Amoxapine belongs to the family of remedies for mood elevation. The antidepressant works comparatively quickly and can provide an improvement in mental well-being for several hours.
What is amoxapine?
Amoxapine belongs to the family of remedies for mood elevation. The antidepressant is comparatively fast acting and can provide improvement in mental well-being for several hours. In the fight against depression, the group of tricyclic antidepressants has been increasingly used in recent years. These were able to inhibit existing complaints of mental origin and, in addition, bring about an uplifting of the mood. They also gave the patient a new drive. Amoxapine belongs to this class. However, such preparations have a strong tendency to cause side effects. Therefore, these tricyclic antidepressants are increasingly being dispensed with – amoxapine is therefore also rarely prescribed. Nevertheless, it continues to be of some importance in panic attacks, depression, anxiety and bipolar disorders. In some cases, the remedy is administered in combination with other agents. Amoxapine reaches its effect after about 90 minutes, depending on the constitution and state of health of the affected person. This can last for up to eight hours. The substance is then excreted by the kidneys.
Pharmacological effect
In individuals with emotional distress, a strong presence of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine is often recorded. This neurotransmitter is primarily responsible for the transmission of stimuli through the nervous system to the brain. People with a depressive disposition can, for example, perceive traffic, the ringing of the telephone, a question from the boss that is not actually meant in a negative way, and minor professional and private setbacks much more strongly than they are under this condition. This leads to a sensory overload. This is reduced by amoxapine. The drug prevents the uptake of the neurotransmitter produced in the adrenal glands by the central nervous system. In addition, the 5-HT2 receptors are occupied by the amoxapine. They are now no longer able to bind serotonin and pass it on to the brain. This is also accompanied by a reduced susceptibility to pain, cravings of any kind, hot flashes and increased brain activity. The patient’s mental state thus improves within a short time. The concept itself has been helpful for years. In the meantime, however, too many side effects are attributed to it.
Medical application and use
Currently, the use of amoxapine is controversial, to say the least. Its brightening effects in depression, bipolar disorder, and states of anxiety and panic are known. Likewise, it can be used to curb cravings or an increased sex drive. The drug is administered in doses of 200 to 300 milligrams per day. In addition, higher amounts may be used in inpatient use. This is usually the case when the individual also has a tendency toward schizophrenia. However, tricyclic antidepressants have largely lost their supremacy among remedies for depression. Therefore, even for amoxapine, it must be determined on a case-by-case basis, taking into account all health factors, whether a prescription is appropriate. Apart from the side effects still to be mentioned, this is primarily due to an increased production of carcinogenic cells in the organism. Likewise, the drug interacts too strongly with other drugs as well as alcohol – therefore, it can lead to a distorted or even harmful effect on health.
Risks and side effects
When used, amoxapine often has a mildly stimulating effect. It can increase blood pressure and cause temperature fluctuations in the body. Likewise, it is involved in minor visual disturbances and dizziness. The latter in some cases lead to vomiting as well as further discomfort in the stomach and intestines. However, the aforementioned symptoms are usually limited to a few days and should subsequently return to normal. In long-term use, amoxapine also repeatedly helps to achieve slight weight gains, which, however, do not reach an unhealthy level. Depending on the mental state of the patient, anxiety or a feeling of trepidation and nervousness can easily increase if the dosage is incorrect.Here, a decision would have to be made about reducing the prescribed amount. The same applies to prolonged disturbed sleep, which may be accompanied by nightmares.
