Trazodone High: Symptoms, Side Effects & Treatment

Are you suffering from depression or mood swings with a loss of appetite? Your doctor may prescribe you a substantial dose of Trazodone to decrease anxiety and depression.

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What is Trazodone?

Trazodone is a popular anti-depressant drug that affects the chemicals in the brain and corrects the imbalanced cells. Trazodone is an FDA approved prescription drug used to treat acute depressive disorder. The medicine was first launched in 1981 under the brand name Desryl. Later, various other brands released Trazodone under the brands Oleptro, Desyrel Dividose and Desyrel.

Trazodone is a generic name for the anti-depressant drug that is additionally prescribed to treat insomnia in people who suffer from depression. It belongs to a specific class of drugs known as serotonin modulators that affect the serotonin level in the human brain. The medicine has impressively shown positive treatments in people suffering from depressive disorders. The medicine is also prescribed to treat depressive symptoms in patients.

The drug is released in the form of oral tablets with varying proportions ranging from 50mg to 300mg tablets.

Uses of Trazodone

Trazodone is popularly used under the following situations:

Alcohol dependency
Insomnia
Anxiety
Major Depressive Disorder

Off-label, the medicine is used to cure the following:

Nightmare control
Diabetic neuropathy
alcohol withdrawal
Bulimia Nervosa
Panic Disorder
Complex regional pain disorder
Fibromyalgia
Erectile dysfunction
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Schizophrenia

Medically, Trazodone is used to recover from mood swings and anxiety caused due to depression. It helps in balancing the chemicals in the human brain and reduces the symptoms of the depressive disorder.

How does Trazodone Work in the Body?

Trazodone is a powerful anti-depressant that affects the central nervous system of the body. Trazodone has the following effects:

Changes in appetite
Confusion
Difficulty in remembering or concentrating
Vomiting, stomach pain or nausea
Weakness and tiredness
Nightmares

When you take Trazodone as per the prescribed dosage, you are less likely to suffer any adverse effects. Trazodone binds the serotonin 5-HT2 receptor and inhibits serotonin uptake. When used for a longer period, it affects the postsynaptic neuronal receptor binding sites. Trazodone blocks the alpha2-androgenic receptors and inhibits the alpha1-androgenic receptor.

Recommended Trazodone Dosage

The Trazodone tablets are available in the form of 50mg, 100mg, 150mg, and 300mg pills.

For adults suffering from depression, the initial dosage is 150mg per day divided into two doses. The dose can be increased by 50mg every 3 to 7 days, depending on the severity of depression. The dosage must be increased under the medical supervision. The maximum dose for inpatients is 600mg/day and for outpatient 400mg/day.
To cure insomnia and aggressiveness among patients, the prescribed dosage is 50mg to 100mg orally, once per day.
The dosage must be administered every 14 days for revival.
For pediatric depression treatment, dosage must be taken according to the prescription. However, in any case, it must not exceed 6 mg/day below 12 years and 50mg/day for 12 years and above.

Can Trazodone Cause a Feeling of High?

It has been noticed that few people are taking Trazodone for recreational purpose. Although the drug is not meant to be abused, some people are under the severe influence of this drug. Trazodone, like other anti-depressants, doesn’t give a euphoric high. However, the sedative effect is enough to provide cognitive impairment.

To get euphoric high, drug addicts mix Trazodone with alcohol, tranquilizers, and other sedative drugs. Mixing of Trazodone with other sedatives might give you high, but it can be risky and have elevating side effects. FDA has found no symptoms of “high” from Trazodone alone. However, people who are mixing the drug with other drugs may get the euphoric experience along with life-threatening sufferings.

What does Trazodone High Feel Like?

Since Trazodone is not known to give any euphoric high, the drug alone is nothing more than a mild sedative. However, if you mix the drug with other sedatives, you may feel the faster heartbeat and relaxed. It may give you a mild sensation in the brain, and you feel a pleasant body sensation. Trazodone mixed with other sedatives may make you more energetic, and you may feel relaxed.

Trazodone High Symptoms

Trazodone overdose or high usually affects the nervous system along with cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory, and neurological systems. The overdose symptoms are as below:

Vomiting
Drowsiness
Priapism
Arrhythmias
Depression
Seizures
The decrease in white blood cell count
Death
Anger, confusion
Delusions and confusion
Nervousness, weakness
Headache, heaviness in the head
Impaired speech
Excitement
Hostility
Insomnia
Malaise

Trazodone High Due to Abuse

Trazodone is not known for its abusing nature. However, people take overdose or mix it with other sedatives for abusing Trazodone. Abusing a drug means getting addicted to the same for an instant high. Trazodone helps in recovering from anxiety and depression and if taken for long-term, people may get used to the medicine. The tolerance level increases and people tend to get addictive to the same. The increase in tolerance level means, people start taking a higher dosage to achieve relaxation and body sensation.

However, some people mix it with other drugs and misuse Trazodone. Usually acquiring Trazodone is not illegal. However, people who regularly take the drug may start overdosing on it and abuse the drug for achieving a calm feeling.

Who are at a Risk of Trazodone Abuse?

Individuals who have been prescribed Trazodone as an anti-depressant can easily start abusing the drug as they become highly dependent on it. People who are prescribed to take the drug get addicted to it and their tolerance level increases. With the increase in tolerance level, they start taking overdose or abuse the drug to maintain the original high.

Can Trazodone Cause Addiction?

Yes, Trazodone can be addictive for people who are taking the drug for 6 weeks at a stretch. People may get physically dependent on the drug, and their tolerance level also increases. However, physical dependency does not mean addiction. People who are taking the drug under strict medical supervision are not considered addicted. Drug abusers who take trazodone for nonmedical purpose and to get instant high and relaxation are called adductors.

How to Know if the Person is Under Trazodone Addiction?

The following signs show the certainty of Trazodone addiction:

The person takes Trazodone without a prescription.
The person has a prescription but takes a higher dosage, more than what is recommended.
A person tries to illegally acquire trazodone despite having a prescription.
When the person starts to spend more time thinking about acquiring trazodone.
When the person feels pleasure in taking Trazodone.
When the person demands higher dosage and simultaneously starts avoiding his obligations towards work, home or school.

Addiction Symptoms of Trazodone

Each is differently addicted to Trazodone. Factors affecting the severity of addiction are:

Overall health
Dosage took
The time duration of the drug has been taken
Mixing or interaction with the drug.

Certain symptoms of Trazodone addiction are seen when the person faces trouble during Trazodone withdrawals. When the person is reluctant in stopping the drug and shows symptoms of severe health issues on withdrawal, it needs immediate health care.

Side-Effects of Trazodone Addiction

The side effects of Trazodone addiction are:

Headaches
Vomiting
Digestive issues
Dizziness
Sexual dysfunction
Sweating
Muscular pain
Dry mouth
Numbness
Chest pain
Coma or fainting
Shortness of breath
Irregular heartbeat
Seizures
Bleeding or bruising

It is important to seek immediate health care in case of the above symptoms.

Treatment of Trazodone Addiction

When there are symptoms of Trazodone, the individual must seek urgent medical help. Since the medicine directly influences the brain chemicals, it is important to remove the traces of the drug from the body. The withdrawal process must be carried out under the medical supervision. The doctor directs the patient to reduce the drug intake slowly over the time. It helps the patient to minimize the side effects and overcome the withdrawal procedure.

The treatment is commonly known as detoxification. This remedy is known to be highly effective in cases of withdrawal symptoms. It helps the patient to overcome the addiction and also provides additional medication to overcome further disorders. Once the detoxification is completed, the patient is directed to undergo motivational therapies. Depending on the severity of withdrawal symptoms, patients are further advised to undergo the following treatments:

Inpatient treatment
Outpatient treatment
Intensive outpatient treatment
Intensive inpatient treatment
Partial hospitalization

Conclusion

Trazodone has a sleep-inducing effect that helps in overcoming depression. It is a controlled substance that does not get detected with routine check-up. However, if you are under Trazodone addiction and finding it difficult to withdraw, the drugs test may show up false positive results. You must avoid taking overdose without the supervision of your doctor. Although Trazodone alone cannot be much harmful, yet if you take it with other substances, you might end up suffering consequences.

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