Actions and Spectrum:
trazodone is an antidepressant medication that belongs to the class of drugs known as serotonin receptor antagonists and reuptake inhibitors (SARIs). It is primarily used to treat major depressive disorder (MDD). Still, it is also used off-label to treat other conditions, such as anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and insomnia.
trazodone acts as a serotonin receptor antagonist and reuptake inhibitor, which means that it enhances the effects of serotonin in the brain by blocking its reuptake and increasing its release. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, anxiety, and sleep, and enhancing its effects is believed to be the mechanism by which trazodone produces its therapeutic effects.
In addition to its effects on serotonin, trazodone has sedative and hypnotic effects due to its antagonism of histamine H1 receptors, contributing to its use in treating insomnia.
Trazodone also acts as an antagonist at the 5-HT2A receptor and a partial agonist at the 5-HT1A receptor, which may contribute to its anxiolytic and antidepressant effects.
