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Having trouble keeping my 82 year-old father asleep during the night and not wandering, we’ve tried multiple sleeping pills. Nothing seems to work. He had been on trazodone before and we took him off because it was not working, and they added a new behavioral medicine which really elevated his mood made him pleasant and agreeable to work with, and my mother was diagnosed with cancer so it was important for him to sleep so she could be resting, We tried multiple sleeping pills. Nothing works, our doctor doesn’t know what to do… they just gave a higher dose of trazodone.I’ve noticed within three days behavioral issues started happening again and during his waking hours, he is more zombie like.

For 92-year-old in reasonable good health, coming out of initial COVID in Jan 2022, the mood/sleep combination for bed time was Mirtazapine (30 mg) and Relaxium Sleep (5 mg times 3, total 15 mg). It took a few months to stabilize, but worked to provide sleep, but not too drowsy to allow safe nighttime restroom trips. Eventually weened him down to 10 mg of the Relaxium. In summer 2023 for another reason, Mirtazapine was discontinued after a hospital stay. So, his geriatric psychiatrist shifted to Trazodone (HCL 50 mg) and we continued the Relaxium 10 mg. I researched and suggested to doctor that we pair the Trazodone with Duloxetine (HCL 20 mg). After a couple months we increased Trazodone to 75 mg. Everything stabilized for him and to this day that's where we remain. It provides the mood assistance and sleep assistance without causing too much trouble getting up at night for restroom. I have a camera that detects motion and have even noticed he will make the restroom trip without his rollator without any issues. Again, we only stopped the Mirtazapine on a hospital recommendation for something else but his geriatric psychiatrist said we could go back to it. We elected to stay with the Trazodone/Duloxetine/melatonin combination since it also stabilized. He is 5 ft 8 in and 145 pounds.
Helpful Answer (4)
Reply to Sartorr
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I read that medicine can have lots of rather serious side effects and mixed with certain others can cause behavioural problems and others
maybe if your dr doesn’t know then he needs to refer you on to a specialist ?
I don’t accept I don’t know what else to do as acceptable to be frank.
ask nicely for a referral
You don’t think the medication is reacting well with his others and now he’s a zombie
I’ve had my dads tablets changed
until something worked
Maybe also
check if it’s best taken with or without food
if your father is eating late at night contributing to not tired/sleeping too much in the daytime?
we got my dad a tv with jack socket
So he can plug in a manual headset with an extension cable
when he isn’t tired I out on a film fir him to watch n he falls asleep
tv’s nowadays have timers as well
so you can set time to turn off? Altho I do it manually
maybe a small milky drink before bed
not enough fir excessive wee’s
i find the tv cuts boredom n keeps him
happy
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Reply to Jenny10
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My 88 year old Mom has had a number of falls so I have been reluctant to layer on a sedating med at night. We have tried melatonin and that seems to be helping.
Be really careful about combining meds. My Mom is already on duloxetine and Lamotrigne for depression. That made me nervous about another layer. I am trying to decrease all the meds she is on.
your geriatrician is definitely the right person to advise. I am trying to get my Mom switched to a memory care doctor within the Kaiser health insurance system to help with just these kinds of decisions. Her Primaty Care physician is nice and competent but I still feel like I am going it alone a lot of times. I have to ask for do many things. No suggestions coming from the PCP.
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Reply to Lm1957Md
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Chestershaba3 20 hours ago
Melatonin can be worse, weird dreams etc
I take trazodone and it seems better.
(1)
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My husband (multiple myeloma and Altz) was having trouble falling asleep. Dr prescribed Trazodone and he turned into a total zombie, impossible to stay awake for more than a few minutes. On the other hand, my daughter who has always had trouble sleeping has been taking this for years and finds it very effective.
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Reply to losingmyself
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I am 85 years old, and after my husband's death, I found it difficult to go to sleep and stay asleep. I have been taking Trazodone for about 7 months. It helps me fall asleep and I stay asleep, waking for bathroom trips. When I wake up, I am thoroughly awake, no drowsiness, or dazed feeling.

Perhaps your father's problem lies with the combination of the behavioral medicine and its interaction with trazodone?
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Reply to StarJoan
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Some years ago (I'm now 89) my doc prescribed Trazodone for sleep. It had the opposite effect--aka "paradoxical reaction". I felt "wired" and stopped taking it within a week. Unpleasant. I might try it again sometime but unlikely.
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Reply to ElizabethAR37
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My step dad had hallucinations on Trazadone.
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Reply to emielke
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Mazzie 3 hours ago
My husband also hallucinated on trazodone. He heard voices in the walls and saw a squirrel in the chandelier. We still laugh about that squirrel…but it’s no laughing matter
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What behavior issues are you seeing? Is “zombie like” the only issue?
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Reply to LimpingGeezer
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What behavioral issues does your father have? How many milligrams of the prescription does he take every night? It's recommended that this medication be taken with a light snack or milk to reduce digestive discomfort. Also check with his doctor about what other medications he is taking for side effects.

I take 2 50 mg tablets every night about one hour before bedtime for sleep and to reduce anxiety and never on an empty stomach.
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Reply to Patathome01
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With trazadone, it’s important to drink plenty of water upon waking to flush residual meds out of your system. I take trazadone but I’m avoiding it for my husband with Alzheimer’s except for emergencies. His doctor says it worsens Alzheimer’s and speeds its progression.
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Reply to Quitecontrary
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