Should I switch from Ambien to Trazodone?
By
Dr Natalia Marceli Stephanes (PhD)
Author bio
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes PhD is a Pharmacist with expertise in Drugs Administration and Toxicity; Discovery of New Drugs; Cancer Treatment; Biochemical Analyzes and Hematological Analyzes. She writes and reviews content on these topics.
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes’ Highlights:
- Pharmacist at the Department of Health of Santa Catarina State, Brazil
- PhD with a focus on oncology treatment
- Years of experience in commercial pharmacy
- Bachelor, Master and PhD degrees in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina
Professional Experience:
From her undergraduate studies to her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Pharmacy, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes has participated in numerous scientific studies in the field of oncology and onco-hematology at the University Hospital of the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Her research has focused on understanding the molecular and biochemical bases of malignant neoplasms and investigating safer and more effective therapeutic alternatives.
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes has also served as an assistant professor of haematology for undergraduate students at the Federal University of Santa Catarina. Additionally, she held the position of professor of Hospital Pharmacy at the Qualificar Technical School in Brazil, where she developed instructional materials for use in the Pharmacy Postgraduate Program at the Leonardo Da Vinci University Center.
In addition to her academic experiences, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes possesses a strong expertise in commercial pharmacy, with in-depth knowledge of medications, their routes of administration, desired effects, adverse effects, and toxicity.
Currently, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes works as a Pharmacist at the Health Department of Santa Catarina State, where her role entails providing pharmaceutical scientific consulting services to judges.
Education:
- 2016 Bachelor in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
- 2018 Master in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
- 2023 PhD in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
The main publications of Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes are:
Falchetti M ; Delgobo M, Zancanaro H, Almeida K, Das Neves RN, Dos Santos B, Stefanes NM, et al. Bishop Omics-based identification of an NRF2-related auranofin resistance signature in cancer: Insights into drug repurposing. Comput. Biol. Med [Internet]. 2023; 152:106347.
Feuser PM, Matos dos Santos PC, Cordeiro AP, Stefanes NM, Walter LO, Maioral MF, Santos-Silva MC, et al. Antineoplastic activity of free 4-nitrochalcone and encapsulated in poly(thioether-ester) nanoparticles obtained by thiol-ene polymerization in two human leukemia cell lines (Jurkat and K562). J Drug Deliv Sci Technol [Internet]. 2022; 67:102924.
Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Walter LO, Perondi DM, Efe FL, Souza LFS, Sens L, et al. Synthesis of chalcones derived from 1-naphthylacetophenone and evaluation of their cytotoxic and apoptotic effects in acute leukemia cell lines. Bioorg. Chem [Internet]. 2021; 116:105315.
Duarte BF, Vieira DSC, Lisboa ML, Stefanes NM, Grando LJ, Santos-Silva MC. Características clínico-epidemiológicas de pacientes portadores de carcinoma de células escamosas de boca. Arquivos Catarinenses de Medicina. 2021; 50(2): 232–245.
Machado V, Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Santos-Silva MC, Biavatti MW. Anti-leukemic activity of semisynthetic derivatives of Lupeol. Nat. Prod. Res. 2021; 35(22):4494-4501.
Bigolin A, Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Mascarello A, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Nunes RJ, Yunes RA, et al. A novel sulfonamide derivative as a strong and selective apoptotic agent against hematological malignancies. Chem. Pap. 2020; 74:2965–2976.
Bigolin A, Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Zatelli GA, Philippus AC, Falkenberg MB, Santos-Silva MC. Cytotoxic mechanisms of primin, a natural quinone isolated from Eugenia hiemalis, on hematological cancer cell lines. Anticancer Drugs. 2020; 31(7):709-717.
Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Neufeldt PD, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Nunes RJ, Santos-Silva MC. Aldehyde biphenyl chalcones induce immunogenic apoptotic-like cell death and are promising new safe compounds against a wide range of hematologic cancers. Future Med. Chem. 2020; 12(8):673–688.
Perondi DM, Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Maioral MF, Sens L, Pacheco LA, Cury NM, et al. A novel thiosemicarbazone as a promising effective and selective compound for acute leukemia. Anticancer Drugs. 2019; 30(8):p 828-837.
Rengifo AFC, Stefanes NM, Toigo J, Mendes C, Argenta DF, Dotto MER, Santos-Silva MC, et al. PEO-chitosan nanofibers containing carboxymethyl-hexanoyl chitosan/dodecyl sulfate nanoparticles loaded with pyrazoline for skin cancer treatment. Eur. Polym. J. 2019; 119:335-343.
Rengifo AFC, Stefanes NM, Toigo J, Mendes C, Santos-Silva MC, Nunes RJ, Parize AL, et al. A new and efficient carboxymethyl-hexanoyl chitosan/dodecyl sulfate nanocarrier for a pyrazoline with antileukemic activity. Mater. Sci. Eng. C [Internet]. 2019; 105:110051.
Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Bigolin A, Zatelli GA, Philippus AC, Falkenberg MB, Santos-Silva MC. Miconidine acetate, a new selective and cytotoxic compound with synergic potential, induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in leukemia cells. Invest. New Drugs. 2019; 37:912–922.
Srefanes NM, Toigo J, Maioral MF, Jacques AV, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Perondi DM, Ribeiro AAB, et al. Synthesis of novel pyrazoline derivatives and the evaluation of death mechanisms involved in their antileukemic activity. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2019; 27(2):375-382.
Maioral MF, Bodack CN, Stefanes NM, Bigolin A, Mascarello A, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Yunes RA, et al. Cytotoxic effect of a novel naphthylchalcone against multiple cancer cells focusing on hematologic malignancies. Biochim. 2017; 140:48-57.
You can view some of Dr Natália’s work below and links to her professional profile below.
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Natalia-Stephanes
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliamarceli/
Should I switch from Ambien to Trazodone?
You should switch from Ambien to Trazodone if your healthcare provider recommends it. Ambien (Zolpidem) and Trazodone are two entirely different medications, which belong to different classes, have different mechanisms of action, and have different side effect profiles.
Ambien is a typical sleeping pill with a high potential for addiction and abuse, whereas Trazodone is an antidepressant. The only thing common in these meds is that they both induce sleep, with Ambien being more effective at doing that since it’s an actual sleeping pill (1,2).
How to switch from Ambien to Trazodone?
It’s best to ask your healthcare provider the best way to switch from Ambien to Trazodone. Ambien is a habit-forming and Schedule IV controlled substance. It should never be stopped abruptly and should always be tapered off.
Now, the time it’ll take to taper you off Ambien depends on your dosage strength and overall duration of treatment with this sleeping pill. The longer you have been using it, the longer it will take to discontinue it.
This is because your body becomes dependent on Ambien with time, and since it’s known for causing tolerance, most people get on a higher dose after some time.
This makes it even more difficult to discontinue Ambien. Most people who do switch from Ambien to Trazodone do so to manage insomnia – which indicates that you should take the medication at night to get the most out of it.
Now, it’s not recommended to take Ambien and Trazodone at the same time, which means it’s best to wean off Ambien completely before starting Trazodone. As far as this antidepressant is concerned, it may not induce sleep as early as Ambien usually does.
For some people, it might take an hour, but Trazodone can take up to 4 hours to induce sleep in some individuals and it may take some time for your body to adjust to this antidepressant.
Does it work, switching from Ambien to Trazodone?
Switching from Ambien to Trazodone doesn’t always work. Some people may not find Trazodone as effective as Ambien – which it actually isn’t. As I have discussed in previous sections, Ambien is a legit sleeping pill, and Trazodone’s primary effect is antidepressant.
Ambien literally slows down your brain and enhances the inhibitory system of your body, which causes muscle relaxation and prepares your body for sleep.
This is why some people don’t do that well on Trazodone and they start to experience side effects during the early course of their treatment with this antidepressant, which could mentally affect them.
On the other hand, some people continuously experience tolerance for Ambien and experience nighttime wakefulness. It’s a known fact that sleeping pills don’t work well after some time unless you increase the dose.
Even in such cases, the duration of your sleep reduces and you find yourself tired and restless at night. Such people claim to do better on Trazodone, as it doesn’t work the way Ambien does.
It totally depends on the person taking these meds, as meds affect everyone differently. It’s best to discuss the most suitable option for you with your healthcare provider and stick to your doctor’s directions.
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References
1.-
National Library of Medicine (US). Drug Label Information: Zolpidem. [updated 2021 Apr 15]. In: Medline [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US); [cited 2023 Mar 2]. Available from: https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a693025.html.
2.-
National Library of Medicine (US). Drug Label Information: Trazodone. [updated 2021 Apr 15]. In: Medline [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US); [cited 2023 Mar 2]. Available from: https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a681038.html
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