chemistry

Nefazodone

Nefazodone is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Nefazodone rather than just read about it. In short: Nefazodone, sold formerly under the brand names Serzone, Dutonin, and Nefadar among others, is an atypical antidepressant medication which is used in the treatment of depression and for other uses. Nefazodone was withdrawn in most countries by 2004 due to liver toxicity.

Key takeaways

Nefazodone belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Nefazodone to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Nefazodone from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Nefazodone, sold formerly under the brand names Serzone, Dutonin, and Nefadar among others, is an atypical antidepressant medication which is used in the treatment of depression and for other uses. Nefazodone was withdrawn in most countries by 2004 due to liver toxicity. In December 2021, it was published that despite shortage it is still available in the United States. As of February 2026 it is available in the United States in generic form. The medication is taken by mouth. Side effects of nefazodone include dry mouth, sleepiness, nausea, dizziness, blurred vision, weakness, lightheadedness, confusion, and postural low blood pressure, among others. Rarely, nefazodone can cause serious liver damage, with an incidence of death or liver transplantation of about 1 in every 250,000 to 300,000 patient years. Nefazodone is a phenylpiperazine compound and is related to trazodone. It has been described as a serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor (SARI) due to its combined actions as a potent antagonist of the serotonin 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors and weak serotonin–norepinephrine–dopamine reuptake inhibitor (SNDRI). Nefazodone was introduced for medical use in 1994. Generic versions were introduced in 2003. Serious liver toxicity was first reported with nefazodone in 1998, and it was withdrawn from most markets by 2004. However, as of 2023, it continues to be available in the United States in generic from one manufacturer, Teva Pharmaceuticals and is manufactured in Israel.

Medical uses Nefazodone is used to treat major depressive disorder, aggressive behavior, anxiety, and panic disorder.

Available forms Nefazodone is available as 50 mg, 100 mg, 150 mg, 200 mg, and 250 mg tablets for oral ingestion.

Contraindications Contraindications include the coadministration of terfenadine, astemizole, cisapride, pimozide, or carbamazepine. Nefazodone is contraindicated in patients who were withdrawn from nefazodone because of evident liver injury as well as those that have shown hypersensitivity to the drug, its inactive ingredients, or other phenylpiperazine antidepressants. Furthermore, the coadministration of triazolam and nefazodone should be avoided for all patients, including the elderly, since it causes a significant increase in the plasma level of triazolam and not all commercially available dosage forms of triazolam permit a sufficient dosage reduction. If coadministrated, a 75% reduction in the initial dosage of triazolam is recommended.

Side effects Common and mild side effects of nefazodone reported in clinical trials more often than placebo include dry mouth (25%), sleepiness (25%), nausea (22%), dizziness (17%), blurred vision (16%), weakness (11%), lightheadedness (10%), confusion (7%), and orthostatic hypotension (5%). Rare and serious adverse reactions may include allergic reactions, fainting, painful/prolonged erection, and jaundice. Nefazodone is not especially associated with increased appetite and weight gain. It is also known for having low levels of sexual side effects in comparisons to SSRIs. Nefazodone can cause severe liver damage which may lead to the need for liver transplantation or to death. The incidence of severe liver damage is approximately 1 in every 250,000 to 300,000 patient-years. By the time it started to be withdrawn from the markets in 2003, nefazodone had been associated with at least 53 cases of liver injury (of which 11 led to death) in the United States, and 51 cases of liver toxicity (of which 2 led to transplantation) in Canada. In a 2002 Canadian study of 32 cases, it was noted that databases like those used in the study tended to include only a small proportion of suspected drug reactions. Treatment protocols suggest screening for pre-existing liver disease before initiating nefazodone, and those with known liver disease should not be prescribed nefazodone. If serum AST or serum ALT levels are more than 3 times the upper limit of normal (ULN), treatment should be permanently withdrawn. Enzyme labs should be done every six months, and nefazodone should not be a first-line treatment.

Interactions Nefazodone is a potent inhibitor of CYP3A4, and may interact adversely with many commonly used medications that are metabolized by CYP3A4.

Pharmacology

Pharmacodynamics

Nefazodone acts primarily as a potent antagonist of the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor and to a lesser extent of the serotonin 5-HT2C receptor. It also has high affinity for the α1-adrenergic receptor and serotonin 5-HT1A receptor, and relatively lower affinity for the α2-adrenergic receptor and dopamine D2 receptor. Nefazodone has low but significant affinity for the serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine transporters as well, and therefore acts as a weak serotonin–norepinephrine–dopamine reuptake inhibitor (SNDRI). It has low but potentially significant affinity for the histamine H1 receptor, where it is an antagonist, and hence may have some antihistamine activity. Nefazodone has negligible activity at muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, and accordingly, has no anticholinergic effects.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Nefazodone

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Nefazodone claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Nefazodone before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Nefazodone ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Nefazodone

In research: Nefazodone appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Nefazodone in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Nefazodone is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1,2,4-Triazol-3-ones, 1-Phenylpiperazines, 3-Chlorophenyl compounds, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Nefazodone outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Nefazodone in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Nefazodone means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Nefazodone out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nefazodone in simple terms?

Why does Nefazodone matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Nefazodone?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Nefazodone.