Desyrel

Generic Name: trazodone
Other Brand Names: Desyrel Dividose, trazodone

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 purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

Uses Side Effects Precautions Interactions Overdose
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 not be able to use trazodone, or you may need dosage adjustments or special tests during treatment.

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. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. 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.

Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

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 antibiotic 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).

You may not be able to take trazodone, or you may require special monitoring during treatment if you are taking any of the medicines listed above.

Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with trazodone. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines, including vitamins, minerals, and herbal products.

What happens if I have an overdose of trazodone?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. An overdose of trazodone can be fatal when it is taken with alcohol, barbiturates such as phenobarbital, or sedatives such as diazepam (Valium).

Symptoms of a trazodone overdose may include drowsiness, vomiting, penis erection that is painful or prolonged, uneven heart rate, seizure (black-out or convulsions), or breathing that slows or stops.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Content provided by Multum - Last Updated 2/11/2008