For research and educational purposes only. Not medical advice.
Trazodone Reference
Educational, not medical advice reference for Trazodone: Sleep; regulatory status, evidence posture, source review, and schedule notes. Also known as Desyrel…
Reference summary
James & Mendelson 2004 J Clin Psychiatry is the critical-review reference for trazodone's off-label hypnotic use. Low-dose trazodone is one of the most commonly prescribed off-label hypnotics in primary care because it is not a controlled substance, has low dependence potential, and avoids the complex-sleep-behavior risk that defines the Z-drug class. The trade-off is daytime sedation, orthostatic hypotension, and rare but real priapism risk.
Regulatory and posture
- Categories
- Sleep
- Aliases
- Desyrel, Oleptro, Serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor (SARI, small molecule, not a peptide)
- Evidence posture
- human - Off-label hypnotic use is widely practiced but is not FDA-approved. Priapism is a rare label-level warning that requires immediate medical attention.
- Regulatory status
- FDA-approved as Desyrel (1981) and as extended-release Oleptro (2010) for the treatment of major depressive disorder. Off-label use at low doses (25 to 100 mg at bedtime) for insomnia is widely practiced but is not an FDA-approved indication.
- Content review status
- label verified