Nortriptyline: Drug Information

Other names: Nordep, Nortin, Primox, Sensival

Drug Class: Tricyclic, Antidepressant

Uses of Nortriptyline:

Nortriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant and helps elevate the mood. It is primarily used to treat endogenous depression as well as reactive and involuntary depression. Nortriptyline works by disrupting the reuptake of nonadrenaline and serotonin at the synaptic cleft. This medicine also hasantimuscirinic and sedative properties.

Dosage:

Nortriptyline is available in the form of capsules for oral intake and can be taken with or without meals at equal intervals everyday. It is recommended that you stick to the dosage prescribed by your doctor and do not stop taking the drug abruptly as it may worsen some of the symptoms of the disorder for which you are being treated.

Warning and Precautions:

Do not take Nortriptyline if you are hypersensitive to it.

This medicine should not be given to patients suffering from mania, recovering from recent MI and epileptic patients.

Nortriptyline is not recommended for intake during lactation.

This medicine should not be given to infants and children below the age of 6 years.

You must tell your doctor if you have any other ailment such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure or close angled glaucoma before taking this medicine. Caution and close monitoring is required when administering the drug to patients diagnosed with the above illnesses.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant before taking this medicine.

Drug Interactions:

Co-administration of Nortriptyline with phenothiazines raises blood plasma levels. Nortriptyline should not be taken with mono amine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) as it may result in a severe hyperpyretic reaction. It is therefore, advisable to use Nortriptyline only two weeks after stopping MAOI therapy. This medicine should not be used with nonadrenaline and anticoagulant action of coumarins.

Side effects of Nortriptyline:

Some of the most common side effects of the medication include raised heart rate, slowed conduction and prolongation of P-R interval, lowered seizure threshold, dry mouth, peripheral neuropathy, constipation, urinary hesitancy, mental confusion, blurred vision, cholestatic jaundice, excitability, insomnia., restlessness and increased sweating.

Overdose:

Nortriptyline overdose symptoms include shock, congestive heart failure, pulmonary edema, cardiac dysrhythmias, chronic hypertension and CNS depression.In case of an overdose of the medication, you must report to your doctor at the earliest or contact your local poison control center.