Protriptyline

Conditions Treated

Protriptyline is used to treat depression. Protriptyline is in a class of medications called tricyclic antidepressants. It works by increasing the amounts of certain natural substances in the brain that help maintain mental balance.

Possible Side Effects

What Side Effects Can This Cause?

Protriptyline may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• loss of appetite
• weight changes
• unusual taste in the mouth
• stomach pain or cramps
• heartburn
• dry mouth
• constipation
• drowsiness
• dizziness
• nightmares
• headaches
• frequent urination, especially at night
• difficulty urinating
• wide pupils
• changes in sex drive or ability
• breast enlargement in men and women
• unsteadiness
• ringing in ears
• hair loss
• flushing
• sweating
• black tongue

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, call your doctor immediately:

• slow or difficult speech
• weakness or numbness of an arm or a leg
• crushing chest pain
• rapid, pounding, or irregular heartbeat
• rash or hives
• itching
• swelling of the face or tongue
• yellowing of the skin or eyes
• jaw, neck, and back muscle spasms
• uncontrollable shaking of a part of the body
• fainting
• blurred vision
• difficulty walking
• unusual bleeding or bruising
• seizures
• confusion
• hallucination (seeing things or hearing voices that do not exist)
• believing things that are not true
• fever
• pain, burning, or tingling in the hands or feet

Protriptyline may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].

Usage Instructions

How Should This Medication Be Used

Protriptyline comes as a tablet to take by mouth. It is usually taken three or four times a day. Take protriptyline at around the same times every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take protriptyline exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. Your doctor will probably start you on a low dose of protriptyline and gradually increase your dose. Your doctor may decrease your dose after your condition is controlled. Protriptyline controls depression but does not cure it. Continue to take protriptyline even if you feel well. Do not stop taking protriptyline without talking to your doctor. If you suddenly stop taking protriptyline, you may experience withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, headache, and lack of energy.

What Dietary Instructions Should I Follow

Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, continue your normal diet.

Are There Any Special Instructions

Before taking protriptyline, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to protriptyline or any other medications. tell your doctor if you are taking cisapride (Propulsid) (not available in the U.S.) or monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors such as isocarboxazid (Marplan); phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), and tranylcypromine (Parnate), or if you have taken an MAO inhibitor during the past 14 days. Your doctor will probably tell you that you should not take protriptyline. tell your doctor and pharmacist what other prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone); antihistamines; bupropion (Wellbutrin); celecoxib (Celebrex); cimetidine (Tagamet); doxorubicin (Adriamycin); guanethidine (Ismelin); ipratropium (Atrovent); medications for anxiety, asthma, colds, diabetes, irritable bowel disease, mental illness, motion sickness, Parkinson's disease, seizures, ulcers, or urinary problems; medications for irregular heartbeat such as flecainide (Tambocor), moricizine (Ethmozine), and propafenone (Rythmol); methadone (Dolophine); metoclopramide (Reglan); other antidepressants; quinidine; ranitidine (Zantac); reserpine (Serpasil); ritonavir (Norvir); selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft); sedatives; sleeping pills; terbinafine (Lamisil); thyroid medications; tramadol (Ultram); and tranquilizers. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have stopped taking fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem) in the past 5 weeks. Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects. tell your doctor if you have recently had a heart attack. Your doctor will probably tell you not to take protriptyline. tell your doctor if you drink large amounts of alcohol; if you are undergoing electroshock therapy (procedure in which small electric shocks are administered to the brain to treat certain mental illnesses); or if you have or have ever had glaucoma (an eye disease), an enlarged prostate (a male reproductive organ), difficulty urinating, mental illness, seizures, hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid gland), or diabetes. if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking protriptyline. you should know that protriptyline may make you drowsy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you. remember that alcohol can add to the drowsiness caused by this medication. plan to avoid unnecessary or prolonged exposure to sunlight and to wear protective clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Protriptyline may make your skin sensitive to sunlight. you should know that protriptyline may cause dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting when you get up too quickly from a lying position. This is more common when you first start taking protriptyline. To avoid this problem, get out of bed slowly, resting your feet on the floor for a few minutes before standing up.