trazodone or clonidine?

[mmjxc]

hey!! i’m back with more annoying questions.

i discussed some (2) antidepressants that i may be able to take with the RLS since my depression and anxiety have been getting a bit worse. we decided on trazodone (even though she kept trying to push SSRI’s lmao). she said the wellbutrin may make my anxiety worse, which i can’t really afford right now. i’m terrified of taking new medication because of a bad experience with an antipsychotic that i had when i was a teenager, so if anyone has had any luck with the trazodone, i’d love to hear it!

i also have clonidine that i can take, but i’m also terrified of taking that. i took it one time when i was having an episode, and that was half of what my doctor prescribed. it knocked me out in about 15 mins, but i can’t tell if it helped with the actual symptoms.

i’m looking for meds that will have an effect on the actual symptoms since i deal with it all day.

oh, and i was able to eat a bit for the past two days!! not jinxing it, but i’m proud of myself for that

[Hidden]

Not at all annoying!

Trazodone is reputed to be safer for RLS than other Antidepressants (ADs). However, I recently discussed it with my GP who said it's usually used when others have failed because side effects can be worse. So, it's a matter of whether it works for you without too severe side effects.

Clonidine won't be that much good for RLS symptoms. It won't be much good for anxiety either. As I understand it, its anti-adrenergic action may counteract the physical effects of anxiety, e.g. raised blood pressure and tremors, but it doesn't have a strong anxiolytic action.

You may be better raising the dose of alpha 2 delta ligand you're taking, but I'd suggest switching to pregabalin, it's more potent. For each 300mg of gabapentin you take, you only need 50mg pregabalin.

[Sampsie]

Hi mmjxc,

It's great to hear that you had your doctor's appointment and she is listening to you, trying to help. And really good that you have been able to eat. A lack of food really has a negative effect on our mood, as does a lack of B vitamins in our diet. Perhaps you could get a supplement for that? Also, do give meditation or mindfulness a go. I was talking to a friend this weekend who was having really bad anxiety and depression last year, and he did a weekly meditation class for several weeks and said he hasn't looked back since.

As for the Trazadone, it might take a bit to get used to, as your body adjusts. I took it for a short time, at night to prevent daytime drowsiness, and I was super chilled, but I was really zonked in the day so I came off it. But I didn't really give it a go, so who knows I may well have got used to it. I think the only way any of us can tell with a drug is to try it, as we all react differently. If it's not for you, you can stop (reducing it slowly). But hopefully it will suit you. Try not to worry, keep a journal of how you feel on it and fingers crossed things will get better now.

Let us know how you get on.