What is trazodone?
Trazodone is an antidepressant medication. It affects chemicals in the brain that may become
unbalanced and cause depression
Trazodone is used to treat depression.
Trazodone may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking trazodone?
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to trazodone.
Before using trazodone, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:
-
bipolar disorder (manic depression);
-
schizophrenia, or other psychiatric illness;
-
a history of drug abuse or suicidal thoughts; or
-
if you have recently had a heart attack.
If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or
special tests to safely take this medication.
You may have thoughts about suicide when you first start taking an antidepressant, especially if
you are younger than 24 years old. Tell your doctor if you have worsening symptoms of depression or
suicidal thoughts during the first several weeks of treatment, or whenever your dose is changed.
Your family or other caregivers should also be alert to changes in your mood or symptoms.
Your doctor will need to check you at regular visits for at least the first 12 weeks of treatment.
FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether trazodone is harmful to an unborn
baby. Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
during treatment.
Trazodone may pass into breast milk and could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this
medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Do not give trazodone to anyone younger than 18 years old without the advice of a doctor.
How should I take trazodone?
Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger
amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your
prescription label.
Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results from this
medication.
Trazodone works best if you take it after a meal or a snack.
You may need to take this medicine at bedtime, because trazodone can cause drowsiness.
Follow your doctor's instructions.
If you need to have any type of surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are using
trazodone. You may need to stop using the medicine for a short time.
It may take up to 2 weeks of using this medicine before your symptoms improve. For best
results, keep using the medication as directed. Talk with your doctor if your symptoms do not improve
after 2 weeks of treatment.
You may need to take trazodone for several weeks or months to control your depression
symptoms.
To be sure this medication is not causing harmful effects, your blood will need to be tested on a
regular basis. Do not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.
Store trazodone at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.
What happens if I miss a dose of trazodone?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the
missed dose and take the medicine at your next regularly scheduled time.
Do not
take
extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
Where can I get more information about trazodone?
Your pharmacist has information about trazodone written for health professionals that you may read.
What are the possible side effects of trazodone?
Stop taking trazodone and call your doctor at once if you have a penis erection that is
painful or lasts 4 hours or longer. This is a medical emergency and could lead to a serious condition
that must be corrected with surgery.
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these
signs of an allergic
reaction:
hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have any new or worsening symptoms such as: mood or
behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated,
hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed, or have thoughts
about suicide or hurting yourself.
Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
-
feeling light-headed, fainting;
-
fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms; or
-
chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading to the arm or
shoulder, nausea, sweating, general ill feeling; or
-
problems with urination.
Less serious side effects may be more likely to occur, such as:
-
dizziness or drowsiness;
-
headache;
-
sleep problems (insomnia);
-
dry mouth, stuffy nose;
-
nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite;
-
diarrhea or constipation;
-
muscle pain;
-
loss of coordination; or
-
blurred vision.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your
doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at
1-800-FDA-1088.
What is the most important information I should know about trazodone?
Before taking trazodone, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have
bipolar disorder (manic depression), schizophrenia or other psychiatric illness, a history of drug abuse
or suicidal thoughts, or if you have recently had a heart attack.
You may have thoughts about suicide when you first start taking an antidepressant, especially if
you are younger than 24 years old. Your doctor will need to check you at regular visits for at least the
first 12 weeks of treatment.
Trazodone works best if you take it after a meal or a snack.
Call your doctor at once if you have any new or worsening symptoms such as: mood or
behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated,
hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed, or have thoughts
about suicide or hurting yourself.
Trazodone can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if
you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.
Do not drink alcohol while you are taking trazodone. Alcohol can increase drowsiness and
dizziness caused by trazodone.
Stop taking trazodone and call your doctor at once if you have a penis erection that is
painful or lasts 4 hours or longer. This is a medical emergency and could lead to a serious condition
that must be corrected with surgery.
What should I avoid while taking trazodone?
Trazodone can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if
you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.
Do not drink alcohol while you are taking trazodone. Alcohol can increase drowsiness and
dizziness caused by trazodone.
What other drugs will affect trazodone?
Before taking trazodone, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:
-
an HIV medicine such as indinavir (Crixivan) or ritonavir (Norvir);
-
an antifungal medication such as ketoconazole (Nizoral) or
itraconazole (Sporanox);
-
digoxin (Lanoxin, Lanoxicaps);
-
seizure medicine such as carbamazepine (Carbatrol,
Tegretol) or phenytoin (Dilantin);
-
warfarin (Coumadin); or
-
if you have taken an MAO inhibitor within the past 14
days, such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline
(Eldepryl, Emsam), or tranylcypromine (Parnate).
This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with
trazodone. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins,
minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start a new medication
without telling your doctor.
What happens if I have an overdose of trazodone?