Getting High Taking Trazodone
Content approved by
Can someone get high taking trazodone?
- Trazodone abuse generally starts when someone tries to get high by taking more than the prescribed dosage.
It is possible because of the sedative effects on the central nervous system. However, feelings of “euphoria,” which most recreational drug users want to achieve, are not standard, just taking it by itself. Here are a few ways people attempt it:
- Crushing pills and inhaling them to experience a mild euphoria and sedative effect.
- Pulverizing pills with the intent of snorting the powder, just like Cocaine.
- Smashing tablets and adding them to Tobacco or Cannabis (marijuana) to smoke them.
- Reducing them to powder and adding them to Caffeine, Alcohol, or Soda beverage.
The groups most likely to abuse this drug are those using prescription drugs for;
- non-medical reasons
- people with a history of addiction
- individuals who mix other substances, such as alcohol
Those people who abuse trazodone generally prefer immediate-release tablets rather than extended-release.
According to Gateway Foundation, abusers will often take trazodone combined with Doxylamine street named “Sleep easy” along with other drugs, such as alcohol, amphetamines, and ecstasy.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved trazodone to treat depression in 1981. Some of the brand names for trazodone are Oleptro, Desyrel, and Desyrel Dividose. Often, an essential thing about medications, like trazodone, is that experts don’t fully understand how it works.
- It is unknown just how many users are actively engaged in abusing trazodone.
- With the potential for addiction and withdrawal, always follow the prescribing physician’s instructions.
The medication itself is taken orally and comes in the following dosages:
- 25mg, 50mg, 100mg, 150mg and 300mg as a normal-release.
- 150mg and 300mg tablets as an extended release.
Using trazodone to get high does not come without consequences and risks. Side effects can include:
- Anxiety and restlessness.
- Irregular heartbeat.
- Headaches, blurred vision, dry mouth, and dizziness.
- Nausea, vomiting and feeling hung-over the following day.
It is possible to overdose on trazodone, especially when mixed with alcohol. Overdosing can present as drowsiness, vomiting, or breathing problems. So, abusing trazodone has the potential to be dangerous, especially when mixed with the wrong combination of substances.
Physicians generally tend to avoid prescribing the medication to teenagers because this drug is known to have the opposite effect on depression in young people.
- In addition, it can increase suicidal thoughts and tendencies in the first two weeks of use.
- Addction
Trazodone addiction is treatable. Friends and family should stay vigilant for signs that their loved one might be abusing or has developed a dependence on this prescription drug. Here are some of the warning signs.
The signs and symptoms of misuse:
- A person spends a more significant amount of time talking about or planning to take this drug.
- If someone is trying to get more of the medication after their prescription period.
- A user begins ignoring obligations, such as work, family, or hobbies, for more time to abuse.
- If a person complains that the prescribed dose is getting them high.
Initially, it is non-addictive, but withdrawal from the drug is severe enough to cause patients to continue using it to avoid the uncomfortable side effects. The longer a person abuses it, the more likely they will experience withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms can include:
- Depression and anxiety
- Chest tightness
- Feeling frustrated, irritable, or angry
- Disorientation and confusion
- Fatigue and faintness after standing too quickly
- Headaches, muscle pains, and weakness
- Insomnia
Off-label
The medication treats major depressive disorders such as depression, anxiety, and alcohol dependence. However, because of its sedating effect, a growing number of physicians prescribe it to patients for insomnia, a practice known as off-label use.
Other conditions that Physicians sometimes prescribe for off-label use include:
- Alcohol withdrawal
- Panic disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Bulimia nervosa
- Erectile dysfunction
- Nightmare control
Trazodone prescriptions have increased from around 13 million in 2004 to almost 26 million in 2014.
- “By some measures,” writes Psychology Today contributor Dr. Matthew J. Edlund, “trazodone is now the most commonly prescribed sleeping pill in the U.S.”
According to data collected by CVS pharmacies, this drug is most often prescribed to patients between 40 and 60 years old (about 44%). Those over 60 receive an estimated 37%.