Trazodone Half Life, How Long Does Trazadone Stay in Your System?

Trazodone Half Life, How Long Does Trazadone Stay in Your System?

The half-life of a medication is the time it takes for the drug’s active substance in your body to reduce by 50%. Everyone’s body processes medications differently, so there is no set-in-stone half-life for any drug. If you take Trazodone, you may wonder “how long is trazodone in your system”. It could be for various reasons. For example, you may not want an antidepressant showing up on a pre-employment drug test. Moreover, as with many antidepressants, Trazodone can have some adverse side effects. Altering or stopping your dosage can lead to uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.

Trazodone under different brand names. This prescription drug belongs to the drug class called serotonin modulators. These drugs are used for the treatment of depression and some doctors prescribe them for patients experiencing insomnia. In 2019, around 24 million prescriptions of Trazodone were issued in the United States. With these statistics, it is crucial for every patient using Trazodone to know how this drug works and how long it stays in the system. In this article, information about the Trazodone MOA and its effects, Trazodone half-life, its relation to drug tests, and how to safely remove it from one’s system will be discussed.

How Long Does Trazadone Last?

Many patients wonder “how long does it take for trazodone to wear off?”. The answer to this depends on what the medication is being used to treat. For instance, when treating depression, this medication works in approximately one to two weeks before the benefits are noticeable. But, when treating insomnia, the effects take anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours. While the Trazodone mechanism of action results in effective treatment for many, it is not successful in every case. Patients should always work closely with a doctor when using the drug.

Can Trazadone Be Addictive?

Trazodone is addictive or habit-forming, but not in the same way that drugs like cocaine, meth, or heroin are. Rather than an all-consuming physical addiction, a person who abuses trazodone may develop a physical dependence on it and a psychological addiction to it.

Dependence on this drug is marked by withdrawal symptoms Trazodone when the person reduces their dosage or ceases use completely. Alongside dependence, a person may also develop a psychological addiction to trazodone, in which they might feel they have to use it to feel normal or be happy.

Can You Get High on Trazodone?

Although trazodone cannot get you high in the same way drugs as opioids or stimulants can, it can have sedative effects. Despite the lack of euphoria in a trazodone high, the medication produces a relaxing and calming effect that users might find desirable. Trazodone abuse can occur in people to whom it’s been prescribed and in people who take it for trazodone recreational purposes.

Trazodone Addiction Statistics

Trazodone is a long-term prescription medicine. Trazodone use for months or years is not intrinsically harmful, but it can lead to dependence. A person has developed a reliance when they require Trazodone to feel normal or when they experience withdrawal symptoms if they stop taking it. Antidepressants may or may not be addictive because most individuals don’t normally crave them. Nevertheless, unpleasant withdrawal symptoms may occur in patients who discontinue using Trazodone abruptly. Patients who no longer want to take this drug should speak with a healthcare professional about gradually cutting back on their dosage until it is okay to stop taking it altogether.

Factors that Affect How Long Trazodone Last

Trazodone half life is between five and 9 hours. This means it will take your body (on average) around seven hours to eliminate half of the drug.

In a healthy adult, a single dosage of Trazodone can remain in the body for one to three days. 

But this is not the same for everyone. How long does Trazodone last in your system? There are many factors that influence how long this drug can stay in your system, including:

• Dosage: The higher the dose, the longer Trazodone metabolites remain in your system. Smaller doses are generally, excreted faster than larger doses.
• Age: Some studies show the half life of Trazodone is longer in older adults.
• Weight: Body mass and fat can affect how fast the drug metabolizes and how it’s stored in fat cells.
• Frequency of use: Taking the drug over an extended period of time means it will take longer to leave your system.
• Last time taken: Certain tests can detect it only after a few hours or days of taking it. Others can detect it after three months.
• Genetics and metabolism: These influence liver function and the enzymes that metabolize Trazodone.

Another variable to consider is the type of drug test. Read on to learn how long the medication can stay in your urine, hair, blood, and saliva.

Get Your Life Back

Find Hope & Recovery. Get Safe Comfortable Detox, Addiction Rehab & Mental Health Dual Diagnosis High-Quality Care at the We Level Up Treatment Centers Network.

Hotline (877) 378-4154

What is the Half Life of Trazodone?

For Trazodone, the elimination half-life is between 10 and 12 hours, meaning that at that time half of the medication has left your system. This will continue to decrease by half until there is no longer any remaining substance, usually two to three days later. There is a lower half life of 6 hours for smaller dosages.

How Long Does Trazodone Stay in Your System?

If one is wondering, how long does 50mg of trazodone stay in your system The answer may vary depending on different factors such as the dosage of Trazodone consumed and the biological factors of the patient. Moreover, there are different tests where Trazodone can be screened.

Trazodone Blood Testing

A blood test is usually done when there is a suspicion that the person is still actively under the influence of a drug. Every 5-13 hours, the medication loses 50% of its concentration in the blood. Therefore, Trazodone metabolites can be traced in the blood for up to three days.

Trazodone Urine Testing

The parent drug, Trazodone, is eliminated from the body in a maximum of two days, but some of its metabolites can linger for longer. That is why urine tests can trace metabolites even 26 days after the last dose.

Trazodone Saliva Testing

Saliva testing can show drug use in the first few hours after administration, a time window that could be missed by urine testing. As of today, there is no study yet about how long Trazodone can stay in the saliva. However, its primary metabolite, meta-chlorophenylpiperazine, often causes false positives on amphetamines and this can be tested in the saliva for up to 3 days.

Trazodone Hair Testing

It is preferably safer to stop Trazodone, like any other medication, for about three months before going for any drug screening, as any substance one takes may remain in hair cells for up to 90 days. The standard hair drug testing offers up to a 90-day window for drug detection. However, when stopping a medication, a doctor’s medical intervention is required.

Fastest Way to Get Trazodone Out of Your System

Are you looking for ways to get Trazodone out of your system fast? Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait it out for the drug to be completely out of your system. For example, if you are taking a urine test and are afraid to get a false positive for amphetamine due to trazodone, you have to wait at least 26 days before you can be sure that Trazodone will not affect the drug test results. Of course, this period will still depend on the variable factors we mentioned earlier in the article.

False Positive Test With Trazodone

The false-positive test result is possible with the Trazodone drug. This happens when a drug with a similar chemical structure is fragmented into a component that is similar to the targeted drug. Unfortunately, the screening test sometimes fails to differentiate an antidepressant, such as Trazodone, and crystal methamphetamine. Although Trazodone is not a prohibited substance, one thing to know is that one of its by-products, the meta-Chlorophenylpiperazine, is a powerful hallucinogen and an abused stimulant. In a standard drug test, this compound has the cross-reaction with amphetamines, and this leads to a false-positive result.

Trazodone is among antidepressant drugs that are highly prone to false-negative results. This result can be affected by several factors such as the quantity of the drug ingested, dilute urine, and the duration between ingestion of Trazodone and the time of testing. 3 out of 6 patients who took Trazodone tested falsely positive for meth. Consuming 3 micrograms per mL of Trazodone could already yield a false-positive result, owing to the active metabolite mCPP as this has a similar structure to MDMA (ecstasy).

Combining Trazodone and Alcohol

Drinking alcohol while taking Trazodone can be dangerous. Trazodone may amplify some of the effects of alcohol, which can lead to dangerous levels of intoxication and even overdose and trazodone and alcohol death. Trazodone is in the category of SARI drugs (serotonin antagonists and reuptake inhibitors), with other members being phenylpiperazine, etoperidone, lorpiprazole, and mepiprazole. Unfortunately, a growing trend among antidepressants, particularly Trazodone users, combines them with alcohol to create a relaxing effect.

You should not mix Trazodone and alcohol for several reasons. Alcohol is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant that acts on the neurotransmitters in the brain, particularly GABA. GABA is an inhibitory transmitter that blocks or inhibits communication between neurons in the brain, promoting relaxation, calm, and sedation. Combining anxiety meds and alcohol can worsen the side effects of the medication.

Alcohol is one, if not the most abused substance in the world. Many are familiar with the adverse effects of alcohol intoxication, such as impairment in reaction time and judgment, poor coordination, blurred vision, and decreased alertness. Therefore, when taken together, trazodone and alcohol recreational use can lead to severe sedative symptoms and impairment because both Trazodone and alcohol are working in the brain to produce similar effects.

Experience Transformative Recovery at the We Level Up Treatment Center.

See our authentic success stories. Get inspired. Get the help you deserve.

Hotline (877) 378-4154

Voluntarily testimonials from the We Level Up Treatment Center network vary. Not intended as a guaranteed treatment or outcome as each person's journey is unique.

Treatment for Trazodone Side Effects and Alcohol Abuse 

To determine the most effective ways to treat Trazodone side effects and co-occurring alcohol addiction, it’s crucial to assess all the symptoms accurately. When a mental health professional has evaluated the symptoms, it may be determined that another form of depression is present and needs a particular treatment. Very often, some combination of medication, psychotherapy, and lifestyle changes are effective for coping with functional.

Medically Assisted Detox

Detox is often considered the first stage of treatment. It will help you navigate the complicated process of alcohol withdrawal but doesn’t address patterns of thought and behavior that contribute to alcohol use. Various treatment approaches and settings can help provide the ongoing support necessary to maintain long-term sobriety after you complete detox.

Cravings are very common side effects of Trazodone during detox and can be challenging to overcome. This often leads to relapse. Constant medical care provided during inpatient treatment helps prevent relapse. Clinicians can give the necessary medication and medical expertise to lessen cravings and the effects of alcohol withdrawals.

Psychotherapy for Depression

Several different modalities of psychotherapy have been used in the treatment of depression, including:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – is an effective treatment that involves changing both the patterns of negative thoughts and the behavioral routines which are affecting the daily life of the depressed person for various forms of depression.
• Person–centered therapy is a strategy that allows and encourages clients to understand and resolve their concerns in a safe, supportive environment.
• Solution Focused Therapy – an approach interested in solutions that can be quickly implemented with a simple first step leading to further positive consequences.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Alcoholism and mental health disorders often co-occur. In many cases, traumatic experiences can result in a mental health disorders and substance abuse. Dual diagnosis rehabilitation treats both of these issues together. The best approach for the treatment of dual diagnosis is an integrated system. This strategy treats both the substance abuse problem and the mental disorder simultaneously. Regardless of which diagnosis (mental health or substance abuse problem) came first, long-term recovery will depend largely on the treatment for both disorders done by the same team or provider.

Medication-Assisted Treatments

Medication-Assisted Treatments (MAT) for alcohol use and mental health disorders are commonly used in conjunction with one another. This includes the use of medications and other medical procedures. During your rehab, the staff from your treatment facility will help you identify what caused your addiction and teach you skills that will help you change your behavior patterns and challenge the negative thoughts that led to your addiction. Sometimes, the pressures and problems in your life lead you to rely on substances to help you forget about them momentarily.

Contact one of our helpful treatment specialists today if you or a loved one are struggling with long-term substance abuse, Trazodone side effects, and other co-occurring mental health conditions such as depression. We Level Up NJ can provide information on dual diagnosis and detox programs.

6 Most Common Trazodone Addiction FAQs