Nortriptyline

Category: pharmacological

Aliases: Pamelor

Pharmacological Mechanism

Secondary-amine TCA — active metabolite of amitriptyline. Stronger NE reuptake / weaker serotonergic + lower anticholinergic burden vs amitriptyline. Better-tolerated TCA for chronic pain, depression-with-pain, smoking cessation.

Half-Life (t½)

PO: 30h

Dosing Guidelines

• PO: Typical 75 mg (Range: 25–150 mg)

Target Organ Systems

• nervous

Pathways It Modulates

• BDNF / TrkB neurotrophic signaling (activator) — BDNF (chronic)
• Tricyclic + atypical antidepressants (inhibitor) — NET > SERT + H1/M1/α1

Chemical Identifiers

• PubChem CID: 4543
• Formula: C19H21N
• Molecular weight: 263.38 g/mol
• InChIKey: PHVGLTMQBUFIQQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N
• SMILES: CNCCC=C1C2=CC=CC=C2CCC3=CC=CC=C31

References

• PMID 7366812