VERIFIED CONTENTAuthor: Karolina Porowska

Amitriptyline is an organic chemical compound, a derivative of dibenzocycloheptadiene. It belongs to the tricyclic psychotropic drugs. It was first authorized in the USA in 1961. The drug is available by prescription in pill form.

Amitriptyline composition

Tablet (Amitriptylinum VP 10mg / 25mg) contains:

  • active substance amitriptyline hydrochloride ((Amitriptylini hydrochloridum);
  • excipients: microcrystalline cellulose (E 460), maize starch, povidone, edetate disodium, talc, magnesium stearate (E572), basic butyl methacrylate copolymer, citric acid monohydrate, triethyl citrate (E1518), polysorbate 80, macrogol 6000, talc, titanium dioxide (E171), iron oxide yellow / red, simethicone emulsion.

Action of amitriptyline

Amitriptyline is an antidepressant drug with a sedative effect. Amitriptyline affects certain chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) that communicate between brain cells and help regulate mood.

It is a nonselective monoamine reuptake inhibitor. Amitriptyline works primarily by blocking the receptors that naturally bind to serotonin and noradrenaline at the nerve endings.

Inhibition of binding sites, contributes to an increase in the concentration of serotonin and noradrenaline in the space between the synapses of neurons. In addition, it also has the ability to bind to receptors located outside the central nervous system, in other parts of the body.

Amitriptyline blocks, inter alia, histamine receptors causing sedation and influencing noradrenergic transmission by inhibiting migraine headaches.

Amitriptyline use

Amitriptyline was used:

  • to treat depression,
  • in states of psychomotor agitation,
  • in anxiety disorders,
  • in diabetic neuropathy,
  • in sleep disorders,
  • in excessive excitability,
  • in fibromyalgia
  • and in irritable bowel syndrome.

In the treatment of migraine and in the adjunctive treatment of pain of neuropathic origin.

Indications for the use of amitriptyline

It is recommended to use the preparation intreat depression in adults and to calm you down.

Contraindications to the use of amitriptyline

Do not use the drug if you are allergic to amitriptyline and to any of the modules listed in the composition of the drug.

Contraindication to the use of the drug is, among others :

  • age under 6,
  • severe liver failure,
  • recent heart attack
  • as well as heart rhythm disturbances,
  • coronary artery disease,
  • manic arousal state.

Amitriptyline dosage

The drug should be used as described in the patient information leaflet or according to specific guidelines and recommendations of a doctor or pharmacist.

If in doubt, consult your doctor or pharmacist.

Precautions

Patients should be treated with caution when using amitriptyline:

  • with liver failure,
  • hyperthyroidism
  • and when the patient is taking thyroid hormones,
  • when the patient has mental disorders such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, paranoid symptoms, epilepsy, prostatic hyperplasia, angle-closure glaucoma.

Caution should also be exercised when taking the drug in patients with:

  • blood disorders,
  • asthma,
  • urinary retention,
  • with alcoholism
  • or if the patient is to undergo surgery.

Side effects of amitriptyline

Amitriptyline can mainly cause:

  • headache,
  • increase in blood pressure,
  • tachycardia,
  • hallucinations,
  • skin eruptions,
  • difficulty urinating,
  • confusion,
  • gastrointestinal disorders (nausea, vomiting),
  • muscle tremors,
  • convulsions,
  • excessive sweating.

Interaction with other drugs and diseases

In order to avoid undesirable ailments, inform your doctor or pharmacist about all medications that are currently or recently used, as well as about medications that the patient is going to use.

You should also inform your doctor about your current he alth condition, about any diseases or additional ailments you are struggling with.

Do not use amitriptyline simultaneously with drugs from the group of MAO inhibitors and within 2 weeks of taking the last dose of these drugs and with sympathomimetic drugs such as adrenaline, noradrenaline, isoprenaline, ephedrine, phenylephrine and phenylpropanolamine.

Pregnancyand breastfeeding

Before taking the drug, inform your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. In most cases, the drug can be used during pregnancy in cases where the benefit to the mother outweighs the risk to the fetus. The drug is contraindicated during breastfeeding.

Storing medicine

The drug should be stored in a suitable place that is invisible and inaccessible to children. Store in a dry place below 25 ° C in the original packaging. The drug should not be used after the expiry date stated on the package. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.

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He alth