Amitriptyline: Knowing More About This Other Insomnia Medication

Amitriptyline as an antidepressant may be used as an insomnia medication. You must be very careful when it comes to this drug as it may result to some dreadful adverse reactions. Read along for more facts.

Classifying insomnia treatments depend upon how it is used and in what category it falls. For the purpose of discussion in this site, those which do not fall under benzodiazepine and non-benzodiazepine sedatives fall under other insomnia medications. One of the drugs taking this stand is amitriptyline. Find out why it is found under this topic.

Amitriptyline is an anti-depressant drug. Since it is a treatment that is used in treating the psychological disorder known as depression, it has that capacity of treating insomnia as well. As we all know there are a lot of psychological dealings which really causes one’s inability to sleep at night.

Amitriptyline significant facts

This other insomnia medication starts it work as it affects the neurotransmitters in the brain. It has the ability to elevate the mood of the person using it by increasing the neurotransmitter levels. It is believed that these chemicals are in their abnormal stages when a person is depressed. Because of amitriptyline, this mood changes into a more positive note thus it was approved by the FDA in May 1983.

Here are some other facts as to the dosage, administration, drug interaction and adverse effects of this drug:

• Prescription and Dosage. This drug needs prescription from your physicians and is available with this generic name. It comes in tablets with 10, 25, 50, 75, 100 and 150 mg strengths. This may be taken with or without meals and should be divided in equal doses of 40 to 150 mg a day. If the lowest dosage of 40 mg is enough to relieve depression, then go for the least.

• Contraindications. When used with monoamine oxidase inhibiting drugs, amitriptyline may result to high fever or convulsions. Death may even be an end product of the combination of the two. With epinephrine, high blood pressure may become a problem while with alcohol, sedative effects become evident.

• Warnings. There are reports that amitriptyline may be excreted in the mother’s milk thus affecting the infant whose mother is taking the drug. Even the safety of pregnant women taking the drug is not guaranteed. In these cases, it is better not to take the medication should you be conceiving or breastfeeding.

• Side Effects. When taking in this drug, adverse reactions may be felt by some patients. Be very careful in taking this drug because it may bring you to a more difficult situation like fast heart rates or palpitation, blurring of vision, constipation, either weight gain or weight loss, low blood pressure and retention of the urine in the urinary tract. The most extraordinary cases include rashes, hives, hepatitis and seizures.

You should take note that you could not abruptly stop the intake of amitriptyline. If you will do so, there is a great chance that you will encounter withdrawal syndromes such as nausea and vomiting. There are also some patients who may result to suicidal thinking and other clinical behaviors which worsen through time. It is best to give proper care and consistent monitoring of these cases.

Tags: amitriptyline, anti-depressant drug, benzodiazepine, depression, insomnia, non-benzodiazepine, other insomnia medications

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