methadone vs trazodone
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Side-by-side comparison of methadone and trazodone. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
minor Known Drug Interaction
Examples: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), triptans, 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, drugs that effect the serotonin neurotransmitter system (e.g., mirtazapine, trazodone, tramadol), certain muscle relaxants (i.e., cyclobenzaprine, metaxalone), monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors (those intended to treat psychiatric disorders and also others, such as linezolid and intravenous methylene blue).
Methadone Hydrochloride Injection is a strong pain medicine. It is also used to treat opioid dependence temporarily when you cannot take medicine by mouth.
Trazodone is a medicine used to treat depression. It helps to improve your mood and can help you sleep better.
This medicine is used to manage severe, ongoing pain that needs a strong opioid medicine when other pain medicines don't work well enough. It is also used for the short-term treatment of opioid dependence when you cannot take oral medication, such as if you are in the hospital. Injectable methadone is not approved for outpatient treatment of opioid dependence.
Trazodone is used to treat major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults. This medicine can help improve your mood and reduce symptoms of depression. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions about why you are taking this medication.
Methadone works by attaching to opioid receptors in the brain and body. This changes how your body feels pain. It can also help reduce withdrawal symptoms if you are opioid dependent.
Trazodone is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). It works by increasing the amount of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin is a chemical that helps regulate mood.
- • Lightheadedness
- • Dizziness
- • Sedation
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- • Swelling
- • Blurred vision
- • Fainting
- • Drowsiness
- • Tiredness
- Drug Dependence 5,614
- Toxicity To Various Agents 5,213
- Drug Abuse 4,797
- Overdose 3,840
- Pain 3,671
- Fatigue 1,129
- Nausea 1,097
- Headache 909
- Pain 808
- Diarrhoea 793
Methadone Hydrochloride Injection can cause serious and life-threatening risks, including addiction, abuse, and misuse. It can also cause life-threatening breathing problems, especially when you first start taking it or after a dose increase. Using methadone during pregnancy can cause withdrawal symptoms in the newborn. Using methadone with benzodiazepines or other drugs that can cause drowsiness, including alcohol, can cause severe sedation, breathing problems, coma, and death. Methadone can also cause a serious heart problem called QT prolongation.
Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in young adults. Your doctor will monitor you closely for worsening depression or suicidal thoughts. Trazodone is not approved for use in children.
Using Methadone Hydrochloride Injection during pregnancy can cause withdrawal symptoms in the newborn. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of using this medicine if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if methadone passes into breast milk, so talk to your doctor before breastfeeding.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is important to consider the risk of untreated depression during pregnancy. There is a pregnancy registry to monitor outcomes in women exposed to antidepressants during pregnancy. You can register by calling 1-844-405-6185.
How to Read This methadone vs trazodone Comparison
methadone is classified in the Opioid Agonist drug class, while trazodone sits within the Serotonin Antagonist and Reuptake Inhibitor (SARI) class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, methadone has 23,135 submissions while trazodone has 4,736. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to these drugs both increase a chemical called serotonin in your body, which can cause a dangerous reaction if levels get too high.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for methadone or trazodone.
Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.