How Long Does Trazodone Last in Your System?

Edmund Murphy
Dr. Jillian Foglesong Stabile
Written by Edmund Murphy on 22 March 2022
Medically reviewed by Dr. Jillian Foglesong Stabile on 09 December 2024

Trazodone’s effects can last up to 9 hours (or up to 12 hours for extended-release tablets) and will be mostly out of your body’s system in 2-3 days after the last dosage. It has a half-life of around 5 to 10 hours–meaning the drug level in your blood is halved every 10 hours.

However, the substance might still be traceable for up to 90 days depending on the type of drug test used and factors such as dosage taken, rate of metabolism, body mass index, gender, age, other pre-existing medical conditions, etc.

This table shows how long trazodone stays in the system by drug test type. Like most forms of antidepressants, trazodone is rarely screened for in drug toxicology screenings.

Drug Sample TypeTrazodone Detection Time
Blood3 days after use
Saliva4 days after use
Urine26 days after use
Hair90 days after use

Read below to learn about trazodone's half-life, factors that affect the metabolism of trazodone, and what may cause a false-positive drug test result.

Key takeaways:
  • Trazodone is well absorbed when taken orally and peak levels occur within one hour when fasting and two hours when taken with food. The drug is mostly out of your body in 2-3 days.
  • While trazodone is broken down in the body quickly, the metabolites produced linger in the body for longer. Trazodone metabolites can be detected in urine for up to 26 days.
  • Fast-growing cells in the body pick up metabolites from drugs and store them for far longer than other drug tests. Trazodone can be detected in hair follicles up to 90 days after last use.
Orange pill bottle labeled

Trazodone half-life

The half-life for trazodone is approximately 10 hours, meaning the amount of the drug in the system will drop by half every at a maximum of 10 hours. Despite this, the drug can be detected in the system for up to 90 days.

Trazodone is well absorbed when taken orally and peak levels occur within one hour when fasting and two hours when taken with food.

How long does trazodone stay in the system?

How long trazodone is detectable depends on the type of test administered. Blood tests can detect the drug up to 3 days after use while hair follicle testing can potentially detect it for up to 90 days.

How long does trazodone stay in urine?

Urine testing is the most come form of drug screening used in the United States, owing to its availability, ease of use, and low cost. While trazodone is broken down in the body quickly, the metabolites produced linger in the body for longer. Trazodone metabolites can be detected in urine for up to 26 days.

How long does trazodone stay in blood?

Blood tests are less commonly used as substances are metabolized in drugs faster than with other tests. Blood tests can detect trazodone up to three days after last use.

How long does trazodone stay in saliva?

Saliva tests can pick up drugs a lot faster than other drug tests, often being able to detect substances in as little as four hours of last use. Trazodone also stays in saliva longer than blood, being able to be detected up to four days after last use.

How long does trazodone stay in hair?

Fast-growing cells pick up metabolites from drugs and store them for far longer than other drug tests. Trazodone can be detected in hair follicles up to 90 days after last use.

Factors that affect trazodone detection times

There are many factors that can influence the detection rate in a toxicology test and these can vary from person to person.

Factors that influence trazodone detection rates include:

Trazodone and false-positives

While it is uncommon for drug screenings to be targeted for antidepressants like trazodone, they can often show up on other drug tests as false positives. These are known as cross-reactions and most commonly occur as false positives in amphetamines such as meth and cocaine. Trazodone metabolites are detectable in urine samples and create false positives for amphetamines for up to 26 days after the last use.

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Resources:

  1. Drugs.com. (2020). How long does trazodone stay in your system? Retrieved Mar 21, 2022, from
  2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved Mar 21, 2022, from .
  3. The trazodone metabolite meta-chlorophenylpiperazine can cause false-positive urine amphetamine immunoassay results. (2011). Retrieved Mar 21, 2022, from

Activity History - Last updated: 09 December 2024, Published date:


Reviewer

Dr. Foglesong Stabile is a board-certified Family Physician who enjoys full-scope rural Family Medicine, including OB. As a family medicine physician, Dr. Foglesong Stabile manages a broad spectrum of health conditions.

Activity History - Medically Reviewed on 09 December 2024 and last checked on 09 December 2024

Medically reviewed by
Dr. Jillian Foglesong Stabile

Dr. Jillian Foglesong Stabile

MD, FAAFP

Reviewer

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