LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Nortriptyline
built 479 days ago
Nortriptyline hydrochloride is a pill given by mouth once a day at bedtime, so you will sleep better. Once you start taking the pills, it may take up to 2 weeks to feel the full effect. Other benefits like sleeping better and decreased pain will happen right away. The dose depends on your age, how well the medicine helps you, and how well your liver is working. Your doctor may need to gradually increase the dose. In addition, the doctor will monitor the drug level in the blood.
Source:
Nortriptyline is in the class of drugs called tricyclic antidepressants. Nortriptyline treats depression by raising the level of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and norepinephrine. In addition to treating depression, nortriptyline can be used to treat neuropathic pain which is caused by prostate cancer chemotherapy. Prostate cancer patients who must undergo chemotherapy may experience side effects of the nervous system that result in neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain is difficult to treat; even the most powerful pain killers are usually ineffective. Researchers are not yet sure why tricyclic antidepressants have shown effectiveness in decreasing neuropathic pain; ... drugs like nortriptyline have been effective for neurological side effects of prostate cancer chemotherapy.
Source:
Nortriptyline is known to prolong the QT interval. The QT interval is measured as the time and distance between the Q point of the QRS complex and the end of the T wave in the ECG tracing. After adjustment for heart rate, the QT interval is defined as prolonged if it is more than 450 msec in men and 460 msec in women. A long QT syndrome was first described in the 1950s and 60s as a congenital syndrome involving QT interval prolongation and syncope and sudden death. Some of the congenital long QT syndromes were characterized by a peculiar electrocardiographic appearance of the QRS complex involving a premature atria beat followed by a pause, then a subsequent sinus beat showing marked QT prolongation and deformity. This type of cardiac arrhythmia was originally termed “torsade de pointes” (translated from the French as “twisting of the points”).
Source:
Be careful when driving, operating machinery, or performing other hazardous activities as Nortriptyline usage may lead to drowsiness, dizziness, or blurred vision. Try to avoid such activities. Alcohol and certain other medicines (eg, sedatives, tranquilizers, depressants) may increase the risk of unfavorable reactions while taking Nortriptyline. Dizziness may be increased by alcoholic beverages, hot weather, exercise, and fever. It is recommended to sit up or stand slowly, especially in the morning to prevent dizziness or fainting. You should sit or lie down at the first sign of dizziness, lightheadedness, or weakness.
Source:
Nortriptyline is ... occasionally used for a completely different purpose - for the treatment of bedwetting in children. It works in this situation by blocking receptors called cholinergic or muscarinic receptors that are found on the surface of muscle cells in the wall of the bladder. This prevents a chemical called acetylcholine from acting on these receptors. Acetylcholine acting on these receptors normally causes the muscle in the bladder wall to contract, and the bladder to empty. By reducing this, nortriptyline helps the muscle in the bladder wall to relax. This reduces unstable, involuntary contractions of the bladder, and thereby increases the capacity of the bladder to hold urine.
Source:
Nortriptyline is well absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract with peak plasma concentrations occurring between 2 and 8 hours after administration. Bioavailability is about 30 to 70%, with extensive first-pass hepatic metabolism. Nortriptyline is approximately 90% protein bound, and is a substrate of CYP1A2 and CYP2D6. Its inactive metabolites are excreted in the urine.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Nortriptyline