Last Updated on June 3, 2023
Amitriptyline 10, 25, 50, 75 mg is offered by most online pharmacies.
Amitriptyline is a medication that is typically used to treat depression, but it is also prescribed for other conditions such as chronic pain and anxiety disorders. While it is available on prescription, many people wonder if they can buy amitriptyline over the counter in the UK. Unfortunately, the answer is no.
In the UK, it is illegal to sell amitriptyline over the counter without a prescription. This is because amitriptyline is classified as a prescription-only medication (POM) by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). This means that it can only be obtained with a prescription from a registered healthcare professional, such as a doctor or pharmacist.
If you have been prescribed amitriptyline and need to refill your prescription, you can do so by visiting your local pharmacy or by ordering online from a reputable pharmacy that requires a valid prescription. While it may be tempting to try to buy amitriptyline over the counter or from an unregulated online source, it is important to remember that this could be dangerous and potentially harmful to your health. Always follow the advice of your healthcare provider and only use medications that have been prescribed to you.
Granules and tablets Amitriptyline hydrochloride contains 10, 25, 50 and 75 mg. The active ingredient is amitriptyline hydrochloride.
Other ingredients in tablets: microcrystalline cellulose, talc, lactose monohydrate, silicon dioxide, magnesium stearate, pregelatinised starch.
Other ingredients in granules: magnesium stearate, potato starch, talc, polyvinylpyrolidone, lactose monohydrate.
1 ml solution contains 10 mg more active ingredient. Other ingredients: hydrochloric acid (sodium hydroxide), dextrose monohydrate, water for infusion, sodium chloride, benzethonium chloride.
Ask your pharmacist any questions you have relating to this medicine, especially if it’s new to you. The foremost benefit of purchasing prescription medicines like amitriptyline along with other medical supplies from BuyOvertheCounterUK.net is the secure buying procedure as well as the dedication to providing the best care and retaining the common up to the mark. Order amitriptyline from BuyOvertheCounterUK.net and get top quality drug on reduced international rates.
What is amitriptyline hydrochloride?
Amitriptyline hydrochloride is one of the best known drugs for depression and chronic pain. It is widely used in psychiatry and neurology. Amitriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant, which means it belongs to the first generation of antidepressants. It is well studied and well tolerated. Read all about the effects, side-effects and use of amitriptyline.
Mechanism of action
The action of amitriptyline can be explained by influencing the delicate balance of messengers (neurotransmitters) in the brain that transmit nerve signals between brain cells. The signals are generated by the release of a neurotransmitter from a nerve cell and its docking to specific binding sites (receptors) of the next nerve cell. After they have taken effect, the messengers are taken up again by the first cell and thus “recycled”.
Experts currently believe that the development of depression is due to a deficiency of certain chemicals in the brain (including serotonin and norepinephrine). This is where tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline come in. They prevent the reuptake of neurotransmitters in the brain cell, allowing them to remain effective for longer.
As a first-generation antidepressant, amitriptyline is a small tricyclic selective reuptake inhibitor. It works by blocking the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine and also binds to many other receptors of different signaling pathways in the brain. This spectrum of activity is different for almost every antidepressant, which can be treated with a number of mental disorders different facets.
The drug amitriptyline is absorbed slowly into the blood (over a period of one to five hours). It is broken down in the liver and the breakdown product has an antidepressant effect. After metabolism, amitriptyline is excreted by the kidneys. It takes ten to 28 hours for half of the active ingredient to be metabolized and excreted (half-life).
How to Use Amitriptyline?
Amitriptyline is licensed in the UK for the treatment of depressive disorders and for the long-term management of pain as part of an overall treatment plan – this usually includes additional treatment with painkillers and psychotherapy.
Amitriptyline is also used for the following conditions outside its licensed indications (known as ‘off-label use’)
- Attention (hyperactivity) syndrome
- Prevention of migraine and tension headaches
- Eating Disorders
- Insomnia
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Fibromyalgia
Use is usually long term.
How to take amitriptyline?
Amitriptyline is usually taken as tablets, some of which are extended-release tablets. Amitriptyline drops and injections are also available on the UK market.
Tablets are usually taken throughout the day (morning – noon – evening). Low doses of amitriptyline or extended-release tablets are usually taken at night because fatigue can occur, especially at the start of treatment.
If amitriptyline is used to treat pain, especially chronic pain, the doctor will usually prescribe an additional painkiller.
Side effects of amitriptyline
Along with their beneficial effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side effects, although not everyone will experience them. The table below lists some of the more common ones related to amitriptyline. For a full list, see the manufacturer’s information leaflet that came with your medicine. The unwanted effects usually get better as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but talk to your doctor or pharmacist if any of them continue or become bothersome.
More common side effects
The more common side effects of amitriptyline can contain:
- Numbness and tingling in legs and your arms
- Headache
- Blurry eyesight
- Skin rash
- Swelling of tongue and your face
- Nausea
- Unexpected weight gain or loss
Some precautions
Amitriptyline should not be used in children under the age of 18 years as there are insufficient studies to establish its effectiveness.
Amitriptyline should also not be taken by pregnant or breastfeeding women as it crosses the placental barrier and passes into breast milk. If the use of antidepressants during breastfeeding cannot be avoided, women should stop breastfeeding before taking amitriptyline.
Side effects may occur with the following medications:
- antidepressants from the group of MAO inhibitors (monoamine oxidase inhibitors)
- antidepressants such as St. John’s wort and fluoxetine
- medicines that change the heart rhythm (prolong the QT interval), such as neuroleptics, antihistamines, antibiotics, and antimalarials
- anticoagulant like warfarin
Drinking alcohol during treatment with amitriptyline may increase the central depressant effect.
Where to buy amitriptyline otc online in UK?
Medicines containing the active ingredient amitriptyline are available in the United Kingdom only by prescription in all strengths and dosage forms available from pharmacies.
When was amitriptyline introduced?
Tricyclic antidepressants were first developed in the early 1950s, starting with the anti-allergy drug chlorpromazine. This was followed by imipramine, the first tricyclic antidepressant, first discovered and tested by Geigy (later Ciba-Geigy, now Novartis) in 1955. The second tricyclic antidepressant, amitriptyline, was developed by Merck in the United States in 1961. It has since become one of the most widely prescribed antidepressants in the world.