Drugs - Secondary TCAs Flashcards
1
Q
Which are the secondary TCA antidepressants?
A
- Nortriptyline (Pamelor)
- Desipramine (Norpramin)
- Protriptyline (Vivactil)
2
Q
What are the characteristics of nortriptyline?
A
- Exhibits a therapeutic window (don’t exceed)
- least amount of orthostasis among TCAs (but SSRIs have even less)
- metabolite of amitriptyline
3
Q
What are the characteristics of desipramine?
A
- Least anticholinergic effects among TCAs
- essentially a norepinephrine selective reuptake inhibitor since serotonin reuptake is very weak
- metabolite of imipramine
4
Q
What are the characteristics of protriptyline?
A
- Activating so it may cause marked sedation
- stimulating so it has been used in the past to treat sleep apnea
5
Q
What characteristics are possessed by all secondary TCAs?
A
- Inhibit reuptake of norepinephrine more than serotonin
- potent norepinephrine inhibition than tertiary TCAs
- all TCAs take 2 to 3 weeks to kick in
