Trazodone

The Basics

What is Trazodone?

Used to treat depression by increasing the amount of serotonin.

Brand names for Trazodone

Desyrel

How Trazodone is classified

Antidepressive Agents, Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors

Trazodone During Pregnancy

Trazodone pregnancy category

Category CNote that the FDA has deprecated the use of pregnancy categories, so for some medications, this information isn’t available. We still think it’s useful to list historical info, however, given what a common proxy this has been in the past.

What we know about taking Trazodone while pregnant

Can you take trazodone while pregnant? Relevant published information about taking trazodone while pregnant was not found as of the revision date.

Taking Trazodone While Breastfeeding

What are recommendations for lactation if you're taking Trazodone?

Limited information about taking trazodone while breastfeeding indicates that trazodone levels in milk are low and would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants, especially if the infant is older than 2 months or when doses of 100 mg or less are used at bedtime for sleep.

Maternal / infant drug levels

Limited information about taking trazodone while breastfeeding indicates that trazodone levels in milk are low and would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants, especially if the infant is older than 2 months or when doses of 100 mg or less are used at bedtime for sleep.

Possible effects of Trazodone on milk supply

A nonpregnant woman with depression was treated with citalopram 20 mg daily, then 40 mg daily. Trazodone 50 mg at bedtime was added to treat insomnia and then increased to 100 mg at bedtime. One week later the patient noticed milk leakage from her breasts, which stained her clothing. Her serum prolactin was somewhat elevated, but no other abnormalities were noted. The trazodone dosage was tapered and then discontinued. One month later, the galactorrhea had resolved and her serum prolactin was in the normal range.[5]An observational study looked at outcomes of 2859 women who took an antidepressant during the 2 years prior to pregnancy. Compared to women who did not take an antidepressant during pregnancy, mothers who took an antidepressant during all 3 trimesters of pregnancy were 37% less likely to be breastfeeding upon hospital discharge. Mothers who took an antidepressant only during the third trimester were 75% less likely to be breastfeeding at discharge. Those who took an antidepressant only during the first and second trimesters did not have a reduced likelihood of breastfeeding at discharge.[6] The antidepressants used by the mothers were not specified.A retrospective cohort study of hospital electronic medical records from 2001 to 2008 compared women who had been dispensed an antidepressant during late gestation (n = 575) to those who had a psychiatric illness but did not receive an antidepressant (n = 1552) and mothers who did not have a psychiatric diagnosis (n = 30,535). Women who received an antidepressant were 37% less likely to be breastfeeding at discharge than women without a psychiatric diagnosis, but no less likely to be breastfeeding than untreated mothers with a psychiatric diagnosis.[7] None of the mothers were taking trazodone.

Possible alternatives to Trazodone

Nortriptyline, Paroxetine, Sertraline.