Amitriptyline Viatris (formerly Amitriptyline Alphapharm) (Amitriptyline Hydrochloride)
Complete patient guide for uses, dosage, side effects, and safety information
Prescription RequiredQuick Facts
What Is Amitriptyline Viatris (formerly Amitriptyline Alphapharm) Used For?
Amitriptyline Viatris contains the active ingredient amitriptyline hydrochloride and is primarily used to treat depression and bedwetting in certain cases.
Primary Uses
This medication is used to treat depression. It can also be used to treat bedwetting, but only when there is no physical cause for the problem (such as bladder issues). The 10mg and 25mg tablets can be used at any stage of depression treatment, while the 50mg strength is approved only for maintenance treatment after symptoms have improved.
How It Works
Amitriptyline Viatris belongs to a group of medicines called tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). These medicines work by correcting the imbalance of certain brain chemicals called amines, which are involved in controlling mood. By fixing this imbalance, the medication can help relieve depression symptoms.
Important: This medication is not approved for use in children and adolescents under 18 years of age for treating depression, as safety and effectiveness have not been established for this age group.
How to Take Amitriptyline Viatris (formerly Amitriptyline Alphapharm)
Your doctor will determine the right dose for you based on your condition and response to treatment. Follow your doctor’s instructions carefully and continue taking the medication until told to stop.
Dosage Instructions
For depression: The usual starting dose is 75mg to 150mg per day in divided doses. For hospitalized patients, the starting dose may be 100mg to 200mg per day. Elderly patients typically receive lower doses as they may not tolerate the medication as well. Your doctor may reduce your dose to 50mg to 100mg per day once symptoms improve. For bedwetting: Doses are lower than those used for depression and depend on the person’s age and weight. The medication can be taken with or without food, either as a single dose (often at bedtime) or as divided doses throughout the day. Swallow tablets whole with water and take at the same time each day.
What If You Miss a Dose?
If you take one dose daily at bedtime and forget: Don’t take the missed dose if you wake up late at night or early morning without checking with your doctor first, as this may cause drowsiness the next day. If you take multiple doses daily: If it’s almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next scheduled dose. Otherwise, take the missed dose as soon as you remember, then return to your normal schedule. Never take a double dose to make up for a missed one.
Important: Never double your dose to make up for a missed one. If you’re unsure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Available Tablet Strengths
Side Effects
Like all medications, this medicine can cause side effects. Most are mild and temporary, but some require medical attention.
Common Side Effects
These side effects occur relatively frequently and usually don’t require emergency care:
- Dry mouth
- Altered sense of taste
- Nausea (feeling sick)
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Blurred vision
- Difficulty focusing
- Drowsiness
- Tiredness
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Lightheadedness
- Increased sweating
- Weight gain or loss
- Changes in sex drive
Seek immediate medical attention if you experience:
- Fast or irregular heartbeat
- Larger breasts than normal (in men and women)
- Tingling or numbness in hands or feet
- Uncontrolled movements, trembling, shaking
- Difficulty passing urine
- Frequent infections with fever, chills, sore throat
- Yellowing of eyes or skin (jaundice)
- Unusual bruising or bleeding
- Anxiety, restlessness, confusion
- Hallucinations
- Sudden mood switch to excitement or overactivity
- Skin rash, itching, hives
- Swelling of face or tongue
- Severe sunburn, blistering or skin swelling
- Fever with swollen lymph nodes
- Fainting or collapse
- Chest pain
- Seizures or fits
Important Warnings
There are several important conditions and situations where this medication should not be used or requires special caution.
Who Should Not Take Amitriptyline Viatris (formerly Amitriptyline Alphapharm)
Do not take this medication if you: are allergic to amitriptyline or any ingredients in the tablets; have recently had a heart attack; are taking cisapride (for stomach reflux); are taking or have taken within the last 14 days a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as phenelzine, tranylcypromine, moclobemide, or selegiline. You must wait at least 14 days after stopping a MAOI before starting this medication.
Medical Conditions to Discuss
Tell your doctor if you have or have had: heart or blood vessel problems; liver problems; glaucoma (increased eye pressure); urinary problems or difficulty passing urine; thyroid problems; seizures or fits; any mental illness other than depression (such as schizophrenia or manic depression); family history of suicide or mania. Also inform your doctor if you plan to have surgery or are undergoing electroshock therapy.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Check with your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Some babies have experienced complications immediately after delivery when mothers took this medication during pregnancy. Do not take this medication if you are breastfeeding, as it passes into breast milk and may harm your baby.
Suicide Risk: Tell your doctor immediately if you have suicidal thoughts or mood changes. This risk is higher in children, adolescents, and young adults under 25 years during the first 1-2 months of treatment.
Drug Interactions
Several medications can interact with Amitriptyline Viatris, affecting how it works or increasing the risk of side effects.
Serious Interactions: Combining with MAOIs can cause dangerous reactions including sudden high body temperature, extremely high blood pressure, and severe convulsions.
- Cisapride (stomach reflux medication)
- MAOIs including phenelzine, tranylcypromine, moclobemide, selegiline
- SSRIs like fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine (may cause serotonin syndrome)
- Blood pressure medications
- Anticholinergics (stomach cramp, travel sickness, allergy medications)
- Antipsychotic medications for mental disorders
- Quinidine and flecainide (heart rhythm medications)
- Cimetidine (reflux and ulcer medication)
- Sleeping tablets, sedatives, anti-anxiety medications
- Epilepsy medications
- Thyroid medications
- Disulfiram (alcohol deterrent)
- Tramadol (pain medication)
- Valproic acid
Alcohol & Driving
This medication can affect your alertness and coordination, making certain activities dangerous.
Alcohol
Be careful drinking alcohol while taking this medication. Combining Amitriptyline Viatris with alcohol can make you more drowsy or dizzy. Your doctor may suggest avoiding alcohol while being treated for depression.
Driving and Operating Machinery
Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you. It may reduce your alertness or cause drowsiness and dizziness. Children should not ride bikes, climb trees, or do anything that could be dangerous if they feel drowsy.
Storage
Keep your tablets in a cool, dry place where the temperature stays below 25°C. Store away from moisture, heat, and sunlight – not in the bathroom, near a sink, in the car, or on window sills. Keep the medication where children cannot reach it, preferably in a locked cupboard at least 1.5 meters above the ground.
Overdose Information
Taking too much Amitriptyline Viatris can be dangerous and potentially fatal. If you suspect an overdose, immediately call the Poisons Information Centre (Australia: 13 11 26), contact your doctor, or go to the nearest hospital emergency department – even if there are no symptoms. Overdose symptoms may include drowsiness, feeling cold, severe dizziness, fast or irregular heartbeat, seizures, difficulty breathing, or loss of consciousness. Children are especially sensitive to this medication, making accidental overdose particularly dangerous.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some people notice improvement in their depression symptoms after 3 or 4 days, but it may take up to 4 weeks to feel the full benefits. For bedwetting, most children respond within the first few days of treatment.
Yes, Amitriptyline Viatris can be taken with or without food. Take it at the same time each day for best results.
Do not stop taking this medication suddenly without checking with your doctor. Stopping suddenly may make you feel sick, cause headaches, or make you feel generally unwell. Your doctor will tell you how to gradually reduce your dose before stopping completely.
Be careful with alcohol while taking this medication. Combining it with alcohol can make you more drowsy or dizzy. Your doctor may suggest avoiding alcohol while being treated for depression.
Weight gain or loss is listed as a possible side effect of this medication. If you experience significant weight changes that worry you, speak to your doctor.
If you take one dose daily at bedtime and forget, don’t take it if you wake up late at night or early morning without checking with your doctor. If you take multiple doses daily and it’s almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose. Otherwise, take it as soon as you remember. Never double your dose.
For depression, even when you feel well, your doctor may ask you to continue taking the medication for 3 months or longer to ensure the benefits last. For bedwetting, continued treatment is usually required to maintain the response until bedwetting ends.
Important Disclaimer
This information is intended for general educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services immediately.