Amoxapine Alcohol

The ability to drive, to handle dangerous machineiy or to do other tasks requiring complex psychomotor skills may be impaired by amitriptyline, and to a lesser extent by doxepin or imipramine, particularly during the first few days of treatment This impairment can be increased by alcohol Amoxapine, clomipramine, desipramine, and nortriptyline appear to interact with alcohol only minimally. Information about other tricyclics appears to be lacking, although most manufacturers of tricyclics warn that the effects of alcohol may be enhanced. There is also evidence that alcoholics (without liver disease) may need larger doses of desipramine and imipramine to control depression. However, the toxicity of some tricyclics may be increased by alcohol, and in alcoholics with liver disease. 

The interaction between amoxapine and alcohol is said to be slight, but two patients have been described who experienced reversible extrapyram-idal symptoms (parkinsonism, akathisia) while taking amoxapine, apparently caused by drinking alcohol. ... 

Part of the explanation for the increased C3S1S depression is that both alcohol and some of the tricyclics, particularly amitriptyline, cause drowsiness and other CNS depressant effeets, which can be additive with the effects of alcohol. The sedative effects have been reported to be greatest with amitriptyline, then doxepin and imipramine, followed by nortriptyline, and least with amoxapine, clomipramine, desipramine, and protriptyline. In addition acute alcohol intake causes marked increases (100 to 200%) in the plasma levels of amitriptyline, probably by inhibiting its first pass metabolism. Alcohol-induced liver damage could also result in impaired amitriptyline metabolism. The lower serum levels of imipramine and desipramine seen in abstinent alcoholics are attributable to induction of the cytochrome P450 isoenzymes by alcohol. ... 

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