A Case of Trazodone Overdose Successfully Rescued With Lipid Emulsion Therapy

Taylor, Roger S.; Burg, J. G.; Mullen, Jeff

doi:10.7759/cureus.10864

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 8 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Other signs of trazodone toxicity are anticholinergic symptoms such as dry mouth, ataxia, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, urinary incontinence, hypotension, priapism, seizures, and rarely serotonin syndrome [1]. While few, there have been reports of patients overdosing on trazodone and developing QTc prolongation leading to fatal arrhythmias such as torsades des pointes and variable atrioventricular (AV) blocks [2][3][4]. Our patient additionally presented with hypotension, requiring close monitoring in the intensive care unit.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Trazodone Overdose Manifesting as Hypotension and QT Prolongation

Mohan¹,

Ajitkumar²,

Bhide³

et al. 2023

Cureus

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Trazodone is a medication used to treat major depressive disorder (MDD). It is in the serotonin-antagonistand-reuptake-inhibitor class of medications with anti-cholinergic effects. Trazodone is known for its sedative effects and is hence often prescribed in those with MDD with concurrent insomnia. While few, there have been reports of patients overdosing on trazodone and developing QTc prolongation leading to fatal arrhythmias such as torsades des pointes and variable atrioventricular blocks. We present a case of a 45year-old female with a past medical history of MDD and anxiety, who presented with dizziness, transient ataxia, and urinary incontinence following ingestion of five 100 mg trazodone tablets. Although her vitals were initially stable on admission, her EKG was concerning for QTc prolongation of 502 ms. A few hours later, she started developing hypotension and progressive QTc prolongation, with a peak of 586 ms. Given the high risk of decompensation, the patient was admitted to the ICU for further care where she received adequate supportive management in the form of fluid resuscitation, electrolyte repletion, serial EKGs every hour, and telemetry monitoring for arrhythmias, with eventual improvement in her clinical condition. Trazodone poisoning, while rare, can be fatal and hence requires close monitoring to prevent complications. Clinicians must be aware of these possible adverse outcomes when managing trazodone toxicity.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%