# Do Antidepressants have sedative qualities?



## Rheffera (Apr 20, 2010)

Ive just started CBT and the nurse practitioner wants to put me on a anti-depressant with sedative properties.

The only class of AD i can think of that would provide sedation is maybe a tricyclic? As far as i know SSRI's dont at all.

What drug could she possibly be thinking of giving me?

She said something about giving it to me before i go to sleep.. as far as i know AD's aren't given right before bed so it definetley seems that she has primarily sedation in mind; and i doubt that its really a AD that she would be giving me. Thoughts?


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## sara01 (Feb 4, 2010)

There is an antidepressant medication called Remeron that is not an SSRI, it is in a group by itself. It is sedating and helps with sleep, but also has good antidepressant and antianxiety effects. It can cause some weight gain so you have to be careful with it. Weight gain is the main side effect that you have to watch out for. 
Of the SSRI's paxil is the most sedating. 
Hope that helps? Let me know if you have any other questions. I have a family member that is a psychiatrist, so I just asked her haha


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## mcmuffinme (Mar 12, 2010)

i'm taking a generic version of prozac and i was told it has stimulating properties and that i should take it in the morning because of this. i believe it's an antidepressant.


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## Rheffera (Apr 20, 2010)

sara01 said:


> There is an antidepressant medication called Remeron that is not an SSRI, it is in a group by itself. It is sedating and helps with sleep, but also has good antidepressant and antianxiety effects. It can cause some weight gain so you have to be careful with it. Weight gain is the main side effect that you have to watch out for.
> Of the SSRI's paxil is the most sedating.
> Hope that helps? Let me know if you have any other questions. I have a family member that is a psychiatrist, so I just asked her haha


Thanks sara01; it gives me some insight; she might be considering remeron if she is talking about giving it to me before bed; but we shall see


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## jim_morrison (Aug 17, 2008)

It will most likely be either Remeron, Trazodone, or a Tricyclic.


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## Rheffera (Apr 20, 2010)

jim_morrison said:


> It will most likely be either Remeron, Trazodone, or a Tricyclic.


Woudnt the anti-anxiety effects be gone come morning though? so whats the point in giving it to me over valium for sleep?


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## korey (Apr 25, 2006)

When she said something sedating, she may have meant something to calm your anxiety. I think Lexapro is indicated for both depression and anxiety, and it's really popular among prescribers because it's still under patent so they all have tons of free samples to give away. Lexapro was the first thing I was put on years ago, and it made me feel really nice and pleasantly calm (almost sleepy) - until it pooped out, that is. But my mind and body are really stubborn, so Lexapro may work for you and continue to work for years and years, who knows. A tricyclic is sort of a harsh med to start a patient on, as is Remeron because of the weight gain. They usually like to exhaust the SSRIs before moving on to other classes of antidepressants. Trazodone is great for sleep for some people in low doses, but at the antidepressant dose range (300mg+, I think), it would probably leave you almost incapacitated due to the sedation, so I would think your prescriber would stay away from it as a starter med, too. These are all just observations.


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## jim_morrison (Aug 17, 2008)

Rheffera said:


> Woudnt the anti-anxiety effects be gone come morning though? so whats the point in giving it to me over valium for sleep?


It's most likely remeron, I was on that for about 6 months, and unfortunately the sedation/tiredness does seem to last all day, so I guess if general sedation removes your anxiety then theoretically that would work. But yeah I don't personally see the point of giving it over valium, if anxietys the main problem.


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## Rheffera (Apr 20, 2010)

korey said:


> ...a harsh med to start a patient on, as is Remeron because of the weight gain...


She might not think so; as i also have a "problem" with my eating and i am borderline underweight; so she might see that as a positive effect.



jim_morrison said:


> But yeah I don't personally see the point of giving it over valium, if anxietys the main problem.


Anxiety is indeed the main extensive problem; i have been socially phobic since i was at least 12.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

Rheffera said:


> so whats the point in giving it to me over valium for sleep?


Two reasons, one rational and the other just a crazy part of our War On Drugs.

Rational: benzos, of which Valium is one example, make for poor long-term sleep aids asthe sedation effect wears off with regular use, typically within a couple weeks. For example, I'm fully awake even though I consume an average of 10 mg of Xanax daily. That would be equal to 100 mg of Valium, or ten of the largest Valium tablets made. I seem to prove that it's quite possible to take considerable amounts of benzos and still be wide awake. And I have used Valium in the past and I never found it sedating.

Crazy reason: We have a War On Drugs. Valium, being a C-IV controlled substance, scares the fecal matter out of many doctors who lack the balls needed to dare prescribe a controlled drug.


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