There are cases where young people had suicidal thoughts after taking nortriptyline medicine for the first time. When you are using nortriptyline, your physician will check for regular progress for which you will need to regularly visit the doctor. Caregivers or family members must be aware of your mood and behavior changing symptoms.
How Effective is Nortriptyline?
Nortriptyline medicine is an effective tricyclic antidepressant. Nortriptyline medicine has the ability to affect unbalanced chemicals in the brain with people suffering from depression.
Nortriptyline medicine is mainly used for effective treatment of symptoms of depression.
If you have any allergic to certain type of medicines or have recently had a heart attack, do not use Nortriptyline.
If you have any worsening or new symptoms such as anxiety, behavior or mood changes, irritable, feeling impulsive, panic attacks, hostile, agitated, trouble sleeping, hyperactive (physically or mentally), suicidal thoughts, thoughts to hurt yourself, more depressed, etc., inform your doctor.
Prior to Taking Nortriptyline
If you are allergic to nortriptyline, do not take it, or if
Allergic to other antidepressants like desipraine, trimipramine, amitriptyline, doxepin, clomipramine, protriptyline, imipramine
Recently had a heart attack
Allergic to any medicines to treat seizure like oxcarbazepine, carbamazepine, rufinamide, esliccarbazepine
In case you have used MAO inhibitor in the past two weeks, do not use nortriptyline medicine. Inhibitors like selegiline, linezolid, rasagiline, methylene blue injection, tranylcypromine, isocarboxazid. There are high possibilities of a dangerous drug interaction or happen if taken.
In order to make nortriptyline medicine safe for you, inform your doctor If you have any of these conditions
- Liver disease.
- Bipolar disorder (manic depression).
- Heart disease, or any history of stroke, heart attack or seizure.
- Mental illness or schizophrenia.
- Narrow angle glaucoma.
- Thyroid disorder.
- Urination problems.
- Diabetes (this medicine can lower or raise blood sugar level).
There are cases where young people had suicidal thoughts after taking nortriptyline medicine for the first time. When you are using nortriptyline, your physician will check for regular progress for which you will need to regularly visit the doctor. Caregivers or family members must be aware of your mood and behavior changing symptoms.
If you are planning to become pregnant or pregnant at the time of treatment, inform your doctor as it is unknown if nortriptyline medicine will harm the unborn child
If you are breast feeding your child, inform your doctor as it is unknown if nortriptyline medicine passes through breast milk to the child
Nortriptyline medicine is not approved for children and do not give to a child without medical advice
What is the Recommended Dosage of Nortriptyline?
Treatment for Depression – Regular Adult Dosage
3-4 times in a day orally
maximum nortriptyline dosage: orally 150 mg in a day
Plasma levels are to be checked and monitored in the optimum range of 50 to 150 ng/ml when dosages of above 100 mg are given in a single day
In case the patient shows any side effects, the dosage levels must be reduced
If any serious allergic manifestation develops in the patient the medicine should be discontinued
The complete daily dosage can be given one time in a day.
Nortriptyline medicine is used for the treatment of relief of depression symptoms.
Treatment for Depression – Regular Geriatric Dosage
Orally 30-50 mg in a day (the dosages must be given in divided dosage throughout the day)
The complete daily nortriptyline dosage can be given one time in a day
Nortriptyline medicine is used for the treatment of relief of depression symptoms.
What are the Side Effects of Nortriptyline?
If you have any worsening or new symptoms, you must report to your physician. Here are a couple of symptoms you must take seriously such as hyperactive (physically or mentally), panic attacks, anxiety, behavior or mood changes, irritable, feeling impulsive, difficulty in sleeping, hostile, agitated, thoughts to hurt yourself, suicidal thoughts, more depressed, aggressive, etc.
Also get immediate medical assistance if you have any of these following severe side effects of nortriptyline:
- Eye swelling or pain, tunnel vision, blurred vision, seeing halos around lights
- Seizure (convulsion’s)
- Light headed feeling like passing out
- Restless muscle movements in aw, eyes, neck, tongue
- Jaundice (yellowing of eyes or skin)
- Sore throat, fever, unusual bleeding, easy bruising
- Sudden weakness or numbness, difficulty in speech, vision or balance
- Worsening or new chest pain, fluttering in chest or pounding heartbeats
- Difficult or painful urination
Increased serotonin levels in the body – fast heart rate, agitation, nausea, fainting, diarrhea, overactive reflexes, fever, hallucinations, vomiting, and loss of coordination.
There are high chances or older adults to have more side effects from the nortriptyline medicine.
Here are the other common side effects of nortriptyline medicine:
- Constipation
- No or little urinating
- Loss of appetite, vomiting, nausea
- Insomnia (sleep problems), anxiety
- Unusualtaste, dry mouth
- Decreased sex drive, difficulty in having orgasm, impotence
- Breast swelling both in women and men are also side effects of nortriptyline
- Vision changes.
