According to the instruction, Amitriptyline is appointed for treatment of depressions of the involutional, reactive, endogenous, medicinal nature, and also depressions against the background of an alcohol abuse, the organic lesions of a brain which are followed by sleep disorders, agitation, uneasiness.

Indications to use of Amitriptyline are:

Schizophrenic psychoses;
The emotional mixed frustration;
Behavior disorders;
Night enuresis (besides which is caused by a low tone of a bladder);
Nervous bulimia;
Chronic pains (migraine, atypical front pains, hurt cancer patients, a posttraumatic and diabetic neuropathy, rheumatic pains, post-herpetic neuralgia).

Amitriptyline is applied also at peptic ulcers of a GIT, to removal of headaches and prevention of migraine.

Contraindications

Use of Amitriptyline is contraindicated at:

Disturbance of conductivity of a myocardium;
The expressed hypertensia;
Acute diseases of kidneys and liver;
Bladder atonies;
Prostatauxes;
Paralytic intestinal impassability;
Hypersensitivity;
Pregnancies and lactations;
Age up to 6 years.

Route of administration and dosage

It is necessary to swallow of tablets of Amitriptyline, without chewing.

Starting dosage for adults – 25-50 mg, accept drug for the night. For 5-6 days the dosage is increased, brought to 150-200 mg/days, use them in 3 receptions.

In the instruction of Amitriptyline it is specified that the dosage is increased to 300 mg/days if in 2 weeks improvement of a state is not observed. When symptoms of a depression disappeared, it is necessary to reduce a dosage to 50-100 mg/days.

If the condition of the patient does not improve within 3-4 weeks of treatment, further therapy is considered inexpedient.

To elderly patients at insignificant disturbances of a tablet of drug appoint 30-100 mg/days in a dosage, accept them for the night. After improvement of a state patients are allowed to pass 25-50 mg/days to the minimum dosage.

Intravenously or intramusculary means is entered slowly in a dosage of 20-40 mg by 4 times a day. Treatment lasts 6-8 months.

Drug at neurologic pains (including chronic headaches) and for prevention of migraine accept 12,5-100 mg/days in a dosage.

To children of 6-10 years at night enuresis give 10-20 mg of drug a day, for the night, to children of 11-16 years – 25-50 mg/days.

For treatment of a depression to children of 6-12 years Amitriptyline appoint in a dose 10-30 mg or 1-5 mg/kg/days, fractionally.

Side effects

Use of Amitriptyline can cause deterioration in sight, disturbance of an urination, dryness in a mouth, increase in intraocular pressure, fervescence, a lock, functional intestinal impassability.

Usually all these side effects take place after reduction of the appointed doses or after accustoming of the patient to drug.

Besides, at treatment can be observed by drug:

Weakness, drowsiness and fatigue;
Ataxy;
Sleeplessness;
Dizziness;
Nightmares;
Confusion of consciousness and irritability;
Tremor;
Motive excitement, hallucinations, disturbance of attention;
Paresthesias;
Spasms;
Arrhythmia and tachycardia;
Nausea, heartburn, stomatitis, vomiting, language discoloration, discomfort in epigastriums;
Anorexia;
Increase in activity of liver enzymes, diarrhea, jaundice;
Galactorrhoea;
Change of a potentiality, libido, hypostasis of testicles;
Urticaria, itch, purpura;
Hair loss;
Increase in lymph nodes.

Special instructions

The antidepressive effect of drug develops in 14-28 days from the moment of the beginning of use.

According to the instruction, Amitriptyline should be taken with caution at:

To bronchial asthma;
Maniac-depressive psychosis;
Alcoholism;
Epilepsies;
Oppression of the hemopoietic function of marrow;
Hyperthyroidism;
Stenocardias;
Heart failure;
Intraocular hypertensia;
To closed-angle glaucoma;
Schizophrenia.

During treatment Amitriptyline forbids driving of the car and work with potentially dangerous mechanisms demanding high concentration of attention and also alcohol intake.