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Tricyclic antidepressant with anticholinergic and sedative properties. It appears to prevent
the re-uptake of norepinephrine and serotonin at nerve terminals, thus potentiating the
action of these neurotransmitters. Amitriptyline also appears
to antagonize cholinergic and alpha-1 adrenergic responses to bioactive amines.
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References:
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Depressive states usually of moderate intensity in contrast with major depression present in neurotic and psychotic disorders.
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Articles]
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Pharmacologic Action
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Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitor
(Drugs that block the transport of adrenergic transmitters into axon terminals or into storage vesicles within terminals. The tricyclic antidepressants and amphetamines are among the therapeutically important drugs that may act via inhibition of adrenergic transport. Many of these drugs also block transport of serotonin.)
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Tricyclic Antidepressive Agent
(Substances that contain a fused three-ring moiety and are used in the treatment of
depression. These drugs block the uptake of norepinephrine and serotonin into axon
terminals and may block some subtypes of serotonin, adrenergic, and histamine receptors.
However the mechanism of their antidepressant effects is not clear because the therapeutic
effects usually take weeks
to develop and may reflect compensatory changes in the central nervous system.)
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Non-Narcotic Analgesic
(Drugs that have principally analgesic, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory actions. They do not bind to opioid receptors and are not classified under the Controlled Substances Act.)
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