Uses of Amoxapine
Amoxapine is used to treat depression. Amoxapine is in a class of medications called tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). It works by increasing the amounts of certain natural substances in the brain that are needed to maintain mental balance.
Side Effects of Amoxapine
Amoxapine may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of the following symptoms are severe or do not go away:
- nausea
- drowsiness
- weakness or tiredness
- nightmares
- dry mouth
- skin more sensitive to sunlight than usual
- changes in appetite or weight
- constipation
- difficulty urinating
- frequent urination
- blurred vision
- excessive sweating
Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, call your doctor immediately:
- muscle stiffness
- confusion
- fast or irregular heartbeat
- slow or difficult speech
- shuffling walk
- uncontrollable shaking or moving of a part of the body
- fever
- rash
Warnings & Precautions
Before taking amoxapine:
- tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to amoxapine, doxepin (Sinequan), any other medications, or any of the inactive ingredients in amoxapine tablets. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for a list of the inactive ingredients.
- tell your doctor if you are taking a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), and tranylcypromine (Parnate), or if you have stopped taking an MAO inhibitor within the past 14 days. Your doctor will probably tell you not to take amoxapine. If you stop taking amoxapine, you should wait at least 14 days before you start to take an MAO inhibitor.
- tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: anticoagulants (blood thinners) such as warfarin (Coumadin); antihistamines; cimetidine (Tagamet); flecainide (Tambocor); levodopa (Sinemet, Larodopa); lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid); medications for high blood pressure, seizures, Parkinson’s disease, asthma, colds, or allergies; methylphenidate (Ritalin); muscle relaxants; propafenone (Rhythmol); quinidine; sedatives; selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft); sleeping pills; thyroid medications; and tranquilizers. Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you more carefully for side effects.
- tell your doctor if you are being treated with electroshock therapy (a procedure in which small electric shocks are administered to the brain to treat certain mental illnesses) and if you have or have ever had a heart attack, glaucoma (an eye disease), an enlarged prostate (a male reproductive organ), difficulty urinating, seizures, an overactive thyroid gland, or liver, kidney, or heart disease.
- tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. If you become pregnant while taking amoxapine, call your doctor immediately.
- talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking amoxapine if you are 65 years of age or older. Older adults should not usually take amoxapine because it is not as safe or effective as other medications that can be used to treat the same condition.
- if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking amoxapine.
- you should know that this medication may make you drowsy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you.
- remember that alcohol can add to the drowsiness caused by this medication.
Dosage
Amoxapine comes as a tablet to take by mouth. It is usually taken one or more times a day. If you take amoxapine once a day, you should take it at bedtime. Try to take amoxapine at around the same time(s) every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand.
Take amoxapine exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
It may take several weeks or longer for you to feel the full effect of amoxapine. Continue to take amoxapine even if you feel well. Do not stop taking amoxapine without talking to your doctor. Your doctor probably will want to decrease your dose gradually.
Other
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).
Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. Talk to your pharmacist or contact your local garbage/recycling department to learn about take-back programs in your community
Source
All information has been provided courtesy of MedLinePlus from the National Library of Medicine and from the FDA.
