![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Schlepo on October 20, 2018, at 11:00:46
I'm currently on 150mg of Nortriptyline at bedtime (I started on 200mg when I was first prescribed it.) I'm at somewhat of a low point now and was wondering if there's anything wrong with increasing it to 200mg (or probably just alternating daily between 150/200 mg). I had a similar ow point during a period when I was only taking 100mg, and immediately got out of it after raising the dose by 50mg. Is 200mg considered a high dose? I'm thinking of trying this so I can get to a state where I can travel to my doctor.
Posted by SLS on October 21, 2018, at 11:10:46
In reply to 200mg of Nortriptyline?, posted by Schlepo on October 20, 2018, at 11:00:46
Hi.
> I'm currently on 150mg of Nortriptyline at bedtime (I started on 200mg when I was first prescribed it.) I'm at somewhat of a low point now and was wondering if there's anything wrong with increasing it to 200mg (or probably just alternating daily between 150/200 mg). I had a similar ow point during a period when I was only taking 100mg, and immediately got out of it after raising the dose by 50mg. Is 200mg considered a high dose? I'm thinking of trying this so I can get to a state where I can travel to my doctor.
I take nortriptyline at 100 mg/day. It produces a partial improvement for me, but that partial improvement disappears if I go to 150 mg/day. It is well-known that nortriptyline has a therapeutic window. It works only within a narrow dosage range. 200 mg/day is rather high. Perhaps you need that much. There is a blood test for determining a nortriptyline blood level that can be used as a guide to finding the right dosage. Most people fall between 75-150 mg/day. It is possible that you would do better at 75 mg/day.
https://www.mayomedicallaboratories.com/test-catalog/Clinical+and+Interpretive/37119
- Scott
Posted by Schlepo on October 21, 2018, at 12:59:04
In reply to Re: 200mg of Nortriptyline?, posted by SLS on October 21, 2018, at 11:10:46
I was very stable on 150mg for over 20 years. I'm not sure if Nortriptyline is at all a factor in what I'm going through now (there are other variables), but I'm feeling close to how I was right before I first started on it.
When you say you felt worse on a higher dose, what were the symptoms exactly? Were they anxiety/depression or side-effect related? And how quickly were the symptoms resolved following the change in dose?
Posted by SLS on October 21, 2018, at 15:34:05
In reply to Re: 200mg of Nortriptyline?, posted by Schlepo on October 21, 2018, at 12:59:04
> I was very stable on 150mg for over 20 years. I'm not sure if Nortriptyline is at all a factor in what I'm going through now (there are other variables), but I'm feeling close to how I was right before I first started on it.
>
> When you say you felt worse on a higher dose, what were the symptoms exactly? Were they anxiety/depression or side-effect related? And how quickly were the symptoms resolved following the change in dose?It was a return of my usual depression. It took a few days to recapture the antidepressant response once I lowered the dosage.
- Scott
Posted by Schlepo on October 21, 2018, at 15:50:05
In reply to Re: 200mg of Nortriptyline?, posted by SLS on October 21, 2018, at 15:34:05
What were your reasons for having for raising it if you were stable beforehand? And can an individual's therapeutic window waver, and what conditions would cause this?
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.