Either for sleeping or depression?
What is the maximum dose of Trazodone that's used?
Question posted by Thor283 on 17 May 2012
Last updated on 24 August 2022
29 Answers Page 2
Sleeping
I use trazodone for my serious sleeping problem.
I have been taking trazodone for about 9 years. I started out at 50mg for insomnia brought on from bipolar disorder and depression. I took it with Prozac. But after a few years it was increased to 100, then 150, and finally 200mg. I take it on top of 150mg of Seroquel and .5 mg of Xanax. Needless to say, I was still having sleep issues up until the Seroquel was up ed to 150 and the Xanax was added. Personally, to me the 200mg is high.
Wyande; If I were you and you are getting a good night sleep I would not mess with it at this time 200mg is not that high and it's just been a few days. So many people have such a problem with getting sleep with the medications you're on at this time. I swear give it some time and be glad it is working the Seroquel and the Trazodone seem to be doing the job.I would leave it and talk with the doctor if you feel the same way at your appointment. But so many people have such a problem getting sleep with this give it some time and ask your doctor. Good luck and glad you are doing better.
I took xanax for 23 years eventually increased to 6 mg per day. Anixity and panic disorder. The xanax eventually didn't help me sleep. I have a extremely high tolerance to about all medications including the xanax. I had to have back surgery and I deal with chronic pain and now I take pain medication. I stopped taking xanax because of the pain meds. It was tuff to stop but I did it myself. I don't sleep but a couple hours a night on a good night. I'm taking trazodone now for sleep. 400mg plus 20 mg of melatonin and it helps . I think the melatonin is the best thing I've ever found for sleep. If you've never tried it, do so because it is the best thing since sliced bread for sleep. I'm sure 20mg is way too high of a dose for most people but the doctors will not give any answers as to how much is to much. For me this is what it takes for a few hours sleep.
Ristorel, temazepam and sonata along with everything else I've tried is totally ineffective for me. Now I know this is a extremely high dose of both meds for sleep and I'm not saying it's for everyone, but it is effective for me and it's better than most of the others at a higher dose. Try this at a lower dose and adjust your level to your daily needs. Just saying...
I was told that the maximum dose is 300mg (uk). I have been on this dose for over 3 yrs now and I find that it works really well with my depression and tendencies, previously I was on ssri's which seemed to mess me up more than help me, trazodone keeps me fairly balanced and alive. The sleeping side of the drug helps but I have nights where I am awake through it which leads to a groggy few days afterwards.
I realise this question was asked years ago (possibly around the time I was prescribed) but as the Tesco advert says "every little helps"... Also tonight's a night I can't sleep.
I'm just curious if you take 300 mg at night or throughout the day? I'm currently being treated for anxiety/panic disorder going on 17 years. I've had trouble sleeping so rather than increase my Xanax dosage, my doc is trying me on 100 mg to sleep. I keep reading how it helps with anxiety and didn't know if you or anyone takes it throughout the day for anxiety. Thanks!
Hi there: I am on 200 mg trazodone and two other anti-depressants at max dose plus Lithium at 300 mg. I use trazodone for sleep. My pdoc said anything higher than 200 mg of trazodone is not a sedative effect but it is a stimulant. trazodone treats my anxiety to perfection. Sometimes I take 200 mg at night of trazodone and 50 mg per day for anxiety.
I am currently taking 100mg of Trazodone a night. I will take it around 10pm puts me to sleep pretty fast. But than I wake up around 3 or 4am and I will take a Xanax to go back to sleep for a couple hours. I hate it because I suffer from anxiety and would rather use my xanax during the day when I really need them. But it's the only way I will go back to sleep. I think tonight I may try taking 200mg of trazodone to see if zi will actually stay asleep for 8 hours. Ugghh I hate this problem!!
I took 6 100mg tablets and now I'm really messed up! I was in the er, the doctor came in said your fine, they let me out and I went home. I was pretty wobbly on my feet, uncoordinated, but not so much so that they thought I needed more attention, more importantly, I felt like I was in my right mind, or near enough. Anyway, when I get home, I lit a cig, and that was it for me. I probably have brain damage or something, mentally challenged, ugh, I cant concentrate, trouble making decisions. Its bad, point is never take more than the prescribed dosage of anything.
Why would you take that high of a dose ? Just courious.
I apologize for being so blunt about this.. but honestly I don’t believe there is any other way to respond to your post.
The amount of trazodone that you took is beyond idiotic . The only time a person should/would take that high of a dose at once would be to intentionally end up in a hospital or die. Stupid decision on your part and posting it on this board is not helpful in anyway.
I completely disagree a** whole. It's not like He was Glorifying is decision. He obviously is showing via negative effects from it. It's absolutely helpful.
I take 300 mg each evening. I have heard of people taking 450mg. but I think that is very rare. I take it for insomnia and it works great. I think it also helps somewhat with my depression.
Trazadone can also cause sleep apnea, so that may be a concern at higher doses. It's actually one of the reasons I can't take it at all. I literally stop breathing periodically.
My mother takes 200 mg of trazodon every night plus 0.5 x2 of lorazapams I just want to know if this can be effecting her after so many years of taking them have noticed changes in her and I'm worried
Thank you Martha Mendez
The lorazepam can cause memory loss after long use. She may not be getting enough restorative, healthy and natural sleep; and the effects of that you can look up. Our minds and bodies need that kind of sleep or they suffer. What kinds of changes are you seeing in your mother?
Yes! Memory loss, both drugs cause shallow breathing, stop breathing is likely
I am taking Trazodone 200mg at bedtime for sleep. It works for about 3 hours then i'm up. Most of the time i go to bed around 10 P.M. and then i'm up around 1 A.M. Can't go back to sleep at all.
I have the same problem, I am taking 300mg I fall asleep about 10 or 11 even though I have taken it much earlier then I am UP at 3 in the morning and don't fall back asleep until about 7AM, after taking numerous over the counter sleep meds.
I was taking 100-200 mg. of trazodone at bedtime for sleep and it worked for a number of years. It can also act as an anti-depressant. I started out at 100 mg. After awhile, that didn't work. So, it was raised to 150 mg. Then, that didn't work either. I was put on the maximum dose of 200 mg. It worked, however I experienced a "trazodone hang-over" the next day. What I'm saying is that the higher the dose, the greater the likelihood you will experience side effects. So, I was taken off the trazodone and I had to have something else for insomnia.
Initially, I was prescribed 50mg per night. It worked for the first 2 or 3 days with max 5hrs, and then I was Getting maybe 2 hours of sleep after the first week. Went back to see my health care provider and my dosage was increased to between 100 milligrams to 300 milligrams. for whatever reason I have a high tolerance for medications. I'm being treated for insomnia, related to other issues. I was also prescribed prazosin in conjunction with trazodone for sleeping. Now Trazodone does absolutely nothing. Catch 22, on a quad edged sword.
my brother has suggested that I tried melatonin and benadryl, or nyquil, or Tylenol PM. Other people have suggested to smoke marijuana. Big ball of confusion. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do or what I should take.
I started taking trazodone in 2007, could not sleep after I had open heard operation, I stared taking 50 mg, and have progessed and now I am on 150 mg, I sleep like a baby, 8 - 10 hours but I do have the hang-over feeling the next day, to me this a great drug, and I hope that I stay with the 150 mg.
I originally posted this because I'm stuck with an absurd Doc. He comes up with his own arbitrary limits on meds with no regard to whether it's enough for a patient or not. So you might think he'd then switch the patient to a different med. But too often he won't do that neither. His attitude seems to be, tuff luck, suffer.
I wish I had money for other doctors.
Thor283, Why can't you change Drs? If it's a change between 2 of the same kind of Dr., I don't understand why you can't change and get rid of this loser you currently have. Your health is important.
I have tinnitus in both years since 25 years. But when I used sertraline 100 mg and Trazodone 50 mg daily for depression and sleeping disorder, my tinnitus got worse after 6 weeks of use. I am asking if this amplification ( or worsening )of tinnitus will go away after stopping medication. If so, how long it will take?
Please inform me
I started out taking 100mg for insomnia and now take 200mg each night. It works for me, when Ambien, Restoril, Lunesta, etc. would not. I hope this helps you.
It is working as a sleeping aid, in fact it's working very well. Especially for a drug that doesn't have an addiction potential. So I am very dismayed that my crazy Doc is putting a 200 mg limit on me. In the past I never had good results with Ambien nor Lunesta, but this crazy Doc won't let me try neither again. I'm content to stay on Traz, but now he won't let me go above 200 mg. This is why I asked this question. I seem to remember an old pdoc I had, who was very good, used to say 400 mg is the limit with Traz. So now I have yet another reason for needing a new Doc. I just don't have the $$$.
I am taking trazodone 200 mg at bedtime. My doctor was just telling me this morning, in fact, that the maximum dose of trazodone is 300 mg. She said I can go up to the 300 mg, and if I am not getting "restorative" sleep or feel like the 300 mg is not sufficient, then she would need to prescribe something else. I trust her judgment and she's a good doctor, so I feel comfortable with what she said.
I started taking 50mg trazodone 7 years ago, and now I'm up to 400mg. My psychiatric told me that I can take up to 700mg. Steve Rees
I have just recently been prescribed Trazadone 50mg for sleep lastnight was my third night taking it and does not help me. I would like to know what is the maximum dose used for sleep and would it still fall under the $4.00 generics list since I have no insurance I need something that will work without breaking the bank.
I wish I could get some sleep the Dr uped mine to 200 mg and I still have not been to sleep. I need help.
pumpkinbug, here's a link to a coupon you can use for trazodone if you have no insurance:
thor283, I've been on 100 mg trazodone for about 20 years and am addicted to it. I never expected this. I will have to taper off very slowly, but even that kind of attempt has failed miserably in the past. I get extremely hot and sweat pours off of me. I live in a very hot climate that makes this more difficult to endure going to appointments & doing business. So, yes, it's possible to get addicted to it.
To make trazadone more effective, add the amino acid l-tryptophan. I read Dr. Braverman's book about amino acid supplements. Certain amino acid increase certain neurotransmitters, and l-trytophan is the precursor to seratonin. For dosage, I would look at his book. L-tryptophan makes melatonin and 5HTP, which in turn boost seratonin. For me, nothing works as good as taking l-tryptophan after dinner. It is a slow increase in sleepiness, but when you are ready to fall asleep it does wonders with trazadone.
That's absolute bullshit. I've been taking 450 mgs of instant release Trazodone for the past 12 years for depression/insomnia. My psychiatrist is moving me up to 600 mgs this month since the sleep aid effect has worn off. Find yourself another doctor. I'm in the U.S. Don't know where you live, but here the max dose is 600.
Max dose for depression is 600mg a day. For sleep the dose is usually 50 mg a day. Trazedone isn't very effective as an antidepressant, and is not used for that very often.
I agree witch yah Kaismama. I think its usually tried first before ambien or the butterfly one for sleep. Probably not the first choice for depression or anxiety either, saucerman
Lunests, lol... love your discription
tanks kaismama, I luv our karma yep I do saucerman
Med works well for me. for sleep & anti depressant
I suffer from insomnia along with a bunch of other disorders.such as anxiety depression and PTSD. The currently have me on 200 mg of trazadone and it doesn't work. I have tried all known over the counter medications and the prescribed. Now I have to do a sleep study . I have two questions. Does any one know of a good sleep aid that I might not have tried? And how am I supposed to do a sleep study when I don't sleep
so she can take 6 pills at one time for sleep
I have found that, in order to sleep, I must take 600mg of Trazadone. I have tried everything else and this is the only dosage that works. Is that dosage acceptable?
Highlander4550, A sleep study when you don't sleep may discover why you don't sleep and therefore not be iseless. I hope so for your sake. Seroquel is a good drug to help you sleep. It's a prescription and also treats anxiety & depression. I hope you're doing better by now.
I take 300 mg for sleep. Works great. I am being treated for depression, but take other meds for that. How could anyone function on 600mg???
I find Trazadone to be an excellent antidepressant. I have used it for 6 months and, except for a slight weight gain, I love it! It gets me through the day and night better than all the others my doctors have tried on me, Prozac, etc., put together. My psychiatrist put me on it and on it I will stay! Haven't felt this good in YEARS! I had ADHD as a kid and have ADD now. Also, non-military PTSD, diagnosed many years ago. I have a companion-therapy dog who is a lifesaver. I always surrounded myself with cool, loving dogs, and it helped a great deal. Thank the heavens my family like them even before I was born.
I didn’t find this drug effective on its own for sleep issues.
Hello Thor. Just to add to what Laurie already mentioned. This is my own point of view. As an antidepressant its not very effective, and is not perscribed for it to any degree anymore. More often than not when it is perscribed is is done so off label as a sleeping aid. Regards, pledge
it is used in the uk, when the usual suspects prozac,mirtazipine dont work or if the side effects are to severe, im on 200mg daily for depression anxiety and no sleep, works a treat
hi this the first time I have been prescribed Trazodone as I have suffered for many years with depression amongst other things like most people on here so took my first last night but got no sleep and today I feel like crap dizzy stomach pains and don't wont to even leave the house should I just see how they go in the next week and what if I took two would that harm me
Hi plasticscouse, I wouldn't recommend increasing your dosage this soon, or without your doctor's approval. I was recently put on trazodone for insomnia and one night I accidentally took two pills. My heart was racing and I thought I would have to go to the ER. Everything turned out ok but it was very scary. I hope this helps.
I love trazodone, been on it for a long time. Makes me sleep like a baby all night. Very happy. But it doesn't work on everyone. Doesn't help my sister or my husband at all.
400mg to 600mg immediate release or 375mg extended release
Related topics
depression, anxiety, insomnia, sedation, trazodone
Further information
- Trazodone uses and safety info
- Trazodone prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Trazodone (detailed)
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