Posted by Elizabeth on July 20, 2001, at 15:44:21
In reply to Tricyclic Serum Levels » Elizabeth, posted by SalArmy4me on July 20, 2001, at 1:10:56
> Clinicians sure do serum levels of imipramine, desipramine, and nortriptyline--I could consider a psychiatrist inept if he didn't do them, knowing how vital serum levels are to those drugs' successes:
That may be true, but in actual practise, most psychiatrists only order a serum level if there's some specific reason to believe that the patient might not be metabolising the tricylic properly (or in the presence of another drug which may alter its metabolism). Some consider it important to monitor serum levels of amitriptyline and nortriptyline because of their atypical dose-response curves (they have a therapeutic window). Anyway, even if serum levels are tested, you only need to do it when you first start taking the drug -- it's not like taking lithium or Clozaril or somesuch.
Therapeutic levels haven't even been established for most of the tricyclics.
-elizabeth
poster:Elizabeth
thread:70659
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010720/msgs/71094.html