It has been in this stage of clinical development since at least February 2015.Trazodone may be useful in the treatment of certain symptoms like sleep disturbances in alcohol withdrawal and recovery. However, reviews have recommended against use of trazodone for alcohol withdrawal due to inadequate evidence. Very limited evidence suggests that trazodone might be useful in the treatment of certain symptoms in cocaine use disorder. Trazodone has been reported to be effective in the treatment of sleep apnea. Cochrane reviews found that trazodone was not effective in the treatment of agitation in dementia. Another Cochrane review found that trazodone might be useful in the treatment of sleep disturbances in dementia. Further systematic reviews have found that trazodone may be effective for behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementias such as frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimers disease.Trazodone has been studied as an adjunctive therapy in the treatment of schizophrenia. It has been reported to decrease negative symptoms without worsening positive symptoms although improvement in negative symptoms was modest. Trazodone has also been reported to be effective in treating antipsychotic-related extrapyramidal symptoms such as akathisia. Trazodone has been studied and reported to be effective in the treatment of bulimia, but there is limited evidence to support this use. It might be useful in the treatment of night eating disorder as well. Trazodone might be effective in the treatment of adjustment disorder. It may also be effective in the treatment of bruxism in children and adolescents.Trazodone may be useful in the treatment of certain chronic pain disorders.
However, a side effect of trazodone, orthostatic hypotension, which may cause dizziness and increase the risk of falling, can have devastating consequences for elderly patients; thus, this side effect, along with sedation, often makes trazodone less acceptable for this population, compared with newer compounds that share its lack of anticholinergic activity but not the rest of its side-effect profile. Still, trazodone is often helpful for geriatric patients with depression who have severe agitation and insomnia.Trazodone is usually used at a dosage of 150 to 300 mg/day for the treatment of depression. Lower doses have also been used to augment other antidepressants, or when initiating therapy. Higher doses up to 600 mg/day have been used in more severe cases of depression, for instance in hospitalized patients. Trazodone is usually administered multiple times per day, but once-daily administration may be similarly effective. Anxiety disorders
Trazodone is often used in the treatment of anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). However, use of trazodone in anxiety disorders is off-label and evidence of its effectiveness for these indications is variable and limited. Benefits for OCD appear to be mild. Besides anxiety, trazodone has been used to treat sleep disturbances and nightmares in PTSD. Trazodone is often used as an alternative to benzodiazepines in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Insomnia
Low-dose trazodone is used off-label in the treatment of insomnia and is considered to be effective and safe for this indication. It may also be used to treat antidepressant-related insomnia.