Amitriptyline Hydrochloride (HCl) Medicine

A common medicine used to treat depression in adults is amitriptyline hydrochloride (hcl). It was once sold under the brand name Elavil^®; however, this product is only available in generic form now. This medicine comes in tablet form and is taken one to three times a day.

Although it is not entirely clear how amitriptyline hydrochloride works to treat depression, the medicine is known to affect certain chemicals in the brain, which may help relieve symptoms of depression. This product is not recommended in people under the age of 12 because it has not been studied adequately in this age group.

(Click Amitriptyline Uses for more information on how this drug works to treat depression, as well as various "off-label" uses.)