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Trazodone and Alcohol: Interactions, Effects & Risks

By October 3, 2023August 8th, 2024Sober living

trazodone and alcohol

The primary adverse effects of trazodone include headaches, fatigue, dizziness, drowsiness, and somnolence. Other risks include anticholinergic effects (dry mouth), orthostatic hypotension, syncope, QT prolongation, Torsade de pointes, priapism, and increased what is the drinking age in russia suicidal thoughts. QT prolongation and arrhythmia risks are  due to the interaction of trazodone with hERG potassium channels. Antidepressants, such as trazodone, may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in certain people.

More About Drugs and Medications

While the drug is legal for adults to purchase, it is actually more dangerous than many more tightly regulated substances. Trazodone is mostly used for its sleep-inducing effects (an off-label indication) rather than as an antidepressant. Only generic forms are available which makes it a lot cheaper than some other sleep-inducing alternatives, and it is not classified as a controlled substance. However, it may cause withdrawal symptoms on discontinuation. If you no longer need to take trazodone and have leftover medication, it’s important to dispose of it safely.

Other uses for this medicine

trazodone and alcohol

Your doctor may start you on a low dose of trazodone and gradually increase your dose, not more than once every 3 to 4 days. Your doctor may decrease your dose once your condition is controlled. Given the strain that consumption of both drugs puts on the CNS, treatment should be multifaceted and tailored to each person. Physical alcohol dependence is often treated with medical detox followed by group therapy, such as a 12-step program or counseling. It should never be taken while drinking because the combination can be severe and even deadly. Do not stop taking this medicine without first checking with your doctor.

  1. Make sure the doctor knows if you have trouble sleeping, get upset easily, have a big increase in energy, or start to act reckless.
  2. They can help you decide whether trazodone or another medication is right for you.
  3. Serious side effects from trazodone aren’t common, but they can occur.
  4. When you get trazodone from the pharmacy, the pharmacist will add an expiration date to the label on the bottle.
  5. Alcohol can interfere with this type of treatment, especially if a person is routinely drinking heavy amounts of alcohol as a way to try and reduce negative feelings they’re having.

Trazadone oral tablet use for sleep

Naltrexone, a nonselective opioid antagonist that is one of four U.S. Trazodone is a medication used in the management and treatment of major depressive disorder. This drug is in the serotonin-antagonist-and-reuptake-inhibitor class of medications; it can be used as a component of combination therapy with other drugs or psychotherapies or as monotherapy for treating depression. Trazodone is an antidepressant that inhibits serotonin transporter and serotonin type 2 receptors; it is a triazolopyridine derivative.

These avenues should be explored in future investigations. Zonisamide is an anticonvulsant agent similar to topiramate, but it may have fewer side effects. Trazodone may cause a rare, dangerous heart signs you were roofied rhythm problem called QT prolongation and torsade de pointes. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you faint or have changes in your heart rate or rhythm, such as a fast or skipping heartbeat.

Disulfiram (Antabuse) is another medication FDA-approved to treat alcohol use disorder, but it is used very infrequently. With pre-addiction, there is a high risk of developing a substance use disorder (SUD), but the person isn’t there yet. The person in the pre-addiction phase is starting to experience social, psychological, or physical impairments due to alcohol, but these outcomes are not yet severely disrupting daily life. Pre-addiction, if untreated, leads to alcohol use disorder.

This drug shouldn’t be used in people younger than 18 years. If you have a history of mania or bipolar disorder, your doctor may need to prescribe a different medication. Symptoms of serotonin syndrome include agitation, hallucinations, confusion or trouble thinking, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

It is critical to avoid alcohol when taking trazodone, and many other medications. The warning labels are there for a reason and mixing medications and alcohol can result in real danger. When used together, the sedative effects of examples of powerlessness over alcohol can be far greater. These effects can put people in a fog and increase the risk of accidents and poor decision making. The effects of taking both can overly depress the CNS and in turn, cause breathing to slow or completely stop. If you stop taking this drug suddenly or don’t take it, your depression may not get better.

Your healthcare provider will advise you if you should take trazodone while breastfeeding. Do not share trazodone with other people, even if they have the same condition as you. Trazodone may cause an unwanted erection that is persistent, painful, and that may occur without sexual arousal. Permanent damage to the penis may occur if priapism is not treated quickly. Stop taking trazodone and get emergency help right away if you have any of the following symptoms of priapism.

Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms of a manic episode. This list is not complete and many other drugs may interact with trazodone. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Alcohol can increase the nervous system side effects of traZODone such as dizziness, drowsiness, and difficulty concentrating.

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