Prescription med advice

[telecom_goddess]

After careful thought I'm putting this here so if it's the wrong place I"m sorry don't hurt me

Soooo Calling all medical people....I have a question about a new med I'm supposed to start. It's called Nortriptyline and I will be taking it as an anti depressant. My dr who prescribed it says to take it in the morning, it's supposed to boost energy a little and increase seratonin and help me sleep at night eventually. The pharmacist says this will not boost energy but make me sleepy as hell and I should take it at night.

WHICH IS IT? I got home too late to contact the dr to ask them but now I'm scared to take this in the morning like I should be doing....I don't want to fall asleep on the way to work or after I get there.

I don't want to take it tonight if it does amp me up....what do I do ? Which is it more likely to do?

Thanks all.....

[telecom_goddess]

Personally, I'd trust the pharmacist over the doctor - they are trained in drug interactions and what they are supposed to do more than a doctor is. If you genuinely want to know how the drug will affect you take it the morning of a day you don't work and judge how your body responds. Beyond that, not a clue.

If I wait until a day I don't work that would have to be Sunday and my daughter may be here for the first time in months and don't want to mess that up.

Ugh....I just don't know.

[BlaqueKatt]

If I wait until a day I don't work that would have to be Sunday and my daughter may be here for the first time in months and don't want to mess that up.

Ugh....I just don't know.

interwebs lists possible side effects of:

drowsiness

weakness or tiredness

excitement or anxiety

nightmares


I took it for migraines, made me tired as heck, had to switch from taking it in the morning to taking it before bed, my sister took it, also for migraines and got the "I have tons of energy WOOO!"

So yeah, depends on your body chemistry a bit, and the dosage...

[Sapphire Silk]

Pharmacists are excellent sources for how to take medications safely. They often know more than physicians do about these sorts of things. I always talk to my pharmacist when I am starting a new medication, in spite of the fact I'm a health care professional.

If you are taking it for depression, you should feel a little more energetic because the brain chemistry is normalizing and you are feeling better.

Most people take it at night, like your pharmacist says.

However, some people have unusual reactions to drugs and find they do better taking them in the day.

My suggestion: try it at night on a night you are off. If that works for you, fine.
If not, try taking it in the daytime.

[telecom_goddess]

thanks for what I've gotten so far....still not sure what to do. I want to start taking it asap....I"m not going to have a good "off" day or night to try it this weekend though. It's a low dose of 25 mgs.....it's not even a therapeutic dose yet....I think I may give it a shot tonight and see what happens I guess.

Another side effect I found was dizziness...oh yay just what I don't need :/

[emt_cookies]

Are you sure it was the pharmacist and not a pharmacy tech or pharmacy intern? Does the medication have a warning that it may cause drowsiness?

Another thing to consider is the dosage. It's a lower dosage so it may not make you sleepy. My own personal medication is used for anti-anxiety and to knock people out for minor dental surgery, but I don't get those "side effects" at my dosage level because it's so low.

It's probably best to make sure you take it when you are not expecting to go out and drive.

[telecom_goddess]

yup it was the pharmacist cause it was new med for me and I needed a consult before they would be released.

I don't drive so no worries there...I commute by bus and train everywhere.

So I took it last night and yeah it made me pretty sleepy so I"m going to try it this way for a while I think...thanks all

[Flying Grype]

There's a difference between the kind of 'energy' that your doctor and pharmacist are talking about, I think. Antidepressants give you more 'energy' in that they can improve your mood which leads to improved motivation. They can also make you sleepy. :P It's a matter of finding out when it feels right to take it. Ask about how much diddling around you can do with the timing -- e.g. is it really bad to take one in the evening and one the next morning, should you skip a dose if you want to change the time of day?

I take my SSRI at night before bed. It doesn't make me sleepy. I originally started taking it in the morning and it made me drowsy then, which is why I moved it to evening.

[telecom_goddess]

That's interesting...the pharmacist did mention it would be ok to take one at night and one in the morning if I wanted to switch.....so far at night it's been working ok.....we will see. Thanks for all the help guys.

[radiocerk]

A pharmacy tech will not give you drug advice, they can't. Pharmacists, and sometimes pharmacist interns (in pharmacy school to get their degrees) are the only people allowed to consult. As a tech, I can't tell you if Tylenol is good for a headache. On my own time, I can occasionally give some advice to my friends, as I am a living sponge, and listen to what's going on around me, but never at work. I'd get SO fired, and justifiably so.

[telecom_goddess]

Luckily the one giving me advice was the pharmacist...and so far it's working out well doing it his way