Amitriptyline comes as a tablet to take by mouth. It is usually taken one to four times a day and may be taken with or without food. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take amitriptyline exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

Continue to take amitriptyline even if you feel well. Do not stop taking amitriptyline without talking to your doctor, especially if you have taken large doses for a long time. Your doctor probably will want to decrease your dose gradually. This drug must be taken regularly for a few weeks before its full effect is felt.

Side effects from amitriptyline are common:

upset stomach
drowsiness
weakness or tiredness
excitement or anxiety
insomnia
nightmares
dry mouth
skin more sensitive to sunlight than usual
changes in appetite or weight
Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

constipation
difficulty urinating
frequent urination
blurred vision
changes in sex drive or ability
excessive sweating
If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

jaw, neck, and back muscle spasms
slow or difficult speech
shuffling walk
persistent fine tremor or inability to sit still
fever
difficulty breathing or swallowing
severe skin rash
yellowing of the skin or eyes
irregular heartbeat

In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.

Symptoms of overdose may include:

irregular hearbeat
seizures
coma
confusion
problems concentrating
seeing things that do not exist (hallucinating)
agitation
drowsiness
rigid muscles
vomiting
fever
cold body temperature

Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor will order certain lab tests to check your response to amitriptyline.

Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.

If you take several doses per day, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it and take any remaining doses for that day at evenly spaced intervals. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule.

If you take amitriptyline once a day at bedtime and do not remember to take it until the next morning, skip the missed dose. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.

Amitriptyline, an antidepressant (mood elevator), is used to treat depression.

This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information

Amitriptyline also is used occasionally to treat chronic pain and eating disorders. Talk to your doctor about the possible risks of using this drug for your condition.

Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). Throw away any medication that is outdated or no longer needed. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper disposal of your medication.

You need to take following precautions before taking Elavil and while you are taking this drug. Inform your doctor in advance?

1. If you are allergic to Elavil or any other drug

2. If you are taking or have taken any prescription and non-prescription within the last 2 weeks, especially anticoagulants [warfarin (Coumadin)]; antihistamines; cimetidine (Tagamet); estrogens; fluoxetine (Prozac); cisapride (Propulsid); levodopa (Sinemet, Larodopa); lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid); MAO inhibitors [phenelzine (Nardil), tranylcypromine (Parnate)]; medication for high blood pressure, seizures, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, asthma, colds, allergies; methylphenidate (Ritalin); muscle relaxants; oral contraceptives; sedatives; sleeping pills; thyroid medications; tranquilizers and vitamins

3. If you have or ever had glaucoma, an enlarged prostate, difficulty urinating, diabetes, seizures, an overactive thyroid gland, or liver, kidney, heart disease

4. If you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant or breast-feeding

If you become pregnant while taking Elavil, call your doctor immediately. If you are going under a surgery, including dental surgery, inform the doctor or dentist that you are taking Elavil.