Where to Get Trazodone Safely – A Quick Note
We spoke with Brodie Lancaster ahead of her appearance at the launch of the highly anticipated 2016 Emerging Writers’ Festival Program. A superstar in our eyes, we can’t wait to hear her talk to us all about failure and ambition at The Wheeler Centre on 10 May.
You are performing at our Program Launch: ‘Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars’. Do you have moments you think about that encapsulate this theme in your own life?
You’ll have to hear my talk at the Program Launch to know the answer to that!
JK, but kind of. I guess all those in-between moments of limbo I’ve had in my life—times when I decided to move across the world or cut ties with someone or start (or quit) a big project—present that opportunity to either succeed or fail spectacularly. The decisions we make during those cloudy moments are what I think about when I hear the phrase, Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars.
You do a lot – you founded the zine Filmme Fatales, you’re senior editor of The Good Copy, you write stuff yourself and have contributed to publications widely, plus more – how do you juggle all these things and transition between hats?
It’s not super glamorous or inspiring, but I don’t do much more but work. Even right now, I’m writing these answers as I go HAM on my inbox on an Amtrak from Portland to Seattle, where I’m giving a big talk tomorrow. But ultimately, everything I do kiiiiinda connects in some way, so each disparate job helps another.
The Good Copy is my day job—I’m a senior editor there and I work on editorial copywriting projects from nine to five—and it helps to keep my brain active and work out my technical writing muscles.
I put that exercise into practice when it comes to freelancing and I need to take feedback, be concise and clear in my arguments and phrase juuust the right tweet to share stuff I’ve written. (lol)
I work on Filmme Fatales both at work (it’s published by The Good Copy) and during any moment of downtime I have.
Oh, and I’m also trying to write a book right now hahahaha. I know.
What have you been working on lately?
I’m at the end of a two-month trip around America right now. While here, I’ve been covering the SXSW Film program for Filmme Fatales, I gave a talk in New York City and I’m about to give a talk on fangirls and One Direction at the EMP Pop Conference in Seattle. After that, I’m going to be taking a week in LA to work on my book a little more before I come home and get back into everything I talked about doing in the previous question.
What are you excited by in the Australian literary landscape at the moment?
Without sounding like a douchey name-dropper, I’m excited by how many people I know (or even just people my age, with similar levels of writing and life experience as I have) have books out that I can buy and read, and that so many other people can too! The first thing I’m doing when I get home is buying Jennifer Down’s Our Magic Hour; I just saw Omar Musa’s book Here Come The Dogs at Powell’s in Portland; Minna Gilligan’s Time After Time, which came out last year, is one of my favourite non-fiction books. As someone who is trying to write a book right now and who never ever thought I would or could or should write a book, it’s encouraging and invigorating to read incredible work by people who make that feel possible.
Have you any advice for fellow writers?
I have a lot! But real quick, I think it is very important to remember to write what you know and like, and not what you think you’re supposed to be writing for whatever trend/style/internetty reason.
What aspects of the Emerging Writers’ Festival do you look forward to?
I love seeing everyone from Twitter IRL!!!!!! Also I really love the diversity of the programming (shoutout to me and my fellow cute’n’smart members of this year’s Programming Advisory Committee) and the commitment EWF has always had to programming people who aren’t just ~big names~; I always hear about or meet people at the festival whose work I didn’t know about before the event takes place.
Brodie Lancaster is the editor of Filmme Fatales, a zine about women and cinema, and a senior editor at The Good Copy, a writing studio in Collingwood.
She has written for Rookie, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Vulture and other publications. Her first book, a pop culture memoir called No Way! Okay, Fine!, will be out next year with Hachette.
Early Bird Tickets to The National Writers’ Conference are available now. Taking place over two days, with over seventy speakers, The National Writers’ Conference features panels, conversations, and performances, allowing you meet this year’s Ambassadors and other writers from around Australia.
Golden Tickets to the Emerging Writers’ Festival are also available now. Golden Tickets are your passport to the Emerging Writers’ Festival. They will give you access to the National Writers’ Conference, plus the rest of the festival including all panels, talks, performances and selected workshops.
The 2016 Emerging Writers’ Festival program launches on Tuesday, 10 May at The Wheeler Centre.
Trazodone in Australia: A Doctor’s Practical Review for Adults Over 30
By an Australian GP
If you are over 30 and regularly find yourself wide awake at 2 a.m., dreading the alarm, or pushing through your day with low mood and exhaustion, you are not alone. As a doctor, I see thousands of Australians every year who are burned out, anxious, and desperate for proper sleep. Many have tried everything—over-the-counter sleep aids, mindfulness, alcohol, herbal teas—yet still feel like they are running on empty.
That is exactly why the conversation about trazodone matters. Trazodone is a prescription medicine that has been used for decades. It is different from many older antidepressants and sleeping pills, and for the right person it can be life-changing. In this review, I will walk you through the key facts, address the concerns Australians ask about most, and explain why it may be worth discussing with your own GP.
Why trazodone deserves your attention
Trazodone is an antidepressant from the serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor (SARI) class. In simple terms, it helps restore the balance of serotonin—a chemical messenger involved in mood, sleep, and anxiety. At lower doses it is deeply sedating, which is why it is often used to help restore healthy sleep. At higher doses it acts as a true antidepressant. For many people over 30, this dual effect is exactly what they need: better sleep and a more stable, positive mood.
| Quick facts |
What Australians should know |
| Common uses |
Major depression, anxiety, chronic insomnia or sleep disturbance associated with mood disorders |
| How it helps |
Improves sleep onset and quality; reduces low mood, tension and anxiety |
| Usual adult dose |
25–100 mg at night for sleep; 150–400 mg per day in divided doses for depression |
| Onset of sleep effect |
Often within 30–60 minutes when taken at night |
| Prescription status |
Schedule 4 prescription-only medicine in Australia |
| Availability |
Available at Australian community pharmacies once prescribed |
Understanding the key concerns
Patients often ask me very specific questions before they agree to try trazodone. Below are the most important ones, answered from an Australian clinical perspective.
Trazodone – interaction with HIV medications
If you are living with HIV, you need to be particularly careful with any new medicine. Trazodone is broken down in the liver by an enzyme called CYP3A4. Many HIV medications—especially ritonavir, cobicistat and some protease inhibitors—strongly inhibit this enzyme. That means they can raise trazodone levels in your blood, increasing the risk of excessive sedation, dizziness, low blood pressure and even serotonin syndrome.
On the other hand, some HIV medicines such as efavirenz and nevirapine can reduce trazodone levels, making it less effective. The key message is: do not self-prescribe or change doses on your own. Your HIV specialist or GP can order a review, start with a very low dose, and monitor you closely. Trazodone can still be used safely, but the dose must be individualised.
Trazodone – random roadside drug testing – false positive?
This is one of the most common questions I hear. Australian random roadside drug testing (RDT) uses an oral fluid sample to screen for three drug classes: delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), methylamphetamine, and MDMA. Trazodone is not an amphetamine, and it is not part of the standard roadside screening panel.
In routine Australian roadside oral fluid testing, trazodone is not expected to cause a positive result for the drugs being tested. Some older laboratory urine tests have occasionally shown cross-reactivity with amphetamine assays, but this is not the same as the roadside saliva test. The bigger issue is impairment: trazodone can make you drowsy, slow your reaction time and affect your driving. If you feel tired or fuzzy, do not drive. It is also sensible to carry your prescription or a doctor’s letter in the glovebox so you can show that you are lawfully taking a prescribed medicine.
Trazodone interactions with other medications in Australia
Like any medicine, trazodone can interact with other drugs. The most serious risk is serotonin syndrome, a potentially dangerous build-up of serotonin. It can happen if trazodone is combined with other serotonin-boosting medicines. Below is a practical summary.
| Medication group |
Interaction |
Practical advice |
| SSRIs, SNRIs, St John’s Wort |
Increased serotonin syndrome risk |
Avoid combination or use only under specialist supervision |
| MAOI antidepressants |
Severe serotonin syndrome, high blood pressure crisis |
Contraindicated; do not combine |
| Blood thinners (warfarin, apixaban, rivaroxaban, aspirin, NSAIDs) |
Increased bleeding risk |
Report any unusual bruising or bleeding |
| Alcohol, sedatives, sleeping pills, opioids |
Severe drowsiness, slowed breathing, falls |
Avoid alcohol; use sedatives only if advised |
| Blood pressure medicines |
Low blood pressure, dizziness, fainting |
Monitor blood pressure, rise slowly from sitting |
| Some antibiotics and antifungals (e.g. clarithromycin, fluconazole) |
Raised trazodone levels |
May require lower trazodone dose |
| Grapefruit juice |
Raised trazodone levels |
Keep intake consistent and low |
Trazodone – interaction with muscle relaxants
Muscle relaxants such as baclofen, tizanidine, orphenadrine and diazepam are sometimes prescribed for back pain, muscle spasm or tension. When combined with trazodone, the most important problem is additive central nervous system depression. In plain English: both medicines can make you sleepy, dizzy and unsteady. This increases the risk of falls, especially in people over 50.
If you need both, your doctor may start with a very low dose of trazodone, take it only at night, and ask you to avoid driving until you know how you react. Do not mix trazodone with alcohol or other sedating muscle relaxants unless your doctor has specifically told you it is safe.
Trazodone – private health insurance – hospital cover
Many Australians ask whether private health insurance will cover trazodone. In general, private hospital cover does not pay for medicines you buy from a community pharmacy outside hospital. However, if you are admitted to a private hospital for depression, anxiety or sleep disorders, trazodone given during your inpatient stay is usually covered by your hospital policy.
For out-of-hospital prescriptions, trazodone may be subsidised by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for approved indications, which means Medicare covers a large part of the cost. If it is prescribed privately or for an off-label reason, you may pay the full private prescription price. Some extras policies include non-PBS pharmacy benefits, so check your policy. Even at full private price, generic trazodone tends to be relatively affordable compared with many newer antidepressants.
Trazodone and pregnancy – safety in Australia
If you are pregnant, planning a pregnancy, or breastfeeding, this is not a decision to make lightly. In Australia, trazodone is generally not considered first-line for depression during pregnancy. The historical TGA pregnancy category for trazodone was Category C, meaning there is limited human data and it should only be used if the likely benefit clearly outweighs the risk. The TGA now provides more detailed text-based pregnancy and breastfeeding statements.
For most pregnant women, the safest approach is to plan ahead with your doctor. If you are stable on trazodone and become pregnant, do not stop suddenly—abrupt withdrawal can cause unpleasant withdrawal symptoms and may worsen your mood. Your obstetrician, GP and psychiatrist can help you weigh the risks and benefits. In late pregnancy, trazodone may occasionally cause temporary sedation or feeding difficulties in the newborn, so the baby may need monitoring. Still, untreated severe depression is also risky for both mother and baby, so the conversation is always about balance.
Trazodone for adolescents – dosing guidelines
As a doctor, I am cautious about using trazodone in anyone under 18. In Australia, trazodone is not approved for adolescents and is used off-label only by specialists. For adolescent depression, first-line treatment is psychological therapy and, if medication is needed, an SSRI such as fluoxetine is usually preferred.
That said, some child and adolescent psychiatrists use very low-dose trazodone at night for severe insomnia, agitation or anxiety when other options have failed. In clinical practice, the dose often starts at 25 mg at night and may be increased slowly under close review. There are no standard Australian adolescent dosing guidelines for trazodone, so it should only be prescribed by a specialist who can monitor mood, sleep and side effects.
Trazodone – flying – can it cause problems?
Many people use trazodone to help them sleep on long-haul flights. It can be useful, but there are real problems to consider. The main issue is residual grogginess: if you take trazodone during a flight and then need to wake suddenly for a stopover or emergency, you may feel confused, unsteady and disorientated. This is worse if you drink alcohol, which you should avoid entirely while taking trazodone.
Long flights also increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) because you sit still for hours. Trazodone itself does not cause DVT, but if it makes you sleep deeply and you do not move, your circulation slows. If you plan to use it to fly, take the lowest effective dose, stay hydrated, wear compression stockings, and move around before you take it. Always keep trazodone in its original packaging with your prescription label, and carry a doctor’s letter for international travel. This avoids problems with customs or security.
The bottom line: why trazodone could be right for you
If you are over 30 and struggling with broken sleep, persistent low mood, anxiety or exhaustion, trazodone offers a well-known, cost-effective option that addresses both sleep and mood. It is not a benzodiazepine, so there is less risk of dependence than with older sleeping tablets, and it generally does not cause the sexual side effects that many people fear from SSRIs. It can help you wake feeling more rested and more able to cope.
Action: If any of this sounds like your story, the next step is simple. Book a long appointment with your GP. Take this article with you, explain your sleep and mood symptoms, and ask whether a trial of trazodone is suitable for you. You can then buy it from any Australian community pharmacy with a standard prescription. Do not let another year disappear into sleepless nights and low mood. The right conversation can change your life.
Disclaimer: This article is general information only and is not a substitute for individual medical advice. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, changing or stopping any medication.
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