The serum concentrations of amitriptyline (AMI) and its metabolite nortriptyline (NT) were determined in 54 Saudi patients treated for long durations with a daily oral dose (0.111 to 4.167 mg/kg) of AMI. Ten of these patients were concomitantly treated with neuroleptic drugs. The mean (SEM) of the dose-normalized steady-state serum concentration (Css) of AMI in patients who received AMI alone (Group I) was 46.1 (6.5) ng.mlminus;1/mg.kgminus;1 with mean NT/AMI Cssratio of 0.962 (0.122). A significantly higher mean of Cssof AMI 82.3 (18.8 ng.mlminus;1/mg.kgminus;1 was acquired for patients who concomitantly received AMI and neuroleptic drugs (Group II). However, the difference in the mean NT/AMI Cssratio between Group I and Group II 0.929 (0.197) was not significant. Also, the results of this study indicate that Cssof AMI and the NT/AMI Cssratio in Saudi patients treated for depression with AMI alone are not significantly different from those reported for subjects from Western populations.
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