well with no side effects but then it stopped working and I found I could no longer sleep on my own as many will find once they have been on sleep medication for any length of time. Then came the search to find something to help me sleep without the horrible side effects. Belsomra worked well for several weeks and then started causing mild depression and then stopped working. I now take 300 mg Gabapentin out of desperation to sleep but it causes a spacey head all the next morning and some people have a little dizziness as well. Definitely not the best medication for a senior because of the effects on cognition and balance. I tried going back on Trazodone after several years but had to take 75 mg to get to sleep and it caused severe dry mouth that kept waking me up. My daughter in law has been taking 200 mg of Trazodone for the past year with no side effects.
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I believe that @beedom was referring to the Beer's list as a list of medications may or may not place geriatric patients at risk. Google "Beers List" and you will find a list of the genre a meds that are listed. The ABC in medication arena means "Airway, Breathing and Circulation."
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1 ReactionIt was Benedryl we were talking about. There is some thinking that Benedryl now can contribute to dementia. OTC sleep aides used to all have Diphenhydramine(benedryl) in them.
I believe the ACB list is Anticholinergic Burden…there is a calculator also that you can see where your meds are..how they could contribute to confusion, falls etc…
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2 Reactionsdoes it put you to sleep?
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1 Reactiondoes it out you to sleep belsombra?
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1 ReactionBelsomra doesn’t knock me out as well as trazadone, but I generally don’t wake up at night, or wake up once and quickly fall asleep again
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1 Reaction@royanthony
I took Trazodone at a low dose (25 mg because I am sensitive to drugs) for about 4 years due to working different hours and it worked amazingly well with no side effects but then it stopped working and I found I could no longer sleep on my own as many will find once they have been on sleep medication for any length of time. Then came the search to find something to help me sleep without the horrible side effects. Belsomra worked well for several weeks and then started causing mild depression and then stopped working. I now take 300 mg Gabapentin out of desperation to sleep but it causes a spacey head all the next morning and some people have a little dizziness as well. Definitely not the best medication for a senior because of the effects on cognition and balance. I tried going back on Trazodone after several years but had to take 75 mg to get to sleep and it caused severe dry mouth that kept waking me up. My daughter in law has been taking 200 mg of Trazodone for the past year with no side effects.
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1 ReactionI've been taking Trazodone 150mg. for over 10 years with no side effects. Sleep between 7-8 hours a night.
My fingers were becoming stiff and snapping which has since stopped. There was no pain but weird reflex.
Yes dry mouth is a common side effect. Chronic dry mouth can cause cavities and gum disease
I could have written this. Same here - 150mg, about 10 years, no side effects. Lucky, I guess.
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