Trazodone, a drug prescribed for conditions that include insomnia and depression, is not addictive in itself. But like any substance, it can cause psychological addiction, physical dependence, withdrawal, and overdose if it’s misused.
Misuse of trazodone can include taking it without a prescription, taking higher doses than prescribed, and using it specifically to get high. It’s important to know the facts about trazodone before taking it for a condition, and knowing the dangers before taking it long-term.
What is Trazodone?
Trazodone is commonly known by the brand names Desyrel Dividose and Oleptro. It is usually used to treat major depressive disorder (MDD). However, doctors also prescribe it for insomnia and for withdrawal symptoms of alcohol use disorder (AUD).
How Does Trazodone Work?
Trazodone is in a category of drugs called serotonin antagonists and reuptake inhibitors (SARIs). Serotonin is a chemical messenger in the brain that plays a vital role in mood stabilization, sleep, and appetite. This is why low levels may result in depression and other mental disorders.
Trazodone works by blocking some of the serotonin receptors, increasing the availability of serotonin in the brain. By increasing serotonin levels, trazodone can help relieve symptoms of depression and alleviate sleep problems. It also acts on norepinephrine (the chemical messenger responsible for the fight-or-flight response), and dopamine (the feel-good and learning chemical).
Side Effects and Risks
As with all medications, trazodone may cause some side effects. The most common ones are not life-threatening and do not last long. But there may be cases when the medication causes serious side effects that need medical attention.
Some of the common side effects include:
- Blurry vision
- Drowsiness
- Swelling
- Sweating
- Weight loss
- Stuffed up nose
Less common effects include:
- Dry mouth
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Sexual dysfunction
- Cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat)
- Priapism (persistent and painful arousal of sex organs)
Contact your medical provider if you experience:
- Skin rashes
- Heart palpitations
- Slow heartbeats
- Shortness of breath
- Unusual bleeding or bruising easily
Trazodone as a Recreational Drug
Even though it doesn’t cause a feeling of euphoria as some drugs do, trazodone can cause a calming, relaxing effect that users find gratifying. In fact, trazodone is frequently known by the street name “sleepeasy.” Frequently, it’s combined with other substances like ecstasy, alcohol, or meth to intensify its effects. This puts users at a higher risk of overdose and other adverse effects
Trazadone is used recreationally in several ways to get high, including:
- Crushing the tablets to snort the powder
- Adding crushed tablets to marijuana flower and smoking it
- Adding crushed tablets to alcohol and drinking it
Abuse of medications for depression-based disorders occurs more commonly as a secondary drug of abuse combined with other drugs. People who abuse trazodone are more likely to also have a history of abuse or addiction to other drugs.
Symptoms of Trazodone Addiction
The first indications that someone is misusing trazodone are the short-term physical side effects, which may include dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, and a feeling of being hungover. If these symptoms are ignored and trazodone continues to be misused, it can lead to physical dependence and addiction.
Signs of trazodone addiction include:
- Disregarding professional and personal responsibilities due to trazodone use
- Doctor shopping, i.e. going to multiple doctors to get trazodone prescriptions
- Acquiring more trazodone after it’s no longer needed
- Faking symptoms to get a prescription
- Buying or stealing trazodone from friends or family
- Buying trazodone from a street drug dealer
- Needing to increase your trazodone dosage to feel the effects it originally provided
- Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when not using or not using enough
Can You Overdose on Trazodone?
Although trazodone is relatively safe, some people take toxic amounts of it either accidentally or on purpose. Trazodone overdose can lead to serious and sometimes life-threatening consequences. Trazodone toxicity can disturb several physiological processes and have a negative effect on vital functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing.
Although rare, there have been cases of trazodone-related deaths. Combining trazodone with alcohol, benzodiazepine medications, or other central nervous system depressants can increase the risk of overdose complications and death.
Symptoms of Trazodone Withdrawal
After a while, your brain becomes accustomed to the presence of trazodone and adapts its production of serotonin and receptor sensitivity to accommodate for it. As the drug is eliminated from the body, the brain needs time to readjust to the absence of trazodone.
During the readjustment period, you might experience several withdrawal symptoms. These can vary in intensity depending on the duration of your trazodone use and your overall health. Stopping trazodone use can cause both physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms, including:
- Sleep problems
- Agitation
- Flu-like symptoms
- Headaches
- Sweating
- Anxiety
- Jumpiness
- Dizziness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Fatigue
- Muscle pain
- Chest tightness
- Depression
- Insomnia
Symptoms may appear within a few days of quitting trazodone and can last for several weeks. Not everyone will experience withdrawal symptoms and the duration and severity can vary between different people. It’s important to be aware of these symptoms and obtain support from healthcare professionals if your withdrawal symptoms become severe.
Treatment for Trazodone Addiction
The first step in treating a trazodone addiction is withdrawal management, or detox. This can help a person overcome their physical dependence in a lasting way. Many people who try to detox alone relapse before they complete detoxing. A medically monitored detox can help you feel more comfortable while going through withdrawal, which can make it easier to maintain sobriety.
If you have a severe addiction to trazodone, you might need to go through withdrawal in a professionally monitored detox center. If you have been using trazodone as a secondary drug of abuse, you need to be medically monitored for withdrawal from both substances.
Lifestyle Changes to Help Manage Withdrawal Symptoms
There are lifestyle changes you can make to manage the symptoms while you go through withdrawal:
- Regular exercise
- Maintain a balanced diet
- Practice mindfulness and meditation
Dual Diagnosis Services
When a person has addiction and an underlying mental health issue, it’s called a dual diagnosis. Both disorders need to be treated simultaneously, preferably by the same treatment team. If you are using trazodone for depression or anxiety or any other mental issue, you will very likely need a dual diagnosis treatment program. This can help you come up with strategies to treat your mental condition while maintaining sobriety from trazodone.
Psychotherapy
Different modalities can be effective in treating addiction by helping people identify and change troubling thoughts and behaviors. Various approaches to therapy, such as individual and group therapy, can help you recognize faulty thinking patterns and learn skills to change them. Holistic therapies help to heal the body, mind, and spirit to help the body fully recover from addiction and promote lasting wellness. These can include equine therapy, yoga therapy, and even physical therapy.
Treatment Programs
After completing detox, the next step is to enter a treatment program to address your addiction with professional help. Depending on your needs, you may enter one of these programs:
- Residential: In a residential program, you live in the treatment facility with 24-hour supervision.You will be in a safe, secure, drug-free environment, away from any triggers that could distract you from your goals.
- Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP): PHPs are technically an outpatient program, but they are more comparable to a residential program in terms of intensity. If you have a stable, supportive home to return to each day, this may be the program for you.
- Outpatient (OP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) Programs: These outpatient programs differ in the amount of time required for treatment. They are meant for people with a mild to moderate addiction who have a stable, drug-free home. They are also great as step-down programs after completing a higher level of care.
For those who are not able to complete an in-person program for addiction treatment, First Steps offers an online IOP program designed to provide support.
Heal From Addiction at First Steps Recovery
If you or someone you care about is addicted to trazodone, it’s vital to get professional treatment right away. Comprehensive treatment, from detox to aftercare, is available at First Steps Recovery in Central Valley, CA. We are proud to offer highly individualized programs for treating substance abuse.
We know you may have questions, and we are happy to answer them. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by contacting us today.
Dr. Curl is the Medical Director and primary on-site provider for First Steps Recovery. He is a Board Certified Internist and Addiction Medicine Specialist having attended the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and completing his residency at Mount Auburn Hospital with Harvard Medical School. Following several years work as an internist and physiatrist (physical medicine and rehabilitation). Dr. Curl completed the Addiction Medicine Fellowship at Howard University in Washington DC and participated as a RAM Scholar (Research in Addiction Medicine). While part of the fellowship, Dr. Curl pursued research investigating the barriers to expanding and improving medication for opioid use disorder. Following his fellowship, Dr. Curl spearheaded the Opiate Use Disorder outpatient clinic and worked in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences within the Howard University Hospital. In 2023, Dr. Curl completed his Board Certification in Addiction Medicine.
