I am regularly assessing my client’s prescription medications for side effects that may be contributing to or confounding their chief complaint. A client recently came in to the clinic complaining of unrelenting back pain, not improved with OTC pain relievers. Trazodone is a commonly used medication for sleep. It’s protracted list of side effects include muscle pain, and I was concerned that her prolonged use of this drug may be causing her pain. With the consent of her primary care physician, she ceased the medication and within 2 days her pain went from a level 6 to a level 1 out of 10. She resumed the Trazodone at 1/2 dose, and the pain returned. So, after months of unresolved pain, her body was incurring daily injury from her sleep aid. With the culprit unveiled, we can focus on getting her some pain-free rest.
-Dr. Krysta Wyatt
