Just started taking trazodone 500mg, and want to know if it's mandatory that I take it with food?

I agree with the above comment, that is a lot. I was always told to build up to it gradually and actually the highest dose I have heard of is 300mg but I guess it all depends on your Dr. and the circumstances. Like I mentioned seems like a lot, I have heard of starting out with 150 for a few days or a week then up it to 300mg. I don't know if you were told to eat or not, but I usually do try to at least have something small in my stomach before taking.

I'm thinking now maybe she meant 50 because max for trazedone is 400 a day.

I wanted to add, just as pledge stated you can take with or without food, however, I did an experiment with Trazodone - with food and without food and it works, matabolizes much better with food. Due to me not wanting to eat before bed I would eat one or two small peanut butter crackers, you know the little round ones that come in a pack of six, or cheese crackers. You can just eat a saltine cracker, or whatever you would rather eat.