Can you take care of trazodone every night and does it make you gain weight?

I had the same question for a long time. It doesn’t work best for my personally. Every time I was prescribed it- I started gaining weight again. I had a lot of side effects with joint pain and such (not common) I stopped it in Jan. again & lost weight I don’t have headaches every day or the extra pain -since, it was discontinued...
I just take Nature’s Bounty melatonin rapid & time release bilayer are the only ones that help me.
I used to take Sonata it helped get to sleep -I didn’t have any side effects from it.

I've suffered from insomnia since I was a kid, diagnosed with maniac depression about age 16 then at 18 I was cursed with systemic lupus nephritist, fibro and rheumatoid arthritis, all issues from my lupus. Back to the trazodone did help with my depression and sleep for awhile until I dosed out and it just stopped working. On it several years, every night, never any noticeable weight gain or aggravation of my other issues/RA

I started taking 50 mg of Trazodone 17 years ago which knocked me out. Then I got more acclimated to it and gradually increased it to 150 mg a night. It has greatly helped my fibromyalgia. I used to have difficulty with pain even to put on my clothes. I can't say whether it caused me to gain weight or not. Like a lot of women my age, a lot of us tend to gain weight in our middle age anyway. But it has been totally worth it. But remember that the single best way to control fibromyalgia is from movement. I used to not feel my fibromyalgia at all with 100 mg of Trazodone AND hiking up and down hills on our property. Now after a stroke, I can't exercise much, so my fibromyalgia is far worse even though I increased the Trazodone to 150 mg.

It is different with every person. trazodone was originally used for depression but it's side effects made it a better sleep med. It does make you eat a lot though, I would consider trying Saphris as it was intended for sleep. It's non-narcotic and if you are taking something like Lyrica or gabapentin for pain it would be safer to use an actual sleeping med. gabapentin is better known as Neurontin which is used for a number of different ailments. It is used for nerve pain but also is an antipsychotic. I would not recommend mixing Trazodone with anything that you use for pain the interaction could be harmful. Also sleepwalking and lethargy are common with trazodone. I am not a Dr or pharmacist and I don't know what other medications that you are on, but I would advise that you talk to a medical professional before taking.

Both weight loss and weight gain are mentioned as side effects of trazodone. When I used trazodone I lost weight at an alarming rate. It also never helped me to sleep.

I used to take trazodone as a sleep aid and it never made me gain weight, nor did my arthritis, fibromyalgia or myofascial pain increase. Everyone reacts differently of course, but if your doctor thinks it's safe then you can start at a low-dose so you can also stop more easily if you have negative side effects.

Hi Marty77,
I am sorry to hear we both suffer from some of the same ailments. I take 150 mgs. of Trazodone a night. It does not make you gain weight, however it can hang you over if you take a high enough dose. I was taking 300 mgs. per night and could not function the next day. It should not affect your arthritis, only make you comfortable enough to sleep. It is used for sleep mostly.

My husband took trazodone 50mg for about 6 months before increasing it to 100mg a year ago. He takes it every night, sleeps well, and has gained NO weight,
Best wishes and Good Luck!

Hi Marty77,

I have been taking 100 mg trazodone at night for at least 15 years. I would not use it if I gained weight. I have not gained any weight from taking it. I have a list of things wrong with me including the 2 you mentioned. I have severe osteoarthritis, bipolar PTSD, and more. I can always count on the 100 mg of traz at night to help me get at least 6 hours of sleep. I have not had any problems with Traz effecting my arthritis or anything else. It helps me because if I do not take it, I don't sleep much at all. I sure hope it is helping you.

Hi Marty,
I have the same issues and take trazodone 100mg for severe insomnia.
Weight gain has NOT been an issue.
Seroquel and Remeron were horrible! Not only did I not sleep but I ate all night.
They also made me orthostatic and sleep deprived so I sustained a fracture and other injuries on my way to the refrigerator!
Lol...
It works in combination with Ambien so I get at least 6 hours sleep.
Be well
:-)