Amitriptyline response

Amitriptyline is a tricyclic that can be identified by the tertiary amine in its chemical structure. Tricyclics are commonly prescribed for psychological disorders and pain management. Genetic variants in both cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) and cytochrome P450 2C19 (CYP2C19) may affect treatment success of amitriptyline or other tricyclics with the tertiary amine functional group. Patients with poor metabolizer variants of either CYP2D6 or CYP2C19 may require reductions in dose or alternative agents in order to circumvent common adverse anticholinergic, central nervous system, or cardiac effects. Guidelines regarding the use of pharmacogenomic tests in dosing for amitriptyline and other tricyclics have been published in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics by the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) and are available on the PharmGKB website.

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