Protriptyline Side Effects

Protriptyline (Vivactil)

Protriptyline Side Effects: An Introduction

As with any medicine, side effects are possible with protriptyline hydrochloride (Vivactil^®). However, not everyone who takes the medication will experience side effects. In fact, most people tolerate it quite well. If side effects do occur, in many cases, they are minor, meaning they require no treatment or can easily be treated by you or your healthcare provider.

(This article covers many, but not all, of the possible side effects with protriptyline. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list of protriptyline side effects with you.)

Reported Protriptyline Side Effects

Protriptyline has been studied thoroughly in clinical trials, in which a group of people taking the drug have side effects documented and compared to another group not taking the medicine.

This way, it is possible to see what side effects occur, how often they appear, and how they compare to the group not taking the medicine.

In these studies, some of the side effects of protriptyline included:

Dizziness or lightheadedness
Confusion
Constipation
Difficulty urinating
Dry mouth (see Vivactil and Dry Mouth)
Weight gain or weight loss (see Vivactil and Weight Gain)
Erectile dysfunction (ED or impotence) or changes in sex drive (see Vivactil Sexual Side Effects)
Changes in blood sugar levels
Increased sweating
Shakiness (tremor)
Nausea and vomiting
Hair loss
Flushing (redness of the skin, especially the face).

Protriptyline seems less likely to cause drowsiness than other tricyclic antidepressants.

Withdrawal side effects have been reported in people who have stopped taking the drug suddenly. These side effects include:

Nausea
Headache
A general ill feeling.

(Click Vivactil Withdrawal for more information.)

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