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Nortriptyline and Maprotiline for Depressions

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NeuroPsychopharmacotherapy

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Abstract

Nortriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant compound (TCA) methylated of the parent amitriptyline. It is a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. The drug has a “therapeutic window,” that is, a curvilinear relationship between therapeutic response and plasma levels.

Maprotiline is a tetracyclic compound closely related to nortriptyline exhibiting strong effects as a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor showing a high degree of selectivity.

Both are released for treatment of major depressions, they are also used off-label for the treatment of panic disorder, chronic pain/neuralgia, and neuropathic pain. The most common side effects of nortriptyline include dry mouth, sedation, constipation, increased appetite, blurred vision, and tinnitus. Maprotiline causes also anticholinergic side effects (dry mouth, constipation, confusion, tachycardia) with a lower incidence than amitriptyline and antihistamine effects like sedation. Contraindications for both are hypertrophy of the prostate gland with urine hesitancy, closed angle glaucoma, serious cardiovascular conditions, and epileptic seizures. Nortriptyline may interact with antiarrhythmics like flecainide, propafenone or quinidine, cimetidine, guanethidine and monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, maprotiline with anticholinergics, sympathomimetics, and antihypertensives.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Psychological Medicine (IPM), Soyen, Germany

    Gerd Laux

  2. MVZ Waldkraiburg, Center of Neuropsychiatry, Waldkraiburg, Germany

    Gerd Laux

  3. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany

    Gerd Laux

Authors
  1. Gerd Laux
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Correspondence to Gerd Laux .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Clinic and Policlinic for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany

    Peter Riederer

  2. Institute of Psychological Medicine (IPM), Soyen, Germany

    Gerd Laux

  3. Centre for Research Promotion and Support, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan

    Toshiharu Nagatsu

  4. Center Translational Res Neurol Diseases, Dalian Med Uni Shanghai Inst Health Sc Center Translational Res Neurol Diseases, Dalian, China

    Weidong Le

  5. Würzburg, Germany

    Christian Riederer

Section Editor information

  1. Facharzt für Psychiatrie, Psychotherapie und Neurologie, Dipl.-Psychologe, Institut für Psychologische Medizin (IPM), Soyen, Deutschland

    Gerd Laux Dipl.-Psych.

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany

    Hans-Jürgen Möller

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Laux, G. (2022). Nortriptyline and Maprotiline for Depressions. In: Riederer, P., Laux, G., Nagatsu, T., Le, W., Riederer, C. (eds) NeuroPsychopharmacotherapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62059-2_436

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62059-2_436

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-62058-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-62059-2

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