Prescription and over-the-counter drugs have specific details that help to identify them and avoid medication errors that can have severe effects or potentially life-threatening interactions. The 8 05 pill is a 50 mg dose of trazodone hydrochloride, a commonly used prescription for treating depression, insomnia, and anxiety.
If you’re prescribed trazodone or you found an unidentified pill, here’s what you need to know about the 8 05 pill and some precautions to take.
What Is the 8 05 Pill?
A white, round pill with the imprint “8 05” is trazodone hydrochloride, 50 mg in dosage.[1] It’s 8.0 mm in size and has a score on the same side as the imprint, which means the pill can be split.
The 8 05 pill is trazodone supplied by Zydus Pharmaceuticals (USA) Inc., but many brands, manufacturers, and suppliers can produce trazodone pills. Trazodone is prescription only, but it’s not a controlled substance with strict regulations.
How Is the 8 05 Pill Used?
The 8 05 trazodone pill is an atypical antidepressant medication, which is a type of depressant that doesn’t fit into the major classes for antidepressants. Trazodone is a serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor (SARI) and prevents serotonin reuptake. It primarily acts on serotonin and blocks serotonin 5-HT2A receptors.
Researchers don’t understand how trazodone improves mood, but they generally agree that trazodone may affect the chemical levels that regulate mood in the brain. This makes trazodone helpful for treating the symptoms of depression, major depressive disorder, and other conditions. It may be used off-label for insomnia, sleep problems, and anxiety.
Safety Considerations and Precautions with the 8 05 Pill
Trazodone is regarded as a safe drug when used as directed, but like all drugs, it has side effects. Usually, the side effects will improve as your body adjusts to the presence of the drug. However, it’s important to pay attention to any side effects of trazodone you experience and discuss any concerns with your doctor, especially if you have serious side effects like suicidal thoughts or behaviors.
The common side effects of trazodone include:[2]
- Dry mouth
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Blurred vision
- Headache
- Nausea
- Vomiting
Other common side effects may include:[3]
- Constipation
- Fatigue
- Fainting
- Nervousness
- Confusion
- Changes in blood pressure
- Weight gain
Though uncommon, trazodone can have serious side effects like:[4]
- Abnormal heart rhythm with shortness of breath and chest pain
- Severe bleeding with unexplained bruising, black-colored stools, pink-colored urine, or unusual bleeding from the nose or gums
- Low sodium levels with nausea, fatigue, confusion, and hallucinations
- Suicidal thoughts or behaviors
In rare cases, trazodone can cause serotonin syndrome, a potentially dangerous condition in which serotonin builds up to dangerous levels. The symptoms of serotonin syndrome may include uncoordinated movements, distress, muscle spasms, muscle stiffness, dizziness, sweating, flushing, tremors, hallucinations, and coma. Serotonin syndrome requires immediate medical attention.
Trazodone can cause drowsiness and dizziness, so you shouldn’t drink alcohol with trazodone. This can make the symptoms much worse. Don’t drive or engage in activities requiring alertness until you know how trazodone affects you.
Trazodone can have several drug interactions, including aspirin, anticoagulants, opioid pain medications, sedatives, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). Before taking trazodone, talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist about all other medications you take, including over-the-counter medications and supplements. Never take more that the prescribed dosage of trazodone to avoid the risk of overdose.
If you want to stop taking trazodone or reduce your dosage, talk to your doctor. Trazodone can lead to physical dependence, which means your body has gotten used to the presence of the drug and needs it to function properly. If you stop taking it suddenly or reduce your trazodone dosage, you could have withdrawal symptoms like sleep problems, nausea, and headache. Your doctor may recommend a taper schedule to wean you off the drug and reduce withdrawal symptoms or medical detox from an accredited facility.
What to Do with Unidentified Pills
Medication errors can be extremely dangerous. According to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, there is one death per 1 million people caused by medication errors.[5] They’re one of the leading causes of avoidable harm in healthcare facilities.
Medication errors may happen more frequently in hospitals and other healthcare facilities, but you should still be careful to avoid pill mistakes with your prescription medications. If you’re not careful, you can take the wrong medication, the wrong dosage, or a combination of medications that can have adverse effects.
If you find a pill you can’t identify or want to ensure you’ve been given the right prescription, a pill identifier can help. Here are some ways manufacturers make pills identifiable:
- Pills have standard colors, sometimes multiple, to identify them. The same drug may have different colors from different suppliers.
- Pills have specific forms that identify them, including a tablet, capsule, or gel cap.
- Pills come in different shapes: round, oblong, square, rectangle, hexagon, and more.
- Pills that have dosages that can be split may have score lines. Generally, pills shouldn’t be split unless they have a score line or your doctor says it’s safe.
- Imprints can be used to identify pills, usually in a combination of letters and numbers that indicate the manufacturer, dosage, or specific drugs. Some imprints are so small that you need a magnifying glass to read them.
The 8 05 trazodone pill is a round, white pill with “8 05” imprinted on the side. A score appears on the same side as the 8 05 imprint. Zydus Pharmaceuticals (USA) Inc. supplies this particular version of trazodone and indicates a 50 mg dosage.
Trazodone may be sold under other brands, including Desyrel, Desyrel Dividose, Trazodone D, and Oleptro.[6] It may come in 50, 100, 150, or 300 mg dosages in oval, rectangular, or four-sided pills. Most trazodone pills are white, but some pills are yellow.
If you can’t identify a pill, it’s important to be careful with it. Proper disposal of drugs is necessary for the safety of people, pets, wildlife, and the environment.
Use a Drug Takeback Facility
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has registered takeback facilities where people can safely dispose of unidentified pills. The staff is trained to ensure that prescription drugs, OTC medications, and herbal supplements are disposed of in safe and environmentally conscious ways. You can find local DEA takeback facilities on the DEA website.
Flush Dangerous Drugs Down the Toilet
Flushing drugs down the toilet is generally not recommended, but some drugs are considered so dangerous that the FDA recommends flushing them to avoid people or pets getting them.[7] Generally, the only drugs that are permitted to flush are dangerous opioids like fentanyl, morphine, methadone, and oxycodone. Trazodone is not one of these dangerous drugs, so you shouldn’t flush it down the toilet.
Dispose of Drugs in the Trash
If a DEA takeback facility isn’t nearby and you can’t flush the drug, you can dispose of it in the trash with some precautions. Make sure you take any drugs out of their packaging and mix them with a deterrent like coffee grounds or cat litter, which will prevent accidental ingestion. Never crush tablets or capsules. Seal the drugs in a container or bag and remove any personal information from the label.
Don’t Share the Drugs
You should never share your drugs with anyone, even if you have identified them properly. It can be dangerous to misuse prescriptions, especially an unidentified pill that you’ve come across.
Take Precautions with Pills
Trazodone is a commonly used drug to treat major depressive disorder, depression, and anxiety. Like many prescription medications, trazodone 8 05 pills have clear identifiers to ensure you’ve gotten the correct pill and dosage forms. If you find an unidentified pill, dispose of it properly to avoid any dangers to yourself or others.
