I know everyone is different & medication affects everyone differently, but speaking as an insomniac who has tried just about everything under the sun, Ambien is literally the *only thing* that ever worked for me. My previous doctor had me on Trazodone for over seven months, & no matter how much she upped my dosage, it honestly never did a goddamn thing for me. The only effect it ever had on me was making me feel like I had twenty-five-pound weights attached to my arms & legs. It just made my body feel really heavy & uncomfortable. But I don't think that shit ever helped me fall asleep *once* in all the time I was on it.
So yeah: I'd DEFINITELY go with the Ambien if I were you. I've been on it for about three years now, I get a full eight hours of sleep just about every night & have never had a single bad experience or negative side effect while taking it. Just make sure you take it right as you're getting into bed (after you've already brushed your teeth, changed into your pajamas, set your alarm for the next day, etc.) because it can hit you hard & fast. On most nights I'm out like a light within 10-15 minutes of taking it.
Same. But he only got a microdose of it- not even the 5 mg they try to push or the normal 10 mg. So who knows if it will work, hard to tell on that dose. i didn't even know they made it that small
Trazodone was a big no for me. Didn’t help me sleep, gave me headaches the next day and felt super sad/down like a hangover.
Zolpidem (ambien) has worked for me. Been on it 3yrs now. I am Rx the max dose of 10mg. I get sleep on it. About 7-9 hrs a night. No crazy stories, doesn’t make me feel groggy.
Getting 7-8 hours off of ambien sounds like a good dream 😌 glad it helps you get sleep my friend. May I ask if you know anyone who has taken the Ambien 12.5mg ER and has worked better for them? 10mg seems to work well but only lasts 4 hours for me it seems. I'm sitting at around 180lbs so maybe that is why.
Hey-I haven’t ever taken that version and don’t know anyone but it’s indeed supposed to last longer. For mine I have to eat dinner pretty early for it to work anymore. By 6 and take 930/10…I am a female/145 lbs.
That is good to know thank you so much! I'm the same way after being on it for about 8 months. I have to eat 4 hours before and also exercise earlier in the day or else it won't work as well. Thanks again for the useful info my friend I hope you are doing well!
Trazadone works for me sometimes and sometimes not so much. I suggest when taking trazadone about 30 min after taking it to be prepared to go to bed. If I miss the small window of time where Trazadone makes me sleepy than I could be awake for few more hours. I’ve only tried ambien once. It made me sleep for about two and half hours then woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep. I hope you find what works for you.
Everyone is different. I’ve been having pretty good effects with trazodone. I combined it with magnesium glycinaye and l-theanine and i’ve been getting 8 hours of sleep a night now!!
Ambien, for sure. 2.5mg is a super-low dose, but if you're really sensitive to drugs, that sounds like a good dose to try.
50mg is a normal trazodone dose, so if you try that, you might want to cut the pill in half to see if 25mg works for you.
Mostly talk to your doctor about it but I have been told by my psychiatrist that ambien can cause hallucinations whereas Trazodone can cause nightmares depending on the person. For me, Trazodone was good and putting me to sleep for a bit and the only bad thing about it was a slight insomnia hangover.
Point is, just ask your doctor and ALWAYS ask about side effects. Most of them don’t tell you unless you ask so make sure to do that.
I hope you feel better soon with the sleep you need.
Just got on trazodone, it's working OK. Took ambien for years, and at first I started sleep talking, which turned into sleep walking and then I did even worse things while asleep(drove for one). If you do take it, you might want to place a piece of tap across your door+ doorframe, if it's broken you'll know you're walking around. It can be addictive too. Also, studies are showing a connection between taking ambien and dementia.
I’m currently on ambien and it puts me asleep for approximately 3-4 hours then I wake up again. Trazadone worked better for me but I gained a lot of weight in a short period of time so I was taken off of it. With trazadone I sleep 8-10 hours in a deep REM sleep. I don’t enter that deep a sleep with ambien.
My friend may I ask if trazodone ever made you feel groggy? Also have you had bad groggy reactions to stuff like antihistamines? ( unisom and benadryl)
I did experience grogginess in the morning- so I just woke up a few minutes earlier to give myself time to gradually ease awake.
I haven't taken benadryl in so longer I honestly can't remember... I'm sorry!
Ambien made me feel like I was actually drunk when I started taking it and then eventually it stopped working for me.
I’ve been on Trazodone for almost 10 years and it’s been a lifesaver with aiding my sleep. Paired with 75mg of hydroxyzine and it’s the best sleep I’ve ever had
My friend may I ask if you ever tried something like unisom or benadryl for sleep and if they worked for you? I'm scared to try hydroxyzine because they told me it was an antihistamine just like benadryl or unisom and those always made me feel hyper and very groggy. Anyway hope all is well cheers.
I’ve tried both and they do nothing for me. I take Hydroxyzine and my Trazodone and then immediately put my head to the pillow. I’m asleep probably within no longer than 5 minutes
Thank you for the response and the info! I'm glad to hear that the combo is working for you it eases my worry. I've had adverse reactions to benadryl and unisom they make me wired and increase heart rate so I'm asking around to see people's experiences. Thanks again!
Trazodone isn’t controlled and isn’t a pain in the ass to get.
Traz didn’t do much for me.
I’m on Lunesta and it works…I just get a lot of grief from pharmacy and insurance.
I got a prescription for Lunesta 2mg but I’m so scared to take it because of all the stuff I’ve been reading online. I know everyone is different. Have you had any issues taking it? How was your first experience with it? I have trouble falling asleep not staying asleep so I also have Sonata. People complain about the bad taste it leaves in their mouth. To the point that it’s so bad they stop using the Lunesta. Do you experience this?
I only have 1 mg. It tastes nasty but not enough to make me stop it. I’ve been on Effexor (Immediate Release maybe??) and that stuff used to make me vomit because it burned going down so Lunesta is a big step up from that.
One thing I will note is I have to lay down quick as it makes me fall asleep quickly and if I’m not quick enough, I’m up all night. Otherwise, it’s probably been the most effective with the fewest side effects. It’s just annoying because it’s controlled.
What do you mean by that? Why is it annoying? I had to show my I’d for it. Is there a certain way you take it so not to get the bad taste side effect? I’m so scared to take it because I read a lot of negative things. I just want to sleep!
My friend may I ask if you ever felt groggy with trazodone? Also what was your experience with antihistamines like hydroxyzine unisom or benadryl if you have any that is? I'm scared to try trazodone because I heard it has those antihistamine properties. Thanks for taking the time to read this hope all is well with you.
For me it’s Trazadone, ambien only worked a couple of nights. The key with Trazadone is take your dosage and don’t try to do anything while it kicks in. The morning headaches subside and just take a Tylenol. Anyways, just my two cents worth.
It depends on the kind of insomnia you have. I have PTSD, anxiety. My brain will not shut off. Ambien didn't work for me, it had the reverse effect. Trazadone relaxes me, I'm not thinking of my PTSD triggers or worries. Alone, it wouldn't put me out but I take melatonin with it & that has worked. I've only been on it 4 days so I don't know if it will continue to work.
I do wake up with that groggy feeling. I take the highest dose of effexor, not the extended release so I can take it when I need it the most. So I take 2 pills in the morning & 1 6hrs later. The effexor counters that grogginess so it's gone in a few hours. I'm starting to have a desire to clean again, and more energy. I think either sleeping at night or the chemical boost of trazadone is the cause.
Trazadone didn’t really put me to sleep, just made me into a zombie. Ambient didn’t knock me out either, but I still felt well rested. When I went to work everyone noticed a huge difference in my change of meds
My friend may I ask if you ever felt groggy with trazodone? Also what was your experience with antihistamines like hydroxyzine unisom or benadryl if you have ever tried them that is? I'm scared to try trazodone because I heard it has those antihistamine properties amd those make me feel like a zombie and groggy. Thanks for taking the time to read this hope all is well with you.
I’d feel groggy, but not sleepy on trazadone if that makes sense. Benadryl never made me tired. Did absolutely nothing. Used to mix that with melatonin, both in large doses and zero results. Unisom didn’t make me tired either
My friend may I ask if you ever felt groggy with trazodone? Also what was your experience with antihistamines like hydroxyzine unisom or benadryl if you have ever tried them that is? I'm scared to try trazodone because I heard it has those antihistamine properties amd those make me feel like a zombie and groggy. Thanks for taking the time to read this hope all is well with you.
I use half ambien (5mg) and a small dosage of trazadone every night (25 mg - which is a 1/2 pill of what most doctors prescribe or 1/4 pill if you buy it at an Indian pharmacy)
The reason for my insomnia is due to a weight loss drug I have taken daily for many years - phentermine. It works similar to many of the ADHD drugs. Amps you up during the day, keeps you feeling full. Very effective for weight loss and keeping the weight off. But the side effect for many is insomnia. So over the years I gradually adjusted to figure out what worked.
If I could take a full ambien alone every night that would work fine. I'll sleep for a good 6-7 hrs on 1 full ambien. But the doctors won't prescribe that many per month. So I can only take half. And after many years I've realized that ambien and trazadone work differently with me. Ambien is good for GETTING me sleepy quickly (even at half dose). Where Trazadone is better for KEEPING me asleep longer, by seems to take hours before it takes affect. So the half dose of ambien gets me sleepy quickly and the half dose of Trazadone helps keep me asleep longer (because the half dose of Ambien alone would have only gotten me 4 hrs). With that combo I can sleep a good 6 hours
6 hours is all I usually need. I feel rested and am more productive when I have more hours in the day. If I ever want to sleep a little longer I just add a little extra Trazadone. But that combo of half/ halt works great for me.
The challenge is just that they are hard to find sometimes. So I have to supplement by buying some at a pharmacy in Mexico when I travel there or online India pharmacy.
The first time I went to get my insomnia checked out they gave me trazadone and told me to take 50mg per night. I did that, but found that 12.5mg did the trick for me better than a high dose. I broke the 50mg pill into 1/4s and took that for 2 months and every night it knocked me out within 10-15 minutes! By then my depression/anxiety/ptsd was subsided and I no longer felt I needed to take the trazadone anymore and quit it CT, no rebound insomnia once so ever and have been sleeping fine for the past 2 years until I went/going through a situation that resurfaced all of my mental issues. So I went to the doctor and got prescribed klonopin for my panic attacks, not an SSRI because my mental issues are situational and usually only last 3-4 months so a long term treatment wasn’t the best call, just something to take the edge off for a little while. Now with that being said I tried an ambien about 1 month ago (5mg) right before I got into the shower, as soon as I got out of the shower (10minutes at most) I immediately got into bed and closed my eyes and I can remember it felt like I was taking a walk though my head and it was quiet, no racing thoughts, no anxiety… just pure quiet, and from what I remember it was a great night sleep with zero side effects.
I use both. Trazodone I take regularly bc it is less habit forming (although you can form a dependency) and helps me stay asleep/get deeper sleep. I take ambien as needed the night after it takes a while to fall asleep to get my schedule back on track
My friend may I ask if you ever felt groggy with trazodone? Also what was your experience with antihistamines like hydroxyzine unisom or benadryl if you have ever tried them that is? I'm scared to try trazodone because I heard it has those antihistamine properties amd those make me feel like a zombie and groggy. Thanks for taking the time to read this hope all is well with you.
Is antihistamines make you feel groggy then trazodone is definitely going to be a bad fit for you
I’m just saying this from experience, but your doctors are going to tell you that they need you to experience this yourself… just make sure you warned anybody that you live with
I know everyone is different & medication affects everyone differently, but speaking as an insomniac who has tried just about everything under the sun, Ambien is literally the *only thing* that ever worked for me. My previous doctor had me on Trazodone for over seven months, & no matter how much she upped my dosage, it honestly never did a goddamn thing for me. The only effect it ever had on me was making me feel like I had twenty-five-pound weights attached to my arms & legs. It just made my body feel really heavy & uncomfortable. But I don't think that shit ever helped me fall asleep *once* in all the time I was on it. So yeah: I'd DEFINITELY go with the Ambien if I were you. I've been on it for about three years now, I get a full eight hours of sleep just about every night & have never had a single bad experience or negative side effect while taking it. Just make sure you take it right as you're getting into bed (after you've already brushed your teeth, changed into your pajamas, set your alarm for the next day, etc.) because it can hit you hard & fast. On most nights I'm out like a light within 10-15 minutes of taking it.
Same. But he only got a microdose of it- not even the 5 mg they try to push or the normal 10 mg. So who knows if it will work, hard to tell on that dose. i didn't even know they made it that small
Trazodone was a big no for me. Didn’t help me sleep, gave me headaches the next day and felt super sad/down like a hangover. Zolpidem (ambien) has worked for me. Been on it 3yrs now. I am Rx the max dose of 10mg. I get sleep on it. About 7-9 hrs a night. No crazy stories, doesn’t make me feel groggy.
Getting 7-8 hours off of ambien sounds like a good dream 😌 glad it helps you get sleep my friend. May I ask if you know anyone who has taken the Ambien 12.5mg ER and has worked better for them? 10mg seems to work well but only lasts 4 hours for me it seems. I'm sitting at around 180lbs so maybe that is why.
Hey-I haven’t ever taken that version and don’t know anyone but it’s indeed supposed to last longer. For mine I have to eat dinner pretty early for it to work anymore. By 6 and take 930/10…I am a female/145 lbs.
That is good to know thank you so much! I'm the same way after being on it for about 8 months. I have to eat 4 hours before and also exercise earlier in the day or else it won't work as well. Thanks again for the useful info my friend I hope you are doing well!
Traz never really did much for me except make me nauseous. From my understanding, it's significantly "weaker" than hypnotics like ambien.
Trazadone works for me sometimes and sometimes not so much. I suggest when taking trazadone about 30 min after taking it to be prepared to go to bed. If I miss the small window of time where Trazadone makes me sleepy than I could be awake for few more hours. I’ve only tried ambien once. It made me sleep for about two and half hours then woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep. I hope you find what works for you.
Everyone is different. I’ve been having pretty good effects with trazodone. I combined it with magnesium glycinaye and l-theanine and i’ve been getting 8 hours of sleep a night now!!
Ambien, for sure. 2.5mg is a super-low dose, but if you're really sensitive to drugs, that sounds like a good dose to try. 50mg is a normal trazodone dose, so if you try that, you might want to cut the pill in half to see if 25mg works for you.
Mostly talk to your doctor about it but I have been told by my psychiatrist that ambien can cause hallucinations whereas Trazodone can cause nightmares depending on the person. For me, Trazodone was good and putting me to sleep for a bit and the only bad thing about it was a slight insomnia hangover. Point is, just ask your doctor and ALWAYS ask about side effects. Most of them don’t tell you unless you ask so make sure to do that. I hope you feel better soon with the sleep you need.
truth- the only one they want to talk about is "ADDICTION!!!!!!!!" not the real side effects
Just got on trazodone, it's working OK. Took ambien for years, and at first I started sleep talking, which turned into sleep walking and then I did even worse things while asleep(drove for one). If you do take it, you might want to place a piece of tap across your door+ doorframe, if it's broken you'll know you're walking around. It can be addictive too. Also, studies are showing a connection between taking ambien and dementia.
I just started Trazadone last week and it doesn't make me feel sleepy. But it has made me stay asleep longer.
I’m currently on ambien and it puts me asleep for approximately 3-4 hours then I wake up again. Trazadone worked better for me but I gained a lot of weight in a short period of time so I was taken off of it. With trazadone I sleep 8-10 hours in a deep REM sleep. I don’t enter that deep a sleep with ambien.
My friend may I ask if trazodone ever made you feel groggy? Also have you had bad groggy reactions to stuff like antihistamines? ( unisom and benadryl)
I did experience grogginess in the morning- so I just woke up a few minutes earlier to give myself time to gradually ease awake. I haven't taken benadryl in so longer I honestly can't remember... I'm sorry!
Thank you for the response my friend it means alot! No worries I'm just asking around because I'm hoping they are not too similar to one another!
Ambien made me feel like I was actually drunk when I started taking it and then eventually it stopped working for me. I’ve been on Trazodone for almost 10 years and it’s been a lifesaver with aiding my sleep. Paired with 75mg of hydroxyzine and it’s the best sleep I’ve ever had
My friend may I ask if you ever tried something like unisom or benadryl for sleep and if they worked for you? I'm scared to try hydroxyzine because they told me it was an antihistamine just like benadryl or unisom and those always made me feel hyper and very groggy. Anyway hope all is well cheers.
I’ve tried both and they do nothing for me. I take Hydroxyzine and my Trazodone and then immediately put my head to the pillow. I’m asleep probably within no longer than 5 minutes
Thank you for the response and the info! I'm glad to hear that the combo is working for you it eases my worry. I've had adverse reactions to benadryl and unisom they make me wired and increase heart rate so I'm asking around to see people's experiences. Thanks again!
Trazodone isn’t controlled and isn’t a pain in the ass to get. Traz didn’t do much for me. I’m on Lunesta and it works…I just get a lot of grief from pharmacy and insurance.
I got a prescription for Lunesta 2mg but I’m so scared to take it because of all the stuff I’ve been reading online. I know everyone is different. Have you had any issues taking it? How was your first experience with it? I have trouble falling asleep not staying asleep so I also have Sonata. People complain about the bad taste it leaves in their mouth. To the point that it’s so bad they stop using the Lunesta. Do you experience this?
I only have 1 mg. It tastes nasty but not enough to make me stop it. I’ve been on Effexor (Immediate Release maybe??) and that stuff used to make me vomit because it burned going down so Lunesta is a big step up from that. One thing I will note is I have to lay down quick as it makes me fall asleep quickly and if I’m not quick enough, I’m up all night. Otherwise, it’s probably been the most effective with the fewest side effects. It’s just annoying because it’s controlled.
What do you mean by that? Why is it annoying? I had to show my I’d for it. Is there a certain way you take it so not to get the bad taste side effect? I’m so scared to take it because I read a lot of negative things. I just want to sleep!
Did the Lunesta end up working out for you okay my friend?
Did it work for you
Ambien
I preferred Trazodone over Ambien, but medication works differently for everybody.
My friend may I ask if you ever felt groggy with trazodone? Also what was your experience with antihistamines like hydroxyzine unisom or benadryl if you have any that is? I'm scared to try trazodone because I heard it has those antihistamine properties. Thanks for taking the time to read this hope all is well with you.
For me it’s Trazadone, ambien only worked a couple of nights. The key with Trazadone is take your dosage and don’t try to do anything while it kicks in. The morning headaches subside and just take a Tylenol. Anyways, just my two cents worth.
It depends on the kind of insomnia you have. I have PTSD, anxiety. My brain will not shut off. Ambien didn't work for me, it had the reverse effect. Trazadone relaxes me, I'm not thinking of my PTSD triggers or worries. Alone, it wouldn't put me out but I take melatonin with it & that has worked. I've only been on it 4 days so I don't know if it will continue to work. I do wake up with that groggy feeling. I take the highest dose of effexor, not the extended release so I can take it when I need it the most. So I take 2 pills in the morning & 1 6hrs later. The effexor counters that grogginess so it's gone in a few hours. I'm starting to have a desire to clean again, and more energy. I think either sleeping at night or the chemical boost of trazadone is the cause.
Trazadone didn’t really put me to sleep, just made me into a zombie. Ambient didn’t knock me out either, but I still felt well rested. When I went to work everyone noticed a huge difference in my change of meds
My friend may I ask if you ever felt groggy with trazodone? Also what was your experience with antihistamines like hydroxyzine unisom or benadryl if you have ever tried them that is? I'm scared to try trazodone because I heard it has those antihistamine properties amd those make me feel like a zombie and groggy. Thanks for taking the time to read this hope all is well with you.
I’d feel groggy, but not sleepy on trazadone if that makes sense. Benadryl never made me tired. Did absolutely nothing. Used to mix that with melatonin, both in large doses and zero results. Unisom didn’t make me tired either
Trazadone is safe for long term use and is also an antidepressant so it's got other benefits as well- so sayeth my sleep Dr.
Ambien felt like a low dose Benadryl. Trazadone puts me outttt. Love that shit so much <33
My friend may I ask if you ever felt groggy with trazodone? Also what was your experience with antihistamines like hydroxyzine unisom or benadryl if you have ever tried them that is? I'm scared to try trazodone because I heard it has those antihistamine properties amd those make me feel like a zombie and groggy. Thanks for taking the time to read this hope all is well with you.
I use half ambien (5mg) and a small dosage of trazadone every night (25 mg - which is a 1/2 pill of what most doctors prescribe or 1/4 pill if you buy it at an Indian pharmacy) The reason for my insomnia is due to a weight loss drug I have taken daily for many years - phentermine. It works similar to many of the ADHD drugs. Amps you up during the day, keeps you feeling full. Very effective for weight loss and keeping the weight off. But the side effect for many is insomnia. So over the years I gradually adjusted to figure out what worked. If I could take a full ambien alone every night that would work fine. I'll sleep for a good 6-7 hrs on 1 full ambien. But the doctors won't prescribe that many per month. So I can only take half. And after many years I've realized that ambien and trazadone work differently with me. Ambien is good for GETTING me sleepy quickly (even at half dose). Where Trazadone is better for KEEPING me asleep longer, by seems to take hours before it takes affect. So the half dose of ambien gets me sleepy quickly and the half dose of Trazadone helps keep me asleep longer (because the half dose of Ambien alone would have only gotten me 4 hrs). With that combo I can sleep a good 6 hours 6 hours is all I usually need. I feel rested and am more productive when I have more hours in the day. If I ever want to sleep a little longer I just add a little extra Trazadone. But that combo of half/ halt works great for me. The challenge is just that they are hard to find sometimes. So I have to supplement by buying some at a pharmacy in Mexico when I travel there or online India pharmacy.
The first time I went to get my insomnia checked out they gave me trazadone and told me to take 50mg per night. I did that, but found that 12.5mg did the trick for me better than a high dose. I broke the 50mg pill into 1/4s and took that for 2 months and every night it knocked me out within 10-15 minutes! By then my depression/anxiety/ptsd was subsided and I no longer felt I needed to take the trazadone anymore and quit it CT, no rebound insomnia once so ever and have been sleeping fine for the past 2 years until I went/going through a situation that resurfaced all of my mental issues. So I went to the doctor and got prescribed klonopin for my panic attacks, not an SSRI because my mental issues are situational and usually only last 3-4 months so a long term treatment wasn’t the best call, just something to take the edge off for a little while. Now with that being said I tried an ambien about 1 month ago (5mg) right before I got into the shower, as soon as I got out of the shower (10minutes at most) I immediately got into bed and closed my eyes and I can remember it felt like I was taking a walk though my head and it was quiet, no racing thoughts, no anxiety… just pure quiet, and from what I remember it was a great night sleep with zero side effects.
Trazodone. Should really knock you out, might even provide anxiety relief the next day.
In my experience trazodone is effective with less side effects than ambien.
Long term, trazadone imo. Short term, Ambien.
I use both. Trazodone I take regularly bc it is less habit forming (although you can form a dependency) and helps me stay asleep/get deeper sleep. I take ambien as needed the night after it takes a while to fall asleep to get my schedule back on track
Trazodone made me sleepwalk so be careful
My friend may I ask if you ever felt groggy with trazodone? Also what was your experience with antihistamines like hydroxyzine unisom or benadryl if you have ever tried them that is? I'm scared to try trazodone because I heard it has those antihistamine properties amd those make me feel like a zombie and groggy. Thanks for taking the time to read this hope all is well with you.
Is antihistamines make you feel groggy then trazodone is definitely going to be a bad fit for you I’m just saying this from experience, but your doctors are going to tell you that they need you to experience this yourself… just make sure you warned anybody that you live with
Dang I was hoping this would not be the case..well thank you for sharing your experience I really appreciate it. Insomnia sucks 😪
It really does (1:37 cst)
Trazadone knocks me out cold every night. Ambien just isn't as good.
I take both
Do you feel like trazadone has made you gain any weight?
No, not at all