Trazodone (Systemic)

Brand Names : Desyrel

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For trazodone, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to trazodone. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy - Studies have not been done in pregnant women. However, studies in animals have shown that trazodone causes birth defects and a decrease in the number of successful pregnancies when given in doses many times larger than human doses.

Breast-feeding - Trazodone passes into breast milk.

Children - Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of trazodone in children with use in other age groups.

Older adults - Drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, vision problems, dryness of mouth, and constipation may be more likely to occur in the elderly, who are usually more sensitive to the effects of trazodone.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking trazodone, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Antihypertensives (high blood pressure medicine) - Taking these medicines with trazodone may result in low blood pressure (hypotension); the amount of medicine you need to take may change

• Central nervous system (CNS) depressants (medicine that causes drowsiness) or
• Tricyclic antidepressants (medicine for depression) - Taking these medicines with trazodone may add to the CNS depressant effects

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of trazodone. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Alcohol abuse (or history of) - Drinking alcohol with trazodone will increase the central nervous system (CNS) depressant effects

• Heart disease - Trazodone may make the condition worse

• Kidney disease or
• Liver disease - Higher blood levels of trazodone may occur, increasing the chance of side effects