Trazodone

CAUTION:
Studies have shown that children and teenagers who take antidepressants ('mood elevators') such as trazodone may be more likely to think about harming or killing themselves or to plan or try to do so than children who do not take antidepressants. Children younger than 18 years of age should not normally take trazodone.If your child’s doctor has prescribed trazodone for your child, you should watch his or her behavior very carefully, especially at the beginning of treatment and any time his or her dose is increased or decreased. Your child may develop serious symptoms very suddenly, so it is important to pay attention to his or her behavior every day.

General Information and Indications:

Trazodone is used to treat depression. Trazodone is in a class of medications called serotonin modulators. It works by increasing the amount of serotonin, a natural substance in the brain that helps maintain mental balance.

Information For Users:

Trazodone comes as a tablet to take by mouth. It is usually taken with a meal or light snack two or more times a day. To help you remember to take trazodone, take it around the same times every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label, ask your doctor or pharmacist If you have any questions. Take trazodone exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it, take it more often, or take it for a longer time than prescribed by your doctor.

Your doctor might start you on a low dose of trazodone and slowly increase your dose, not more than once every 3 to 4 days. Your doctor may decrease your dose once your condition is controlled.

Trazodone controls depression, but does not cure it. It may take 2 weeks or longer before you feel the full benefit of trazodone. Continue taking trazodone even if you feel well. Do not discontinue taking trazodone without informing your doctor. Your doctor will probably decrease your dose gradually.
Other uses for this medicine

Trazodone is also sometimes used to treat schizophrenia (long lasting, disabling mental illness in which the patient loses touch with reality); anxiety (excessive worry); alcohol abuse; and abnormal, uncontrollable movements that may be experienced as side effects of other medications. Talk to your doctor about the possible risks of using this medication for your condition.

special precautions:

o Inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have allergy to trazodone or any other medications.
o Inform your doctor and pharmacist what other prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, and nutritional supplements you are taking. Be sure to mention any of the following: anticoagulants ('blood thinners') such as warfarin (Coumadin); antidepressants, especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem) and fluvoxamine (Luvox); antifungal medications such as fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Sporanox), and ketoconazole (Nizoral); cimetidine (Tagamet); clarithromycin (Biaxin, Prevpac); cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune); danazol (Danocrine); delaviridine (Rescriptor); dexamethasone (Decadron); digoxin (Digitek, Lanoxin, Lanoxicaps); diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac); erythromycin (E.E.S., E-Mycin, Erythrocin); HIV protease inhibitors such as indinavir (Crixivan), nelfinavir (Viracept), ritonavir (Norvir), and saquinavir (Fortovase, Invirase); isoniazid (INH, Nydrazid); medications for allergies, cough or colds; medications for anxiety, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, mental illness or pain; medication for seizures such as carbamazepine (Tegretol), ethosuximide (Zarontin), phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton), and phenytoin (Dilantin); metronidazole (Flagyl); muscle relaxants; nefazodone; oral contraceptives (birth control pills); rifabutin (Mycobutin); rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane); sedatives; sleeping pills; tranquilizers; troleandomycin (TAO); verapamil (Calan, Isoptin, Verelan); or zafirlukast (Accolate). Also, Inform your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking the following medications, called MAO inhibitors, or if you have stopped taking them within the past two weeks: isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl, Carbex), or tranylcypromine (Parnate). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
o Inform your doctor what herbal products you are taking, especially St. John's wort.
o Inform your doctor if you or anyone in your family has or has ever had depression, bipolar disorder (mood that changes from depressed to abnormally excited), or mania (frenzied, abnormally excited mood), or if you or anyone in your family has thought about or attempted suicide. Also Inform your doctor if you are being treated with electroshock therapy and if you have or have ever had cancer; a heart attack, irregular heart beat; high blood pressure; human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDs); low white blood cell count; or heart disease.
o Inform your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking trazodone, call your doctor.
o if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, Inform your doctor or dentist that you are taking trazodone.
o you should know that trazodone may make you drowsy and affect your judgment. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you. If drowsiness is a problem, ask your doctor about taking part of your dose at bedtime.
o ask your doctor about the safe use of alcoholic beverages while you are taking trazodone. Alcohol can make the side effects from trazodone worse.
o you should know that your mental health may change in unexpected ways, especially at the beginning of your treatment and any time that your dose is increased or decreased. These changes may occur at any time if you have depression or another mental illness, whether or not you are taking trazodone or any other medication. You, your family, or your caregiver should call your doctor right away if you experience any of the following symptoms: new or worsening depression; thinking about harming or killing yourself or planning or trying to do so; extreme worry; agitation; panic attacks; difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep; aggressive behavior; irritability; acting without thinking; severe restlessness; and frenzied, abnormal excitement. Be sure that your family or caregiver knows which symptoms may be serious so they can call the doctor when you are unable to seek treatment on your own.
o you should know that trazodone may cause dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting when you get up too quickly from a lying position. To avoid this problem, get out of bed slowly, resting your feet on the floor for a few minutes before standing up.

Talk to your doctor about drinking grapefruit juice while taking this medicine.

Possible Adverse Effects:

Trazodone may cause adverse effects. Inform your doctor if any of the following symptoms are severe or do not go away:

o headache or heaviness in head
o upset stomach
o vomiting
o bad taste in mouth
o stomach pain
o diarrhea
o constipation
o changes in appetite or weight
o tiredness or weakness
o nervousness
o decreased ability to concentrate or remember things
o confusion
o difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
o nightmares
o muscle pain
o dry mouth
o sweating
o blurred vision (Impaired vision)
o tired, red, or itchy eyes
o runny nose
o congestion
o ringing in the ears (Tinnitus)

Some adverse effects could be serious. The following symptoms are uncommon, but if you experience any of them or those listed in the CAUTION section, call your doctor without delay:

o chest pain
o fast, pounding, or irregular heart beat
o shortness of breath
o fever, sore throat, chills, or other signs of infection
o hives (Urticaria)
o skin rash
o itching
o difficulty swallowing or breathing
o swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
o hoarseness
o decreased coordination
o hand tremor, shaking hands
o numbness, burning, or tingling in the arms, legs, hands, or feet
o lightheadedness or dizziness
o fainting
o thoughts of hurting yourself

Trazodone may 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.

Possible Symptoms of Overdose:

o vomiting
o drowsiness
o changes in heart beat
o seizures
o difficulty breathing
o painful erection that does not go away

Brand Name(s):

o Desyrel®