Trazodone and Drowsiness: What Users Say (Page 5)

• Fre...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 14, 2018

For Insomnia "Have had years of poor sleep. Can fall asleep easily but was wide awake a couple of hours later. Started on trazodone 50 mg, and it worked great. Sleep a solid 7 to 8 hrs a night. The only side effect has been lots of dreams... pleasant ones, but I wonder if dream state is the best kind of sleep. I increase my dosage to 100 mg during stressful times to keep me sleeping. At that dose, I'm a little drowsy during breakfast, but that disappears quickly. I would recommend this treatment for help with sleeping."

• Ins...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 10, 2019

For Insomnia "Very pleased with trazodone. About an hour after taking it, I fall asleep and sleep throughout the night. I am less depressed and anxious as well. It initially gave me headaches and made me very groggy the next day, but these both went away after a week or two. Added bonus, it's reversed the loss of libido/sexual dysfunction caused by SSRIs. Side effects: dry nose/mouth and heartburn."

• Jan...
• November 2, 2019

For Insomnia "I’ve been taking trazodone for the last two nights, and I am extremely happy with how it’s been working. I recently lost my dad, which took a huge toll on my sleep. I was waking up multiple times a night, and it started to affect my mental health. I tried Benadryl and melatonin, both separate and together, and they didn’t do much but help me get to sleep. I’ve also been on Remeron in the past, which worked well, but I gained about 15 pounds, and emotionally I didn’t want to go through that again. With the trazodone, I’m finally getting a good night's rest. I do feel a little groggy in the morning, but it goes away once I get moving, and this side effect is nothing compared to what I was going through. I’m taking half a 50 mg because I’m also on Prozac, and the two together can make you more tired, but the low dose seems to be working just fine."

• Med...
• April 13, 2016

For Insomnia "Trazodone is my miracle drug! I take it, and within 30 minutes, I feel the need to go to sleep. I have very few side effects. Mostly, grogginess in the morning. I also have to go to bed right after I take it, or I get dizzy and my heart races. Those side effects don't happen if I go to bed before the med sets in! I highly recommend this to anyone who has sleep issues."

• Tul...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 10, 2018

For Insomnia "This drug is very interesting. Most nights it takes about an hour to kick in, other times more, sometimes less, and sometimes it doesn't work at all (though about 90% of the time it works). Once it kicks in, it hits me like a train. I'm absolutely exhausted and MUST go to bed right away, and I'll be out within 5-10 min. I'm completely out during the night and actually have very vivid and enjoyable dreams. I did have issues with being drowsy the next day for a few days, but then that stopped. Out of all the sleep meds I've tried, this is the only one that has stayed effective where I didn't have to keep upping the dosage. I was at 50 mg for 5 months, then upped to 100 mg just because I had a lot going on in life and needed a little more. But absolutely no complaints, love this drug, and I sleep like a normal person now!"

• Cor...
• March 4, 2013

For Insomnia "After complaining to my doctor that I couldn't fall asleep, and when I did, the slightest noise could wake me up, he prescribed me 50 mg of this pill, and it has not been working. The first two nights, I felt a little drowsy about 2 1/2 hours after taking the pill. Now it does nothing to help promote sleep."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 13, 2020

For Insomnia "Trazodone helped me sleep at 100 mg at night with no known side effects other than feeling drowsy and a trippy sedation effect. I’d say this medication can be pretty effective for sleep depending on the dosage. But yes, of course, I would rather be able to sleep without it."

• Bra...
• March 19, 2017

For Insomnia "I took trazodone for a few months without any side effects that were cause for concern. Light grogginess in the morning is natural on any sleep aid. After a few months, I got really dry mouth, headaches, and the hangover was so intense that it would last all day long. After a few days at work with this dangerous hangover, I stopped taking it. I'd rather sleep just a few hours with natural stuff like melatonin than feel completely sick and exhausted at work the following day. I could see this working for someone who doesn't have a schedule. Not fun if you have to be up by a certain time."

• Wes...
• April 22, 2016

For Insomnia "It's tough to give an accurate rating for this drug because my first experience is really all I have to go on. I was prescribed this as a doctor's recommendation over Ambien (which I love and will return to). My reaction to this drug was bad. I am prone to panic in reaction to body sensations, and trazodone was loaded with them. About 25 minutes after taking 50 mg, I began to feel dizzy, off balance, and had a drugged feeling. I became very edgy and worried, got a strange taste in my upper gums, my nasal passages closed up, and I experienced a spinning sensation. I personally did not react well and went to bed with a racing heart. Ironically, I fell asleep and slept pretty well. Woke up once and the room was spinning. Felt very hung over the next day. Not pleasant."

• swa...
• August 22, 2011

For Insomnia "I could always fall asleep, but could not stay asleep. Three hours a night was normal. I needed help, and Ambien, etc., were harsh. The doctor suggested trazodone, and I tried it. She said it might take time to work, but that first night I slept 9 hours. I've been taking it for four years, and it changed my life. No side effects except for drowsiness on days 1-2 and if I'm off of it for any time. I take 50 mg and am a 200 lb healthy male. This medicine is under-prescribed for this indication."

• 58m...
• July 29, 2015

For Sedation "My head spins with overactive thoughts at bedtime, causing insomnia. Ambien worked, but I changed to Trazodone 100 mg. I fell asleep quickly, but woke up feeling dizzy, as if hungover. The feeling lasted throughout the day. I didn't like the lingering feeling, so I halved the dose, 50 mg. Same side effects, felt drowsy and dizzy in the morning. I will go back to using Benadryl, as it didn't give me the zombie feeling like Trazodone. (Xanax worked for me, but I didn't want to get addicted to it, so I don't take it.)"

• Ins...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 18, 2022

For Insomnia "I have very severe chronic insomnia, so my psychiatrist prescribed this to me. While it did sedate me, it failed to put me to sleep, and the sensation of said sedation was awful and unpleasant. I don't know how people are having success with this medication. I suppose I'm just unlucky."

• Nic...
• May 21, 2016

For Insomnia "This medicine definitely worked for me. It takes hours for me to fall asleep, and I usually wake up pretty much every hour. I did fall asleep fast, and it pretty much kept me asleep. I did wake up 2 or 3 times during the night, but fell right back to sleep. After 9 hours of sleep, I could barely open my eyes, they were very bloodshot, and I was super sensitive to light. Additionally, I was stumbling around a little. When I woke up at night, I felt a little disoriented too. I went back to sleep for another hour and felt a little better. It took hours for the grogginess to wear off. I only took 50 mg. I think I may try 10 mg and see how that works. I would recommend trying it when you have the next day off, just to test for side effects."

• Lay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 18, 2023

For Insomnia "This is just my experience. Do NOT let this deter you from trying it if your doctor has prescribed it. So, this is what happened with me. I'm on 30 mg of Buspar every day. My doctor then wanted me to try Trazodone 50 mg. I took it last night for the first time. Well, I kind of felt it starting to kick in and went to lie down. Then my heart began racing and felt like I could not breathe, and I was in a panic. I had a bad reaction. This could've been due to the amount of serotonin in my brain (serotonin syndrome), and I'm just very sensitive to it. Serotonin syndrome is rare. As a pharmacist told me, many people are on that combo of drugs (Buspar and Trazodone). I ended up heading to the ER for treatment. They gave me medicine to help calm me, watched me for a while, and made sure I was stable, and sent me home to sleep it off. It's the next morning. I slept great once I got home in bed, with the medicine they gave me at the hospital to help with everything. I feel a bit groggy still. I will not be taking it again, obviously."

• Nic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 29, 2023

For Anxiety "I was put on Trazodone for mixed anxiety and depression by my psychiatrist, as I wasn’t getting anywhere with previous SSRI treatments, as they all seemed to make me worse. I was on Trazodone for 3 and a half weeks, things were fine for 10 days, but then I became too heavily sedated but could only sleep for 8 hours. In the final week of use, my depression worsened and panic symptoms set in, so I stopped it. The following day, I have never felt panic like it, I was tachycardic, very low in mood, and generally fearful of things. I was never this bad before I started taking the drug. I am 3 weeks off the drug, I’m less panicked but am very tachycardic all the time, and this makes me very anxious. My psychiatrist said we could restart on a lower dose and wean off the drug, but I’m not sure if it’ll be the same result. All I can say is that this is a horrible drug and would advise others to steer clear if at all possible, as the withdrawal effects are pushing me to breaking point."

• Ran...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 13, 2019

For Insomnia "Been using Trazodone for insomnia on and off for 4 years now. 50 mg seems to work fine for me, but 100 mg definitely works better (I sleep longer). No matter which dosage I take, I definitely feel a little groggy in the morning, so I pretty much have to drink something caffeinated in the morning or I can't function. Pretty much solved my insomnia problems, thankfully."

• Max...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 5, 2019

For Insomnia "Trazodone works pretty well for my insomnia. I also have GAD, so I'm oversensitive to drugs because I can easily believe that I have some side effects, to such an extent that I can physically feel like I'm actually experiencing them. I started with a very small dose of 25 mg, and for the first week of use, I was feeling overly sedated and numb. Weeks later, I take up to 75 mg 1 hour before bed with zero side effects. It helps me relax and feel really sleepy, which is reassuring because my insomnia is nothing more than the result of being afraid that I won't be able to sleep. The fear of sleepless nights is so strong that it's been lingering for 6 months, filling all my thoughts and poisoning my life. With psychotherapy and this drug, I started really improving only recently, and I'm still afraid I might have trouble sleeping again."

• Joh...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 29, 2019

For Insomnia "I mean, it can be handy to have around if you absolutely need to be knocked out, but be ready to feel awful the next morning or possibly the entire next day. It does the job as far as sleep goes, but I feel extremely groggy and overall miserable the next day, on top of having a slight headache that won’t go away. It also has given me nightmares and auditory hallucinations before."

• Lul...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 28, 2016

For Insomnia "Excellent medication! Very effective for insomnia and mild depression. If you wake up feeling groggy, it's probably because you are taking too much; try half. I take 25 to 50 mg at night, have a restful sleep, and wake up in the morning a bit sleepy, but I have some coffee and take a shower, and problem solved. I haven't felt this good in a long time. I've tried Ambien, Melatonin, Lunesta, Magnesium, Valerian Root to sleep; Zoloft, Fluoxetine, Wellbutrin, and Celexa for depression. This medication is by far the best I've tried for BOTH! Sleep issues and mild depression. Give it a try! 41 years old female with long history of insomnia and mild depression."

• kee...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 20, 2013

For Depression "I take Effexor, Lamictal, Ativan, which are not helping too much. My doc gave me Trazodone to help with sleeping. I feel very groggy when waking up. It's not helping me with depression, but helps me sleep."

• cls...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 2, 2024

For Insomnia "Trazodone helps me get to sleep and stay asleep. However, I find that there is a time limit to go to sleep. If I get into a movie or something arises and I don't go to sleep within 30 minutes, I can't go to sleep and then feel groggy the next day. Otherwise, it works wonders."

• Sle...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 2, 2016

For Insomnia "Once it is in your system, the side effects are not so strong. For me, it went from severe dizziness and basically 'knocking me out' to no side effects. I also woke up severely drowsy and thought, why take this if I can't function the next day? But, I got to a point where I was not sleeping at all, so I kept trying this drug, and it got better. I was able to get some sleep and not have harsh side effects. I want to take this short term to get back on track on my own. I am scheduled to see a sleep doctor, but until then, I will have to take this."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 4, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "I went on this trazodone 150 mg after major depressive disorder. I’ve suffered major insomnia for over 15 years, never getting more than 2-3 hours a night. Since taking this, after 10 minutes, I fall into a deep sleep. It’s awesome. I’m dreaming again! I wake up refreshed. Never groggy in the morning. I take it at night just before bed, sometimes within 10 mins I can barely walk to the bathroom. I have to be in bed ready for sleep. This is amazing. Never thought I would sleep again. I take Cymbalta 60 mg in the morning and trazodone 150 at bedtime. These have worked wonders for me!!"

• Anonymous
• November 5, 2020

For Insomnia "Side effects of trazodone = dry mouth, pee frequently, sleep 11:30-9:30 pm, wake up feeling drowsy/exhausted, intensive dreams, hands shaking, nausea, migraines once in a while, moody, still depressed and cry."

• aly...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 26, 2022

For Insomnia "I am using this drug for insomnia. I used to be the type of person to literally not sleep for 2-3 days and would toss and turn for hours on end until I couldn’t take it anymore. I take 50 mg before bed, I get tired in about 10-15 mins. It really does help me go to sleep and stay asleep for HOURS! I took it for the first time a while ago and slept from 11 pm to 9 am (without waking up). There is morning grogginess the first week or weeks you take it, but nothing horrible or anything that will affect morning work or anything morning related. This drug saved me from sleepless nights and even worse mornings. I even see a little effectiveness in helping anxiety the morning after I wake up, but it quickly wears off in about an hour (I like it for when I wake up with racing/pounding heartbeats in the mornings, and it completely gets rid of it)."