Suicide Warning

Agreed. Trazadone is wonderful as a sleep aid and prescribed for that use all the time. The only thing about it is that you want to go to bed as soon as you take it - it causes a lot of people to get restless legs.

This!

I've taken Trazodone for several years, and it's a miracle drug for me! I fall asleep fine without it, but I don't stay asleep nor do I get restful sleep when I forget it. I don't get restless legs with it at all, just a wonderful night's sleep.

So today I picked up a prescription for a sleep aid the doctor called in for me at the pharmacy and stapled to it was a suicide warning note. Ok weird...

I proceed to read more about the medication (still unsure about whether I'm going to take it) and I find out the doc has called in an anti depressant /anxiety med to help me with sleep. Totally confused at this point. I read further and apparently this drug helps with the treatment of insomnia is one of the "other" uses.

The doctor must have lost her mind if she thinks I'm taking this medication with no history/signs of depression/anxiety. I think I'll just be content with my lack of sleep. Thankfully I have good insurance and didn't pay much for it but it makes me wonder what kind of kick back she's getting from the drug manufacturer. :ohwell:

I use Advil PM, and it works very well.....The same ingredient as Benadryl. Good luck!

You are not fully understanding my point. We are not talking about a doctor giving someone a drug they know doesn't work just because the guy from Lilly gave him a mousepad. I'm talking about a doctor favoring one proven medication above another because the sales rep came by and bought him lunch. Sure, while he was there, the sale rep gave him lots of information about the drug for the doctor to believe that it would work for his patients. But there is another drug on the market that is just as effective with less side effects. The only difference is that company didn't send a sales rep to buy him lunch so the doc didn't get the information. The doc didn't take the time to do the research and compare the two so he just prescribed the one over the other.

This happens all the time. I'm not saying that doctors are taking bribes. I'm saying that they are human, and busy, and don't look into other options for their patients unless the patients ask for other options.

The last I knew, this isn't allowed anymore.

I worked in a neurology office and we got lunches all the time -- huge spreads for the whole office. I don't know if the docs were influenced one way or another, but I can say it wasn't like a drug rep came in, picked up the doc and took him to lunch. Actually, they just sat in the break room and if the docs had time while the rep was there, they would talk to him or her. There was never specific face time. The reps would bring food, trinkets (pens, Post-Its, etc.) that the staff used and leave some samples, mostly. Some didn't even stay to talk.

And then we had the hottie rep who sometimes brought us lunches because he had a little extra in his budget and he liked us. But that was 13 years ago and I don't think it's done anymore for the reasons Husky said.

You are not fully understanding my point. We are not talking about a doctor giving someone a drug they know doesn't work just because the guy from Lilly gave him a mousepad. I'm talking about a doctor favoring one proven medication above another because the sales rep came by and bought him lunch. Sure, while he was there, the sale rep gave him lots of information about the drug for the doctor to believe that it would work for his patients. But there is another drug on the market that is just as effective with less side effects. The only difference is that company didn't send a sales rep to buy him lunch so the doc didn't get the information. The doc didn't take the time to do the research and compare the two so he just prescribed the one over the other.

This happens all the time. I'm not saying that doctors are taking bribes. I'm saying that they are human, and busy, and don't look into other options for their patients unless the patients ask for other options.

The last I knew, this isn't allowed anymore.

I worked in a neurology office and we got lunches all the time -- huge spreads for the whole office. I don't know if the docs were influenced one way or another, but I can say it wasn't like a drug rep came in, picked up the doc and took him to lunch. Actually, they just sat in the break room and if the docs had time while the rep was there, they would talk to him or her. There was never specific face time. The reps would bring food, trinkets (pens, Post-Its, etc.) that the staff used and leave some samples, mostly. Some didn't even stay to talk.

And then we had the hottie rep who sometimes brought us lunches because he had a little extra in his budget and he liked us. But that was 13 years ago and I don't think it's done anymore for the reasons Husky said.

We had many reps like that - there was one that every Friday brought in Starbuck's for the office and the doctor - didn't really see the doctor that often, but brought it in and dropped off stuff for the staff and make sure we had all the samples we needed. Those kinds of things slowed down when they put more regulations on what the reps are allowed to do. But was really nice for those patients that needed the medicine and couldn't afford it because insurance wouldn't cover - samples were a blessing for many a patients. I worked in the offices about 3 years ago and it was still going on. But I worked for incredible doctors who's main interest was in the patients care and well being.

It is very common to use medication meant for one issue for another. I work in a mental health facility and many inmates take medicine like this just as a sleep aid. If you don't feel comfortable, don't do it. Just saying it isn't that unusual.

Drugs can be used for different things.

I am on Gabapentin, which is an epilepsy drug (I've never had a seizure in my life).

It is also used to treat pain, and in my case, Fibromyalgia. It works great!

lots of medicines treat multiple conditions. just look at viagra.

Agreed, but I had one stuck in my throat and had a stiff neck all day.

this is why i smoke a fat bowl before i go to bed.

wait, who said that? wasn't me

I like you

Drugs are tested in a group. If one single person, even out of a million people, has one particular symptom, no matter how outrageous it may be, they HAVE to list it as a side effect.

Also, every person has different reactions to different drugs. Monitor your own experiences with it, and don't worry about what other peoples experiences are.

holistic healer

Oh god.

My husband has a lot of medical issues, mostly related to a back injury. He was prescribed a medication to help him sleep. He took it as needed, may one on Monday, 2 on Tuesday, and maybe none on Wednesday. In 2009, he was driving an 18-wheeler and ran off the road into a cow pasture. He does not remember what happened. He just blacked out. Several days of tests showed nothing. Then about a month later, he had a seizure. Over the next several months, he had more seizures. Test after test revealed nothing (which is not really uncommon with seizures). Then finally, while meeting with a team of doctors, one of them spoke up and said, "I think I know what is going on. The med you are taking for sleeping is a seizure drug. It can be used for sleeping on a TEMPORARY basis only. If not closely monitored and kept at an even level, it can CAUSE seizures." He had been taking it irregularly for 13 years! No one ever told him that. He had to wean off the meds very slowly and has not had a seizure in 2 years. The other doctors did not agree with that one but we decided we had nothing to lose by getting off of it.
The moral of the story is....sometimes doctors don't make the best decisions. They may think it is a good idea, but sometimes it is a BAD idea! I say give the melatonin a try!

My husband has a lot of medical issues, mostly related to a back injury. He was prescribed a medication to help him sleep. He took it as needed, may one on Monday, 2 on Tuesday, and maybe none on Wednesday. In 2009, he was driving an 18-wheeler and ran off the road into a cow pasture. He does not remember what happened. He just blacked out. Several days of tests showed nothing. Then about a month later, he had a seizure. Over the next several months, he had more seizures. Test after test revealed nothing (which is not really uncommon with seizures). Then finally, while meeting with a team of doctors, one of them spoke up and said, "I think I know what is going on. The med you are taking for sleeping is a seizure drug. It can be used for sleeping on a TEMPORARY basis only. If not closely monitored and kept at an even level, it can CAUSE seizures." He had been taking it irregularly for 13 years! No one ever told him that. He had to wean off the meds very slowly and has not had a seizure in 2 years. The other doctors did not agree with that one but we decided we had nothing to lose by getting off of it.
The moral of the story is....sometimes doctors don't make the best decisions. They may think it is a good idea, but sometimes it is a BAD idea! I say give the melatonin a try!

"Doctors sometimes make mistakes........... so ignore them completely and do what random yahoos on the internet say instead."

So today I picked up a prescription for a sleep aid the doctor called in for me at the pharmacy and stapled to it was a suicide warning note. Ok weird...

I proceed to read more about the medication (still unsure about whether I'm going to take it) and I find out the doc has called in an anti depressant /anxiety med to help me with sleep. Totally confused at this point. I read further and apparently this drug helps with the treatment of insomnia is one of the "other" uses.

The doctor must have lost her mind if she thinks I'm taking this medication with no history/signs of depression/anxiety. I think I'll just be content with my lack of sleep. Thankfully I have good insurance and didn't pay much for it but it makes me wonder what kind of kick back she's getting from the drug manufacturer. :ohwell:

Sleepy time extra with valerian root and melatonin pills ( easier and less hazerdous to your health)

Also ambien is great ( was on it for a short time) until i left my stressful hate filled job and moved to another one

Melatonin is NOT a sleep aid.. per my holistic healer it is a HORMONE.. it needs to be better researched!!

It is a hormone. THE hormone that the brain produces to activate sleep. It is only helpful as a sleep aid if your sleep patterns are erratic. It does NOT treat insomnia caused by anxiety and depression.

As I said earlier, the OP needs to do her own research on sleep aid, consult with her doctor on what exactly is interfering with her sleep, and reevalutate the situation.

I work at a mental health clinic and see Trazodone prescribed more often for sleep than for depression. It's not uncommon at all.