What is Trazodone?
Trazodone is an antidepressant that is part of a family of medications referred to as serotonin antagonists and Reuptake inhibitors (SARIs). While trazodone may not be an actual part of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class of antidepressants, it does have many of the properties of SSRIs.
Trazodone can be used to treat major depression.
It could help improve your mood, appetite, and energy level, as well as reduce insomnia and anxiety that are associated with depression.
Trazodone is a drug that helps restore the balance of a specific chemical (serotonin) within the brain.
Warnings
Do not take the drug trazodone if you are allergic to it or if you're being treated with an injection of methylene blue. Do not take this medicine if you've used or taken an MAO antagonist within the past 14 days. A risky drug interaction may occur. MAO inhibitors include isocarboxazid, linezolid, phenelzine, tranylcypromine, and more.
Many young people are concerned about suicide while using an antidepressant. Your physician will examine your progress regularly at visits while you are taking trazodone. Family members or other caregivers must be on the lookout for any changes in your attitude or symptoms.
Inform your doctor about any new or worsening symptoms for treatment, including changing your behavior or mood, such as anxiety, panic attacks, or trouble sleeping. You should also tell your doctor when you are feeling uncontrollably angry, angry and aggressive, active, restless (mentally and physically), depressed, contemplating suicide, or harming yourself. Don't give the medication to anyone under 18 years of age without consulting an experienced doctor. Trazodone is not a prescription drug for children.
Before taking this Medicine
It is not recommended to use trazodone if you are allergic to it. Do not take this medication if you've taken an MAO inhibitor within the last 14 days. A risky drug interaction may happen. MAO inhibitors include isocarboxazid, linezolid, Methylene blue injection, Phenelzine, tranylcypromine, and other MAO inhibitors. When you stop taking trazodone, it is necessary to be patient for a minimum of 14 days before starting MAOI. Inform your physician if you are taking any stimulant medication, such as opioid medicines, herbal remedies, medication for mental illness, depression, or Parkinson's disease. Also, you may have chronic infections or be on medication for the prevention of vomiting and nausea. A reaction to trazodone can result in a serious illness known as serotonin syndrome.
To ensure that this medication is suitable for you, inform your physician if you've previously had:
- Kidney disease or liver failure;
- Heart disease or an upcoming coronary attack; A bleeding or blood clotting disorder;
- Seizures or epilepsy;
- Narrow-angle glaucoma;
- Long QT syndrome;
- Suicidal or drug-related thoughts or
- Bipolar Disorder (manic depression).
Many young people are prone to thoughts of suicide after they first start taking antidepressants. Your doctor should be able to check your progress on a regular basis. Family members or other caregivers should be on the lookout for changes in your symptoms or mood. The use of trazodone during pregnancy can affect the baby. However, stopping the medicine might not be a good idea for you. Don't start or stop taking this medication without consulting your physician. If you're expecting, then your name might be added to the pregnancy registry to monitor how trazodone affects you and your child. It is not recommended to breastfeed while using this medication. Consult your physician regarding any risks. Trazodone is not recommended for use by people younger than
How to Take trazodone?
Follow the exact dosage of trazodone prescribed by your physician. Follow the directions on the prescription label and go through all medication guides and instruction sheets. Your doctor may alter your dosage. Use trazodone in the aftermath of an eating plan or snack.
It could take up to two weeks before symptoms begin to improve. Continue to take the medication according to the directions and inform your doctor if you feel your symptoms don't improve. It is not recommended to stop taking the medicine abruptly, or you may experience unpleasant side effects (such as vomiting, dizziness, and sweating). Other symptoms include agitation and numbness (electric shock symptoms). Consult your physician about how to stop taking this medication. Keep at room temperature, away from heat, humidity, and light.
Details on Dosage
Usual Adult Dose for Depression:
Initial dosage: 150 mg taken orally every day in doses divided; this can be increased to 50 mg per day orally every 3 or 4 days.
Maximum dose:
Inpatients: 600 mg/day
Outpatients: 400 mg/day
Comments:
Patients should be tested for a family or personal history of bipolar disorder (mania or hypomania) prior to initiation of treatment.
Patients must be checked for withdrawal symptoms prior to stopping their medication.
After an appropriate response has been achieved, the dosage can be reduced gradually based on the therapeutic response.
If drowsiness is evident, it is possible that a significant portion of the daily dose could be administered before bed or a decrease in dosage could be required.
It is recommended to take this medication immediately following a meal or light snack.
Treatment for major depression (MDD)
What Happens If I Miss a Dose?
You should take the medication as quickly as you are able, but do not take any missed doses if you are close to the time of the next dose. Don't take two doses at once.
What Happens If I Overdose?
Get medical attention immediately, contact emergency medical attention, or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. A fatal overdose could be fatal if trazodone is used in combination with alcohol, barbiturates, like phenobarbital, or sedatives, such as diazepam (Valium).
The symptoms of an overdose can include severe sleepiness, vomiting, painful or long-lasting penis erections, fast or pounding heartbeats, seizures (blackouts or convulsions), or breathing that slows down or completely stops.
What Should be Avoided?
Don't drink alcohol. Dangerous side effects or even death could happen. Talk to your doctor prior to taking a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) like naproxen, aspirin, ibuprofen, Advil, Aleve, Motrin, and more. When you take an NSAID combined with trazodone, it could cause bleeding or bruises easily. Avoid driving and other hazardous activities until you understand the effects this medicine has on your body. The way you react could be impaired.Be careful not to get up too quickly from a lying or sitting position, as you could get dizzy.
Side Effects of Trazodone
Get immediate medical attention. If you experience symptoms of an allergy reaction to the drug trazodone, such as hives, breathing difficulties, or swelling of your lips, face, and tongue, Stop taking trazodone immediately and contact your doctor right away in the event of an erection in the penis that's painful or lasts for six hours or more. It could be an emergency medical situation and cause a serious problem that has to be treated through surgery. If you notice any new or deteriorating symptoms, consult your physician for treatment, including changes in your mood, behavior, or attitude, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel uncontrollably angry, irritable, or aggressive. anxious, hyperactive (mentally and physically), depressed, or contemplating suicide or harming yourself.
See your doctor right away if you are suffering from:
- Rapid or pounding heartbeats, chest fluttering and breathlessness, and suddenly Feeling dizzy (like you're about to pass out);
- Slow heartbeats;
- Strange thoughts or behaviors;
- Bleeding, or bruising that is unusually easy, unusual bleeding
- Lower sodium levels in your body, causing headaches and confusion. Also, speech slurred, slurred nausea, extreme weakness, and loss of coordination feeling unstable.
Get medical attention immediately. If you experience signs associated with serotonin syndrome, for example, hallucinations, agitation, sweating, fever, or shivering, an increase in heart rate, muscle stiffness and twitching, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea,
Common side effects of trazodone include:
- Drowsiness, dizziness, and tiredness;
- Swelling;
- Weight loss;
- Blurred vision
- Diarrhea, constipation, or
- Stuffy nose.
This is not a comprehensive list of all the side effects. Others could happen. Consult your physician to seek medical advice on adverse effects. You can report any adverse reactions to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Interaction with Other Drugs
Utilizing trazodone in conjunction with other medications that cause drowsiness can increase the severity of this effect. Talk to your doctor prior to using opioids, a sleeping pill such as a muscle relaxer, or medicine to treat seizures or anxiety.
Inform your doctor about the medicines you are currently taking. There are many drugs that can interact with trazodone. These include:
- Phenytoin
- John's wort
- Tramadol
- Diuretic or "water pill"
- Medications to treat mood disorders or mental illnesses like schizophrenia;
- Is a type of blood thinner, warfarin, Coumadin, Jantoven, or
- Migraine headache medications sumatriptan, Imitrex, Maxalt, Treximet, and other medications
This list isn't complete, and a variety of other medications could be incompatible with trazodone. This includes prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and herbal products. There are many possible interactions between drugs, which are included here.