Posted by SLS on March 23, 2001, at 8:28:30
In reply to Update , posted by shelby on March 22, 2001, at 21:36:11
Hi Shelby,
Regarding nortriptyline:
> So at least I know that I can still play around with dosages and will do so after antibiotics for my tooth
Nortriptyline (Pamelor) is perhaps the only tricyclic antidepressant that demonstrates a true therapeutic window. You can actually take too much and lose the antidepressant effect. You can play with dosages, but you have a limited range with an upper and lower limit within which you must stay.
The window for nortriptyline is rather narrow. The only way to be sure where you are within the window is to take blood tests to determine blood-levels. Nortriptyline has been the most heavily studied tricyclic drug with respect to therapeutic blood levels.
The range for therapeutic blood concentrations of nortriptyline lies between 50 and 150 ng/ml (nanograms per milliliter).
I have recently switched from desipramine to nortriptyline. After ten days (5 half-lives) at 100mg, my blood level was 123ng/ml. I will have a better idea next week as to how much flexibility there is in the therapeutic window for any one individual.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:56899
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010319/msgs/57251.html