Doctor added Amitriptyline to Celexa

[Ethansmom]

She is adding a tiny dose of Nortriptyline to my Celexa since I am still experiencing anxiety. She says she has a lot of patients that are much better on this med. How is it used to treat anxiety though--- if it's an antidepressant?
She wants me to start off on 10MG. I have such a phobia of taking meds, that i'm nervous about taking this one.

[Duckbruck]

She is adding a tiny dose of Nortriptyline to my Celexa since I am still experiencing anxiety. She says she has a lot of patients that are much better on this med. How is it used to treat anxiety though--- if it's an antidepressant?
She wants me to start off on 10MG. I have such a phobia of taking meds, that i'm nervous about taking this one.

this is actually a good combo, although Sertraline would be better because it has more Dopamine action. Good doctors regularly augment Sertraline & (Es)Citalopram with Nortriptyline, because it helps alleviating the side effects of SSRIs.

Nortripyline is great: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nortri...e#Pharmacology
Four times more NET than SERT binding.
strong 5HT2A/2C Antagonist | => no sexual dysfunction, no apathy, no anhedonia
Rather strong H1-Antihistamine | it's good, because it will make you calm and give you a good sleep, and has antiemetic properties

some 5HT1A/5HT5 binding... (might be beneficial)
α1 => higher noradrenergic transmission.

However, fewer and milder side effects occur with nortriptyline than tertiary tricyclic antidepressants such as imipramine and amitriptyline. For this reason, nortriptyline is preferred to other tricyclic antidepressants, particularly with older adults, which also improves compliance.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nortri...e#Side_effects

read the following:
http://psychotropical.info/ads-the-basics
http://psychotropical.info/8-anti-de...cs-for-dummies
http://psychotropical.info/snri-intro
http://psychotropical.info/anti-depressants/tcas
http://psychotropical.info/15-drug-t...s-side-effects
http://psychotropical.info/15-drug-t...s-side-effects
http://psychotropical.info/clomipramine

[Ethansmom]

I've tried Sertraline in the past and had a bad reaction.
So this time it's Celexa with Nortriptyline. So far it's been okay, but it's only day 3. The doctor said Nort works fairly quickly. I'm on 10MG and i'm hoping she's right, and that this is a good combo.

I've read that it can raise your heart rate/ give you palpitations. Is that true? I do wear a fitbit (obsessed with my heart rate), and it has raised a few points, but then goes back to the 60's when i'm hanging out on the couch in the evening. Does this mean it won't be an issue? Right now it's resting in the high 80's.

[Duckbruck]

I've tried Sertraline in the past and had a bad reaction.

Me too. How exactly did you react?

So this time it's Celexa with Nortriptyline. So far it's been okay, but it's only day 3. The doctor said Nort works fairly quickly. I'm on 10MG and i'm hoping she's right, and that this is a good combo.

10mg is a very low dose. You should at least try 25mg to saturate the 5HT2A/2C receptors...

I've read that it can raise your heart rate/ give you palpitations. Is that true?

It's possible.

Does this mean it won't be an issue? Right now it's resting in the high 80's.

Too early to say. Wait another month or so
And up the dose to 25mg. 10mg is a homeopathic dose.

[Ethansmom]

I just wanted to update you. I'm feeling anxious on 10MG--maybe because it's my body getting used to a new drug. I'm supposed to go up to 20MG this weekend and a bit worried. I hope to get to at least 25MG