Author: Alex Thompson

Trazodone: a medicine to treat depression and anxiety

Desyrel was the brand-name form of trazodone, but it’s no longer available. By Carrie Madormo, RN, MPHCarrie Madormo, RN, MPH, is a health writer with over a decade of experience working as a registered nurse. She has practiced in a variety of settings including pediatrics, oncology, chronic pain, and public health. The most common side effects of Trazodone are mild and do not usually require a change in dosing or prescription. If you have a history of glaucoma, trazodone could worsen it.

1. If you are the parent of a patient taking trazodone, have honest discussions about this possibility and develop a family plan together.
2. Your doctor can also suggest other healthy ways to feed a child.
3. They’ll ultimately prescribe the smallest dosage that provides the desired effect.
4. She has practiced in a variety of settings including pediatrics, oncology, chronic pain, and public health.
5. So, it may be hard to tell if your symptoms are related to trazodone or the condition you’re taking the drug to treat.

Typically, your doctor will start you on a low dosage and adjust it over time to reach the dosage that’s right for you. They’ll ultimately prescribe the smallest dosage that provides the desired effect. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication. Ask your doctor before taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, Advil, Aleve, Motrin, and others. Using an NSAID with trazodone may cause you to bruise or bleed easily.

You may go up by 50 mg every few days, with a maximum dose of 400 mg. While some drugs pose minor interaction risks, others may outright contraindicate use or prompt careful consideration and/or monitoring for interactions. Check the labels on all your medicines (such as allergy or cough-and-cold products) because they may contain ingredients that cause drowsiness. Ask your pharmacist about using those products safely. Before having surgery, tell your doctor or dentist about all the products you use (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and herbal products).

Important considerations for taking trazodone

Symptoms of serotonin syndrome include agitation, hallucinations, confusion or trouble thinking, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Your risk may be higher if you also take other drugs that have similar effects as trazodone, such as other drugs used to treat depression. Trazodone can cause painful, long lasting erections in males. In some cases emergency and/or surgical treatment has been required and, in some of these cases, permanent damage has occurred. Talk to your doctor about the risk of taking trazodone. Stop taking trazodone and call your doctor at once if you have a penis erection that is painful or lasts 6 hours or longer.

Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. When taken with other antidepressants, trazodone could cause serotonin syndrome. This happens when there is too much serotonin activity in your body. You could experience shivering, diarrhea, fever, seizures, and loss of consciousness. If you notice any of these symptoms while taking trazodone, talk with your healthcare provider right away. Keep taking this medication as prescribed even if you feel well.

This can help reduce your risk of withdrawal symptoms after stopping the drug. That said, doctors may prescribe trazodone off-label for anxiety. To learn more about trazodone’s use for anxiety, talk with your doctor. For example, trazodone may be used off-label for anxiety or insomnia.

Before taking trazodone,

If you have symptoms of suicidal thoughts or behaviors while taking trazodone, contact your doctor right away. They may prescribe a different medication for you or change your treatment plan with trazodone. However, if you have thoughts of harming yourself, call 911 or a local emergency number immediately.

For details, see the “Trazodone oral tablet use for depression” section below. Have a list of emergency phone numbers to call for help if you notice yourself thinking of self-harm. If you are the parent of a patient taking trazodone, have honest discussions about this possibility and develop a family plan together. It is safest to keep this medication in its original bottle with the lid tightly sealed.

Before taking trazodone, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or to nefazodone; or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Trazodone is a serotonin uptake inhibitor used to treat major depressive disorder. Below is a list of medications that can interact with trazodone. This list does not contain all drugs that may interact with trazodone.

This side effect is rare, but it’s best to have a plan in place in the event that it does happen. Talk with your healthcare provider about changes in mood or thoughts that you should look for. Your healthcare provider may increase your dose by 75 mg every three days until you find the right dose for you. The maximum daily dose for extended-release tablets is 375 mg per day.

Keep a list of all the products you use (including prescription/nonprescription drugs and herbal products) and share it with your doctor and pharmacist. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicines without your doctor’s approval. CYP1A2 inhibitors may increase trazodone concentrations while CYP1A2 inducers may decrease trazodone concentrations.

Financial and insurance assistance

A boxed warning alerts doctors and patients about drug effects that may be dangerous. For this reason, doctors may recommend a lower dose of trazodone for older adults than for younger adults. If you have trouble opening medication bottles, ask your pharmacist if they can put trazodone in an easy-open container. They also may be able to recommend tools that can make it simpler to open lids. Other types of interactions, such as those with herbs, supplements, foods, lab tests, and vaccines, may also occur with the use of trazodone.

For more information on the possible side effects of trazodone, or tips on how to deal with a troubling side effect, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Trazodone is a generic drug that doctors may prescribe to treat depression. Side effects are usually mild, but possible serious side effects include rapid heart rate, vision problems, and increased suicidal thoughts. Your doctor may start you on a low dose of trazodone and gradually increase your dose, not more than once every 3 to 4 days. Your doctor may decrease your dose once your condition is controlled. Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products.

Mild side effects

Your doctor will ultimately prescribe the smallest dosage that provides the desired effect. If you have questions about weight changes with trazodone, talk with your doctor. To learn more about trazodone’s use for dogs, talk with your pet’s veterinarian. To learn more about how generics compare with brand-name drugs, see this article. Trazodone is not currently available in any brand-name forms.