phenelzine vs trazodone
Side-by-side comparison of phenelzine and trazodone. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
moderate Known Drug Interaction
Examples: isocarboxazid, moclobemide, phenelzine, selegiline, tranylcypromine Other Serotonergic Drugs Clinical Impact: The concomitant use of serotonergic drugs including trazodone and other serotonergic drugs increases the risk of serotonin syndrome.
Recommendation: Talk to your doctor about the risks, as they may need to adjust your doses or change your treatment.
Nardil
Desyrel
Phenelzine (Nardil) is a medicine used to treat depression. It belongs to a class of drugs called MAO inhibitors.
Trazodone is a medicine used to treat depression. It helps to improve your mood and can help you sleep better.
This medicine treats depression, especially when it involves anxiety, phobias, or hypochondria. It is often used when other antidepressants haven't worked. It may not be as effective for severe depression with 'endogenous' features.
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.
Phenelzine works by blocking an enzyme called monoamine oxidase (MAO) in your body. MAO breaks down certain chemicals in the brain, like serotonin and norepinephrine. By blocking MAO, phenelzine helps increase the levels of these chemicals, which can improve mood.
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.
- • Dizziness
- • Headache
- • Drowsiness
- • Trouble sleeping
- • Tiredness
- • Swelling
- • Blurred vision
- • Fainting
- • Drowsiness
- • Tiredness
- Feeling sad or hopeless 187
- Head pain 136
- Feeling worried or nervous 129
- Gaining weight 120
- Trouble sleeping 104
- Tiredness 1,129
- Feeling sick to your stomach 1,097
- Head pain 906
- General discomfort 806
- Loose stools 792
Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior in children, teens, and young adults. Your doctor will monitor you closely for worsening depression, suicidal thoughts, or unusual changes in behavior. Families and caregivers should also watch for these changes and report them to the doctor. This medicine is not approved for use in children.
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.
It is not known if phenelzine can harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or 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.
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How to Read This phenelzine vs trazodone Comparison
phenelzine is classified in the Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor (MAOI) 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, phenelzine has 676 submissions while trazodone has 4,730. 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 moderate interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to both of these medications increase the amount of serotonin in your brain, which can lead to a dangerous reaction called serotonin syndrome.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between phenelzine and trazodone - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.