Amitriptyline, Oral

What are other names for this medicine?

Type of medicine: tricyclic antidepressant

Generic and brand names: amitriptyline, oral; Elavil

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is taken by mouth to relieve anxiety and depression.

What should my health care provider know before I take this medicine?

Tell your health care provider if you have a history of:

• glaucoma
• heart attack
• overactive thyroid
• seizures (convulsions)
• urinary retention (cannot urinate).

Females of childbearing age: Tell your health care provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while taking this medicine. If you become pregnant while taking this medicine, contact your health care provider. Do not take this medicine if you are breast-feeding without your health care provider's approval.

How do I take it?

Take this medicine exactly as your health care provider prescribes.

This medicine may take a week or more to work. Do not change the dosage or frequency unless your health care provider approves. Do not stop taking this medicine without your health care provider's approval.

Do not miss a dose. If you do miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember unless it is almost time for the next scheduled dose. In that case, skip the missed dose and take the next one as directed. Do not take double doses. If you are not sure of what to do if you miss a dose, or if you miss more than one dose, contact your health care provider.

What should I watch out for?

If you develop twitching or involuntary movements of your body or face, contact your health care provider right away.

If you develop a rash when you start taking this medicine, contact your health care provider, especially if you also have a fever.

Diabetics: This medicine may affect your blood sugar level and change the amount of insulin or other diabetes medicines you may need. Talk to your health care provider about this.

This medicine may cause weight gain. Ask your health care provider about this.

You may need regular blood tests to find out how this medicine affects your blood and your liver. Keep all appointments for these tests.

This medicine may increase the effects of alcohol and other drugs that slow down your nervous system. Do not drink alcohol or take other medicines unless your health care provider approves.

This medicine may cause drowsiness or blurred vision. Do not drive or operate machinery unless you are fully alert and can see clearly.

This medicine may make you may feel dizzy if you get up quickly after sitting or lying down. Getting up slowly may help.

Before you have any kind of surgery or emergency treatment, tell the health care provider you are taking this medicine.

This medicine may make your skin more sensitive to the sun and may cause you to sunburn more easily. While you are taking this medicine, avoid long exposure to the sun. While you are in the sun, wear protective clothing and sunscreen lotion until you know how you will react to the sun. Do not use a sunlamp. If you get a severe sunburn, contact your health care provider right away.

What are the possible side effects?

Along with its needed effects, your medicine may cause some unwanted side effects. Some side effects may be very serious. Some side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your health care provider if you have any side effects that continue or get worse.

Serious (report these to your health care provider right away): Serious muscle problems, loss of bladder control, seizures, weakness, trouble breathing, high fever with rash, inability to urinate, rapid heartbeat.

Other: Headache, dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth, nausea, bad taste.

What products might interact with this medicine?

When you take this medicine with other medicines, it can change the way this or any of the other medicines work. Nonprescription medicines, vitamins, natural remedies, and certain foods may also interact. Using these products together might cause harmful side effects. Talk to your health care provider if you are taking:

• antidepressants such as fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), fluvoxamine (Luvox), and citalopram (Celexa)
• barbiturates such as phenobarbital (Solfoton) and butabarbital (Butisol)
• birth control pills and estrogen products such as Premarin
• blood thinners such as warfarin (Coumadin)
• bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban)
• charcoal
• clonidine (Catapres)
• disulfiram (Antabuse)
• flecainide (Tambocor)
• guanethidine (Ismelin)
• haloperidol (Haldol)
• heartburn medicines such as cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid, Pepcid AC, Pepcid Complete), nizatidine (Axid), and ranitidine (Zantac, Zantac 75)
• levodopa (Sinemet)
• MAO inhibitor antidepressants such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), and tranylcypromine (Parnate) (Do not take an MAO inhibitor and this medicine within 14 days of each other.)
• nicotine (smoking)
• phenothiazines such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine), prochlorperazine (Compazine), promazine (Sparine), thioridazine (Mellaril), and trifluoperazine (Stelazine)
• procainamide (Pronestyl)
• propafenone (Rythmol)
• quinidine (Quinora, Quinaglute, Quinidex)
• sedatives such as flurazepam (Dalmane) and temazepam (Restoril)
• sparfloxacin (Zagam)
• valproic acid (Depakote, Depakene)

The effects of this medicine may be increased if you take it with grapefruit juice. Discuss this with your health care provider.

Keep a list of all your medicines (prescription, nonprescription, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins) with you. Be sure that you tell all health care providers who treat you about all the products you are taking.

This advisory includes selected information only and may not include all side effects of this medicine or interactions with other medicines. Ask your health care provider or pharmacist for more information or if you have any questions.

Ask your pharmacist for the best way to dispose of outdated medicine or medicine you have not used. Do not throw medicine in the trash.

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Do not share medicines with other people.