Melatonin and antidepressants Mirtazapine and Trazadone

[basten]

I tried 2mg Melatonin but it did nothing for my sleep. I tried Mirtazapine and slept well for 10 days then started waking up early and then all through the night. Someone told me Trazadone is good for sleep (I suffer with depression) but wondered if the sedating effect of that will wear off too eventually.

[Hidden]

I was on trazodone 50 mg for 2 years, it stopped working, but it stopped working after I had three rounds of betamethasone (Celestone) shots for chronic pain due to rotator cuff issues. Coincidence? I don’t know. I tried increasing my dose to 75 mg and 100 mg and all that did was increase the trazodone side effects.

I suffered terrible withdraw coming off this, but I quit cold turkey, so be careful if you try this, taper off it with help of your doctor.

Melatonin is not a sleeping pill, it’s a hormone made synthetically that is to help us regulate sleep. It has a very short half life so in higher doses 2-3+mg it can help with sleep onset when taken right before bed but it will not help us stay asleep. These doses up to 5 mg cause lingering hangover effect and very low mood for me. Me and low mood don’t mix well especially on on sleep.

You’ve been on a lot of meds, even cocktails of drugs that work for a while then stop, your tolerance is probably quite high, but you could try the trazodone, just be careful if you are taking other antidepressants, serotonin syndrome, even mild case is quite uncomfortable.

[basten in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou. Yes I've been on a lot of meds. ..which messed my sleep up in the first place. I'll talk to my psychiatrist. I was in hospital forb5 weeks where they reduced my drugs and I had a terrible time. Me like you low mood and no sleep dont mix well I thought I'd found the answer with the Mirtazapine and I was over the moon...sadly it didnt last. My sleep is already affected by meds I should never have been kept on long term and if I try to stop just one night I'm wide awake and suffer terrible withdrawal by lunch time next day so I've had to stay on them. Thankyou for that about Melatonin. Do you take anything now which helps you sleep?

[Hidden in reply to basten]

Omg yes. Where do I start. I’ve got about 8-9 prescriptions, everything is sitting on my shelf collecting dust. 😢

- mirtzipine (which I’ve never taken, weight gain and metabolic decline in an aging body is horrid and diabetes risk is scary)

- seroquel (took it once and being awake on seroquel when you are not bipolar is the worst)

-hydroxyzine only gives me a few hours but very broken sleep

-gabapentin (causes low mood if taken with anything else like existing trazadone from the night before so I dropped it too)

Hypnotics

- lunesta works on occasion

- ambien gives me 2 hours

- sonata gives me 50 minutes (being awake on sonata is terrible, muscle weakness and can’t feel my legs the entire rest of the day) Daytime sleepiness but can’t sleep.

I believe that taking the trazadone long term desensitized my neurotransmitters, I can’t get anything to work any more. I’m doing things naturally. I have 2 sleep opportunities where I fall asleep easily (for 2-3 hours) and it’s during everyone’s ‘waking’ hours, so I’m sleeping while the world around me is doing normal things.

Isnt this sleep crap the worst? I hope you truly find something that gives you adequate sleep. Being up at night is worst. 🌺

[basten in reply to Hidden]

Hi oh my you sound like you've tried all meds just like me. Seroquel gave me horrendous nightmares that kept me awake. Mirtazapine I could not stop eating and gained 2 stone including huge boobs!! Yes this sleep thing is a nightmare. I used to sleep on and off ok until I was given anti depressants.

I'm also on Zopiclone and Clonazepam and felt soooo I'll just missing one night of Zopiclone!! My psychiatrist in hospital said I blame that on your doctor. I am so down about that. I get some sleep but wake up all the time.

The other psychiatrist had now told me to look up a sleep app!! Yet the drugs induce sleep!!

So I take it you stopped the Trazadone? Did they help at all for a while. I dont sleep in the day.

I dont think there is anything else she will try me on for sleep. Yes sleep means so much to me as I suffer pain and it blots everything out. I hate not sleeping. I do feel for you . Thankyou for replying.

[Hidden in reply to basten]

Trazadone for me was amazing. I’m nearing menopause transition, so that helped me immensely with that, anxiety, sleep, I had an overall balance when I was taking it.

I think my doc may try doxepin when I see him in 2 weeks. What we are going to discuss is moving my sleep onset - advancing it to later in the night and try to combine my 2 sleeps into one. I avoid sleeping in the day if I can, sometimes my body just passes out of pure exhaustion say after being up all night.

I’m awake all night mostly, but I can sleep fine for 2-3 hours at 8:00-9:00 am and then again just fine at 6:00-7:00 pm for another 2-3 hours. I might can nap after midnight for another 1-1.5.

I’ll let you know what we come up with. Sleep restriction is very difficult, I’m wanting to do this with the right instructions using my light box and proper timing of the light is essential. A med will mostly be a must, but I don’t plan on using it more than I have to.

[basten in reply to Hidden]

I hope it works for you . I'm grateful for your input as everything helps. I'm amazed how you manage to sleep at such times. I guess if you go on Doxipen you'll stop Trazedone. I need to sleep all night but at present bed at 10 wake at 12.30 2.30b4.30 wide awake and just lay in bed till about 7. I've never heard of Doxepin. Good luck with it .

[JimmyJackson]

Hi

Reading all the letters it does seem amazing that there doesn’t seem a survey on the relationship between cirrhosis , mine is not alcohol derived, & insomnia which I have suffered from for many years.

Mirtazapine did help for a short time work, but developed a reaction to it. I recently lost my wife of 62 years to a sudden heart attack, to cope took Zopiclone for about 5 weeks

This worked initially, but disastrous side effects soon showed up, so have now been on no medication for several weeks

Not a pleasant experience but meditation a great help

No medication I can find is any good, hard as it is they seem best avoided

[4fishylady]

I have had chronic insomnia for more than 20 years. Took ambien for years, then temazepam for several. I have found that the OTC unisom (doxalamine version) will extend the sleep of whatever else I am taking and allow me more sleep. My current routine at bedtime is to cut off electronic screens 1 hour before bedtime and then read something calming. Then I take my 300 mg. gabapentin, OTC doxalamine, and still use a .5 mg xanax, (which I am trying to cut down to 1/2 or quit). If I take the doxalamine with any other sleep med, it will extend it. I used it with ambien and also temazepam and it helped to lengthen the sleep time. It is an antihistamine, so don't take it with any other one, but has been on the market for many years as a sleep medicine.

[KrierandRosie]

I started having sleep problems at age 46 when I had a hysterectomy. I used to take over the counter pills but side effects in the morning included nausea, drowsiness, and difficulty functions at work. Sleep improved for a while. Now I am 67. Suddenly I can go all night without sleeping. Went to a sleep specialist by he offered little help. I took an at home sleep test, which showed mild apnea. I tried CPAP, which is awful. I take melatonin nightly, but I still wake up every two hours.

[Claire133]

Hi Basten

I'm 46 and I've had insomnia since around 21 years old so totally empathise with you.

Sorry to hear the Melatonin hasn't helped, but I'm wondering whether 2mgs may not be enough. I buy the Natrol 10mgs Melatonin from Biovea in America and get it shipped over, they often have discounts on there but its usually around £10 ish for a pot. I know the company well as its the recommended one in my SEN parent group I attend (2 of my boys have Autism which means they struggle desperately to get to sleep, along with many other young people with the condition, so we all share info and trusted companies to buy supplements from) Biovea is great!

In terms of sedative effects of pharmaceutical drugs wearing off; I think everyone is different in terms of how they respond to these medications, so don't lose heart, if your trying something. I've been on Amitriptyline 25mgs for 11years for chronic pain and the sedative effects have never worn off. They enable me to sleep for sure. The problem I have is that I'm a wine lover so if I have a few glasses of wine, I won't take the Ami on the same night, so they are the days the Insomnia gets me, if I don't drink the wine, the Amitriptyline works. I pick and choose to be honest.

I definitely recommend trying the 10mgs Melatonin. My son has the 5mgs Melatonin and it works for him too (he's big, he's 6ft 3" so thev5mgs might even be worth a try too).

Good luck, Claire x

[basten in reply to Claire133]

Thankyou Claire. Your reply was much appreciated I actually slept from 10 to 6.30 a.m last night. Night before i was half awake half asleep all night . I've discovered for me it depends on what i eat and drink after p.m. i dont drink. I usually get off to sleep ok due to the concoction of drugs. Yes insomnia I've had on and off all my life too. Unfortunately I take Zooiclone and Clobazepam too...have done for years and I tried missing the Zopiclone one night and was awake all night then the next p.m. I started to feel terrible everything was loud, my eyes were bulging and I thought I was going mad so I've stayed on them. My psychiatrist said I blame the doctor for keeping you on them so long!! I dread the day when the gp says no more!! My new psychiatrist has just said we wont worry about that now. But I do worry!!- thankyou for the info re Melatonin. It must be hard having 2 children with autism ....you need sleep to cope!! Best wishes

[Want2BHappy3]

With Melatonin no matter how many mg you take it may or may not work? I’ve tried Mirazaphine for my anxiety and depression it helped, but I had a incompetent doctor who took me off it just because I gained weight, I was already heavy. Then put me on Trazadone which I had already taken and didn’t help, but insisted on giving it to me Again??? She knew it didn’t work. So I’m going to a new psychiatrist and therapist so hopefully I’ll get something that will work ??? Don’t be afraid to change medication or doctors if they don’t work???

[basten in reply to Want2BHappy3]

Hi oh my what a nuisance some doctors just dont seem to want to listen. Then we feel like a statistic!!! Yes I couldn't stop eating on Mirtazapine and gained 2 stone but people kept telling me I looked well!! I hope you find the right med for you and the right doctor!! Thankyou for your comments. I dont feel so alone when I read stuff on here!! 🌝🌝

[Want2BHappy3 in reply to basten]

You’re welcome, I’m hoping to find the help I need? This website helps with the information I get , medication, books and videos. And I can talk openly about how I’m feeling without being judged cause everyone pretty much in the same boat.

[basten]

Yes I agree. I have increased my Amitryptiline ( a tricyclic anti depressant ) (I think Doxepin is similar in the US) and I have slept reasonably well. But it does cause weight gain...

As most seem to. I take it with my other drugs. Sometimes I still wake up but I try not to eat after 7 or drink caffeine after 12. as I find that affects my sleep. Good luck.