Tryptoline

Tryptoline is a dibenzocycloheptene-derivative tricyclic antidepressant (TCA). TCAs are structurally similar to phenothiazines. They contain a tricyclic ring system with an alkyl amine substituent on the central ring. In non-depressed individuals, Tryptoline does not affect mood or arousal, but may cause sedation. In depressed individuals, Tryptoline exerts a positive effect on mood. TCAs are potent inhibitors of serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake. Tertiary amine TCAs, such as Tryptoline, are more potent inhibitors of serotonin reuptake than secondary amine TCAs, such as nortriptyline. TCAs also down-regulate cerebral cortical β-adrenergic receptors and sensitize post-synaptic serotonergic receptors with chronic use. The antidepressant effects of TCAs are thought to be due to an overall increase in serotonergic neurotransmission. TCAs also block histamine-H1 receptors, α1-adrenergic receptors and muscarinic receptors, which accounts for their sedative, hypotensive and anticholinergic effects (e.g. blurred vision, dry mouth, constipation, urinary retention), respectively. See toxicity section below for a complete listing of side effects. Tryptoline may be used to treat depression, chronic pain (unlabeled use), irritable bowel syndrome (unlabeled use), diabetic neuropathy (unlabeled use), post-traumatic stress disorder (unlabeled use), and for migraine prophylaxis (unlabeled use).

Depression (especially with anxiety, agitation and sleep disorders, including childhood, endogenous, involutional, reactive, neurotic, drug, and organic brain damage, alcohol withdrawal), schizophrenic psychoses, mixed emotional disorders, behavioral disorders (activity and attention), nocturnal enuresis (except in patients with hypotonia of the bladder), bulimia nervosa, chronic pain syndrome (chronic pain in cancer patients, migraine, rheumatic pain, atypical facial pain, postherpetic neuralgia, posttraumatic neuropathy, diabetic neuropathy, peripheral neuropathy), prophylaxis of migraine, peptic ulcer and duodenal ulcer.

Tryptoline (Tryptoline) is a tricyclic antidepressant.

Tryptoline affects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with depression.

Tryptoline is used to treat symptoms of depression.

Usual Adult Dose of Tryptoline for Depression:

Outpatients:

Usual dose: 75 mg orally per day in divided doses; this may be increased to a total of 150 mg per day if needed

Alternate dose: 40 to 100 mg orally as a single dose at bedtime; this may be increased by 25 or 50 mg as needed at bedtime to a total of 150 mg per day

Maximum dose: 150 mg orally per day

Inpatients:

Initial dose: 100 mg orally per day

Maintenance dose: 40 to 100 mg orally as a single dose at bedtime

Maximum dose: 300 mg orally per day

Comments:

-Dosage should be reduced to the lowest amount that will maintain relief of symptoms, when satisfactory improvement has been obtained.

-Dose increases should preferably be made in the late afternoon or at bedtime due to the sedative effect.

-The full therapeutic effect may take as long as 30 days to develop.

-Maintenance therapy should be continued for 3 months or longer to lessen the possibility of relapse.

Use: Relief of symptoms of depression

Usual Geriatric Dose of Tryptoline for Depression:

10 mg orally 3 times a day with 20 mg at bedtime

Comments:

-The full therapeutic effect may take as long as 30 days to develop.

-Elderly patients should be monitored carefully and serum levels obtained as clinically appropriate.

-Dose adjustments should be made according to clinical response.

Use: Relief of symptoms of depression

Usual Pediatric Dose for Depression:

12 years or older:

10 mg orally 3 times a day with 20 mg at bedtime

Use: Relief of symptoms of depression

See also:
What is the most important information I should know about Tryptoline?

Tryptoline is contraindicated in patients who have shown prior hypersensitivity to it.

It should not be given concomitantly with monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Hyperpyretic crises, severe convulsions, and deaths have occurred in patients receiving tricyclic antidepressant and monoamine oxidase inhibiting drugs simultaneously. When it is desired to replace a monoamine oxidase inhibitor with Tryptoline, a minimum of 14 days should be allowed to elapse after the former is discontinued. Tryptoline should then be initiated cautiously with a gradual increase in dosage until optimum response is achieved.

Tryptoline should not be given with Cisapride due to the potential for increased QT interval and increased risk for arrhythmia.

This drug is not recommended for use during the acute recovery phase following myocardial infarction.

Use Tryptoline as directed by your doctor. Check the label on the medicine for exact dosing instructions.

• Tryptoline comes with an additional patient information sheet called a Medication Guide. Read it carefully and reread it each time you get Tryptoline refilled.
• Tryptoline may be taken with food or on an empty stomach.
• Tryptoline may take up to 30 days to control symptoms of depression. Continue to use Tryptoline even if you feel well. Do not miss any doses.
• If you miss a dose of Tryptoline, take it as soon as possible. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.

Ask your health care provider any questions you may have about how to use Tryptoline.

Use: Labeled Indications

Major depressive disorder (unipolar): Treatment of unipolar major depressive disorder

Off Label Uses

Chronic fatigue syndrome related sleep disturbances and pain

Based on the NICE guidelines for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy), Tryptoline is suggested for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and poor sleep. In addition, based on the Health Canada myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome diagnostic and treatment protocol, Tryptoline is also suggested for chronic fatigue syndrome related pain.

EFNS guidelines on the clinical management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) recommend Tryptoline as good clinical practice in the management of sialorrhea, particularly in patients also experiencing emotional lability.

See also:
What other drugs will affect Tryptoline?

Drugs Metabolized By P450 2D6

The biochemical activity of the drug metabolizing isozyme cytochrome P450 2D6 (debrisoquin hydroxylase) is reduced in a subset of the Caucasian population (about 7 to 10% of Caucasians are so called “poor metabolizers”); reliable estimates of the prevalence of reduced P450 2D6 isozyme activity among Asian, African and other populations are not yet available. Poor metabolizers have higher than expected plasma concentrations of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) when given usual doses. Depending on the fraction of drug metabolized by P450 2D6, the increase in plasma concentration may be small, or quite large (8-fold increase in plasma AUC of the TCA).

In addition, certain drugs inhibit the activity of this isozyme and make normal metabolizers resemble poor metabolizers. An individual who is stable on a given dose of TCA may become abruptly toxic when given one of these inhibiting drugs as concomitant therapy. The drugs that inhibit cytochrome P450 2D6 include some that are not metabolized by the enzyme (quinidine; cimetidine) and many that are substrates for P450 2D6 (many other antidepressants, phenothiazines, and the Type 1C antiarrhythmics propafenone and flecainide). While all the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), e.g., fluoxetine, sertraline, and paroxetine, inhibit P450 2D6, they may vary in the extent of inhibition. The extent to which SSRI-TCA interactions may pose clinical problems will depend on the degree of inhibition and the pharmacokinetics of the SSRI involved. Nevertheless, caution is indicated in the coadministration of TCAs with any of SSRIs and also in switching from one class to the other. Of particular importance, sufficient time must elapse before initiating TCA treatment in a patient being withdrawn from fluoxetine, given the long half-life of the parent and active metabolite (at least 5 weeks may be necessary).

Concomitant use of tricyclic antidepressants with drugs that can inhibit cytochrome P450 2D6 may require lower doses than usually prescribed for either the tricyclic antidepressant or the other drug. Furthermore, whenever one of these other drugs is withdrawn from co-therapy, an increased dose of tricyclic antidepressant may be required. It is desirable to monitor TCA plasma levels whenever a TCA is going to be coadministered with another drug known to be an inhibitor of P450 2D6.

Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors

Hyperpyrexia has been reported when Tryptoline is administered with anticholinergic agents or with neuroleptic drugs, particularly during hot weather.

Paralytic ileus may occur in patients taking tricyclic antidepressants in combination with anticholinergic-type drugs.

Cimetidine is reported to reduce hepatic metabolism of certain tricyclic antidepressants, thereby delaying elimination and increasing steady-state concentrations of these drugs. Clinically significant effects have been reported with the tricyclic antidepressants when used concomitantly with cimetidine. Increases in plasma levels of tricyclic antidepressants, and in the frequency and severity of side effects, particularly anticholinergic, have been reported when cimetidine was added to the drug regimen. Discontinuation of cimetidine in well-controlled patients receiving tricyclic antidepressants and cimetidine may decrease the plasma levels and efficacy of the antidepressants.

Caution is advised if patients receive large doses of ethchlorvynol concurrently. Transient delirium has been reported in patients who were treated with one gram of ethchlorvynol and 75 to 150 mg of Tryptoline.

See also:
What are the possible side effects of Tryptoline?

Within each category the following adverse reactions are listed in order of decreasing severity. Included in the listing are a few adverse reactions which have not been reported with this specific drug. However, pharmacological similarities among the tricyclic antidepressant drugs require that each of the reactions be considered when Tryptoline is administered.

Cardiovascular: Myocardial infarction; stroke; nonspecific ECG changes and changes in AV conduction; heart block; arrhythmias; hypotension, particularly orthostatic hypotension; syncope; hypertension; tachycardia; palpitation.

CNS and Neuromuscular: Coma; seizures; hallucinations; delusion; confusional states; disorientation; incoordination; ataxia; tremors; peripheral neuropathy; numbness, tingling and paresthesias of the extremities; extrapyramidal symptoms including abnormal involuntary movements and tardive dyskinesia; dysarthria; disturbed concentration; excitement; anxiety; insomnia; restlessness; nightmares; drowsiness; dizziness; weakness; fatigue; headache; syndrome of inappropriate ADH (antidiuretic hormone) secretion; tinnitus; alteration in EEG patterns.

Anticholinergic: Paralytic ileus; hyperpyrexia; urinary retention; dilatation of the urinary tract; constipation; blurred vision, disturbance of accommodation, increased ocular pressure, mydriasis; dry mouth.

Allergic: Skin rash; urticaria; photosensitization; edema of face and tongue.

Hematologic: Bone marrow depression including agranulocytosis, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia; purpura; eosinophilia.

Gastrointestinal: Rarely hepatitis (including altered liver function and jaundice); nausea; epigastric distress; vomiting; anorexia; stomatitis; peculiar taste; diarrhea; parotid swelling; black tongue.

Endocrine: Testicular swelling and gynecomastia in the male; breast enlargement and galactorrhea in the female; increased or decreased libido; impotence; elevation and lowering of blood sugar levels.

Other: Alopecia; edema; weight gain or loss; urinary frequency; increased perspiration.

Withdrawal Symptoms: After prolonged administration, abrupt cessation of treatment may produce nausea, headache, and malaise. Gradual dosage reductions have been reported to produce, within two weeks, transient symptoms including irritability, restlessness, and dream and sleep disturbance.

These symptoms are not indicative of addiction. Rare instances have been reported of mania or hypomania occurring within 2 to 7 days following cessation of chronic therapy with tricyclic antidepressants.

Causal Relationship Unknown: Other reactions, reported under circumstances where a causal relationship could not be established, are listed to serve as alerting information to physicians.

Body as a Whole: Lupus-like syndrome (migratory arthritis, positive ANA and rheumatoid factor).

Digestive: Hepatic failure, ageusia.

Postmarketing Adverse Events: A syndrome resembling neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) has been very rarely reported after starting or increasing the dose of Tryptoline, with and without concomitant medications known to cause NMS. Symptoms have included muscle rigidity, fever, mental status changes, diaphoresis, tachycardia, and tremor.

Very rare cases of serotonin syndrome (SS) have been reported with Tryptoline in combination with other drugs that have a recognized association with SS.

Very rare cases of cardiomyopathy have been reported with Tryptoline.