Nortriptyline

Generic name: nortriptyline [ nor-TRIP-ti-leen ]
Brand names: Pamelor, Aventyl HCl
Drug class:Tricyclic antidepressants

Medically reviewed by Kaci Durbin, MD. Last updated on Jul 2, 2021.

What is nortriptyline?

Nortriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant. It affects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with depression.

Nortriptyline is used to treat symptoms of depression.

Nortriptyline is not recommended for use in children.

Warnings

You should not use nortriptyline if you recently had a heart attack.

Do not use nortriptyline if you have used an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days, such as isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue injection, phenelzine, tranylcypromine and others.

Some young people have thoughts about suicide when first taking an antidepressant. Stay alert to changes in your mood or symptoms.

Report any new or worsening symptoms to your doctor, such as: mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed, or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.

Before taking this medicine

You should not use nortriptyline if:

• you are allergic to it or similar medicines (amitriptyline, amoxapine, clomipramine, desipramine, doxepin<...