| GP? Or do I need to see a psychiatrist? I'm not eager to try a benzo and have been reading about trazadone as an alternative. But not sure who to see. I'm pursuing CBT but need some help in the meantime so I can get enough sleep to function. Thank you. |
| GPs can do it, but not all are willing. This would be my first line of inquiry, though. Other than that a neurologist who deals with sleep problems or a psychiatrist. |
Why would they be more willing to prescribe Ambien? |
| Either can. Ambien worked better (quicker, more refreshed in AM). |
| My psychiatrist did. While it helped me sleep, it was far too powerful and left me groggy the next day. I also suffered memory loss. I suggest Ambien as a first try. |
| But I'm terrified of the side effects of Ambien, like sleep walking... |
| Also, isn't it hard to wean from Ambien? |
| One more thing - what if I need to get up in the night to tend to my kids? Is that possible on Ambien? |
| I've been on it for years - 18+. It was originally prescribed by a sleep specialist, but my GM writes my scripts for it now. Be careful though. i'm at a point now but if I ever have to go off of it will be dreadful I don't think I can live without it. if I missed tonight I have a miserable night although I'm on it to regulate my sleep patterns, not so much to get me to sleep. |
| My GP prescribed Trazodone, and its a godsend. It leaves me far less groggy than Ambien and is a lot cheaper too. |
| Can you easily wean off trazadone if CBT seems to be working? |
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I went to see Dr. Kianoury at Georgetown. She is a sleep medicine doctor. She prescribed trazadone for me and it has been working like a charm for about a year. Before that I could fall asleep but I was constantly waking up and the sleep I was getting was not very deep. With the trazadone even if I wake up, the sleep I am getting is deeper and I'm not falling asleep at my desk. It has been a literal lifesaver.
The only side effect is a bit of grogginess when the alarm goes off. The good news is that I am waking with the alarm instead of waking at 3:00am and hoping to fall back to sleep for a few hours. |
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Since you're doing CBT I would suggest a psychiatrist. This would be an adjunct until you feel some relief through the therapy.
My psychiatrist prescribed Trazodone after I'd suffered with PTSD-related insomnia for more than a decade. Once I was getting enough sleep, my anxiety was more treatable. |
| What dosage are people taking of trazodone? |
| PP here. I take 150mg. I have taken as much as 300 mg. I think a lot of people start at 50 and titrate up. |