Trazodone While Pregnant: What You Need to Know

Is Trazodone Safe to Take While Pregnant?

When a woman becomes pregnant, her developing fetus is sensitive to everything she puts into her body. For this reason, it is recommended that women remain as drug-free as possible during pregnancy. This means abstaining from substances such as over-the-counter drugs, prescription medications, and illegal drugs. However, this may be difficult for some women who need prescription medications to function in their daily lives.

Trazodone is a prescription medication used to treat depression. It is classified as a serotonin modulator.

If you are wondering if you can take trazodone while you are pregnant, set up a meeting with your doctor to discuss whether trazodone is right for you. Generally, this medication is only recommended for use during pregnancy if the benefits of the medication outweigh the risks. For example, if a woman with severe depression becomes pregnant, using trazodone to treat her depression may be more beneficial to her and her fetus than suffering from severe depression. Your provider will be able to determine whether the benefits of trazodone outweigh the risks to the fetus in your specific situation.

Currently, the Federal Drug Administration classifies trazodone as a pregnancy risk category C medication. This category is reserved for medications that cannot be deemed to be completely safe for use during pregnancy due to a lack of significant research on human subjects. For this reason, it is recommended that pregnant women only use trazodone when necessary.

If you are a trazodone patient who becomes pregnant and does not want to remain on the medication during your pregnancy, ask your doctor about tapering off trazodone. Gradually lowering your trazodone dosage over time will help you avoid withdrawal symptoms that may affect your health and the health of the fetus.

Will Taking Trazodone Cause Birth Defects?

According to some studies, there is no correlation between trazodone use during pregnancy and birth defects, miscarriages, pre-term birth, stillbirths, low birth weight, or withdrawal symptoms. However, it should be noted that larger studies need to be conducted to verify that using trazodone during pregnancy will not pose health risks to the fetus.

Some babies born to mothers who used trazodone close to the time of delivery may need to be monitored for withdrawal symptoms. Some common withdrawal symptoms among babies who became dependent on antidepressants in the womb include tremors, gastrointestinal problems, muscle tensing, sleep disturbances, and high-pitched crying. These withdrawal symptoms should usually subside within a few weeks and do not require treatment.

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