Trazodone is a prescription drug that is used for treating depression in adults. The medication is believed to work by balancing serotonin levels in the brain and blocking certain serotonin receptors. It comes in the form of a tablet and is generally taken one to three times a day, usually after eating. Possible side effects of trazodone include drowsiness, vomiting, headache, and dizziness.
Trazodone hydrochloride (
Desyrel®) is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of
depression (also known as major depression or clinical depression).
Trazodone was manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb. However, brand-name trazodone is no longer being manufactured. Generic trazodone is still available and is made by several manufacturers.
It is not entirely clear how trazodone works, since no other medications work exactly like it. The drug acts on a specific chemical within the brain known as serotonin. This is one of several chemicals used to send messages in between nerves; however, when serotonin levels become unbalanced, it can cause a variety of conditions, including depression. Trazodone helps to block the reuptake of serotonin so that more is available for the nerves in the brain, returning the serotonin back to its "normal" levels. However, unlike selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (
SSRIs), trazodone may also block certain serotonin receptors.
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