Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-8mjnm Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-28T16:48:46.431Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Amitriptyline: Comparison of Three Different Dosage Schedules in Neurotic Depression

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Alessandro Levi-Minzi
Affiliation:
Neuropsychiatric Emergency Service ‘R. Bozzi‘, Via Assietta 38, 20161 Milan, Italy

Summary

Three groups of neurotic depressed patients were treated with amitriptyline, one group receiving the customary three daily doses, another a single dose in the morning, and the third a single dose at night. All three groups showed significant decrements of total scores on the Hamilton Scale for Depression and the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale without significant differences. Patients taking the drug at night showed a lower incidence of side effects.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Albrecht, P., Visscher, M. B., Bittner, J. J. & Halberg, F. (1956) Daily changes in 5-hydroxytryptamine concentration in mouse brain. Proceedings Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, 92, 703–6.Google Scholar
Braithwaite, R. A., Nakra, B. R. & Gaind, R. (1974) Steady-state plasma concentrations during single and multiple dosage schedules of amitriptyline. Psychological Medicine, 4, 338–49.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brodie, N. H., McGhie, R. L. & O'Hara, H. (1976) Once daily administration of plephenazine/nortriptyline preparation in the treatment of mixed anxiety/ depressive states. Current Medical Research Opinion, 4, 346–52.Google Scholar
De Maio, D., Caponeri, M. A., Mellado, C., Nielsen, P. N. & Scieghi, G. (1975) Scelta e modalità di uso dei farmaci anti-depressivi in rapporto alla valutazione clinico-psicometrica dei diversi quadri clinici. Acta Neurologica, 30, 307–11.Google Scholar
Hollister, L. E. (1976) Clinical use of tricyclic antidepressants. Diseases of the Nervous System, 37, 1721.Google ScholarPubMed
Horne, I., Cavagna, F., Christ, O., Fehlhaber, H. W., Heptner, W., Kellner, H. M. & Rupp, W. (1976) Pharmakinetic und Metabolism von Nomifensin. In: ALIVAL (Nomifensin): Symposium über Ergebnisse der experimentellen und klinischen Prüfung (F. K. Schatten Verlag Publ.) Stuttgart (99102).Google Scholar
Murphy, J. E. (1977) A trial of Triptizol, Lentizol and Ludiomil. VI World Congress of Psychiatry (Honolulu), Abstract N. 1492.Google Scholar
Reis, D. J., Weinbren, M. & Corvelli, A. (1968) A circadian rhythm of norepinephrine regionally in cat brain: its relationship to environmental lighting and to regional diurnal variations in brain serotonin. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 164, 135–45.Google Scholar
Rifkin, A., Quitkin, F. & Klein, D. F. (1972) A single daily dose of a new form of amitriptyline in depressive illness. British Journal of Psychiatry, 121, 457 (Correspondence).Google Scholar
Sauerbier, I. & von Mayersbach, H. (1976) Circadian variation of serotonin levels in human blood. Hormones and Metabolism Research, 8, 157–8.Google Scholar
Scheving, L. E., Harrison, W. H., Gordon, P. & Pauly, J. E. (1968) Daily fluctuations (circadian and ultradian) in biogenic amines of the rat brain. American Journal of Physiology, 214, 166–73.Google Scholar
Sedman, G. (1973) Trial of a sustained-release form of amitriptyline (Lentizol) in the treatment of depressive illness. British Journal of Psychiatry, 123, 6971.Google Scholar
Sharma, S. D. (1977) Evaluation of one-time nocturnal vis-à-vis thrice daily dosage schedule with Dothiepin (prothiadene) in depressed patients. VI World Congress of Psychiatry (Honolulu), Abstract: New Research, 7.Google Scholar
Simpson, G. M., Lee, J. H., Cuculic, Z. & Kellner, R. (1976) Two dosages of imipramine in hospitalized endogenous and neurotic depressives. Archives of General Psychiatry, 33, 10931102.Google Scholar
Sims, A. C. P. (1972) Trial of a sustained-release form of amitriptyline in the treatment of depressive illness. British Journal of Psychiatry, 120, 65–7.Google Scholar
Summers, W. K. (1977) Encouraging compliance with antidepressant therapy. Lancet, ii, 35–6.Google Scholar
Ziegler, V. E., Meyer, D. A., Rosen, S. H., Knesevich, J. W. & Biggs, J. T. (1977a) Amitriptyline dosage schedule, sampling time and tricyclic plasma levels. British Journal of Psychiatry, 131, 168–71.Google Scholar
Ziegler, V. E., Knesevich, J. W., Wylie, L. T. & Biggs, J. T. (1977b) Sampling time, dosage schedule and nortriptyline plasma levels. Archives of General Psychiatry, 34, 613–15.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.