Details

Amitriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant. It affects chemicals in the brain that may become unbalanced. Amitriptyline is used to treat symptoms of depression. You should not use this medication if you are allergic to amitriptyline, or if you have recently had a heart attack. You may have thoughts about suicide when you first start taking an antidepressant such as amitriptyline, especially if you are younger than 24 years old. Your doctor will need to check you at regular visits for at least the first 12 weeks of treatment. Tell your doctor if you have worsening depression or suicidal thoughts during the first several weeks of treatment, or whenever your dose is changed.

Typical Uses

Amitriptyline is used to treat psychological problems such as depression. It may help improve mood and feelings of well-being, relieve anxiety and tension, help you sleep better, and increase your energy level. This medication belongs to a class of medications called tricyclic antidepressants. It works by affecting the balance of certain natural chemicals (neurotransmitters such as serotonin) in the brain. Amitriptyline may also prove helpful in the treatment of nerve pain (such as peripheral neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia), eating disorder (bulimia), other mental/mood problems (such as anxiety, panic disorder), or to prevent migraine headaches.

Side Effects

Contact your doctor immediately if you have a serious side effect while taking amitriptyline such as chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading to the arm or shoulder, sweating, general ill feeling sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body sudden severe headache, confusion, problems with vision, speech, or balance pounding heartbeats or fluttering in your chest feeling like you might pass out confusion, hallucinations, seizures (convulsions) restless muscle movements in your eyes, tongue, jaw, or neck, uncontrollable shaking or tremor extreme thirst with headache, nausea, vomiting, and weakness numbness, burning pain, or tingly feeling easy bruising, unusual bleeding (nose, mouth, vagina, or rectum), purple or red pinpoint spots under your skin skin rash, bruising, severe tingling, numbness, pain, muscle weakness or urinating less than usual or not at all.

Drug Interactions

• Amitriptyline+amiodarone- Using amiodarone together with amitriptyline can increase the risk of an irregular heart rhythm that may be serious and potentially life-threatening, although it is a relatively rare side effect. You may be more susceptible if you have a heart condition called congenital long QT syndrome, other cardiac diseases, conduction abnormalities, or electrolyte disturbances.

• Amitriptyline+anagrelide- Using anagrelide together with amitriptyline can increase the risk of an irregular heart rhythm that may be serious and potentially life-threatening, although it is a relatively rare side effect. You may be more susceptible if you have a heart condition called congenital long QT syndrome, other cardiac diseases, conduction abnormalities, or electrolyte disturbances.

• Amitriptyline+bedaquiline- Using bedaquiline together with amitriptyline can increase the risk of an irregular heart rhythm that may be serious and potentially life-threatening, although it is a relatively rare side effect. You may be more susceptible if you have a heart condition called congenital long QT syndrome, other cardiac diseases, conduction abnormalities, or electrolyte disturbances.

• Amitriptyline+bepridil- Using bepridil together with amitriptyline is not recommended. Combining these drugs can increase the risk of an irregular heart rhythm that may be serious.

• Amitriptyline+citalopram- Using citalopram together with amitriptyline can increase the risk of a rare but serious condition called the serotonin syndrome, which may include symptoms such as confusion, hallucination, seizure, extreme changes in blood pressure, increased heart rate, fever, excessive sweating, shivering or shaking,

Mechanism of action

Amitriptyline belongs to class of medication called as tricyclic antidepressant. It acts by changing levels of certain chemicals in the brain (norepinephrine, serotonin) that helps in improving the mood and mental balance.

Pregnancy Category : C