Do not take Trazodone tablets:

• if you are allergic to trazodone hydrochloride or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6). The signs of an allergic reaction include a red and lumpy skin rash, swallowing or breathing problems, swelling of your eyelids, lips, face, throat or tongue, unexplained high temperature (fever) and feeling faint
• if you have recently had a heart attack
• if you are a heavy drinker or if you are taking sleeping tablets
• if you are under 18 years of age.

Do not take trazodone if any of the above applies to you. If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist prior to taking this medicine.

Warnings and precautions

Thoughts of suicide and worsening of your depression or anxiety disorder

If you are depressed and/or have anxiety disorders you can sometimes have thoughts of harming or killing yourself. These may be increased when first starting antidepressants, since these medicines all take time to work, usually about two weeks but sometimes longer.

You may be more likely to think like this:

• If you have previously had thoughts about killing or harming yourself
• If you are a young adult. Information from clinical trials has shown an increased risk of suicidal behaviour in adults aged less than 25 years with psychiatric conditions who were treated with an antidepressant.

If you have thoughts of harming or killing yourself at any time, contact your doctor or go to a hospital straight away.

You may find it helpful to tell a relative or close friend that you are depressed or have an anxiety disorder, and ask them to read this leaflet. You might ask them to tell you if they think your depression or anxiety is getting worse, or if they are worried about changes in your behaviour.

If you are elderly, you may be more prone to side effects, increased caution is necessary especially when taking other medicines at the same time as Trazodone tablets or if you have some other diseases.

Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before taking Trazodone tablets:

• if you suffer from Epilepsy (fits or seizures)
• if you have severe liver, kidney or heart problems
• if you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant or are breast-feeding
• if you have an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism)
• if you have problems passing water or needing to pass water (urine) more frequently
• if you have narrow angle glaucoma (an eye disease)
• if you suffer from schizophrenia or other type of mental disorder

If you are not sure if any of the above applies to you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking trazodone.

Children and adolescents

Trazodone tablets should not be used in children and adolescents under 18 years of age.

Other medicines and Trazodone tablets

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines. This includes medicines you buy without a prescription, including herbal medicines. This is because some medicines and trazodone may interfere with each other.

Tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines:

• MAOI (Mono Amine Oxidase Inhibitors) medicines such as tranylcypromine, phenelzine and isocarboxazid (for depression) or selegiline (for Parkinson’s disease). Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking them now or have taken them in the last 2 weeks.
• Muscle relaxants and inhaled anaesthetics
• Other antidepressants such as amitriptyline or fluoxetine
• Sedatives such as tranquilizers and sleeping pills
• Medicines used to treat epilepsy (e.g. carbamazepine or phenytoin)
• Medicines used to treat high blood pressure (e.g. clonidine) or heart disease (e.g. digoxin)
• Medicines used to treat fungal infections such as ketoconazole and itraconazole
• Some medicines used to treat HIV such as ritonavir and indinavir
• Erythromycin (a type of antibiotic used to treat infections)
• Levodopa (used for Parkinson’s disease)
• St. John’s Wort (a herbal medicine)
• Warfarin (a drug used to stop blood from clotting)
• Phenothiazines: chlorpromazine, fluphenazine, levomepromazine, perphenazine.

Anaesthetics

If you are going to have an anaesthetic (for an operation), tell your doctor or dentist that you are taking trazodone.

Trazodone tablets with food, drink and alcohol

You should avoid drinking alcohol while taking trazodone tablets. This is because trazodone can change the way alcohol affects you.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding

If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.

Pregnancy

Trazodone tablets should not be taken during the first three months of pregnancy.

Breast-feeding

Trazodone can pass into breast-milk and should only be used if the benefit to the mother outweighs the risk to the child.

Driving and using machines

Trazodone is a drug which acts on the central nervous system and may make you feel sleepy or less alert. Do not drive, operate machinery or do anything that requires you to be alert until you know how this medicine affects you.

Trazodone tablets contains lactose

Trazodone tablets contain lactose. If you have been told by your doctor that you have intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicinal product.

This medicine contains less than 1 mmol Sodium (23 mg) per tablet. that is to say essentially ‘sodium-free’

This medicine contains 0.95 mg propylene glycol per tablet.