trazodone

[NGU]

I work (for another few months or so) at a state juvenile correctional facility. Our facility houses only mentally ill youth. They get to see a MD every month and are prescribed medications based on their physical and psychological need. These meds and medical care is paid for by tax payers. My state's congress passed a list of meds that are approved and those that are not unless by very, very special circumstances. Trazodone is not an approved med, because it is primarily for sleep. My state's congress feels that it is a waste of the tax payers money to pay for sleep meds for incarcerated adolescents. Do you think this is right or wrong?

[Dookus]

1. I think it's wrong

as well as short-sighted. Lack of sleep can be devastating, and lead to lots of other problems. I would think a juvenile correctional facility would WANT the "guests" to be able to sleep well.

I went through a period of depression-induced insomnia that was just awful. Trazodone was the only thing that worked. Ambien did nothing. Once I was able to start sleeping normally, I felt much better, very quickly.

[nytemare]

4. I agree

I don't think they should let the poor kids get hooked on it, their use should be monitored, but sleep is important.

Insomnia can lead to that state where you are walking around in a dream state, literally. Your mind can't distinguish what is just going on in your head with what has actually happened, seratonin levels drop, depression insues, it can be awful.

[Dookus]

6. fortunately

trazodone is entirely non-habit-forming.

[nytemare]

7. That is a good thing!

I never had insomnia, but I worked a night shift for 14 years or so, and my sleep patterns got disturbed. Unfortunately, during the day I was always on call to respond to work, so I could not take anything to help me get to sleep when I was having difficulty.

Now I work a normal shift. It is so nice.

Yes, they should let the kids sleep when they need to.

[Liberal Veteran]

2. Trazodone is very cheap drug....about 25 cents per pill.

I think that if the goal is to try to rehabilitate adolescents, they should fork out the minor expense.

[WestHoustonDem]

3. Is it just trazodone?

I've taken several different medications when I had trouble sleeping and there are probably cheaper meds that would have similar effects. But if the patient hasn't responded to the others, then trazodone shouldn't be denied to an inmate who needs it.

[NGU]

5. It is a list of non-approved meds not just trazodone

All meds that are primarily for sleep are on the list though and trazodone is the one hardest hit. We can't give meds like Ambien and others due to their potentially addictive nature. Many youth are reporting hallucinations (that are not substantiated by staff's observations or history) in an attempt to get anti-psychotic meds which are sedating like Risperdal and Seroquel.

edited: for spelling

[Wickerman]

8. I thought Trazadone in small doses also works as mild anti-depressant

I think your state is wrong - and, as someone said - its dirt cheap

[NGU]

9. They can get many other meds including someantidepressants

Youth are prescribed Prozac, Wellbutrin, Lithuim, Ritalin, Adderall, Seroquel, Risperdal, and many more that are not coming to mind right now. I was the only psychologist are work today and I'm brain dead now which is bad since I'm on-call this weekend.

[goodboy]

10. wrong. 100 million americans have sleep problems, and it's important

for our minds to get enough sleep.