Posted by spoc on April 6, 2004, at 1:49:48
In reply to Trazodone for sleep vs depression? Also, ritalin?, posted by HelenInCalif on April 3, 2004, at 16:37:43
> Will the dose of Trazodone taken for insomnia (up to 100 mg) also help with depression or anxiety? Also, could there be interactions between taking trazodone at night and ritalin during the day? >
> ...Readings also suggest that it is fine with ritalin (in fact a hedweb article suggests that being responsive to ritalin is correlated with being responsive to Trazodone). Is this a fair summary?Hi Helen,
I've taken traz in low dose off and on for years for sleep. I often notice that I feel less down the next day, although docs will say that's just due to a better night's sleep. But I don't think so -- it's a different feeling than I have when I just get a good night's sleep. I usually don't take it more than a few nights in a row, so I don't know if this would continue or conversely, start making me sleepy by day. I definitely recommend taking it earlier than eight hours before you'd like to wake up! When I've waited until I'm SURE I can't sleep to take it, I have indeed been kinda wiped out the next day. It's ok to take it every night, so might as well do so and do it early. In more qualified sources, I think I've read that this is one that actually works faster if taken with food.
Some people taking it as their primary AD in high dose do also take it during the day, but I don't see how! At the exact time as the Ritalin may be better, I'm not sure. I took Ritalin for awhile and my doc knew I may also take traz at night, and had no problem with that (however I never ended up doing it). And we never discussed "popping" both together. Don't know what the mood/energy effect would be, but I do not think there is are dangerous interactions.
Last year for over two months I was taking another stimulant, and low dose traz every night. That combo had a marked AD effect on me. Docs would not agree that's possible but I know myself. Not only by how I felt, but also because the combo was not intended for this purpose and the whole thing was a surprise. And I'm too realistic (or pessimistic?) to be prone to placebo effects. At the time I thought, "Ahhh, if only I could always take this..." Now I see there's probably no reason I couldn't. So eventually I will try traz by night and Ritalin by day to see if it affects me the same (not taking anything right now as I'm having some med tests done). Maybe the AD effect will happen -- and last -- maybe not. I just know it was still working when I stopped after over two months last year...
I say, if we do feel better, it would be nuts to let someone else tell us it couldn't be and nudge us higher or to something with more complications! We should enjoy it while we can! Heck, if we think cocktail onions is our miracle cure and we're happy, don't spoil it, it's so much easier that way!
Good luck! If I try traz/Ritalin I'll post back here someday, and let me know what you conclude too! : )
poster:spoc
thread:332140
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040402/msgs/333196.html