When taken, Elavil tablets relieve depression symptoms including feelings of sadness, guilt, tiredness, insomnia or oversleeping, and suicidal thoughts. Amitriptyline, the active ingredient in this drug has received good news coverage on account of its positive benefits; it is also a hot topic of discussion in many depression related forums.
You can buy Elavil and generic Amitriptyline drugs in dosage strengths of 25mg. Your doctor might require you to take this medication one to three times daily depending on your condition and the severity of your symptoms.
Amitriptyline is part of a group of medications known as tricyclic antidepressants, which work on nerve cells in the brain. The effect of these antidepressants is directly on the levels of two neurotransmitters – serotonin and noradrenaline in the brain, which are responsible for mood. Elavil treatment keeps the levels of these neurotransmitters at required levels to ensure depressive symptoms do not take hold.
There are no clear guidelines about Elavil’s effects during pregnancy and so any woman who expects to be pregnant should not start its treatment. If you are under 24 years of age, you might experience suicidal thoughts; stay aware of your feelings and immediately talk to you doctor for help. Keep taking this medication even if you do not experience any immediate positive effects; best results are seen over a period of four weeks or more.
When normal dosage is taken, the most common Elavil side effects observed include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, dizziness, loss of taste, nightmares, blurred vision, decreased sex drive and impotence. However, higher doses or an overdose could result in dangerous symptoms such as uneven heart rate, chest pain, sudden numbness or weakness, hallucinations, seizures, uncontrollable tremors, and extreme thirst. For such Elavil side effects, doctors should switch patients to lower doses or prescribe them alternatives.
In care cases, Elavil side effects might actually worsen the symptoms of depression and lead to panic attacks of suicidal feelings. So the drug is advisable only for adult patients and these too should be carefully monitored. Elavil side effects also become elevated when the medication is combined with alcohol, so any such drinks should be strictly kept away from.
