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What Is Nefazodone Used For?

Many people wonder, "What is nefazodone used for?" Nefazodone is a prescription drug that is used for treating depression in adults. It can also be used "off-label" for the treatment of other conditions, including social anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and panic disorder.

 

Nefazodone Uses: An Overview

Nefazodone hydrochloride (Serzone®) is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of depression (also known as major depression or clinical depression).
 
Depression is more than just "feeling sad." Common symptoms of depression include:
 
  • Changes in sleep (sleeping too much or not enough)
  • Eating too much or too little (and weight gain or weight loss)
  • Having little interest in things that you used to enjoy
  • Physical pain
  • Feeling hopeless or worthless
  • Suicidal thoughts.
     
Nefazodone has been proven in large clinical trials to help adults with depression. However, keep in mind that many antidepressants (including nefazodone) take several weeks to begin working. Sometimes, other people will notice an improvement in your depression symptoms before you do. Often, the physical symptoms of depression (such as pain or changes in sleep) will improve first, sometimes within the first few weeks of treatment. Unlike many other antidepressants, nefazodone may begin relieving your depression symptoms within one or two weeks, although sometimes it can take up to four weeks to start working.
 
Counseling and therapy (see Psychotherapy for Depression) are often used along with antidepressant medications to treat depression. Ask your healthcare provider if counseling or therapy would be good options for you (see Depression Treatment).
 
(What Is Nefazodone Used For? Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;