Trazodone for sleep?

@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.