Steady-state concentrations of amitriptyline and its metabolite nortriptyline in Saudi patients.
The serum concentrations of amitriptyline (AMI) and its metabolite nortriptyline (NT) were determined in 54 Saudi patients treated for long durations with a daily oral dose (0.111 to 4.167 mg/kg) of AMI. Ten of these patients were concomitantly treated with neuroleptic drugs. The mean (SEM) of the dose-normalized steady-state serum concentration (Css) of AMI in patients who received AMI alone (Group I) was [46.1 (6.5) ng X ml-1/mg X kg-1], with mean NT/AMI Css ratio of 0.962 (0.122). A significantly higher mean of Css of AMI [82.3 (18.8 ng X ml-1/mg X kg-1] was acquired for patients who concomitantly received AMI and neuroleptic drugs (Group II). However, the difference in the mean NT/AMI Css ratio between Group I and Group II [0.929 (0.197)] was not significant. Also, the results of this study indicate that Css of AMI and the NT/AMI Css ratio in Saudi patients treated for depression with AMI alone are not significantly different from those reported for subjects from Western populations.
D000639:Amitriptyline / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D009661:Nortriptyline / Q000097:blood*; D012529:Saudi Arabia
D000639:Amitriptyline; D009661:Nortriptyline