Trazodone Addiction, Abuse, and Symptoms

How trazodone affects the brain

Trazodone increases the amount of serotonin in the brain, relieving some of the symptoms of major depressive disorder. Serotonin is a hormone that helps the nerves send messages to each other. In people with depression, an imbalance of serotonin and other chemicals produces symptoms such as loss of appetite, reduced self-esteem, and persistent feelings of sadness.

Trazodone may also affect the amounts of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain. Like serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine are chemicals that help the nerves communicate with each other. In people with depression, trazodone can correct imbalances of these chemicals, relieving depression symptoms.

Behavioral signs of trazodone usage and abuse

The signs of trazodone misuse are not always obvious right away, but long-term use can cause several behavioral changes. It may be difficult to carry on a conversation with someone who misuses trazodone, as long-term trazodone use can interfere with the ability to speak or understand what people are saying. Individuals who use trazodone may also experience mood swings or sudden emotional changes, making it difficult to predict how they will react to certain situations.

In adolescents, misuse of trazodone or another similar substance can lead to behavioral changes such as skipping school, not putting effort into personal grooming, loss of interest in sports or other activities, and a decline in school performance. Trazodone misuse can also interfere with the relationships adolescents form with their family members and peers.

Adults who misuse trazodone may miss work frequently, lose interest in hobbies they used to enjoy, ask friends and relatives to borrow money, stop paying attention to personal hygiene, or exhibit drastic changes in their behavior. Some individuals try to hide what they are doing by being secretive about where they go, refusing to let other people enter their rooms, or refusing to introduce new acquaintances to their friends or family members.

How trazodone affects the body

Trazodone increases the amounts of serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain, which has a relaxing effect on the body. As the body relaxes, the individual may start to feel sleepy. Trazodone may also cause dry mouth, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, weakness, fatigue, sweating, and blurry vision. Long-term use of trazodone may cause a loss of appetite, leading to unintended weight loss.

Early physical effects of trazodone

After taking trazodone, an individual can expect to experience several physical and psychological effects within as little as 30 minutes. Some of these side effects are undesirable, while others can be dangerous.

Severe and long-term physical effects of trazodone

Individuals who use trazodone for long periods often develop a tolerance to the drug. Once this tolerance develops, it takes more trazodone to produce the same effects that used to occur with smaller doses. As a result, it becomes necessary to take trazodone more frequently or increase the amount of trazodone in each dose. Increasing the amount of trazodone taken each day increases the risk for overdose, which can cause difficulty breathing, chest pain, abnormal heart rhythms, seizures, and tremors. In severe cases, trazodone overdose can cause an individual to stop breathing or slip into a coma.

Prolonged use of trazodone has also been associated with symptoms similar to the ones produced by Parkinson’s disease. These symptoms include muscle spasms, altered mental status, and rigidity of the arms and legs. Parkinsonian symptoms are more likely to develop in elderly users of trazodone.

The physical effects of trazodone are more pronounced when trazodone is combined with another substance. Some individuals use trazodone to enhance the effects of alcohol or balance out the effects of stimulants, such as cocaine. Trazodone is especially dangerous when combined with alcohol, other sedatives, and barbiturates, as combining these substances affects the central nervous system, which is responsible for breathing and other critical functions.

Further Resources

Both the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offer in-depth information on the symptoms and treatment of prescription sedative addiction.

Trazodone usage has increased significantly over the past decade

In the United States, the number of trazodone prescriptions issued since 2006 has increased by more than 150%. As a result, trazodone went from the 48th most prescribed medication in 2006 to the 24th most prescribed medication in 2016. Based on data from 2016, an estimated 25 million trazodone prescriptions are issued each year. Misuse of trazodone has also increased, as evidenced by the number of drug-seizure cases involving sedatives. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reports that the quantities of sedatives and tranquilizers seized around the world increased by 700% in 2016, indicating an increased demand for trazodone by non-medical users.

The use of sedatives like trazodone is also increasing outside of the United States. According to the 2019 Drug Use Survey Nigeria, published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 481,000 respondents reported that they had used sedatives or tranquilizers in 2017. Sedative use was slightly more common among Nigerian men than Nigerian women. In Palestine, the number of people using sedatives has also increased, which some people attribute to recent changes in the country’s drug laws.

Baker et al. conducted a study to compare the prevalence of sedative use in several European countries with the prevalence of sedative use in the United States. The researchers issued surveys and conducted personal interviews with study participants. While the prevalence of sedative use in the United States was 12.9%, it was as high as 17.6% in Belgium. France, Switzerland, and Spain ranked second, third, and fourth with prevalence rates of 15.9%, 14.6%, and 14.2%, respectively. Although the study was published in the 1980s, the results indicate that sedative misuse is not a uniquely American problem.

Sedative usage is on the rise in the United States, especially among adolescents and young adults

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 497,000 individuals aged 12 or older — about 0.15% of the population — misused sedatives in 2016. Approximately 73,000 of these individuals were adolescents (23,000) or young adults (50,000). This represents 0.1% of the adolescent population and 0.1% of young adults.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse published the Monitoring the Future Study to give the public information on substance use among middle-school and high-school students. Alcohol, illicit drugs, and prescription drugs were included in the study. Although the researchers did not ask participants specifically about trazodone, they did ask about the use of sedatives, barbiturates, and tranquilizers without the supervision or approval of a medical professional.

According to the 2018 data, 15.5% of 12th graders reported misusing one of these substances at some point in their lives, and 9.9% reported that they had misused a prescription drug within the past year, a statistically significant difference from the previous year. Additionally, 4.2% of 12th graders reported misusing a sedative, tranquilizer, barbiturate, or another prescription drug within the previous month.