Also, researchers can use human laboratory paradigms to screen these potential medications in an effort to optimize the clinical utility of pharmacotherapeutic treatments for comorbid AUD and PTSD. Trazodone or other antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or actions in a small number of children, teenagers, or young adults in the first few months of taking the medicine or when the dose is changed. Depression or other serious mental health conditions are the most important causes of suicidal thoughts or actions.
The bottom line: Mixing trazodone and alcohol has risks
If you or your child is about to harm themselves, call 911 or call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms. Trazodone is an antidepressant that belongs to a group of drugs called serotonin receptor antagonists and reuptake inhibitors (SARIs). While trazodone is not a true member of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) class of antidepressants, it does still share many properties of the SSRIs.
Can trazodone be prescribed for anxiety or bipolar disorder?
Alcohol is also known to cause liver problems, especially in people who drink heavily long-term. Some people with a long history of heavy drinking may find their liver problems getting worse while taking trazodone. Trazodone can cause orthostatic hypotension—a condition in which blood pressure drops significantly when standing up from sitting or lying down. Alcohol can also lower blood pressure by widening blood vessels, which may worsen this effect. Mixing the two may also lead to dangerous falls and injuries due to increased dizziness and sudden blood pressure drops, which is another reason it’s best to avoid combining them. Below is a list of medications that can interact with trazodone.
Combination Pharmacotherapies
Continuing dryness of the mouth may increase the chance of dental disease, including tooth decay, gum disease, and fungus infections. Contact your doctor right away if you have any changes in your heart rhythm such as feeling dizzy or faint, or having a fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeat. These could be symptoms half life of soma of a heart problem called QT prolongation. Alcohol can further disrupt the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain and intensify the negative feelings of depression. It also increases the likelihood of impaired judgment and engaging in more self-destructive behavior that does not help the situation.
What should I tell my healthcare provider before using trazodone?
Thus, medication adherence and study retention may improve due to a once-daily dosing schedule of doxazosin compared with multiple prazosin doses throughout the day. Clear communication and instruction are necessary to administer medications to patients appropriately. In addition to clinicians being able to communicate with each other, they must feel comfortable being involved in the treatment process. Psychiatrists usually prescribe trazodone for depression and insomnia.
Serotonin syndrome is when there is too much of a substance called serotonin in your body. Trazodone can cause serotonin syndrome when it is taken alone or with other medicines that affect serotonin. Get emergency help if you have any of the following symptoms of serotonin syndrome. Trazodone is also sometimes used to treat insomnia and schizophrenia (a mental illness that causes disturbed or unusual thinking, loss of interest in life, and strong or inappropriate emotions); anxiety (excessive worry). Trazodone is also sometimes used to control abnormal, uncontrollable movements that may be experienced as side effects of other medications and for the management of alcohol dependence. Talk to your doctor about the possible risks of using this medication for your condition.
However, be sure to take the dosage your doctor prescribes for you. Your doctor will determine the best dosage to fit your needs. Then they’ll adjust it over time to reach the amount that’s right for you. Your doctor will ultimately prescribe the smallest dosage that provides the desired effect.
This can lead to worse depression and anxiety symptoms as well as serotonin syndrome. This drug can cause a life threatening condition called serotonin syndrome. This risk is higher when you first start taking this drug or during dosage changes. Trazodone can be an important part of mood regulation for someone who is experiencing depression. Alcohol can throw a person’s emotional balance off and interfere with the treatment of their mental health symptoms. Alcohol is a recreational drug with significant abuse and addiction potential, and it also interferes with trazodone and other drugs’ ability to work correctly.
Mixing tharros house can lead to extreme drowsiness or sedation. The increased sedation caused by mixing trazodone and alcohol can hinder your ability to perform tasks that require your full attention, like driving or operating machinery. As a result, mixing the two substances could lead to serious accidents. Before taking trazodone, be sure to tell your doctor and pharmacist about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. These effects may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. If they’re more severe or don’t go away, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
- While one person might react differently to alcohol and trazodone from another person, healthcare providers generally recommend avoiding alcohol altogether while taking trazodone.
- Alcohol can further disrupt the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain and intensify the negative feelings of depression.
- When combined with talk treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy, it can do a great deal to improve many people’s quality of life and allow them to gain control over their depression.
- Long-term side effects of mixing trazodone and alcohol may include worsened depression and liver problems.
Your risk may be higher if you also take other drugs that have similar effects as trazodone, such as other drugs used to treat depression. For more information on the possible side effects of trazodone, or tips on how to deal with foods that contain alcohol a troubling side effect, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Mark S. Gold, M.D., is a pioneering researcher, professor, and chairman of psychiatry at Yale, the University of Florida, and Washington University in St Louis.
It’s not known for certain whether the drug is safe to take while breastfeeding. However, reports of the drug’s use during breastfeeding have not shown any side effects in breastfed children. If you have questions about whether age may impact your risk of side effects with trazodone, talk with your doctor. For this reason, doctors may recommend a lower dose of trazodone for older adults than for younger adults. If you have trouble swallowing trazodone tablets, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
