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Drug interactions

Sodium oxybate + Trazodone

Severity: Major

Sodium oxybate and Trazodone: major interaction.

Last updated

For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.

Summary

Sodium oxybate is a CNS depressant with a boxed warning for respiratory depression, and combination with other sedating drugs can cause profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma and death. Trazodone adds sedative effect.

What this interaction means in plain words

Sodium oxybate and Trazodone can interact in a way that may be serious. Using them together is sometimes necessary, but it needs a deliberate decision by the prescriber, a plan for monitoring, and clear advice on the warning signs to watch for.

Sodium oxybate belongs to Central Nervous System; Trazodone belongs to Central Nervous System.

Evidence level: Moderate

Why it happens

Additive CNS and respiratory depression.

What to do

Avoid if alternatives exist; otherwise use the lowest effective doses and monitor closely for sedation and respiratory depression. Counsel patients and caregivers about warning signs.

What to ask your pharmacist

  • Does the benefit of taking both outweigh the risk in my case?
  • Do I need any blood test, ECG or other check while on both?
  • What early warning signs should I watch for, and what should I do if they appear?

Bring a full list of your medicines, including over-the-counter products, supplements and herbal remedies, to every pharmacy visit.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I take Sodium oxybate with Trazodone?

MediHelp rates the interaction as major. Sodium oxybate and Trazodone can interact in a way that may be serious. Using them together is sometimes necessary, but it needs a deliberate decision by the prescriber, a plan for monitoring, and clear advice on the warning signs to watch for. Sodium oxybate is a CNS depressant with a boxed warning for respiratory depression, and combination with other sedating drugs can cause profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma and death. Trazodone adds sedative effect.

How serious is the interaction between Sodium oxybate and Trazodone?

MediHelp rates it major, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Avoid if alternatives exist; otherwise use the lowest effective doses and monitor closely for sedation and respiratory depression. Counsel patients and caregivers about warning signs.

What other medicines interact with Trazodone?

MediHelp also lists interactions of Trazodone with, for example, Arsenic trioxide, Ibutilide, Isocarboxazid. The full list is on the Trazodone page.

Full monographs, dosing and an interaction checker in the MediHelp app

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