Drug interactions
Amitriptyline + Cyproheptadine
Severity: Moderate
Amitriptyline and Cyproheptadine: moderate interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Both drugs are sedating and strongly anticholinergic, so together they can cause marked drowsiness, dry mouth, constipation, urinary retention and confusion. Older patients are especially vulnerable.
What this interaction means in plain words
Amitriptyline and Cyproheptadine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Amitriptyline belongs to Central Nervous System; Cyproheptadine belongs to Respiratory.
Why it happens
Additive CNS depression and additive antimuscarinic and antihistaminic effects.
What to do
Monitor for oversedation and anticholinergic toxicity, and avoid the combination in elderly or cognitively impaired patients where possible.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
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Other interactions of Cyproheptadine
- Cyproheptadine + Isocarboxazid Contraindicated
- Cyproheptadine + Phenelzine Contraindicated
- Cyproheptadine + Tranylcypromine Contraindicated
- Alfentanil + Cyproheptadine Major
- Belladonna and opium + Cyproheptadine Major
- Benzhydrocodone / acetaminophen + Cyproheptadine Major
Other interactions of Amitriptyline
- Amitriptyline + Isocarboxazid Contraindicated
- Amitriptyline + Methylene blue Contraindicated
- Amitriptyline + Phenelzine Contraindicated
- Amitriptyline + Pimozide Contraindicated
- Amitriptyline + Procarbazine Contraindicated
- Amitriptyline + Safinamide Contraindicated
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Amitriptyline with Cyproheptadine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Amitriptyline and Cyproheptadine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Both drugs are sedating and strongly anticholinergic, so together they can cause marked drowsiness, dry mouth, constipation, urinary retention and confusion. Older patients are especially vulnerable.
How serious is the interaction between Amitriptyline and Cyproheptadine?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Monitor for oversedation and anticholinergic toxicity, and avoid the combination in elderly or cognitively impaired patients where possible.
What other medicines interact with Cyproheptadine?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Cyproheptadine with, for example, Isocarboxazid, Phenelzine, Tranylcypromine. The full list is on the Cyproheptadine page.
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