last update: November 14, 2025
Trazodone is a prescription antidepressant most commonly used to treat major depressive disorder. It is also widely used off-label for insomnia and anxiety-related sleep disturbance, and it can be part of multimodal care for chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder. Pharmacologically, trazodone is classified as a serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor (SARI). It modulates serotonin activity in the brain, which can help lift mood, reduce anxiety, and promote restorative sleep. Because it also affects histamine and alpha-1 adrenergic receptors, trazodone often produces sedation and can lower blood pressure, which are clinically relevant for both benefits and side effects.
The primary FDA-approved indication for trazodone is major depressive disorder in adults. Clinicians may prescribe it as monotherapy or combine it with other antidepressants when residual insomnia or anxiety persists.
Clinicians often choose trazodone when a patient needs both antidepressant action and help with sleep. However, any off-label use should still follow an individualized risk–benefit discussion and ongoing monitoring.
Trazodone’s mood and sleep effects stem from its multitarget pharmacology:
The balance of these actions explains why lower doses are typically more sedating (dominated by antihistamine and alpha-blockade) and higher doses express more antidepressant effect via serotonin pathways.
Use trazodone exactly as prescribed by your healthcare professional. The following points are general guidance, not a substitute for medical advice:
If you miss a dose, take it when you remember unless it’s close to your next dose. Do not double up. If multiple doses are missed, resume your usual schedule and let your prescriber know at your next visit.
Dosing must be individualized. The ranges below are educational and should not be used to self-prescribe:
Your age, other medications, liver function, daytime sedation, and cardiovascular history influence the best dose and formulation. Always confirm your plan and any dose changes with your prescriber.
Avoid trazodone if any of the following apply unless your clinician determines benefits outweigh risks:
Discuss your full medical history before starting trazodone, particularly if you have bipolar disorder (risk of mania/hypomania), seizure disorders, bleeding risks, glaucoma, or significant hypotension.
Tell your healthcare provider about all medications, supplements, and herbal products you use. Important interactions include:
This list is not exhaustive. Always check with your prescriber or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing the dose of any medication.
Most people tolerate trazodone well, but side effects can occur. Many are dose-related and improve as your body adjusts.
Common effects:
Serious effects requiring prompt medical attention:
Report persistent or troublesome side effects to your clinician. Never adjust your own dose without guidance.
Overdose may cause profound sedation, vomiting, low blood pressure, fainting, cardiac arrhythmias (including QT prolongation), seizures, or serotonin syndrome. If you suspect an overdose or observe worrisome symptoms, call emergency services or your local Poison Control Center immediately. Do not wait for symptoms to worsen.
Tell your surgeon, dentist, and anesthesiologist that you take trazodone. Some anesthetics and perioperative medications can interact with serotonergic agents or exacerbate hypotension. If a new medication is prescribed by any clinician, confirm with your pharmacist that it is safe to use with trazodone.
Medications like trazodone are most effective when paired with evidence-based nonpharmacologic strategies:
In the United States, trazodone is a prescription-only medication. Federal and state laws require a valid prescription from a licensed clinician to dispense trazodone. It is not legal to purchase or import trazodone for personal use without a prescription. Safe, compliant access typically occurs through one of the following pathways:
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Petersburg supports a legal and structured approach to accessing care. Rather than bypassing a prescription, the organization can help connect you with licensed healthcare professionals who evaluate your needs and, when appropriate, provide a legitimate prescription for trazodone through compliant channels. This protects your safety, ensures appropriate monitoring, and adheres to U.S. regulations.
If you are considering trazodone, schedule a consultation with a qualified clinician. Avoid any source offering trazodone without a prescription or outside established pharmacy channels, as this may be unsafe, unlawful, and increase the risk of counterfeit or substandard medications.
Trazodone is an antidepressant in the SARI class (serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor). It’s approved for major depressive disorder and is commonly used off-label for insomnia and anxiety because of its sedating properties.
It weakly blocks serotonin reuptake while antagonizing specific serotonin receptors (notably 5-HT2A/2C), which can improve mood and reduce anxiety. It also blocks histamine and alpha-1 adrenergic receptors, contributing to sedation and lowering blood pressure.
No, it isn’t a hypnotic by classification, but at low doses it’s widely used off-label for sleep initiation and maintenance due to its antihistamine and 5-HT2 blocking effects. Many people take 25–100 mg at bedtime for insomnia.
For depression, typical total daily doses range from 150–400 mg (sometimes higher), divided or as extended-release at night. For sleep, much lower doses are used off-label (commonly 25–100 mg at bedtime).
For sleep, sedation usually appears within 30–60 minutes of a dose. For depression and anxiety, it may take 2–4 weeks for noticeable improvement, with full benefits sometimes taking 6–8 weeks.
Sleepiness, dizziness, dry mouth, headache, blurred vision, and constipation are common. Orthostatic hypotension (lightheadedness when standing) can also occur, especially at higher doses or in older adults.
Rare but serious effects include serotonin syndrome, priapism (prolonged painful erection), cardiac rhythm problems including QT prolongation, and severe low blood pressure or fainting. Seek urgent care for signs like severe agitation, high fever, rigidity, chest pain, or any erection lasting over 4 hours.
It is not a controlled substance and has low abuse potential. However, abrupt discontinuation can cause withdrawal-like symptoms, so it should be tapered under medical guidance.
Avoid driving or hazardous tasks until you know how it affects you. Many people experience next-day drowsiness or slowed reaction time, especially with nighttime dosing.
Yes. Major interactions include MAOIs, other serotonergic drugs (e.g., SSRIs, SNRIs, triptans, tramadol, St. John’s wort), strong CYP3A4 inhibitors/inducers (e.g., ketoconazole, clarithromycin, carbamazepine), and other QT-prolonging agents. Combining with sedatives or alcohol increases drowsiness and risk of falls.
People with recent heart attack, significant heart rhythm disorders, uncontrolled glaucoma, severe liver disease, or a history of priapism need caution and consultation. Older adults are more sensitive to sedation and orthostatic hypotension.
Serotonin syndrome is a potentially life-threatening condition caused by excess serotonin, presenting with agitation, sweating, tremor, diarrhea, fever, and confusion. Risk increases when trazodone is combined with other serotonergic agents or MAOIs.
It can reduce sexual side effects caused by some SSRIs and may improve sleep-related sexual issues. However, it may rarely cause priapism; any prolonged painful erection is a medical emergency.
Taper gradually over 1–2 weeks or longer depending on dose and duration, under clinician guidance. Abrupt stopping may cause rebound insomnia, anxiety, irritability, or flu-like symptoms.
Yes. Like other antidepressants, it carries a boxed warning for increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, adolescents, and young adults, particularly when starting or changing the dose.
It’s best to avoid. Alcohol and trazodone both depress the central nervous system, increasing sedation, dizziness, impaired coordination, and risk of respiratory depression and falls.
Data do not show a clear increase in major birth defects, but information is limited. Use only if benefits outweigh risks; newborn adaptation symptoms (jitteriness, feeding or breathing difficulties) can occur with late-pregnancy exposure.
Small amounts pass into breast milk. Many infants tolerate it, but monitor for excessive sleepiness, poor feeding, or breathing changes, and discuss risks and benefits with your clinician.
Tell your surgical and anesthesia teams you take trazodone. It’s often continued to avoid withdrawal and mood destabilization, but they may adjust plans due to risks of hypotension, sedation, and potential interactions with anesthetics and pain medicines.
Both can increase sedation, dizziness, and cognitive impairment; CBD can affect CYP enzymes and alter drug levels. Use caution, start low, and discuss with your clinician.
Yes, but lower starting doses and careful monitoring are advised due to higher risks of orthostatic hypotension, falls, confusion, and next-day sedation. Fall-prevention strategies are important.
Trazodone can worsen sedation and potentially impact airway tone, though some studies suggest neutral or modestly favorable effects. Because responses vary, consult your sleep specialist and avoid combining with other sedatives.
Sertraline is an SSRI primarily for depression and anxiety with lower sedation and more activation or GI side effects; it’s typically taken in the morning. Trazodone is more sedating and often chosen when insomnia coexists; it’s less effective than SSRIs for some anxiety disorders at low “sleep” doses.
Escitalopram is a first-line SSRI with strong antidepressant and anxiolytic evidence and generally favorable tolerability. Trazodone is effective for depression but often limited by sedation; it may be preferred when nighttime sleep disruption is prominent.
Fluoxetine is activating, has a long half-life, and may suppress appetite or cause insomnia early on; sexual side effects are common. Trazodone is sedating, shorter-acting, and more likely to cause orthostatic dizziness but fewer activating effects.
Venlafaxine (an SNRI) is potent for depression, generalized anxiety, and panic disorder, with dose-related norepinephrine effects and potential blood pressure increases. Trazodone is less activating, more sedating, and better for sleep problems but generally not as robust for anxiety at low doses.
Duloxetine treats depression, anxiety, and neuropathic pain/fibromyalgia, with possible nausea and blood pressure effects. Trazodone may help sleep and mood but doesn’t treat neuropathic pain as consistently; it typically causes more sedation and orthostatic hypotension.
Bupropion is stimulating, weight-neutral or reducing, and has fewer sexual side effects but can worsen anxiety or insomnia and lowers seizure threshold. Trazodone is sedating, may aid sleep, and has lower sexual side effects than many SSRIs/SNRIs; it can cause dizziness and hypotension.
Both are sedating at low to moderate doses and helpful for insomnia. Mirtazapine more commonly causes weight gain and increased appetite; trazodone more often causes orthostatic hypotension and next-day grogginess.
Amitriptyline (a TCA) is sedating and effective for chronic pain and migraine prevention but has stronger anticholinergic effects (dry mouth, constipation, urinary retention) and greater cardiac risk in overdose. Trazodone is generally safer in overdose, with less anticholinergic burden but more risk of orthostatic hypotension.
Low-dose doxepin is FDA-approved for sleep maintenance insomnia and is highly antihistaminic with minimal anticholinergic effects at those doses. Trazodone is commonly used off-label for both sleep onset and maintenance but isn’t FDA-approved for insomnia; it may cause more daytime sedation.
Nortriptyline is a TCA with less sedation and anticholinergic effects than amitriptyline and is useful for pain. Trazodone is typically more sedating and better for sleep but not as established for neuropathic pain.
Both are SARIs, but nefazodone carries a boxed warning for rare, severe liver failure and is unavailable in many regions. Trazodone lacks that liver failure risk but can cause more orthostatic hypotension and priapism.
Vilazodone is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor and 5-HT1A partial agonist with lower sexual side-effect rates than some SSRIs and is generally activating. Trazodone is more sedating and may be preferred when insomnia is a major symptom.
Vortioxetine is a multimodal serotonergic antidepressant with evidence for cognitive benefits in depression and typically mild sedation. Trazodone is often better for sleep, while vortioxetine may be better for daytime functioning and cognition.
Paroxetine is effective for depression and many anxiety disorders but often causes weight gain and sexual dysfunction and can be sedating with notable withdrawal if stopped abruptly. Trazodone is sedating but tends to have fewer sexual side effects; it isn’t as broadly indicated for anxiety at low doses.
Quetiapine is an atypical antipsychotic sometimes used off-label for insomnia but carries metabolic and movement-related risks. Trazodone typically offers a safer side-effect profile for sleep, though both cause sedation and orthostatic hypotension; choice depends on comorbid conditions and risk tolerance.