General Information on Maprotiline
Maprotiline is used for treating different types of depressions and related anxiety, including manic depression illness, depressive neurosis and major depressive disorder.
Maprotiline is the generic name of the medicine, and its brand name is Ludiomil. It works by affecting certain chemicals in the patient’s brain, which may have become unbalanced and has led to depression. The medicine comes under the category of tetracyclic antidepressants. It helps the patient by improving his or her mood and feeling of well-being.
Maprotiline is a prescription medicine and you can buy it in the form of oral tablets after you have been prescribed the medicine by a qualified doctor.
Side effects of Maprotiline
Your doctor will not recommend you to buy Maprotiline if you are suffering from a liver or kidney disease, epilepsy or seizures, thyroid disorder, heart disease or heart rhythm disorder, if you are on electroshock therapy or if you have a history of drug abuse, suicidal thoughts or attempts, stroke or heart attack.
You may develop suicidal thoughts during Maprotiline treatment, especially if you are less than 24 years of age. You should immediately inform your doctor if your depression symptoms worsen or if you develop suicidal thoughts within few weeks of starting the treatment.
Patients using this medicine may commonly encounter dizziness, drowsiness, thirst, dry mouth, constipation, stomach pain, nausea, ringing in ears, blurred vision, tingling or numbness or loss of coordination or balance. Inform your doctor at once if any of these conditions become intolerable.
Seek immediate medical help if you develop seizures, confusion, unusual behavior or thought, pounding or fast heart rate or hallucinations during Maprotiline treatment. Also notify your doctor immediately if you develop worsening or new signs such as behavior or mood changes, anxiety, trouble sleeping, panic attacks, increased depression, mental or physical hyperactivity, suicidal thoughts or attempts or feelings of hostility, agitation, irritability, impulsiveness, aggressiveness or restlessness.
You should not take the medicine if you have an allergy to it. Look out for symptoms of an allergy, especially if you are using the medicine for the first time. Such symptoms include severe dizziness, difficulty breathing, and hives on body or facial swelling.
Dosage of Maprotiline
Patients with mild to moderate depressive disorder will be recommended to take Maprotiline 75mg per day, either as a single dose or in divided doses. Severely depressed patients will need to take Maprotiline 100 to 150mg per day. As a maintenance dose, they can be advised to take Maprotiline 75 to 150mg per day.
Elderly patients more than 60 years of age may be needed to take Maprotiline 50 to 75 mg per day.
Your doctor will usually advise you to take the tablet at bedtime. It may take around 3 weeks for your condition to be improved completely. Inform your doctor if you develop no signs of development even after 3 weeks of starting the treatment.
Drug Interactions of Maprotiline
You must not buy Maprotiline along with sedatives (such as Valium), anti-psychiatric medicines (such as thioridazine or chlorpromazine) or medicines such as guanethidine, cimetidine or phenytoin.
Apart from these, inform your doctor about all the medicines you are taking at present. Based on these, he or she will be able to decide whether Maprotilien is the right medicine for you or not.
