Trazodone Dosage

Trazodone is a commonly used antidepressant in inthe management of clinical depression. It is prescribed in various dozes and in this article we shall take a brief look at the different doses at which trazodone is prescribed.

Adults

In adults with clinical depression, trazodone is prescribed and a dose of 150 mg per day. This is usually started at a small dose and then increased as per the patient’s response. The 150 mg per day is given to the patient in divided doses.

After the initial treatment stage, patients are maintained on a dose of trazodone. The maintenance dose is charged of low at around 50 mg per day and then increased gradually over a period of days to the maximum dose of 400 mg given in divided doses. If required, but in rare cases, patients may be given up to 600 mg per day in divided doses.

Trazodone is also available in extended-release forms. Once again, these drugs are started at 150 mg per day but then gradually increased every day by around 75 mg until the maximum therapeutic dose of 375 mg is achieved. Of course, not all patients will require this dosage and the individual requirements are weighed against the different benefits and the patient obtains from the dose prescribed.

When taking the tablets, patients are requested to take trazodone at the same time every day. This is because it’s duration of action lasts for only a particular amount of time and if delayed in anyway, patients may not achieve the same benefit that is desired.

In elderly patients, the dosage is similar to that in adults described above.

Cautions

Trazodone must be used in caution in patients who have kidney and liver disease. In those patients, adjustments may need to be made to ensure that the right dose of medication is given that does not cause toxicity.

Trazodone overdose

Overdose of trazodone is a worrying issue. Most patients with depression will follow the exact treatment regime that has been prescribed by the psychiatrist or healthcare professional. However, in some patients, this may not be the case and attempts may be done to overdose on trazodone. In some patients, this overdose may be completely accidental as well.

Trazodone overdoses can occur when patients consume large amounts of alcohol. The combination of alcohol and trazodone is extremely detrimental to the patient and can cause significant magnification of side-effects such as drowsiness and respiratory depression. Trazodone overdoses have also been known to cause changes on the heart racing (such as QT prolongation) along with vomiting, seizures and even death. There is no specific treatment and patients need to be managed conservatively.

The dosage of trazodone varies from initial management to long-term management. Care must be taken not to overdose on trazodone because the desired effects are not occurring. Overdose can be life-threatening and must be treated symptomatically.