General information

Asendin is a tricyclic antidepressant of the dibenzoxazepine class. Its active component is amoxapine. It is used to treat depression (also known as clinical depression). It is especially useful for treating people with depression who also have anxiety or depression with hallucinations, delusions, or other psychotic features.

Directions

Take Asendin exactly as it was prescribed for you. The recommended starting dose for depression treatment is 50 mg two or three times daily. Elderly people are started at a lower dose (25 mg two or three times daily), as they may be more sensitive to side effects. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results from this medication. It may take as long as two to three weeks for Asendin to start working. It can be taken with or without food. If it upsets your stomach, try taking it with food.

Precautions

Before taking Asendin, tell your doctor if you have heart disease, glaucoma, bipolar disorder, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, problems with urination, brain tumors, liver or kidney disease, enlarged prostate, schizophrenia, if you have used MAO inhibitors within the past 14 days. Tell your doctor if you use tobacco products. Cigarette smoking may decrease the effectiveness of this drug. If you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking Asendin. This medicine may cause low blood sodium levels (hyponatraemia). Avoid using other medicines that make you sleepy. Avoid exposure to sunlight or artificial UV rays.

Contraindications

Do not use Asendin if you are allergic to amoxapine, or if you have recently had a heart attack. Let your healthcare provider know if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, if you regularly drink alcohol

Drug interactions

Tell your doctor about all other medicines you use, especially: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in the past 5 weeks (fluoxetine, citalopram, sertraline), heart rhythm medications (propafenone, quinidine, flecainide), cimetidine, anticholinergic medications (dicyclomine, clozapine, ipratropium), barbiturates (pentobarbital, butalbital, phenobarbital), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (tranylcypromine, phenelzine, isocarboxazid), tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline, doxepin, desipramine). Interaction between two medications does not always mean that you must stop taking one of them. Tell your doctor about all prescription, over-the-counter, and herbal medications you are taking.

Missed dose

Take the missed dose as soon as possible. Skip the missed dose if it is time for your next scheduled dose. Don’t take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Overdose

If you think you have overdosed the medicine seek emergency medical help at once. The overdose symptoms are coma, uneven heartbeats, seizure, agitation, hallucinations, drowsiness, confusion.

Storage

Store the medicine at room temperature away from light and moisture. Do not store the drugs in the bathroom.

Note

The information presented at the site has a general character. Note please this information cannot be used for self-treatment and self diagnosis. You should consult with your doctor or health care adviser regarding any specific instructions of your condition. The information is reliable, but we concede it could contain mistakes. We are not responsible for any direct, indirect, special or other damage caused by use of this information on the site and also for consequences of self-treatment.

Possible side effect

Get emergency medical help if you have: hives, swelling of your face, lips, weakness, dry mouth, difficulty breathing, mood or behavior changes, problems with vision, speech, or balance, uneven heart rate, panic attacks, fever, trouble sleeping, sudden headache, fainting, tremors, sweating, hypomania, skin rash, menstrual irregularity, vomiting, increased perspiration, urinary retention. Less serious side effects may occur: blurred vision, breast swelling, impotence, stomach pain, nightmares, diarrhea, increased appetite, unpleasant taste, decreased sex drive.