Abstract
Eleven adult patients received a single 100-mg dose of amitriptyline or nortriptyline for pharmacokinetic assessment prior to being placed on a regular dosage of the same drug to achieve steady-state concentrations. Drug plasma levels were determined by a gas chromatographic electron capture detector procedure. For both amitriptyline and nortriptyline there was a high correlation between the plasma concentration measured 18 to 42 hours after the single dose and the steady-state concentration. One half of the steady state variability was accounted for by the single-dose drug level determination. A simple formula was devised using the blood level obtained after a test dose to predict the dosage necessary to obtain a desired steady-state concentration. The data suggest that this approach may have practical clinical value in initiating treatment with tricyclic antidepressants.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 635-642 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Current Therapeutic Research - Clinical and Experimental |
Volume | 27 |
Issue number | 4 |
State | Published - 1980 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pharmacology
- Pharmacology (medical)