Why Trust Recovery Guide When people mix trazodone and cocaine together, the effects are usually mild, but this combination can still be dangerous. Taking these drugs together increases the risk of seizures and a serious medical condition called serotonin syndrome, which can be life-threatening if not treated quickly.
Some doctors have tried using trazodone to help people going through cocaine withdrawal because it can reduce feelings of tension and shakiness that happen after cocaine use. However, research shows this might not be safe because trazodone can actually make cocaine’s euphoric or “high” effects stronger, which could make addiction worse rather than better.
Find out more about the dangers of mixing drugs
Effects Of Mixing Cocaine And Trazodone
Researchers studied what happens when cocaine and trazodone are taken together by testing eight healthy men in a controlled setting. Some participants received a fake pill (placebo), while others got 100 milligrams of trazodone followed by a dose of cocaine. The study found that trazodone reduced some of cocaine’s physical effects, including high blood pressure, enlarged pupils, cold skin, and muscle shaking. However, trazodone made participants feel drowsy and didn’t reduce cocaine’s euphoric or “high” feelings.
Other research has shown that mixing stimulants like cocaine with antidepressants like trazodone can increase the risk of dangerous seizures. While it doesn’t happen often, combining these two drugs can be deadly if someone takes the wrong amount of either substance. This makes mixing cocaine and trazodone extremely risky, even though trazodone might reduce some of cocaine’s harmful physical effects.
Risks Of Mixing Cocaine And Trazodone
Mixing cocaine and trazodone can result in serious and life-threatening conditions. Potentially fatal consequences involve alteration in levels of serotonin, epinephrine, and norepinephrine.
Serotonin Syndrome
Using cocaine and trazodone together can lead to a condition called serotonin syndrome, which occurs when a person takes medications that cause high levels of serotonin to accumulate.
Serotonin syndrome can cause serious symptoms such as:
- confusion
- anxiety
- rapid heart rate
- high blood pressure
- loss of muscle coordination
- heavy sweating
- diarrhea
- headache
- shivering
- high fever
- seizures
- irregular heartbeat
- unconsciousness
- coma
Antidepressants like trazodone are serotonin reuptake inhibitors, meaning they prevent the synapse from taking back the serotonin that it releases. Cocaine, like other illicit drugs, produces a rush of serotonin in the brain, throwing the balance off. Mixing cocaine with an antidepressant can result in dangerous levels of serotonin.
Risk Of Adrenergic Crisis
Researchers have found that mixing cocaine with antidepressants can result in an adrenergic crisis, which occurs when the metabolism of epinephrine and norepinephrine are altered. Taking the drugs together enhances the effects of antidepressants, which can send the body into life-threatening complications.
This can cause the following effects:
- high blood pressure
- tachycardia
- hyperthermia
- agitation
- seizure
- chest pain
- heart palpitations
- headache
- abdominal discomfort
Though these symptoms are treatable if caught in time, people have died from complications after a cocaine-induced adrenergic crisis.
Find Treatment For Drug Addiction Today
If you or someone you know is battling drug addiction, help is available right now. There are many different treatment options including detox programs, counseling, support groups, inpatient rehab centers, and outpatient programs that can help people overcome addiction.
To find treatment in your area, you can contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for free information about addiction recovery programs. SAMHSA provides resources and referrals to help connect people with the right type of treatment for their specific needs and situation.
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- Mayo Clinic—Serotonin syndrome
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/serotonin-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20354758 - National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)—Trazodone
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470560/#:~:text=Trazodone%20is%20an%20antidepressant%20that,alpha%2D1%2Dadrenergic%20receptors. - Science Daily—Serotonin contributions to cocaine's allure
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170628095913.htm - U.S. National Library of Medicine: PubMed—Trazodone-oral cocaine interactions
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6380447/#:~:text=Trazodone%20alone%20produced%20mild%20sleepiness,after%20cocaine%20administration%20were%20diminished.
