Trazodone and Headaches: What Users Say (Page 4)

• Len...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 11, 2019

For Insomnia "I'm in menopause and have insomnia. Dr. prescribed 50 mg trazodone 'as needed' for sleep. I took 1/2 pill last night for the first time. Within 15 minutes I couldn't hold my head up. Went to bed and slept okay for about 5 hours. Was awakened by my daughter needing me in the middle of the night. I had blurred vision and felt drunk when I got up. Went back to sleep a couple of hours. This morning I feel like I'm hungover. Headache, tired, and hard to focus. This drug may be good for some people, but not for me. :("

• DDn...
• August 7, 2016

For Insomnia "I have taken Ambien for 3 years. However, my tolerance has built up, and now it takes 3 to make me sleep. And I will be awake and not remember anything I have done or said. So, my doctor switched me to trazodone 50 mg. He said take 1 or 2 about 30 minutes before bed. So I took 1, and an hour later I was still wide awake, so I took the second one. I closed my eyes, and I felt paralyzed. I couldn't open my eyes or move. I got very congested. My mouth was so dry I could barely get my tongue off the roof of my mouth... I was finally able to move 2 hours later and got some water... still, I could not sleep. I would close my eyes, and my mind was going 90 to nothing... next day had a horrible headache and felt awful... would not recommend this to anyone..."

• Hga...
• September 26, 2016

For Insomnia "So I'm bipolar and have several other anxieties. My psych prescribed me trazodone to ease me into sleeping... Well, today is the 2nd night I've taken it, and I'm one step away from going to the ER! I took it at 10, and it's almost 5 am now, and I have yet to sleep. I had numbness in my body almost like when your foot falls asleep, but throughout my whole body, my nose got stuffed up, I'm nauseous, my heart was racing! I started to get a panic attack like no tomorrow. Now I have a huge headache, and my eyes hurt! I do not recommend this medication at all."

• Sum...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 9, 2017

For Anxiety "I am in my mid-fifties, and my anxiety has gradually worsened over the past 6 years or so. I'm now off work. I have tried a few meds, but this is the most recent. I only took 50 mg for 3 weeks. I found my sleep to be a little better, and I seemed slightly less self-conscious, if that makes sense. The negatives far outweighed any benefits, though. Within the first week, I had lost my appetite, and when I ate, I would just bloat. I also got stomach pains. It basically shut my metabolism down. I have extreme headaches and dizziness as well, and zero motivation. I have to say that I am one of those people that are very sensitive to medications, so this drug may benefit some people."

• CHl...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 11, 2018

For Major Depressive Disorder "My psychiatrist prescribed Trazodone for a combination of issues: depression, mood swings, insomnia, and anxiety. I took it for 1.5 years, and overall I'm positive about it. I started with 100 mg per day, and the first few weeks were horrible as I experienced severe dizziness and nausea; however, it did help with the insomnia right away. After a month, the side effects subsided, and I started feeling better; I was calmer, slept well, and was not as anxious anymore. While it really helped with the insomnia, it knocked me out for 9 hours, and I could not get out of bed at all in the morning if I took the pills too late the evening before. Two months ago, my doctor and I decided I could stop taking it. For 1 month, I went back to 50 mg and then stopped completely. This again was a horrible period: all issues that I had before taking it came back, and I had terrible headaches for a couple of weeks. I'm not sleeping as well anymore as with the medication, but otherwise feeling fine now."

• whe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 8, 2022

For Insomnia "Never had a migraine, tried trazodone for the first time yesterday, and the headache started shortly after, and it hasn’t disappeared for 23 hours now. I woke up feeling insanely hungover, was nauseous, lost my coordination, and my head was pounding. Around 12 pm, I started getting delirious and had to leave my class. Took pain medication, slept for 4 hours, spent the rest of the day with the blinds down, and the pain has gone down to a strong headache, but I still can’t really study or move normally. I just hope it’s going to be gone when I wake up tomorrow. I won’t be taking this again, my worst hangovers felt better than this. Didn’t really help with sleep either :’)"

• Wes...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 10, 2021

For Insomnia "I have trouble turning my mind off and falling asleep. I tried up to 75 mg of Trazodone for almost a week, only to be wide awake until the wee hours of the morning, 6 a.m. one morning. I have experienced scary heart palpitations, very vivid dreams, headache and grogginess upon waking, short-term memory issues, and joint and muscle pain."

• lil...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 28, 2021

For Insomnia "I started taking 50 mg trazodone after my SSRI gave me severe insomnia. I had some grogginess and headaches the first two days after I took it, but that went away quickly. Now I sleep better than I ever have, even before the SSRIs. I love this med :)"

• gar...
• October 28, 2016

For Insomnia "I took the 50 mg dose, and within the first couple of hours, felt sick to my stomach. During the night, I felt like I was half asleep but never fully out. I had a hard time getting up the next day. I felt light-headed and kept yawning constantly. I felt like I was in a fog that didn't break until about noon. Later in the day, I had a headache. I wouldn't recommend this particular drug."

• qui...
• February 10, 2012

For Insomnia "Too strong! I was prescribed 50 mg trazodone for insomnia and, at even half the prescribed dose (25 mg), found the medicine TOO sedating. Found myself unable to keep my eyes open after it kicks in, but not particularly sleepy--lying awake and wishing the heavy effects would quickly wear off. Side effects were bad, especially dry mouth, vivid dreams, and a pounding headache the next day."

• Irn...
• December 11, 2016

For Insomnia "Worst time with this medication. Nightmares, sleepwalking, severe headaches, vomiting, didn't help me sleep at all, I would wake up and sleepwalk into different rooms knowing I was sleepwalking but so disoriented I had no idea where I was. One night, I walked to a storage building and stripped and fell, breaking my arm. I was there until the next morning because I couldn't get up and didn't have a cell phone. My father had tried calling, but with no answer, he finally drove up and eventually found me. I hated the hangover effect. I hope others benefit from it."

• Jar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 3, 2020

For Insomnia "I felt like this had a bad rep for turning people into zombies. No such luck for me. Pdoc thought it would do double duty to get me some sleep and maybe help with the depressive end of mood swings. I took it for one week, and it kept me awake every night with a cloudy, headachy mind. I couldn’t even read, it made me feel so dumb for about 7 hours. And then I had to face another workday with no sleep. I tried it again a year later under another pdoc, and it clogged up my sinuses so bad I had to manually breathe out of my mouth all night. No good."

• BC-...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 8, 2022

For Headache "This med is as awful as it is useless! I decided to try something other than Zopiclone just to be “safer” and avoid dependency issues and avoid the awful metallic taste… but don’t, just don’t. I’ve had the worst headache for weeks now. I’m not prone to headaches, and this one is throbbing and PERSISTENT! I even went to the ER, worried my birth control was putting me at risk for a stroke. Thankfully, CT was normal, but even IV dexamethasone, metoclopramide, ketorolac, and saline barely made a dent in my headache. And it didn’t even help me sleep. Absolute garbage. Stay away!"

• rob...
• December 23, 2011

For Insomnia "I have severe insomnia. I have gone 4 days at a time with no sleep at all. I have also experienced hallucinations when I go 3 to 4 days without a wink of sleep. I have tried Ambien without even a yawn. Restoril gave me bad nightmares, I would awaken by throwing myself out of bed. I have just started taking Trazodone 50 mg (3 days now), and it knocks me out. It is the first time in years that I have slept through the night. However, I am experiencing side effects when I awaken that are lasting throughout the day: headaches, neck ache, and weak, rubbery legs. If the side effects do go away, I would give it a 10."

• Amp...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 29, 2016

For Insomnia "Just prescribed trazodone for severe insomnia. First night took 75 mg, immediate and deep sleep till morning, but what I would call a hangover effect for the rest of the day. Woke up with a severe cramp in the calf muscle. Headache, eyeballs hurt oddly enough, tired throughout the day, etc. Last night took perhaps 30 mg, which took longer for sleep, but it still worked for the insomnia, but again a heavy sense of hangover and fatigue throughout the day. Crampy calves. The doctor says these side effects should subside within a week, but I'm not sure. So my take on it is that it works really well for insomnia, but the side effects during the day, if they continue, are totally not worth it. Basic waste of an entire day. There's enough variety in the comments I have read that I may keep giving it a try for a time. I find a variety of responses to it kind of strange and interesting."

• Anonymous
• December 22, 2020

For Insomnia "I love this medication, trazodone. I have taken it for years. Yes, in the beginning, it made me groggy, with somewhat of a headache. I adjusted the dose. It works, but remember not all medications work for everyone. That is why we have health care providers."

• Jus...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 19, 2021

For Sedation "I was prescribed a very low dose to help me sleep at night. The first night, about an hour after I took it, I felt like I was weighed down; I could barely stand to go to bed from the couch. I slept hard for the first time in months; but the next day, I had the worst headache all day, and I was dizzy every time I stood up. The second night I took it, it didn't make me even a little bit sleepy, and I had insomnia all night; no headache or dizziness the next day, though. Tonight is the third night, and it's the same as last night. I took it 3 hours ago, and I'm still not sleepy. I don't understand how something could make me have such severe side effects the first night and none any day afterward."

• Thi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 21, 2018

For Insomnia "I am in my early 40s. I have an underlying condition. The doctor gave me a prescription for Trazodone, and after not falling asleep for 5 days, I started on 2/16/18. 25 MG was useless. I take 50 MG per day. The side effects that I am aware of include: strange tingling feeling in the back of my head, headache, drastic change in personality (lost my old self), trouble in learning, restlessness. Initially, I could really feel the sedation as soon as I took the pill, but I do not feel that anymore. Most nights I am drowsy for an hour and a half or so, and then I 'come to' and realize I am not sleeping. My problems could be from my own condition or from the medication. Given my condition, I would have gotten into the psychiatric ward already if I didn't get on this. I am staying on it (praying that it would continue to work for me) because I am not aware of any safer option. I hope this helps."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 17, 2016

For Insomnia "First two days taking 50 mg. First day taking, I took relatively earlier so it would have time to kick in, without leaving me groggy. I felt it within an hour, and it increased my libido! After two hours, the drowsiness wore off, however, I felt great and took a third of another to boost me back into a sedated sleep. Normally, I have extremely long-lasting visual dreams, but I never felt energized like I've slept. This first morning, I couldn't recall having a single dream and woke up relatively early, sleeping 8 hours. My side effects were feeling lightly hungover and numb until standing. Yes, I couldn't breathe out of my nose, and yes, my mouth became dry no matter the amount of water. 2nd night, bad headache, no sleep. Will try 25 mg tomorrow. Not looking promising."

• Fed...
• June 10, 2016

For Depression "I have taken 50 mg of Trazodone on two non-consecutive nights and have had very severe side effects. Both nights, I recall having an extremely high heart rate, a massive headache caused by sinus pressure, it caused extreme post-nasal drip, and I had trouble swallowing because of the dry mouth. By 4:30 a.m. on the second night that I tried taking Trazodone, I took an Ativan because I was panicking because I could not sleep. Afterwards, I felt incredibly dizzy because the two medications don't mix well together. Tonight I decided I would skip the medication and see if I could sleep without it. It is 12:47 a.m., and I'm still awake. I spent a night last week in a sleep disorder lab, but I was unable to sleep there either."

• Jim...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 28, 2022

For Sedation "I took trazodone 150 mg for 8 years. My new PCP asked me if it helped me sleep. I told him it has become ineffective. He stopped it that day without tapering me. I didn't know it was also an SSRI. I can't take what I call regular SSRIs because I always had side effects. Two days after I stopped, I couldn't go to sleep until 3 a.m. I had vivid dreams and felt like I wasn't sleeping at all. By 6 a.m. I would wake up like clockwork with a mild headache and very nervous until I got out of bed and had a cup of coffee. The doctor told me this doesn't happen with trazodone. I moved two months later to Nevada. It's been 9 months since I was cut off from trazodone. I still can't go to sleep until 3 a.m. I still have the vivid dreams while I am sleeping and still wake up at 6 a.m. without seeing the time, with the same mild headache and nervousness. My new PCP told me I have discontinuation syndrome and it can last up to a year since I took it so long. It's been hard for me to do anything and wish this would go away."

• Meg...
• November 4, 2015

For Insomnia "Took this for the first time last night at midnight. Almost 14 hours later I STILL feel drugged and have had a horrible headache. Do NOT recommend, but if you want to try it, definitely do it when you don't have anything important to do the following day. My mom took this med and also got a bad headache, but she said it 'didn't work for her.' It worked TOO much for me, at 100 mg. Although I am never going to try a smaller dose, as I will still get a headache and feel drowsy the following day-just maybe on a less terrible scale. Wish I never took it."

• chu...
• June 25, 2009

For Depression "I have taken 50 mg now for several years for depression and to aid sleep. It takes about 30 minutes to knock me out. However, I am up again in about 3 hours, which is frustrating, but to be fair, I also take Tramadol for pain relief, so this may be an interaction of the tablets. I tend to feel a little groggy all day, and I also wake up with a headache."

• The...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 30, 2017

For Insomnia "I have a fair amount of 'problems.' Insomnia is one. I have MDD, GAD, PTSD. I take Lexapro for depression and 1 mg twice a day of Xanax. (You'd think I'd sleep from THAT)... NO... I also have SEVERE back/neck issues, so I also take Percocet 10s 4x a day... STILL NO SLEEP. I tried them all... Ambien... no... Remeron... no. Seroquel yes, but hated the weight gain and could not function in the morning, so my psych doctor said trazodone has been around forever, no effects... BS. It did NOT work AT ALL... was taking 50 mg. So the doctor said to take 100 mg... NOTHING but horrible headaches, severe nausea if I didn't eat enough, and once I finally managed to get 2-3 hrs of sleep, it was NOT restful. The doctor ALSO didn't tell me that they're actually an antidepressant and take 4-6 weeks for maximum results."

• Niv...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 13, 2021

For Insomnia "From the very first night of taking Trazodone, me too! Terrible, terrible headaches. Sometimes waking up halfway through the night by pounding, pulsating headache. Otherwise, waking up with one that lasts most of the day. I started taking 4 - 500 mg Motrin with the Trazodone, and headaches went away. I hate having to take that much acetaminophen every day, but there was no other option. Excellent for not being able to sleep."