You need to avoid drinking alcohol as it might raise the risk of getting side effects, especially drowsiness and dizziness while taking amitriptyline. This effect will probably be worse after any dose increases or in the event that you drink alcohol when you begin treatment.
Amitriptyline can cause drowsiness, reduced alertness, dizziness and blurry eyesight and may lessen your eligibility to drive or operate machinery. Don’t drive or operate machinery until you understand how this medication affects you and you’re certain it will not impact your operation.
Amitriptyline can sometimes cause your blood pressure to drop in the event that you are taking a diuretic medication including furosemide, or when you move from a lying down or sitting position to sitting or standing, particularly when you initially begin taking the medication. This might cause you to feel dizzy or unsteady. To prevent this try getting up slowly.
Amitriptyline can lead to a dry mouth, which might raise the risk of tooth decay with long term use of the medication.
Antidepressants may create the quantity of sodium in the blood – a condition called hyponatraemia. This may cause symptoms for example confusion, drowsiness, muscle twitching or convulsions. Elderly individuals might be especially susceptible to this effect. You ought to talk with your physician in the event you develop some of these symptoms while taking amitriptyline, if required, in order for your blood sodium level might be assessed.
It might take between two to four weeks for amitriptyline to begin to work, therefore it is crucial that you just keep taking it, even should it not appear to make much difference at first.
In the event that you are taking amitriptyline for melancholy and you also feel your depression has got worse, or in case you have any distressing thoughts or feelings, especially about suicide or hurting yourself in the very first couple of weeks of treatment, or really at any given stage during treatment or after stopping treatment, then it’s very crucial that you speak with your physician.
Because this can cause withdrawal symptoms unless instructed to by your physician you must not abruptly stop taking amitriptyline. Withdrawal symptoms are temporary and aren’t due to dependency or addiction on the medication. As directed by your physician, they could be prevented by discontinuing treatment slowly over several weeks.
During long term treatment with this particular medication your doctor might want to track liver function and your heart and take blood tests to track the rates of blood cells in your blood. You need to let your physician know in the event that you get any unusual bruising or bleeding, signs of diseases including sore throat or a fever, or some other troubling side effects when you are taking amitriptyline.
Ask your doctor before using amitriptyline together with ethanol, this cause increased side effects and could change the effects of amitriptyline. You must be warned not to exceed recommended dosages, to prevent booze, and to prevent actions requiring mental alertness. You may need a dose adjustment to take this mix in case your physician prescribes these medications together. It’s important to tell your physician about all other medicines you use, including herbs and vitamins. Don’t quit using any medications without first talking to your physician.
