Is it normal to get terrible headaches when taking Trazodone...?

Question

Last night I took my first dose of Trazodone 50mg (I took it with food too), and it didn't help me sleep that night. Actually, it made my sleep worse and I was crying a lot too. Now, this morning, I woke up extremely early, with a massive headache. It was so bad that I couldn't get back to sleep. I only got 4 hours of sleep last night! And I still have the headache that I woke up with. I have taken four Tilenol, I drank two sodas, water, and two Excedrin releifs. I also laid down for 4 hours with a wet rag over my head, but I still have the headache! Is this normal?

And a couple more questions:

I am planning to not take anymore Trazodone, not continuing my medication because of these adverse effects. Will that just make things worse?

OR

If I continue taking the Trazodone, will the symptoms stop and I will start to feel better? Is that how it works?

I don't know what to do... I feel miserable. :-(

Answer 1

Trazodone is actually an old antidepressant that is highly sedating with little addiction potential which is why it is a common first choice for sleep problems. Headache is a common side effect, but then again almost anything can cause a headache so its hard to tell. I usually recommend staying on it for a week as the headache usually goes away. That being said, many people don't get a lot of help from trazodone so if your reaction is that bad, I would talk to your docotor about switching to something else.

Answer 2

This really isn't the kind of question you should refer to Yahoo Answers.

You have a couple of options:

1. Call the pharmacy where you filled your perscription and ask to speak with the pharmacist. He/she can advise you as to the adverse effects of the medication and the likelyhood of the headache abating.

2. Call your physician and explain your situation. In general, you should always inform your physician whenever you have a serious adverse effect or decide to stop taking a medication.