AMITRIPTYLINE DRUG INFO
HOW TO USE
AMITRIPTYLINE:
Take Amitriptyline tablets by mouth. Follow the
directions on the prescription label. Swallow the
tablets with a drink of water. You can take the tablets
with or without food. Take your doses at regular
intervals. Do not take your medicine more often than
directed. Do not stop taking except on your prescriber's
advice.
Contact your pediatrician or health care professional
regarding the use of this medicine in children. Special
care may be needed.
Adolescents, 12 to 18 years old, and elderly patients
over 65 years old may have a stronger reaction to this
medicine and need smaller doses.
AMITRIPTYLINE
SIDE
EFFECTS: Side effects that you should report to your
prescriber or health care professional as soon as
possible: abnormal production of milk in females;
blurred vision or eye pain; breast enlargement in both
males and females; confusion, hallucinations (seeing or
hearing things that are not really there); difficulty
breathing; fainting spells; fever with increased
sweating; irregular or fast, pounding heartbeat,
palpitations; muscle stiffness, or spasms; pain or
difficulty passing urine, loss of bladder control;
seizures (convulsions); sexual difficulties (decreased
sexual ability or desire, difficulty ejaculating);
stomach pain; swelling of the testicles; tingling, pain,
or numbness in the feet or hands; unusual weakness or
tiredness; yellowing of the eyes or skin.
Side effects that usually do not require medical
attention (report to your prescriber or health care
professional if they continue or are bothersome):
anxiety; constipation, or diarrhea; drowsiness or
dizziness; dry mouth; increased sensitivity of the skin
to sun or ultraviolet light; loss of appetite; nausea,
vomiting; skin rash or itching; weight gain or loss.
AMITRIPTYLINE
PRECAUTIONS: Visit your prescriber or health care
professional for regular checks on your progress. It can
take several days before you feel the full effect of
Amitriptyline.
If you have been taking Amitriptyline regularly for some
time, do not suddenly stop taking it. You must gradually
reduce the dose or you may get severe side effects. Ask
your prescriber or health care professional for advice.
Even after you stop taking Amitriptyline it can still
affect your body for several days.
You may get drowsy or dizzy. Do not drive, use
machinery, or do anything that needs mental alertness
until you know how Amitriptyline affects you. Do not
stand or sit up quickly, especially if you are an older
patient. This reduces the risk of dizzy or fainting
spells. Alcohol may increase dizziness and drowsiness.
Avoid alcoholic drinks.
Do not treat yourself for coughs, colds or allergies
without asking your prescriber or health care
professional for advice. Some ingredients can increase
possible side effects.
Your mouth may get dry. Chewing sugarless gum or sucking
hard candy, and drinking plenty of water will help.
Amitriptyline may cause dry eyes and blurred vision. If
you wear contact lenses you may feel some discomfort.
Lubricating drops may help. See your ophthalmologist if
the problem does not go away or is severe.
Amitriptyline may make your skin more sensitive to the
sun. Keep out of the sun, or wear protective clothing
outdoors and use a sunscreen. Do not use sun lamps or
sun tanning beds or booths.
If you are diabetic, check your blood sugar more often
than usual, especially during the first few weeks of
treatment with Amitriptyline. Amitriptyline can affect
blood glucose (sugar) levels. Call your prescriber or
health care professional for advice if you notice a
change in the results of blood or urine glucose tests.
If you are going to have surgery or will need an x-ray
procedure that uses contrast agents, tell your
prescriber or health care professional that you are
taking Amitriptyline.
AMITRIPTYLINE
DRUG
INTERACTIONS: Amitriptyline can interact with many
other medicines. Some interactions can be very
important. Make sure your prescriber or health care
professional knows about all other medicines you are
taking. Many important interactions are listed below:
Do not take Amitriptyline with any of the following
medications: astemizole (Hismanal®); cisapride (Propulsid®);
probucol; terfenadine (Seldane®); thioridazine (Mellaril®);
medicines called MAO inhibitors-phenelzine (Nardil®),
tranylcypromine (Parnate®), isocarboxazid (Marplan®),
selegiline (Eldepryl®); other medicines for mental
depression (may be duplicate therapies or cause additive
side effects).
Amitriptyline may also interact with any of the
following medications: alcohol; antacids; atropine and
related drugs like hyoscyamine, scopolamine, tolterodine
and others; barbiturate medicines for inducing sleep or
treating seizures (convulsions), such as phenobarbital;
blood thinners, such as warfarin; bromocriptine;
bupropion; cimetidine; clonidine; cocaine; delavirdine;
diphenoxylate; disulfiram; donepezil; drugs for treating
HIV infection; female hormones, including contraceptive
or birth control pills and estrogen; galantamine; herbs
and dietary supplements like ephedra (Ma huang), kava
kava, SAM-e, St. John's wort, valerian, or others ;
imatinib, STI-571; kaolin; pectin; labetalol; levodopa
and other medicines for movement problems like
Parkinson's disease; lithium; medicines for anxiety or
sleeping problems; medicines for colds, flu and
breathing difficulties, like pseudoephedrine; medicines
for hay fever or allergies (antihistamines); medicines
for weight loss or appetite control; medicines used to
regulate abnormal heartbeat or to treat other heart
conditions (examples: amiodarone, bepridil, disopyramide,
dofetilide, encainide, flecainide, ibutilide, mibefradil,
procainamide, propafenone, quinidine, and others);
metoclopramide; muscle relaxants, like cyclobenzaprine;
other medicines for mental or mood problems and
psychotic disturbances; prescription pain medications
like morphine, codeine, tramadol and others;
procarbazine; seizure (convulsion) or epilepsy medicine
such as carbamazepine or phenytoin; stimulants like
dexmethylphenidate or methylphenidate; some antibiotics
(examples: erythromycin, gatifloxacin, levofloxacin,
linezolid, moxifloxacin, sotalol, sparfloxacin) ;
tacrine; thyroid hormones such as levothyroxine.
Tell your prescriber or health care professional about
all other medicines you are taking, including
non-prescription medicines, nutritional supplements, or
herbal products. Also tell your prescriber or health
care professional if you are a frequent user of drinks
with caffeine or alcohol, if you smoke, or if you use
illegal drugs. These may affect the way your medicine
works. Check with your health care professional before
stopping or starting any of your medicines.
AMITRIPTYLINE
NOTES:
Prescriber needs to know if you have any of these
conditions: an alcohol problem; asthma, difficulty
breathing; blood disorders or disease; diabetes;
difficulty passing urine, prostate trouble; glaucoma;
having intramuscular injections; heart disease or
previous heart attack; liver disease; over active
thyroid; Parkinson's disease; schizophrenia; seizures
(convulsions); stomach disease; an unusual or allergic
reaction to Amitriptyline, other medicines, foods, dyes,
or preservatives; pregnant or trying to get pregnant;
breast-feeding.
AMITRIPTYLINE
MISSED
DOSE: If you miss a dose of Amitriptyline normally
taken at bedtime to avoid daytime drowsiness, it may be
better to miss that dose. If you take more than one dose
a day and miss a dose, take it as soon as you can. If it
is almost time for your next dose, take only that dose.
Follow your prescriber's advice on missed doses. Do not
take double or extra doses.
AMITRIPTYLINE
STORAGE:
Keep Amitriptyline out of the reach of children in a
container that small children cannot open. Store at room
temperature between 15 and 30 degrees C (59 and 86
degrees F). Throw away any unused medicine after the
expiration date. |
