Trazodone is the generic name for a brand name medication called Desyrel. Trazodone is a type of oral antidepressant that is designed to impact the neurotransmitters or chemical messengers within your brain. These neurotransmitters are responsible for helping nerves communicate with one another through stimulation. The most common neurotransmitters in the brain are serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and acetylcholine. When an imbalance exists in any one of these neurotransmitters, experts believe that the result is depression.
The exact mechanism behind Trazodone is as yet unknown, but experts believe that it inhibits serotonin uptake by the nerves in your brain, and that this improves the symptoms of depression. Trazodone may also directly stimulate or increase the action of the serotonin neurotransmitters in the brain. Trazodone is therefore not chemically related to other types of anti-depressant medications including MAO inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRI medications. It is available in both a prescription form and a generic form, and comes in tablets of four different dosage amounts: 50 mg, 100 mg, 150 mg and 300 mg forms.
Abusing Trazodone
Unlike how it is with other types of antidepressants, the truth about Trazodone is that it is deliberately or intentionally abused far less often. Users who begin to abuse Trazodone are not typically doing so intentionally. Instead, they may begin to take the medication legitimately and according to the prescription, but then over time they may begin to abuse this medication because of the physical dependence that results from its use. For example, they may begin taking more Trazodone in a single dosage than they are meant to, or they may begin to take dosages more often than they are meant to.
These actions may not appear abusive, but they can unfortunately lead to serious problems in the future. When you take a medication in a manner that goes against your prescription or the recommendation or your physician, then bad things can result including damage to your health and potentially physical dependency to the point of serious addiction. You should never take Trazodone in any manner that goes against the specific instructions that your physician gave you when you began taking this medication, otherwise abuse and addiction may be inevitable.
Trazodone Withdrawal Symptoms
The withdrawal process associated with cessation of Trazodone can be difficult for anyone to deal with. Withdrawal symptoms will begin once a person who has developed a tolerance to Trazodone suddenly stops taking the drug, or drastically steps down their dosage of the drug. Many users never actually have to abuse Trazodone in order to experience the withdrawal symptoms. Many users who never even experienced Trazodone abuse are going to experience the withdrawal process, with symptoms including:
- Aggression and Irritability
- Dizziness and Anxiety
- Blurry Vision
- Consciousness
- Muscle Pain
- Headache
- Difficulty Concentrating
- Impairments in Speech
- Insomnia
- Loss of Appetite
- Constipation
It is important to realize that Trazodone withdrawal symptoms can vary significantly from person to person depending on a few determinant factors. How long you have been taking the drug? How much have you been taking? Both of these things will factor into how long you experience symptoms for the withdrawal and detox process.
Trazodone Abuse Treatment Options
For many in the world today, prescription drugs are a big part of their life. This has become somewhat of an epidemic particularly in the United States. Many patients are finding that the medications they are taking to help them through their pain and suffering are starting to take over their lives. Individuals are finding that they are becoming addicted to anything from Trazodone to black market drugs and are unable to cope with getting clean. Finding help is a matter of speaking up and asking for it before you are in a position where you are unable to ask.
There are a number of facilities and treatment plans available to help people addicted to medications. Some of them use a variety of treatments to include cognitive behavioral therapy, behavior modification as well as teaching patients how to build a healthy lifestyle. These treatments are in place to help individuals succeed for the long term. Seeking help from the professionals at addiction treatment centers is the best way to get these treatments into play and regain your life. They can give you the tools necessary to make it all happen and help you stick to the plan for a healthy life.
