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.
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Precautions
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Instructions
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Side Effects
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Interactions
Precautions
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.
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.
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Instructions
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).
Overdose symptoms 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.
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.
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Side Effects
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.
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Interactions
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.
Other Names
Desyrel, trazodone, Desyrel Dividose, and traZODONE
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Disclaimer
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.
Copyright 1996-2004 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version 2.05. Revision date 8/23/04
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