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Nortriptyline

Medication tricyclic antidepressant mental health
Aka: Pamelor
Brands seen in Singapore: Apo-Nortriptyline
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
HealthHub: symptoms of depression such as low mood
When to take
HealthHub: with or without food
Take with
Water · hh: alcohol can worsen low mood and add sleepiness
Pros & cons
Pros
  • Hh: a tricyclic for depression symptoms
  • Hh: may be taken with or without food
  • HSA: 10 mg and 25 mg capsules registered in SG
Cons
  • Hh: dry mouth, constipation, drowsiness, weight gain
  • Hh: skin gets more sensitive to sunlight
  • Hh: stopping suddenly brings dizziness, nausea
Sources
  1. HSA — Listing of Registered Therapeutic Products (data.gov.sg open dataset, 5,511 rows, cached in full and filtered locally) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Both registered nortriptyline products read 'Prescription Only' — SIN09253P APO-NORTRIPTYLINE CAPSULE 25 mg and SIN09255P APO-NORTRIPTYLINE CAPSULE 10 mg, active ingredient NORTRIPTYLINE HCl, ATC N06AA10.”
  2. HealthHub (National Medication Information workgroup, SG) — Nortriptyline: what is this medication for · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Nortriptyline belongs to a class of medications known as Tricyclic antidepressants (TCA). It is used to treat symptoms of depression such as: Feeling sad, Loss of interest in usual activities, Feeling hopeless or worthless”
  3. HealthHub — Nortriptyline: how should I take this medication · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Nortriptyline may be taken with or without food … You may experience unpleasant effects such as dizziness, headache, difficulty sleeping, irritability, and nausea if you suddenly stop taking the medication on your own.”
  4. HealthHub — Nortriptyline: what precautions should I take · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Heart, kidney or liver disease … difficulty in urination, enlarged prostate gland, overactive thyroid gland … seizures (fits), Parkinson's disease, or increased eye pressure (glaucoma) or diabetes … bipolar disorder … Your skin may become more sensitive to sunlight”
  5. HealthHub — Nortriptyline: common side effects · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Nausea, vomiting or loss of appetite … Drowsiness or feeling tired … Dry mouth … Constipation … Diarrhoea … Dizziness … Mild nervousness … Weight gain … decreased sexual drive or ability”
  6. HealthHub — Nortriptyline: what food or medication should I avoid · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Avoid drinking alcohol while taking Nortriptyline as it can worsen the symptoms of your depression and cause excessive sleepiness.”
  7. HealthHub — Nortriptyline: important warning for people under 25 · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The following changes have been observed in some patients particularly below the age of 25 years … New or worsening thoughts of harming yourself or ending your life; Worsening agitation, restlessness, violent behaviour”
  8. US FDA label for PAMELOR (nortriptyline hydrochloride), DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION, via openFDA (SpecGx LLC, effective 2024-12-04) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Usual Adult Dose – 25 mg three or four times daily … When doses above 100 mg daily are administered, plasma levels … Doses above 150 mg/day are not recommended.”
  9. US FDA label for PAMELOR, MAOI switching and linezolid / methylene blue, via openFDA · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “At least 14 days should elapse between discontinuation of an MAOI … and initiation of therapy with Pamelor … Do not start Pamelor in a patient … treated with linezolid or intravenous methylene blue … risk of serotonin syndrome.”
  10. US FDA label for PAMELOR, dosage in children, adolescents and elderly patients, via openFDA · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Pamelor is not recommended for children … Elderly and Adolescent Patients – 30 to 50 mg/day, in divided doses, or the total daily dosage may be given once a day.”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.