Trazadone is one of the antidepressant drugs which are being used and prescribed all over the world for the cure and treatment of depression and anxiety. This medicine have a reputation of a very effective one and it makes sure that one who is using this medicine stay normal and away from all the depression. If you are a person who is depressed and want to have a normal life than this is the medicine you need to use. In this article we will help you in understanding and knowing more about this medicine so that if you need to use this or someone prescribes you to use this medicine, you already know a lot about it.
Trazadone belongs to a class of medications which is called serotonin modulators. This family works by moderating level of serotonin which is a neurotransmitter and has a very effective job to perform in the brain. The drug is approved by Food and Drug Administration or else known as FDA. Trazadone first arrived in the market with a different name and went by the name of Desyrel, it was introduced in the market in the year 1981. It is widely available now as most of the stores have this medicine because it is being produced by multiple companies and it has become more of a generic drug.
Trazadone is very effective when it comes to treating depression and at the same time it is also used by physicians to treat other diseases as well which includes anxiety and schizophrenia. Trazadone is used to control and has been proved to very effective when it comes to treating uncontrolled movements which may occur due to the intake of other medicines and may cause side effect. Anxiety and schizophrenia are side effects of other medicines which are handled very efficient by trazadone.
Trazadone to cure Insomnia
Insomnia is a very common disease which happens occurs when a person is not being able to sleep due to hyper activity of the brain cells. This disease has become so common that every day cases are increasing which suggest that there is a need for medication which will help in controlling or at least halting the symptoms of this disease. Most of the people demand a solution for their insomnia as it is very important to have enough sleep. In order to make this happen it is important to know the ways in which trazadone cures insomnia.
Every now and then doctors prescribe trazadone in order to treat insomnia or any other sleeping disorders the patient might have. There was a study conducted in the year 2014 which helped in understanding this drug. This study was conducted by American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and they found out that this drug is also a cure to Alzheimer’s disease. Trazadone was found to be very effective in people who have sleep disorders. Trazadone helps in soothing the nerves and improving the sleep time of the user however, this medicine never causes hallucinations or daytime sleepiness.
Things to consider while using Trazadone:
There is a black-box warning which is generated by the FDA and it goes with trazadone. There is a very serious consequence of this drug and that is the increased chances of suicide in patients who use this drug for a longer period of time. This risk of suicide increase when a person deviates from the normal dosage plan he/she either increase the dosage of trazadone or decrease it. In both the cases it is very risky and it can cause suicidal thoughts in the user concluding at suicide in extreme cases.
The risk of suicide is very high in users who are younger than 24 years. While using trazadone, there is one thing that users need to pay heed on and that is the fact that depression may become more intense and severe before it is cured completely by trazadone. Depression is a very serious condition and it needs to be cured at the very point. Trazadone is one of the very effective diseases when it comes to treating depression but this medicine requires some time to start working and it actually worsens the condition of depression before fully curing it. If your doctor prescribes that you should take trazadone than he/she will closely watch you once you start taking the drug. Your doctor will check you for the signs of depression, irritability, different kinds of panic attacks, anxiety and acting without thinking, excitement and abnormal excitement. Thoughts of suicide are also monitored while you are taking the drug and your doctor will make sure that you get the right amount of attention while you are on the drug because people who use this drug needs certain kind of attention and it should be the very first priority of the physician that there are no suicidal thoughts prevailing in the patient. Children and teenagers are not allowed to use this drug because it comes with certain kinds of side effects which can prove dangerous and fatal for teenagers and children. You should consult your doctor once you start taking the medicine and tell your physician about every possible disease you might have before starting to take trazadone.
Your doctor will be concerned about the following things once he/she thinks about recommending trazadone:
- Any heart problem you might have before starting trazadone.
- If you have low or high blood pressure.
- If you had a history of substance abuse, this is very important to know because most of the people get addicted to trazadone. Hence, it is recommended to only those people who do not have a substance abuse history.
- Mental health disorder, if any.
- If you have cancer of any sorts.
- Anemia is also a concern and doctors do ask about it.
- Liver and kidney problems
- Frequent vomiting or prevalent diarrhea.
Anyone who starts using the drug should tell the doctor about the family history of suicide as it makes it easy to map out the way for the physician in which he/she should recommend the usage of trazadone. It is very important to make sure that you provide all this information to your doctor because stopping the use of trazadone will show withdrawal symptoms in the user, these symptoms include anxiety, agitation and most of all difficulty in sleeping.
Side effects of the drug
Following are the common side effects of trazadone:
- Constant or persistent headache
- Muscle ache
- Vomiting and loss of appetite
- Diarrhea and constipation
- Dryness in mouth and dry eyes.
- Confused judgement
- Ringing in years
- Sweating and fatigue
These are the very common side effects of trazadone, here are some of the serious side effects and it is recommended that if you have any of these you should get to your doctor and stop taking trazadone straightaway.
- Enhanced or worsened depression
- Increase thoughts of suicide
- Hives or severe rash
- Swelling on the face or lips
- Difficulty in breathing and chest pain
- Increased or decreased heartbeat
- Reoccurring panic attacks
- Fainting and seizure
These are some of the side effects which needs to be handled straight away and there should be no delay in consulting the doctor if you are experiencing any of these side effects. These side effects grow to be very strong and their cure becomes difficult therefore, it is important to make sure that these get treated to avoid any other complication.
Dosage of the drug:
It is very important to know the right way of the using any drug and trazadone is an oral drug which needs to be taken orally. It is available as a regular-release and should only be consumed as a tablet. These tablets have a score line in the middle of the tablet which is also regarded as indentation. There are different prescriptions for usage of trazadone and depending on the prescription people also take half a tablet. It is recommended that you do not crush or snort this tablet or even chew it. It is only to be used as a tablet. Every doctor has a different frame of mind when it comes to the prescriptions regarding trazadone, some suggest that dosage should be increased after four to three days. A daily dosage of trazadone may range from 150 to 375 milligrams and it takes a couple of weeks before the medicine starts working and shows positive effects. Two regular tablets along with food are enough for a day and it will help in curing your sleeplessness.
Overdose:
Symptoms of trazadone are as follows:
- Vomiting and drowsiness
- Abnormal heartbeat and trouble in breathing
- Seizure
If you face these difficulties or symptoms it is better to report these and make sure that you get them checked as it is very important to stop the consumption of trazadone before it gets worse.
Depression
Depression is a mental disorder that causes a person to experiences longer spans of being sad and down. In this disorder a person usually shows lack of interest in every situation and does not find any pleasure in the usual activities of his day. Now these are emotions that we all experience sometimes but if these emotions stay on a person's mind for too long it is labeled as a mental illness and demands a treatment.
According to the statistics released by Centers for disease control and prevention there are almost 7.6 percent people out there above the age of twelve who experience cases of depression with the span of two week period. This shows how common depression has become and have surrounded us.
World Health Organization also released its statistics stating that depression is one of the most common leading disorders worldwide and also happens to be a major cause of widespread disability.
It is generally observed that depression rates are higher among women as compared to men. Basic symptoms include lack of happiness due to things that once was a cause of happiness to the person suffering from depression. Mood swings are commonly observed in depression and a person would be happy at one moment and there would be variation in their mood within seconds. Though the exact causes of depression are unknown but it is said that the most probable reason behind depression would be linked to heredity factors and can also be influenced by environmental conditions and traumas.
Diagnosis of this mental inability to be emotionally normal starts by seeking out help from a mental health specialist. For the treatment of depression it is important to attend sessions with the doctor so that a proper diagnosis can be ensured. Also it is crucial because it will ensure safe and effective treatment. Sessions with the doctor will also ensure if there are any physical conditions developed that led to this disorder. Hamilton depression rating scale is one of the tools that is used around the world that can determine how severe depression is. The scale consists of 21 questions which are scored when answered and the resulting score determine how severe the condition is.
Depression is also very much caused due to insomnia and people are forced to fall to depression when it comes to insomnia. This is the worst thing which most of the people fear as they know they have to be concerned about their health when it comes to depression. Insomnia is caused due to a number of factors and the most common of them all is bad routine of sleep pattern and inability to relax the nerves so that one could enjoy sound sleep. This problem is directly associated with depression. If one is not getting enough sleep, he/she will be distracted from the daily work and would not want to do anything with effective attitude. This lessen the work efficiency which ultimately effects the whole life. Therefore, it is very important to get to know about the causes of depression and the way in which it is associated with insomnia.
It would be important to state here that the temporary mood swings or temporary feeling of sadness or any sort of fluctuation in one's mood are completely normal. These type of temporary emotional acts is not classified as depression. Similarly emotional responses due to the death of a certain close one also doesn't qualify for depression. It would be classified as depression if the feelings last for a longer period and there happens to be no way the person could feel better about himself. The common symptoms that are known to occur in depression are as follows:
- constant feeling of being depressed
- interests in the things that once made the patient happy are known to be reduced.
- It is also observed that person suffering from depression also faces loss of libido or sexual desire.
- Weight loss is commonly observed along with a decreased appetite
- depression isn't always linked to insomnia sometimes people suffering from depression can also experience hypersomnia (increased tenure of sleeping)
- A common condition between those who suffer from depression is Psychomotor agitation. In this condition a person faces restlessness.
- There is also slowed function and movement during speech.
- A person might experience loss of energy or fatigue.
- Feeling of not being enough or being worthless are common.
- Concentration of the person breaks down, a person become decisive as well as ability to think also weakens.
- There are also recurrent suicidal thoughts accompanied by a constant fear of dying.
As mentioned earlier that causes of depression aren't properly known but it is said that the disorder require combinations of things that can cause trauma or sadness to persist. Here are enlisted some factors of why depression occurs:
- genetics can also play an important role in depression. It can be caused due to depression cases among immediate relatives.
- variation in neurotransmitter levels can also lead to depression
- The stress can be environmental that might include pressure from work. It can also be caused due to a divorce or financial issues. Poor health can also lead to to depression.
- Not being able to socialize can also lead to depression.
- Childhood mishaps or traumas can also lead to depression
- Some prescribed drugs like corticosteroids if taken for a long time can also lead to stress and depression.
- Excessive alcohol intake or drug use can also lead to depression
- injury to head in the past can also lead to depression.
- If a person had a single experience of anxiety or depression in the past they might be more vulnerable to another attack.
- Diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases can also cause depression to happen.
Fortunately depression is a mental illness that can be treated and these treatments can be divided into three constituents.
- Having sessions with therapists where you can tell them about how you actually feel about yourself and your emotions can be classified among Cognitive behavioral therapy. And these are used during mild stages of depression. If the condition is worsened due to any factor CBT can be used as side treatment. CBT can be done while sitting in the groups or having one on one session with the therapist.
- There are also treatments through drugs particularly antidepressants. These are not allowed to be used by children and are prescribed only to adults. These drugs should be continued even after the symptoms are gone so as to prevent the relapse.
- Exercise may also help in curing depression that are at mild stages as it increases endorphin levels which results in better working of neurotransmitters that releases norepinephrine that plays an important role in maintaining one's emotional responses.
Depression is a serious social threat and shouldn't be taken lightly and everyone deserves a proper treatment in order to feel joy again. However, if the cause of depression is insomnia, one should be very careful in making sure that one gets enough sleep because this is the only way to cure depression associated with insomnia. One should try to keep busy at day time and do different chores which will help in achieving better sleep pattern and take away all the depression.